Pre- or Post-Trib Rapture?
The Rapture of the church involves all believers
being caught up to heaven—those just resurrected
together with those alive at the time (1
Thes:4:13-18[13]
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope.
[14]
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him. [15]
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[16]
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17]
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[18]
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
See All...[1]).
If it occurs at the beginning of the tribulation period,
then clearly Christ’s Second Coming at the end of the
Tribulation to rescue
Israel [2] in
the midst of Armageddon is a separate event. According
to
Zechariah:14:3-5[3]
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
[4]
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward
the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very
great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove
toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
[5]
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for
the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea,
ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the
LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
See All...[3],
“all the saints” must accompany Christ back to earth.
But if the Rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation,
it must be simultaneous with the Second Coming, making
them one event. Which is it: two events separated by
seven years, or one event with two diverse purposes?
This question, although it has nothing to do with the gospel of salvation [4], divides much of the evangelical church. Happily, it can be settled rather easily. The descriptions in Scripture of the Rapture and Second Coming respectively are so different in so many details that they could not possibly be describing the same occurrence. We can’t cover all of these distinctions, but here are a few:
1) At the Rapture Christ
does not return to earth but catches believers up to
meet Him above the earth, taking them directly to
heaven: “I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn:14:3And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also.
See All...[5]);
“caught up...to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.” (1
Thes:4:17Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
See All...[6])
In contrast, at the Second Coming Christ
returns to this earth to rule
Israel [2] and
the world from David’s throne in Jerusalem: “His feet
shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which
is before Jerusalem” (Zec:14:4And
his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward
the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very
great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove
toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
See All...[7]);
“the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Lk
1:32-33); “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him....The armies which were
in heaven followed him....Out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron” (Rv 19:11-15).
2) At the Rapture there
is a resurrection of all believers who have died up to
that time: “The dead shall be raised incorruptible” (1
Cor:15:52-53[52]
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53]
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
See All...[8]);
“the dead in Christ shall rise first....” (1
Thes:4:16For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
See All...[9])
In contrast, at the Second Coming there is no resurrection until Antichrist [10] is defeated, he and the false prophet have been “cast alive into a lake of fire” (Rv 19:20), and Satan has been bound in the “bottomless pit [for] a thousand years” (20:1-3)—none of which is even remotely related to the rapture of believers to heaven. Then, to “the first resurrection” that occurred at the Rapture are added a unique group: “Them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (4-5).
3) At the Rapture, the
bodies of living believers (like those who are
resurrected) will be changed to become immortal: “We
shall not all sleep [i.e., die], but we shall all be
changed...the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
[who are living] shall be changed. For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality” (1
Cor:15:51-53[51]
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53]
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
See All...[11]);
“We which are alive...shall be caught up together with
them [the resurrected saints]...to meet the Lord in the
air [clearly requiring immortal bodies].” (1
Thes:4:17Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
See All...[6])
In contrast, at the Second Coming all of the
saints return with Christ from heaven and will therefore
already have been changed into immortality: “The LORD my
God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (Zec:14:5And
ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the
valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye
shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake
in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God
shall come, and all the saints with thee.
See All...[12]);
“I saw heaven opened [and one] clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood...and the armies which were in heaven
followed him [to] smite the nations” (Rv 19:11-15).
4) The Rapture occurs during relative peace and prosperity when the world does not expect judgment from God: “And as it was in the days of Noah [the last thing they expected was God’s judgment]...they did eat, they drank...married wives...were given in marriage [and as in] the days of Lot...they bought, they sold...planted...builded....Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Lk 17:26-30)
Again in complete contrast, the Second Coming occurs in the midst of the worst war the world has ever seen and following the greatest devastation this planet has ever suffered or ever will: “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world...nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Mt 24:21-22); “Behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed...power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger....There was a great earthquake...every mountain and island were moved out of their places...[men] hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks...for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rv 6:8-17); “And the four angels were loosed...to slay the third part of men” (9:15); “and the...sea...became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And...the rivers and fountains of waters...became blood...the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and...men were scorched with great heat...and...there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth....And every island fled away and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail [of large stones]...every stone about the weight of a talent” (16:3-21); “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True....And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen....And I saw the beast [Antichrist [10]], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and...the false prophet [and they] were cast alive into a lake of fire...” (19:11-21).
5) The Rapture occurs when conditions in the world seem to indicate that all is well—when very few expect Christ to return, and He catches even the church by surprise: “Of that day and hour knoweth no man...in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Mt 24:36, 44)
In contrast, when the Second Coming occurs, not even Antichrist [10] is caught by surprise—the many visible signs alert everyone that Christ is right at the door: “When ye shall see all these things, know that it [Christ’s coming] is near, even at the doors” (Mt 24:33); “The beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse” (Rv 19:19).
6) The Rapture occurs when the church is sleeping, with little expectation of the Lord’s return: “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept” (Mt 25:5); “Watch ye therefore...lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.” (Mk 13:35-36)
In contrast, the Second Coming occurs at the
end of the Tribulation in the midst of worldwide
devastation and hopeless distress; the
Antichrist [10]
and his armies are attacking
Israel [2], much
of Jerusalem is already captured (Zec:14:1-2[1]
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall
be divided in the midst of thee.
[2]
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to
battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses
rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city
shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the
people shall not be cut off from the city.
