When we speak about the rapture of the Church, different questions come up: What is it? What does it mean? When will it happen? And of course, there are opposing views. The purpose of this website is to present these views and then let you choose which seems most likely.
TERMINOLOGY If we are going to discuss the rapture, let’s make sure we all understand the definitions and terms.
What is the Church? The church–little c–is a building where believers meet for worship, fellowship and study. The Church–capital C–is the body of people who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, Resurrected One, and Returning in the future–also known as believers. The word Church comes from the Greek word ecclesia. Ecclesia actually means the called out and is usually translated as Church, although sometimes as assembly (Acts 19:32,39,41). Called out refers to the idea presented by Jesus that believers are called out of the world (John 15:18-19): the world represents the opposing view of God and his redemptive work. This is not a new idea: In the Old and New Testaments, believers were told to be holy, which means set apart (Leviticus 11:44, 19:2; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 Peter 2:9 ). Our position in Christ as believers, sets us apart from the world. In this respect, at our confession and baptism¹, we become members of the Church worldwide–members of the Body of Christ.
¹ Paul tells us that by the confession of faith we are saved (Romans 10:8-10). We are told by Jesus to go into the world, making disciples and baptizing them (Matthew 28:16-20). But what if a person is incapable of speech or unable to be baptized. Is salvation beyond them? Of course not. Jesus assured the thief on the cross that he would be in Paradise with him that day (Luke 23:42-43).
What is the Great Tribulation? In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the persecution of believers, the Abomination that Causes Desolation [aka the antichrist] spoken of by Daniel (Daniel 9:27), and then says, “For then there will be Great Tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be†(Matt:24:21). In Revelation 7:14, the angel told John, “These are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation and washed their robes made white in the blood of the Lamb.â€
What is the Rapture? The word rapture refers to an event mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “And after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…†The Greek–caught up–translated into Latin is rapturo. Jesus seems to mention the rapture event in Matthew 24: “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.†Among many Christians, the debate is not about IF the rapture will happen, but rather WHEN the rapture will take place: before, during or after the seven years of the Great Tribulation. I do not include the Preterist view, which believes the Second Coming happened in 70 AD (2 Thess 2:2), or the Partial-Tribulation view because it lacks significance in this study, elements of which can be gleaned from the other views.
The Second Coming The rapture is NOT the Second Coming of Christ. The First Coming of Jesus was his birth, life, death and resurrection. Speaking of his return, Jesus said people would see him, “…coming on the clouds of heaven,†(Matthew 26:64). John described the Second Coming: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean†(Revelation 19:11, 14).
When will the rapture happen? If the Great Tribulation is many years in the future, the whole debate about when the rapture takes place (before, middle, or end of the Great Tribulation) is of little or no importance or relevancy to most people.
But what if the Second Coming happens around 2037? Then this study of the rapture might become important–certainly more personal. Go to When Will Jesus Return? to learn more.
WHEN WILL JESUS RETURN?
HISTORY LESSONS
In Revelation 19:11 John describes Jesus the Warrior returning to Earth: “There before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he makes war—the armies of heaven were following him.†Jesus said, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels…†(Matt 16:27, 24:37-39). Some thought he would come in their lifetime (1 Peter 4:7; James 5:8; Heb 10:25)
It took 46 years to build the Great Temple (John 2:19-21). Jesus said it would all be thrown down. “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down†(Luke 21:6; Matt 24:2). The disciples were astonished. When settled in the Garden, the disciples asked Jesus a two-part question: “When will these things happen? [Temple thrown down] And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?†(Luke 21:7).
Jesus starts with signs then follows with timing. “Look at the fig tree and all of the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near†(Luke 21:29-31; Matt 24:32-33). The fig tree is a metaphor for Israel (Matt 21:18-20; Mark 11:12-14; Luke 13:6-9; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Jeremiah 24:4-7).
Who had Jerusalem when Jesus was here?
The Romans—Gentiles, non-Jews. Do you remember the Roman Prefect—Pontius Pilate, washing his hands after the trial of Jesus? At that time some people were hoping that Jesus was a warrior Messiah (Gen 49:10; Isaiah 13:4-5, 24:21-23; Ezek 7:27; Joel 2:11), who would lead mighty armies to drive out the oppressor Romans then appoint them as leaders. Judas Iscariot thought like that, but Jesus had other plans. (The Old Testament mentions both Messiahs: The humble servant and the conquering warrior).
Then in 70 AD, as Jesus predicted, Emperor Titus and General Tiberius, leading four legions of Roman soldiers, destroyed Jerusalem and the Great Temple. Only the retaining walls that supported the Temple above remain, one portion of which is the well-known Wailing Wall. As Jesus said, the Romans tore the temple apart to get the gold that melted down between the stone seams, and the Israelites scattered for their lives to settle in other nations—the Diaspora.
The Prophet Ezekiel predicted the Diaspora over five hundred years before—about 586 BC. He quoted God as saying, “I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions†(Ezek 36:19). Although many Jewish people had been leaving Israel and not coming back for hundreds of years, this event caused most of the remaining Jews to leave. For rejecting their Messiah, God cursed the fig tree [Israel], which withered.
Ezekiel predicted or prophesied the Diaspora, but he also said God would bring the Jewish people back to their own land: “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind†(Ezek 39:28; and 37:12, 21).
Ezekiel tells us that this will happen, “In future years†(Ezek 38:8: “In latter years†KJV).
Israel becoming a nation after thousands of years is the fig tree sprouting tender shoots and leaves, becoming a beautiful tree again–a specific sign for us.
TIMES OF GENTILES FULFILLED
Jesus gave another important sign, saying that the Gentiles would control Jerusalem for a precise period. “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled†(Luke 21:24).
What does that mean, “…the times of the Gentiles fulfilled?â€
From the time of Jesus until the end of World War II, Gentiles controlled Jerusalem—the time of the Gentiles. In 1948, the nation of Israel was born and the Jews gained control over half of Jerusalem, but they did not govern the whole city. All of Jerusalem finally came under their jurisdiction after the Six-Day War in 1967.
Although many people throughout the ages thought Jesus might come sooner, incorrectly predicting his return, this part of the prophecy did not happen until now—in our lifetime. With all of Jerusalem under Jewish control for the first time in 2,000 plus years, the time of the Gentiles was fulfilled—complete. Another specific sign for us.