See All...[13]),
and
Israel [2] is on
the verge of annihilation. It is inconceivable that the
church, if it were still here, would be slumbering in
complacency and under the delusion that “surely Christ
wouldn’t come now”!
7) Since the Rapture
instantly takes us, without dying, out of this world of
sin, pain, and sorrow to be forever with Christ and like
Him, never more to grieve Him, it is called the “blessed
hope”: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”
(Ti 2:13); “every man that hath this hope.” (1
Jn:3:3And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
even as he is pure.
See All...[14])
In contrast, the Second Coming (or a post-trib rapture at that time) could hardly be called a “blessed hope,” inasmuch as very few Christians (if the church were still here) would survive to enjoy it. Having refused to receive the 666 mark of the beast “in their right hand, or in their forehead” and therefore being unable to “buy or sell,” and refusing to “worship the image of the beast [they would] be killed” (Rv 13:15-17). It makes no sense to suggest that if you can secretly eat out of enough garbage pails to avoid starvation and still keep one step ahead of Antichrist [10]’s world police death squads, “Blessed hope! You’ll be raptured at Armageddon!”
8) As for the Rapture,
unquestionably, the early church was taught to expect it
at any moment and to eagerly watch, wait, and look for
Christ’s return, when He will catch all believers up
into His Father’s house to be with Him eternally: “Let
your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And
ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their
lord...” (Lk 12:35-36); “For our conversation is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body” (Phil:3:20-21[20]
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
[21]
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto
himself.
See All...[15]);
“Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God; And to wait for his Son from
heaven...even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath
to come” (1
Thes:1:9-10[9]
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering
in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God;
[10]
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from
the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath
to come.
See All...[16]);
“looking for that blessed hope” (Ti 2:13);
“unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time without sin unto
salvation [4]” (Heb:9:28So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation.
See All...[17]).
One does not watch, wait, and look each day for
something that cannot happen until
Antichrist [10]’s
advent or the end of a seven-year tribulation. Thus,
there must be a coming of Christ that could
happen at any moment.
In contrast, the Second Coming, by very definition as described in Scripture, cannot be expected momentarily. Therefore, none of the scriptures just quoted concerning watching and waiting and looking for the Lord could refer to the Second Coming or to a post-trib rapture of the church. These scriptures could therefore refer only to a pre-trib rapture.
9) The pre-trib Rapture
has a powerful, purifying effect upon those who have
this hope in Him. The fact that it is to be expected at
any moment can only mean that it must come before
Antichrist [10]
is revealed and before the Tribulation. If Christ could
come at any moment, there is no time to waste, no time
to delay witnessing, no time to indulge in sin with the
idea of repenting and changing one’s ways later: “And
now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming” (1
Jn:2:28And
now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
See All...[18]);
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as he is pure.” (3:3)
In contrast, anticipation of the Second Coming (or a post-trib rapture at that time) could hardly have a purifying effect, because it can’t take place for at least seven years—plenty of time to delay witnessing, getting right with the Lord, and holy living until later. In fact, the Lord said that believing He couldn’t come at any moment would have the opposite effect from purifying believers: “If that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants...and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant will come at an hour when he is not aware” (Mt 24:48-50; Lk 12:45-46).
10) The Rapture is not only an event that we are to expect momentarily and to eagerly anticipate, but we are to ask our Lord to come immediately. Here is how the Bible ends: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come....Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rv 22:17,20)
In contrast, the Second Coming is not of such a nature and timing that we could ask Christ to effect it right now. Since Christ obviously cannot return to the earth in judgment to rescue Israel [2], stop the destruction at Armageddon, and destroy the Antichrist [10] along with his kingdom and his armies until the end of the Tribulation, for us to cry out to Christ, “Come, Lord Jesus!” would be like demanding payment on a debt that isn’t due for seven years. Yet, “the Spirit and the bride” do cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus.” We can only conclude that there must be a coming of Christ that could occur at any moment. It cannot be the Second Coming or a post-trib rapture. It can only be a pre-trib rapture.
11) There are at least two events
that occur in heaven for which the church must be
present and that therefore cannot take place until the
Rapture occurs: the judgment seat of Christ,
and the marriage of the Lamb to His bride: “for we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Rom:14:10But
why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ.
See All...[19]);
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things done in
his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be
good or bad” (2
Cor:5:10For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad.
See All...[20]);
“The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath
made herself ready. And to her was granted [to] be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white [as a result of
her cleansing at the judgment seat of Christ]” (Rv
19:7-8). Both these events occur prior to Christ’s
return to earth and thus demand a prior rapture.
It is clear that the Second Coming cannot occur until these two vital events, which demand the presence of the church in heaven, have taken place. It is only after the Lamb has been married to His bride that she accompanies Him back to earth to rescue Israel [2] and to destroy Antichrist [10] and his armies: “And the armies which were in heaven followed him...clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rv 19:14).
We know not why the Bridegroom tarries, but exactly as He foretold, the church is asleep. In that context, our Lord added: “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Mt 25:6). May each of us be listening eagerly for that cry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Indeed, we ought to be sounding it aloud, for the Lord could come at any moment to take us to Himself. So let us watch and wait and look for Him in eager anticipation—and encourage others to do the same. It will have a purifying and motivating effect in our lives.
November 1, 2015, by: Hunt, Dave
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