“When will these things happen?â€
It is all about the timing: Part One: Israel becomes a nation. Part Two: The Jews control all of Jerusalem.
Is it any wonder that the Jewish people are adamantly opposed to a divided Jerusalem? The Palestinians want Jerusalem as their capitol also, but dividing Jerusalem is simply not negotiable.
When all of Jerusalem came under Jewish control, the final sign presented itself and the clock started ticking down. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened†(Matt 24:34; Luke 21:32). The generation of people witnessing this momentous event, would also see his Second Coming.
A GENERATION
What does that passage mean, and how does it affect us? We need to know how long a generation is.
From biblical times until now, the general lifespan of an individual has been about seventy years. Psalm 90:10, “The length of our days is seventy years–or eighty, if we have the strength.â€
Despite the advances of science over the centuries, from birth to death the lifespan of a generation is still approximately seventy years. Because of hardship, life expectancy can vary in certain countries today and in times past. Do you see the distinction between lifespan and life expectancy? Likewise, in biblical times, those people with access to plentiful food and good medical care, like kings, could live a long life.
Even 2,700 years ago, this was true: “At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life.†(Isaiah 23:15, who lived in the 700’s BC).
In modern countries with ready access to medical care and an abundance of quality, clean food, life expectancy has slowly crept up into the low eighties. However, that does not change the truth spoken of in Psalm 90, of what the average lifespan is supposed to be—seventy years.
So add seventy years—the average length of a generation from birth to death—to the date 1967, and we have Jesus returning to Earth before the year 2037. He said he would return before that generation passed away, who witnessed a specific event–the last sign–all of Jerusalem controlled by the Jews. He said it was a certainty—take it to the bank. This means that most of you reading this will witness his return in the Second Coming!
Now notice, I did not give you a specific date and ask you to sell your possessions, climb a mountain with me and beat drums while chanting Kumbaya. No. What we have is a range. Jesus will return before 2037. We won’t know the exact day or hour, but that 2037 is not far off now, is it?
As Jesus said, we will not know the exact day and hour, which is just as well. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father†(Matt 24:36). Knowing he will return between now and 2037 should be enough to motivate into action everyone who believes.
Are you beginning to feel a sense of urgency? I certainly do.
ALIBI (a defense or an excuse to avoid blame).
1. Psalm 90:10 said 70 to 80 years, so that could increase the window ten years or to 2047.
2. While we can expect the return of Jesus on or before 2037, God can choose one individual of that generation as the one to watch, however long they live. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah†(Lk 1:25-26). What if Grandma Johnson, of our generation, lives to 96 years old and God uses her lifespan to launch the Second Coming?—26 years later—2063.
Nevertheless, I hope Jesus returns in my lifetime–I would like to still be alive for the Second Coming—to be transformed in the wink of an eye (1 Cor 15:52). But God has a plan, and the End Time events will unfold in the fullness of time and not a second earlier—or later.
APOPHIS –ancient serpent deity of chaos and darkness.
Who does that remind you of?
“The second angel sounded his trumpet and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea“ (Rev 8:8).
Copy and past this, or type in your browser “Neil deGrasse Tyson, Apophis†and watch one of his very disturbing videos about a coming worldwide calamity, potentially in Southern California or off the coast, although it could hit somewhere in the Midwest also. In the video, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson first says the asteroid–Apophis–will near miss earth in 2029 and come back 13 years later. But at the end, he corrects himself and says it comes back in 7 years–2036. Interestingly, the bible talks about this. And the date–less than twenty years from now–2036 fits too, doesn’t it? Especially if this mountain of an asteroid slams into the earth near the end of the Great Tribulation.
When Dr Neil talks about where Apophis will pass by the earth in 2029, he holds up two fingers and says there is a range between the surface of the earth and the farthest satellites. Those farthest satellites are 22,000 miles out. The “key hole†is a 600-mile area in the center. The asteroid will only hit off the coast of California if it hits the key hole perfectly. If it misses that 600 mile keyhole, it misses Earth. But if it hits the 600-mile keyhole at any point, it will slam into the earth somewhere–further out to sea or somewhere on the North American continent. In either case, Americans will be greatly affected.
According to the bible (Rev 8:8), it will hit somewhere in the ocean. If it hits in the ocean off San DIego, is that better? Nope. Watch the movie, Deep Impact, to see the damage from a water landing–thousand foot or higher tsunami waves will bury the West Coast, leaving destruction up to five hundred miles inland–essentially, all of California will be obliterated from Redding to San Diego. The San Joaquin Valley will be an inland salt water sea again.
Perhaps this is why the United States is not mentioned or involved in the events surrounding the antichrist and Israel: We are in recovery after the greatest natural disaster in our history.
When does the Great Tribulation start?
In Matthew 24:15-22, Jesus says that when people see the Abomination of Desolation, there would follow a period of Great Tribulation, such as the world had never been seen before.
Two arguments:
First, someone wrote that we cannot know when the Great Tribulation will start; like a frog in water, we may already be in the mess without really knowing it.
Second, if we know when things start, then we will know when they stop. The argument here is that we are not supposed to know the day and hour when Jesus will return (Matt 24:36), and if we know when the last half of the Great Tribulation starts, then we will know when the Second Coming happens.
The Great Tribulation starts when the antichrist makes a seven-year covenant [of peace] with Israel, but in the middle of the seven years–at 3 1/2 years–he stops sacrifices in the Great Temple and places abominations there (Dan 9:27). Rev 13:5 says that the antichrist will make war on the saints for 42 months–3 1/2 years.
But even if we see these things develop and happen, and even if we get out our calendars and mark a day exactly 42 months later, that does not mean it is the day the Lord is coming, much less the hour. I say this because there is a wrinkle to the calendar, to the dating. At the end of the book of Daniel, he asks Gabriel, “What will the outcome of all this be?†Gabriel answers, “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days [3 1/2 years]. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days†(Dan 12:8,11-12).
I call this a 45-day window, in which anything can happen. Yes, we will not know the exact day and hour, but we are also told that, unlike the non-believers, the believers will not be surprised: “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thiefâ€Â (1 Thess 5:1-4). Not knowing the exact day or hour does not mean we will be unprepared. Quite the contrary.
THREE RAPTURE THEORIES
Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, Post-Trib
PRE-TRIBULATION THEORY
SUMMARY It could be argued–in the United States at least–that the Pre-Tribulation view is the most popular. The Left Behind series capitalized on this. The Pre-Trib theory believes that before God brings seven years of punishment on the world, true, righteous and holy believers will be taken to heaven to be spared the horrors to come–God’s wrath poured out on an evil world.
LAST TRUMPET
There is a question about timing: What is the last trumpet and when does it sound–exactly? Trumpets are sounded all through the bible, so what makes the seventh and last trumpet in Revelation special? Is the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15-18 the last trumpet Paul speaks of in 1 Cor 15:52? In the Book of Revelation, the seven trumpets are sounded to bring wrath on an unbelieving world, not the Church. A special trumpet, not tied to or mentioned in Revelation, is blown to call believers in the rapture.
The trumpet of Joel 2:1 “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand.†And so Joel opens this chapter with what sounds like the Second Coming of Christ. So what? Is it a last trumpet or the same as Revelation 11? Either way, the believers are already in heaven, because they are taken at the sound of that trumpet, before the seven years of the Great Tribulation.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 1
The rapture and Second Coming are not tied together in any way: they are completely separate events. The rapture takes place in the air, while Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives in the Second Coming, which splits in two (Zechariah 14:4). In the rapture, people get new bodies, while at Second Coming, glorified believers come from heaven with Jesus and those on earth keep their bodies. The rapture takes place before the world is judged, while at the Second Coming, Jesus judges the world, establishing righteousness. In the rapture, the Church is delivered from wrath, while at the Second Coming, Jesus saves the world from wrath. Rapture comes without signs, while the Second Coming has many. The rapture is only in the New Testament, while the Second Coming is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Only the truest and holiest believers are raptured, while in the Second Coming, all people are saved from the end time horrors. In the rapture, the antichrist remains in power, while at the Second Coming, Jesus defeats him with a Word, then he is bound and thrown into the Abyss.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 2
How many times does Jesus come to earth? Three times: Birth, rapture, Second Coming. Three separate events.
NOT SUFFER WRATH
Believers will not suffer in the Tribulation, because the coming torment is worse than anything in history. 1 Thess 5:9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.†It is important to understand that the true and most holy believers do not need to experience God’s wrath poured out on the earth; a pouring out that is more horrible than anything the world has ever experienced. Who would want to be here for that, if the rapture comes first? Do right thinking people want to experience God’s wrath? Here is a promise for true believers: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth†(Rev 3:10). Just like during Noah’s flood on the earth, God spares his holiest people from wrath.
NOT SUFFER ANYTHING
Like Noah and his family, true believers will not suffer God’s wrath poured out on the earth, because evil doers are being punished, not God’s people. Any believers suffering during the Great Tribulation must be unworthy people left behind after the rapture.
PHILADELPHIA CHURCH
In Rev 3:7-13 Jesus speaks to the Philadelphia Church. This is about the righteous believers who taken in the rapture. “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.†After the rapture, the Great Tribulation begins and God’s judgement and wrath upon the world.
THE CHURCH AFTER REVELATION 3
The Church is not mentioned after the third chapter of Revelation. The only people mentioned after chapter 3 are the left behind believers, those fallen and hopefully repentant Christians, struggling through the horrors of the Great Tribulation. They can only be saved if they are martyred.
NOT KNOW DATE OF RAPTURE
If the Lord comes like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2) and no one knows the day or hour (Matt 24:36), then the rapture cannot happen with the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, because Daniel 12:11-13 says 1,290 days after the Abomination of Desolation appears “you will rise to receive your allotted inheritanceâ€â€“a specific date on the calendar.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come†(Mat 24:42). This means that we must always be ready–constantly, because we will not know when the rapture will take place or when Jesus will return.
HOLY SPIRIT REMOVED
2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.†When the Holy Spirit–the restrainer–is removed from the earth, no person will get saved or can be saved from that point on (see John 16:8-11; 1 John 5:7) . Since the Holy Spirit is removed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the antichrist can wreck the earth, so the rapture takes place just before the Great Tribulation. But it also may mean that the Church is the restrainer, who when removed, allows the antichrist to rise to power.
JOHN 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.â€
John 14:1-4 is a direct reference to the rapture.
WHERE WE MEET JESUS
Any reference to meeting Jesus in the air is about the rapture, because in the Second Coming, Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives, which then splits in two (Zechariah 14:4).
WHERE WE GET A NEW BODY
Believers get a new glorified body during the rapture, not the Second Coming. In the Second Coming, living believers remain in same body.
BEING READY
Only before the Tribulation would believers need to be fully ready (Matt 24:44). No true and righteous believers will go through the Great Tribulation. So after the Tribulation starts, the people in it must hang on and survive.
PEOPLE IN HEAVEN
If people are with Jesus in Rev 14 and the Second Coming happens in Rev 19, then the rapture must have already happened before.
POPULARITY
The Pre-Tribulation rapture theory must be correct, because it is the most popular.
WHAT IF I AM WRONG?
Pre-Trib people teach that you may think you are going, but could be left behind, to face the horrors of God’s wrath and punishment on the earth. Some people have suggested that they would commit suicide if left behind. Others say they will fall apart. Still others say they will be angry but get it together eventually.
DAY OF THE LORD
First, the Day of the Lord may not be what we call a typical 24-hour period of time. Paul describes the Day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2). But does this automatically mean the Day of the Lord is linked to Armageddon and the end of the Great Tribulation? No. In fact, some scholars believe the Day of the Lord may encompass the whole Great Tribulation period. For example: Peter describes a Day of the Lord that seems to include the Lord coming like a thief, the heavens disappearing, fire destroying everything, and the earth laid bare (2 Peter 3:10-13). A lot going on for just one day.
ORIENTATION CHANGE
In the first three chapters of Revelation, Jesus is speaking to the churches. Then he is done with them. He warns them, tells them how to get ready, and then he moves on to more important issues, and he does not mention the Church again until Revelation 19, where they are present during celebration. Why? Because the Church is gone in the rapture at the end of Revelation 3.
ISRAEL’S REDEMPTION
Another reason the Church is not here: The Great Tribulation is for the redemption of Israel, not the Church. Zechariah 13:8 says two-thirds will be struck down, and for the remaining one-third, God says: “will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call my Name and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’†(vs 9). The antichrist and the world are against the woman in Revelation 12, who is Israel, fleeing persecution during the Great Tribulation.
CHURCH DURING GREAT TRIBULATION
During the Great Tribulation, the Church experiences three things. Firstly, the Church receives the judgment of God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or badâ€Â (2 Cor 5:10; Matt 25:26-30). This is not an eternal judgment (Rev 20:11), but a separate judgment based on the works of believers in the Church. Secondly, a marriage ceremony follows, as described in Revelation 19:6-9, “…For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.â€Â Thirdly, after the marriage ceremony, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb follows: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!â€Â (Rev 19:9). All of this happens while God’s judgement and wrath are poured out on the earth.
MID-TRIBULATION THEORY
Summary: The Mid-Tribulation rapture theory suggests that true believers will experience the first half of the Great Tribulation, because it is supposed to be a period of peace. Just before things get really bad, they are removed–raptured–to spare them from God’s wrath on the earth during the last three and a half years. So any Pre-Tribulation arguments that talk about avoiding the wrath of God in the Great Tribulation fit these views, only for the last half.
LAST TRUMPET
The Mid-Tribulation rapture theory believes that the rapture trumpet takes place in the middle of the Great Tribulation. It is distinct and different from anything related to the Second Coming.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 1
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
The rapture and Second Coming are not tied together in any way: they are completely separate events. The rapture takes place in the air, while Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives in the Second Coming, which splits in two (Zechariah 14:4). In the rapture, people get new bodies, while at Second Coming, glorified believers come from heaven with Jesus and those on earth keep their bodies. The rapture takes place before the world is judged, while at the Second Coming, Jesus judges the world, establishing righteousness. In the rapture, the Church is delivered from wrath, while at the Second Coming, Jesus saves the world from wrath. Rapture comes without signs, while the Second Coming has many. The rapture is only in the New Testament, while the Second Coming is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Only the truest and holiest believers are raptured, while in the Second Coming, all people are saved from the end time horrors. In the rapture, the antichrist remains in power, while at the Second Coming, Jesus defeats him with a Word, then he is bound and thrown into the Abyss.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 2
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
How many times does Jesus come to earth? Three times: Birth, rapture, Second Coming. Three separate events.
NOT SUFFER WRATH
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Believers will not suffer in the Tribulation, because the coming torment is worse than anything in history. 1 Thess 5:9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.†It is important to understand that the true and most holy believers do not need to experience God’s wrath poured out on the earth; a pouring out that is more horrible than anything the world has ever experienced. Who would want to be here for that, if the rapture comes first? Do right thinking people want to experience God’s wrath? Here is a promise for true believers: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth†(Rev 3:10). Just like during Noah’s flood on the earth, God spares his holiest people from wrath.
NOT SUFFER ANYTHING
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Like Noah and his family, true believers will not suffer God’s wrath poured out on the earth, because evil doers are being punished, not God’s people. Any believers suffering during the Great Tribulation must be unworthy people left behind after the rapture.
PHILADELPHIA CHURCH
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
In Rev 3:7-13 Jesus speaks to the Philadelphia Church. This is about the righteous believers who taken in the rapture. “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.†After the rapture, the Great Tribulation begins and God’s judgement and wrath upon the world.
THE CHURCH AFTER REVELATION 3
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
The Church is not mentioned after the third chapter of Revelation. The only people mentioned after chapter 3 are the left behind believers, those fallen and hopefully repentant Christians, struggling through the horrors of the Great Tribulation. They can only be saved if they are martyred.
NOT KNOW DATE OF RAPTURE
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
If the Lord comes like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2) and no one knows the day or hour (Matt 24:36), then the rapture cannot happen with the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, because Daniel 12:11-13 says 1,290 days after the Abomination of Desolation appears “you will rise to receive your allotted inheritanceâ€â€“a specific date on the calendar.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come†(Mat 24:42). This means that we must always be ready–constantly, because we will not know when the rapture will take place or when Jesus will return.
HOLY SPIRIT REMOVED
Same a Pre-Trib argument.
2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.†When the Holy Spirit–the restrainer–is removed from the earth, no person will get saved or can be saved from that point on (see John 16:8-11; 1 John 5:7) . Since the Holy Spirit is removed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the antichrist can wreck the earth, so the rapture takes place just before the Great Tribulation. But it also may mean that the Church is the restrainer, who when removed, allows the antichrist to rise to power.
JOHN 14:1-14
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.â€
John 14:1-4 is a direct reference to the rapture.
WHERE WE MEET JESUS
Any reference to meeting Jesus in the air is about the rapture, because in the Second Coming, Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives, which then splits in two (Zechariah 14:4).
WHERE WE GET A NEW BODY
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Believers get a new glorified body during the rapture, not the Second Coming. In the Second Coming, living believers remain in same body.
BEING READY
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Only before the Tribulation would believers need to be fully ready (Matt 24:44). No true and righteous believers will go through the Great Tribulation. So after the Tribulation starts, the people in it must hang on and survive.
PEOPLE IN HEAVEN
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
If people are with Jesus in Rev 14 and the Second Coming happens in Rev 19, then the rapture must have already happened before.
POPULARITY
The Mid-Tribulation rapture theory is not as popular as the Pre-Trib view, but more popular that the Post-Trib view.
WHAT IF I AM WRONG?
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Pre-Trib people teach that you may think you are going, but could be left behind, to face the horrors of God’s wrath and punishment on the earth. Some people have suggested that they would commit suicide if left behind. Others say they will fall apart. Still others say they will be angry but get it together eventually.
ORIENTATION CHANGE
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
In the first three chapters of Revelation, Jesus is speaking to the churches. Then he is done with them. He warns them, tells them how to get ready, and then he moves on to more important issues, and he does not mention the Church again until Revelation 19, where they are present during celebration. Why? Because the Church is gone in the rapture at the end of Revelation 3.
ISRAEL’S REDEMPTION
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
Another reason the Church is not here: The Great Tribulation is for the redemption of Israel, not the Church. Zechariah 13:8 says two-thirds will be struck down, and for the remaining one-third, God says: “will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call my Name and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’†(vs 9). The antichrist and the world are against the woman in Revelation 12, who is Israel, fleeing persecution during the Great Tribulation.
CHURCH DURING GREAT TRIBULATION
Same as Pre-Trib argument.
During the Great Tribulation, the Church experiences three things. Firstly, the Church receives the judgment of God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or badâ€Â (2 Cor 5:10; Matt 25:26-30). This is not an eternal judgment (Rev 20:11), but a separate judgment based on the works of believers in the Church. Secondly, a marriage ceremony follows, as described in Revelation 19:6-9, “…For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.â€Â Thirdly, after the marriage ceremony, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb follows: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!â€Â (Rev 19:9). All of this happens while God’s judgement and wrath are poured out on the earth.
POST-TRIBULATION THEORY
SUMMARY
As you can tell by the name, the Post-Tribulation rapture theory means everyone–Christian and non-Christian/Believers and non-Believers–goes through the seven years of the Great Tribulation, experiencing some form of God’s wrath on the world, and the rapture takes place afterwards, during the Second Coming. Not a popular theory among some Christians for obvious reasons.
PURPOSE OF THE POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Pre and Mid-Trib theories say that the rapture is for believers to avoid God’s wrath poured out on the earth in the last days. But the purpose of a post-tribulation rapture at the end of the Great Tribulation is for all believers on the earth to personally witness the promised return of Jesus in the Second Coming. The dead rise first then the living believers are transformed and ushered by angels to Jerusalem where they can see Jesus Christ arrive in the air, and the armies with him.
LAST TRUMPET
The Pre-Trib theory states that the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15 is not necessarily the last trumpet of Revelation.
The Post-Trib theory states that there is only one specific last trumpet in the bible, found in two scriptures:
1. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep [die], but we will be changed–in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised immortal, and we [who are alive] will be changed.†(1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
2. In Book of Revelation, seven trumpets announce end time events. The last trumpet proclaims victory: “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever’†(Revelations 11:15). In this passage, the Second Coming and surrounding events have happened, the antichrist defeated, and Christ rules his kingdom.
The rapture is announced at the sound of a trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52, both of which are the last and seventh trumpet of Rev 11:15, heralding the Second Coming. “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left [survive] till the coming of the Lord [Second Coming], will certainly not precede [go ahead of] those who have fallen asleep [died],†(1 Thess 4:15).
Why won’t we precede them? Paul explains why in the next verse. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven [the Second Coming], with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left [survived] will be caught up [raptured] to meet the Lord in the air,†(1 Thess 4:16-17). The dead first, then the living, rise up to meet Jesus in the air–above the earth, during the Second Coming.
Why would God want us to meet Jesus during the Second Coming? To witness this magnificently huge and promised event, perhaps even participate in some capacity. The rapture is the believer’s reward for remaining faithful to Jesus, while believing in his resurrection and promised return.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 1
Pre and Mid-Trib theories teach that the rapture and Second Coming are separate events, years apart and not related.
The Post-Trib view sees it differently. In Matthew 24:30-31, after describing the Great Tribulation, Jesus says, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.†According to this passage, Jesus is describing the Second Coming and the rapture of believers. First, people see something in the sky, indicating the immediate return of Jesus. Then Jesus says a loud trumpet sounds and he sends his angels. The angels have a task: Gather the elect, the living believers from all over the world, just before he arrives.
MATTHEW 24 – Part 2
How many times does Jesus return?
Pre and Mid-Trib theories say that Jesus came when he was born, and for the rapture, then for the Second Coming. But the bible clearly teaches that Jesus only comes to Earth two times: his birth and the Second Coming. According to Matthew 24, the rapture is not a separate trumpet or a separate event, but is intimately tied to the Second Coming, and what must be the last trumpet, sounded at the Second Coming.
NOT SUFFER GOD’S WRATH
Pre and Mid-Trib theories state that believers will be spared from God’s wrath poured out on the earth in the end times.
The Post-Trib view is that if believers have had to suffer for their faith throughout the ages, so how can we justify the idea that God would spare End Time believers from a similar fate?
We are supposed to consider it an honor to suffer for Christ. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed†(1 Peter 4:12-19).
Some bible passages suggest that believers will be present during the Great Tribulation, but not suffer like the unbelievers. For example, Rev 14:9-12 tells us that the people who worship the beast and his image and receive the mark are the only ones who will experience God’s fury at that time. Rev 16:2 tells us only the people who received the mark of the beast experience ugly and painful sores. But of course, if a great asteroid slams into the earth (Rev 18:21), all kinds of people will die–believers and unbelievers.
While God’s wrath is poured out on the unbelieving world, Jews and believers are attacked and persecuted by the antichrist and his minions. For example, in the Old Testament, God’s wrath is poured out on the Jews for their unbelief. For their disobedience, God even allows Jerusalem to be captured and the inhabitants taken into Babylonian captivity. But out of that mess, we see the rise of Daniel and his dear friends–believers who never lost faith in God, although they suffered the same fate as the rest of the city.
But consider this: After describing God’s wrath on the world as “unequaled from the beginning of the world until now†(Matthew 24:21), Jesus goes on to say, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would have survived, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened†(Matt 24:22). Now, who do the angels gather from the four winds in the rapture? God’s elect (Matt 24:31).
NOT SUFFER ANYTHING
The Pre-Trib view uses the example of Noah to suggest that believers will be spared God’s wrath and suffer nothing.
The Post-Trib view is that the antichrist is given power to harm all believers–all saints. “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them…He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for time, times and a half time [3 1/2 years, last half of Great Tribulation]†(Dan 7:21, 25).
According to Jesus and the apostles, believers can expect suffering. “Blessed are you when [not if] people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me [Jesus]. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you†(Matt 5:11-12). See also, Mark 13:9-14; Luke 21:12-19; John 16:1-4,33; James 1:2-3, 12. Peter says it is an honor to suffer and/or die for Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). So why would we expect God to spare us from something many believers experienced throughout history, including Jesus? Don’t use Noah as an example; Noah and his family also went through God’s wrath on the earth, while floating in a boat. It wasn’t a picnic and it wasn’t easy.
PHILADELPHIA CHURCH
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the Key of David. What he opens, no one can shut; and what he shuts, no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you and open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to those those who live on the earth’†(Revelations 3:7-8, 10).
The Pre-Trib theory believes that the Philadelphia Church is about righteous believers who experience the rapture.
Who are the members of the Philadelphia Church? How are they described? Little strength, kept my word, did not deny my name, endured patiently. This passage does not describe every day believers or American Christians. Instead it actually describes the Persecuted Church: those dear and precious believers who have already suffered greatly for their faith, have already been severely tested, but remained faithful.
They have already endured patiently and faithfully, so God offers them an Open Door–The Philadelphia Door–to temporarily escape the suffering, but only if they choose. I can imagine that Jesus or an angel will come to them in a vision, offering the opened door. A person might choose to walk through the door, but for deep and personal reasons, a person might decide to stay.
Isaiah 26:20 talks about this idea. “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.†Then they will join the other believers as they are being raptured at the end of the Great Tribulation, during the Second Coming.
The next verse describes the End Times: “See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins [not just the Jewish people]. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer.†Conceal her slain no longer sounds like a resurrection event: The dead rise first…
THE CHURCH AFTER REVELATION 3
The Pre-Trib theory states that the Church is gone after Rev 3, and any mention of believers is about those unworthies left behind after the rapture.
The Post-Trib view notices that the Church and believers are mentioned repeatedly after Rev 3, although not emphasized (7:9-17, 11:1, 13; 12:17; 13:7, and others).
In Revelation chapters two and three, Jesus speaks to specific elements of the Church to rebuke, exhort and prepare believers for the End Time events; then at Rev 4:1, the emphasis changes to the Great Tribulation and what follows.
Rev 4 starts off with a Greek transitional clause–meta tauta–after these things. After the messages to the seven churches, John’s focus changes. Now John turns his attention, orientation, in another direction: he sees an opened door in heaven. This does not mean the Church is gone, it is simply and only a change in focus, which all writers employ.
NOT KNOW DATE OF RAPTURE
Core Assumption: Jesus said no one knows the day or hour of his return.
“But concerning that day and hour [coming of the Son of Man] no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man†(Matthew 24:36-37).
The Pre-Trib theory believes the rapture happens before any End Time events, so believers cannot possibly know when it would happen. It will be a complete surprise, so true believers should stay ready, living blameless lives. Further, if the Lord comes like a thief in the night, that is further evidence that people will be surprised.
First, the Post-Trib view is that the only people surprised by the rapture or the Second Coming of Jesus are those living in darkness (1 Thess 5:5-7); mostly unbelievers who are unaware of End Time world events in the light of bible prophecies. “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief in the night†(1 Thess 5:4). Paul often uses comparisons, and again, he is saying that believers will not be in darkness or surprised.
Second, Daniel 7:25 presents us with a window: He does mention 1,290 days (3 1/2 years). At the end of that time (verses 26-27), the power passes to the saints, “the people of the Most High.†If we know that the Fourth Beast [Daniel 7:19, Rev 13:1, beast or antichrist] begins his reign of terror on a certain day, then we can predict the exact date of the rapture. But then Daniel adds 45 days: “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.†Another mystery. Yes, we will not know the exact day or the exact hour. But we will do the math, and see the signs, and know that the end is very close–I believe somewhere in that 45-day window.
HOLY SPIRIT REMOVED
The Pre-Trib theory states that if the Holy Spirit is removed [at the end of Revelation chapter 3], then no person can be saved during the Great Tribulation unless they die a martyr. The rapture takes place at the same time the Holy Spirit is removed.
The Post-Trib theory states that the Holy Spirit is not removed to allow the antichrist to reign. 2 Thess 2:7 says that the Holy Spirit has been restraining the antichrist’s power and only the restraining action ends. 2 Thess 2:7 literal Greek translation: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only at present the restraining until (á¼Îº=of) (μÎσου/mesou=among [us]) (γÎνηται/genetai=is accomplished). In the Greek, this verse does not say the Holy Spirit is removed; it says he [the Holy Spirit] is restraining until his restraining work is accomplished. There is no indication or implication that the Holy Spirit has been removed; he only stops restraining evil. Besides that, there is no scriptural evidence that the rapture takes place at this time or that the Holy Spirit is actually removed from the earth–if that is even possible.
JOHN 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.â€
The Pre-Trib view is that John 14:1-4 is a direct reference to the rapture.
The Post-Trib idea is that in John 14:1-4, Jesus tells the disciples [and by extension, all believers] to not worry. And if he prepares a place for them, he will come back for them. Some people believe this is a reference to the rapture. If anything, it is a reference to the Second Coming. But it cannot be argued that it is rapture specific. It is simply a passage of comfort and promise.
WHERE WE MEET JESUS
For the Post-Trib view, any reference to meeting Jesus in the air is about the rapture, because in the Second Coming, Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives, which then splits in half (Zechariah 14:4).
In 2 Thess 2:1, Paul writes, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him…†Paul is describing the Second Coming and our being gathered to Jesus as one event. 1 Thess 4:16 describes Jesus coming down from heaven [the Second Coming] and the dead rising first, then the living being caught up (raptured). Further, Jesus said, “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.â€
In the Second Coming, Jesus enters on the clouds and at the same time gathers the elect. So again, the Second Coming and rapture are linked together–in the air, even though Jesus does land on the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two at the end of his Second Coming arrival event.
WHERE GET NEW BODY
In the Pre-Trib view, believers get a new glorified body during the rapture, not the Second Coming. In the Second Coming, living believers remain in same body.
The Post-Trib view is that we–the living–need to be transformed in order to experience the rapture and witness the Second Coming of Jesus, whether just watching or actually participating (1 Cor 15:52, “…we will be changedâ€). Paul writes that the dead in Christ rise first, then those remaining are transformed in the twinkling of an eye–a new body. In the new body, the angels instantaneously transport believers to Jerusalem to witness the Second Coming, as Jesus and the armies of heaven arrive high in the sky.
What is this new body? Is it the resurrection body believers get after they are raised from the dead? Or is it a temporary body, designed to allow living believers to witness and participate in the Second Coming? Afterwards, they would be taken back to where they started and returned to the same form. But Paul tells us that this transformation is permanent. How? He tells us that these believers will never have to actually die. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?†(1 Cor 15:54-55).
BEING READY
The Pre-Trib theory says believers only need to be ready before the Tribulation. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come†(Matt 24:42).
The Post-Trib idea is that the resurrection of the actual human body is important, Jesus being first to experience it. “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth†(Revelation 1:4). While the body sleeps in the grave, the spirit of believers go to heaven every day–now and during the Great Tribulation. Those who are alive need to be ready all the time for either death or the Second Coming. We must live lives of steadfast belief, obedient to the Gospel, with hopeful expectation, knowing God can call us home at any time. And count it a blessing if we are allowed to experience the Second Coming.
PEOPLE IN HEAVEN
Pre and Mid-Trib theories say that if believers are with Jesus in Rev 14 and the Second Coming happens in Rev 19, then the rapture must have already happened long before.
But the Book of Revelation was not written in chronological order (ref. Harvest of the Earth – Rev 14:14 should follow the Thousand Year Reign in Rev 20). But even then, people are going to heaven daily, regardless of when the Second Coming takes place.
POPULARITY
The prosperity gospel teaches people that they deserve wealth and health. Along that line, a Pre-Tribulation rapture theology, where any wrath or suffering is avoided, fits perfectly.
By definition, Post-Tribulation rapture theology is scary, because it teaches that we must be ready, and some form of suffering and discomfort will find us in the End Times. Where you live will determine what level of suffering you experience. How do you get ready? First, don’t just be a weekend believer. Get involved. Grow in your faith. Help others. Pray–and if you don’t know how, learn. Second, share your faith and hope with others. We survive hardship better when we are in community.
†Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day [return of Jesus] approachingâ€Â (Hebrews 10:25). The writer means the return of Jesus here, because in a few verses later he writes, “He who is coming will come and not delayâ€Â (Heb 10:37).
THREE THEORIES COMPARED
PURPOSE
Pre-Trib: The main purpose of the rapture is to spare the most holy believers from any exposure to the antichrist’s seven-year reign and God’s wrath poured out on the worrld at any time during that 7 years, not just the last 3 1/2 years.
Mid-Trib: The main purpose of the rapture is to spare believers from God’s wrath poured out on the world only in the last 3 1/2 worst years of the Great Tribulation.
Post-Trib: The main purpose of the rapture is so all believers–dead and alive–can witness [and perhaps participate in] the Second Coming of Jesus.
LAST TRUMPET
Pre-trib: Paul refers to a last trumpet in his 1 Cor 15:52 rapture commentary, but that does not automatically mean it is the last trumpet of Rev 11:15.
Mid-trib: The last trumpet is in the middle of the Great Tribulation, therefore the rapture is then, not before or at the end.
Post-trib: The rapture is announced at the trumpet of 1 Thess 4:16 and the last trumpet of 1 Cor 15:52, both of which are the last and seventh trumpet of Rev 11:15, heralding the Second Coming. There is only one last trumpet in scripture.
SECOND COMING AND RAPTURE – Part One
Pre-Trib: Second Coming and rapture happen at different times in history: the rapture is before Great Tribulation and the is Second Coming after the Great Tribulation.
Mid-Trib: Rapture takes place in the middle of the Great Tribulation as the 3 1/2 years of false peace end and the antichrist brings rampant evil.
Post-Trib: In Matthew 24:30-31, After describing the Great Tribulation, Jesus says, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.†According to this passage, Jesus is describing the Second Coming and the rapture of believers.
SECOND COMING AND RAPTURE – Part Two
Pre-Trib: Jesus comes three times: his birth, the rapture, the Second Coming.
Mid-Trib: Jesus comes three times: his birth, the rapture, the Second Coming.
Post-Trib: Jesus only comes two times: his birth and the Second Coming. There is no solid scriptural evidence of Jesus coming just for the rapture event.
NOT SUFFER WRATH
Pre-Trib: Believers will not suffer in the Tribulation, because the coming torment is worse than anything in history: 1 Thess 5:9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.†Because this torment is worse than anything in history, believers will be spared God’s outpouring of judgment on unbelievers.
Mid-Trib: Agree with Pre-Trib on this point.
Post-Trib: 1 Thess 5:4-9 has nothing to do with the rapture. In this passage, Paul is comparing believers with unbelievers, darkness with light, night with day, sleep with alertness, drunkenness with self-control, and finally wrath with salvation. We are saved from God’s eternal wrath (damnation) by faith in Jesus. This passage has nothing to do with the rapture or Second Coming.
NOT SUFFER ANYTHING
Pre-Trib: Like Noah and his family, true believers will not suffer God’s wrath poured out on the earth, because evil doers are being punished, not God’s people. Any believers suffering during the Great Tribulation must be unworthy people left behind after the rapture.
Mid-Trib: Mid-Trib agrees with Pre-Trib on this point.
Post-Trib: The antichrist is given power to harm all believers–all saints (Dan 7:21,25; Rev 13:7). According to Jesus and the apostles, believers can expect suffering (Matt 5:11-12; Mark 13:9-14; Luke 21:12-19; John 16:1-4,33; James 1:2-3,12; 1 Peter 4:12-14). And their lives bear out this testimony. Peter says it is an honor to suffer and/or die for Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). So why would we expect God to spare us from something everyone experienced, including Jesus?
PHILADELPHIA CHURCH
Pre-Trib: Rev 3:10 is talking about a Pre-Trib rapture, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.†This is all about true believers being raptured before the Great Tribulation.
Mid-Trib: Mid-Trib believers are often mute on this subject or agree.
Post-Trib: Rev 3:10 is only about the Persecuted Church worldwide. They have already endured patiently, so God offers them an Open Door–The Philadelphia Door–to temporarily escape the suffering, but only if they choose. Isaiah 26:20-21 talks about this idea. They will join the believers being raptured at end of Great Tribulation, during the Second Coming.
NO CHURCH AFTER REVELATION CHAPTER 3
Pre-Trib: If the Church is not mentioned after Rev 3, then only fallen and hopefully repentant Christians remain, going through the Great Tribulation.
Mid-Trib: The mid-Trib view is mixed: Some note that the Church is mentioned less after Rev 3 and wonder if that means the rapture took place.
Post-Trib: The Church and believers are mentioned repeatedly after Rev 3, but not emphasized. In Rev 2 and 3, Jesus speaks to the Church to prepare believers, then the emphasis is on the Great Tribulation and what follows.
WE CANNOT KNOW THE DATE
Pre-Trib: If the Lord comes like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2) and no one knows the day or hour (Matt 24:36), then the rapture cannot happen with the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, because Daniel 12:11-13 says 1,290 days after the Abomination of Desolation appears “you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.â€
Mid-Trib: Agrees with the Pre-Trib view on this point.
Post-Trib: First, the only people surprised by the Second Coming of Jesus are those living in the dark (1 Thess 5:4). Second, Daniel presents us with a window: He does mention 1,290 days, but then adds 45 days: “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.†Another mystery. Yes, we will not know the exact day or the exact hour. But we must always be ready nevertheless.
CHANGE IN ORIENTATION
Pre-Trib: The rapture takes place between Rev 3:22 and Rev 4:1, because some people (dispensationalists) believe Jesus’ comments to the churches is about church ages/epochs, so when John’s orientation changes, the Church should be gone.
Mid-Trib: While dispensationalism can be read into various Revelation passages, the idea that the change in subject between Rev 3:22 and Rev 4:1 reflects a dispensational event change is contrived and not good theology, using a scriptural passage to support an idea that, on itself, has no scholarly support.
Post-Trib: Rev 4 starts off with a Greek transitional statement–meta tauta–after these things. After the messages to the seven churches, John’s focus changes. Now John turns his attention, orientation, in another direction: he sees an opened door in heaven. This does not mean the Church is gone, it is simply and only a change in focus, which all writers employ.
HOLY SPIRIT REMOVED
Pre-Trib: Reference 2 Thess 2:7, if the Holy Spirit is removed, then no person can be saved during the Great Tribulation unless they die a martyr. The rapture takes place at same time Holy Spirit is removed.
Mid-Trib: Mid-Trib agrees but says this happens at the half-way point in the Great Tribulation.
Post-Trib: The Holy Spirit is not removed. 2 Thess 2:7 says that he has been restraining the antichrist’s power and only the restraining action is stopped. There is no indication that the Holy Spirit is removed; he only stops restraining. There is no scriptural evidence that the rapture takes place at this time or that the Holy Spirit is actually removed from the earth, if that is even possible.
JOHN 14:1-4 RAPTURE REFERENCE
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.â€
Pre-Trib: John 14:1-4 is a direct reference to the rapture.
Mid-Trib: In John 14:1-4, Jesus explains that he will come back to his disciples with no specifics on whether it is a rapture event or Second Coming event.
Post-Trib: In John 14:1-4, Jesus tells the disciples [and by extension, all believers], to not worry. And if he prepares a place for them, he will come back for them. If anything, it is a reference to the Second Coming. But it cannot be argued that it is rapture specific. It is simply a passage of comfort and promise and hope.
WHERE WE MEET JESUS
Pre-Trib: Any reference to meeting Jesus in the air is about the rapture, because in the Second Coming, Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives, which then splits in two (Zechariah 14:4).
Mid-Trib: Mid-Trib view is quiet on this argument.
Post-Trib: In 2 Thess 2:1, Paul writes, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him…†Paul is describing the Second Coming and our being gathered to Jesus Christ as one event. 1 Thess 4:16 describes Jesus coming down from heaven [the Second Coming] and the dead rising first, then the living being caught up (raptured). So again, the Second Coming and rapture are linked together–in the air, even though Jesus does land on the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two at the end of this arrival event.
WHERE GET NEW BODY
Pre-Trib: Believers get a new glorified body during the rapture, not the Second Coming. In the Second Coming, the few living believers who survived the Great Tribulation remain in the same body.
Mid-Trib: Quiet on this argument.
Post-Trib: We–the living–need to be transformed in order to experience the rapture, whether just watching or actually participating (1 Cor 15:52, “…we will be changedâ€). Paul writes that the dead in Christ rise first, then those remaining are transformed in the twinkling of an eye–a new body. In the new body, the angels transport believers to Jerusalem to witness the Second Coming.
BEING READY
Pre-Trib: Only before the Tribulation would believers need to be ready (Matt 24:44).
Mid-Trib: Would argue that believers need to be ready even during the first 3 1/2 years of peace.
Post-Trib: Believers are going to heaven every day–now and during the Great Tribulation. Those who are alive need to be ready all the time for either death or the Second Coming.
PEOPLE IN HEAVEN
Pre-Trib: Probably agree with the Mid-Trib view, but I could not find any references.
Mid-Trib: If people are with Jesus in Rev 14 and the Second Coming happens in Rev 19, then the rapture must have already happened before.
Post-Trib: The Book of Revelation was not written in chronological order (ref. Harvest of the Earth in Rev 14:14 should follow the Thousand Year Reign in Rev 20). But even then, people are going to heaven daily, regardless of when the Second Coming takes place.
POPULARITY
Pre-Trib: Some people discount the Pre-Trib view because it is so popular.
Mid-Trib: Do not consider popularity.
Post-Trib: Do not consider popularity.
JESUS DESCRIBES A POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE – Part 1
Pre-Trib: The Pre-Trib view discounts this passage.
Mid-Trib: The Mid-Trib view discounts this passage.
Post-Trib: Matt 24:29-31. “Immediately AFTER the Tribulation of those days…And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the clouds…and they will see the Son of Man COMING ON THE CLOUDS…And he will send forth his angels with a Great Trumpet, and they WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds…â€
JESUS DESCRIBES A POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE – Part 2
Pre-Trib: The Pre-Trib view discounts this passage.
Mid-Trib: The Mid-Trib view discounts this passage.
Post-Trib: Matt 24:39-40. “So also will the Coming of the Son of Man be [the Second Coming]. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left [the rapture].â€
WHAT IF MY VIEW OF THE TRIBULATION IS WRONG?
Pre-Trib: You may think you are going, but could be LEFT BEHIND, to face the horrors of God’s wrath and punishment on the earth. Some people have suggested that they would commit suicide, if left behind. Others say they will fall apart. Still others say they will be angry but get it together eventually.
Mid-Trib: On this subject, some Mid-Trib people believe the Pre-Trib view and others the Post-Trib view.
Post-Trib: What’s the problem? We go through the Great Tribulation, and if God calls us to suffer for the sake of the Gospel, that is a privilege and honor. Either way, we will continue grow in our faith, share the Gospel, and lead people to Christ–up until the second we hear the trumpet call and he returns and we are caught up to meet him in the air.