In the debate over a Pre-Tribulation or Post-Tribulation rapture, a scriptural view satisfies the arguments of both.
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The Reason for the Rapture Debate
How can strong, learned theologians disagree on the timing as big as the rapture? Both sides have good arguments based on scripture. But scripture, being God-breathed, cannot contradict itself. So how can we reconcile this once and for all?
The problem is that neither theory can pinpoint the rapture occurring in scripture. As a result, they rely on supporting scripture and come to different conclusions.
But ask yourself, would God leave one of the most significant events in church history out of prophecy? The answer is no. It would be prominent in scripture, particularly in the book of Revelation. And it is.
Key Arguments for Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory
Before I show the scripture pinpointing the rapture, I want to show that this scripture satisfies the scriptural arguments of both pre-tribulation and post-tribulation theories.
For those new to these theories, the word tribulation refers to a tribulation period known as the Great Tribulation. This period is marked by extreme tribulation and referred to by name in Matthew 24:21, Revelation 2:22, and 7:14. This is different than ongoing tribulation against believers. The word for great is the Greek word is megalē, from which we derive the word mega. It is great in the widest sense.
Pre-tribulation proponents propose that the rapture timing is imminent and can happen any time before the Great Tribulation, which they see as a seven-year period. Their primary arguments, though there are more, are as follows:
- Jesus promises true believers will not suffer the Great Tribulation.
- One of the promises Jesus gives the churches is that those who have kept His word will be kept from the “hour of testing.” – Revelation 3:10. However, those who are immoral, idolatrous will be thrown into the “great tribulation.” – Revelation 2:22.
- Christians are told they will not incur God’s wrath.
- Paul tells us in two places, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9, that believers are not destined for wrath but that Jesus will rescue us from the wrath.
- The Bible depicts the church as the bride of Christ at the wedding supper of the Lamb before Christ descends to earth to destroy the armies of the Antichrist.
- Revelation 19 7-10 describes the wedding supper, and verse 11 starts with “And then” before describing Christ’s coming to judge and make war.
Key Arguments for Post-Tribulation Rapture Theory
On the other side of the argument, post-tribulation proponents believe the church will go through the Great Tribulation.
- The Beast/Antichrist, who reigns for 3 1/2 years, makes war with the saints.
- Revelation 13:7-10 shows that the Beast persecutes the saints. There would be no saints for the Beast to persecute if Jesus raptures the church.
- Paul states that the dead in Christ will be resurrected prior to the saints rising to meet Jesus. The Bible doesn’t”t mention resurrection until after Christ returns and defeats the Beast.
- Revelation 20:4-6 describes the saints martyred in the Great Tribulation as the “first resurrection.”
The Events Immediately Preceding the Rapture
Matthew 24 and parallel verses in Mark 13 and Luke 21 layout a sequence of events repeated in Revelation. In Matthew 24, Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple. He shows a sequence of signs that would lead up to the destruction of the temple. In these signs, He laid out the pattern repeated in the first six seals.
The signs Jesus provided were false prophets, wars, famine, plagues (Luke 21), and martyrdom. These are the same signs and in the same order as the first five seals of Revelation 6. Jewish prophecy is in patterns and paradigms. For example, Antiochus Epiphanes IV is largely believed to have fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation, yet Jesus mentions this event as a future sign preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. This prophecy established a pattern that the Antichrist’s future invasion of Israel may repeat.
Likewise, prophets including Joel, Isaiah prophesied a Day of the Lord. On this day the sun turns dark, the moon turns to blood and the stars fall. Jesus uses this same language in Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 repeats this language as Jesus opens the sixth seal.
After those signs occur the rapture is the very next event.
Now both pre-trib and post-trib proponents agree that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 refers to the rapture. But what both camps fail to recognize is that the language in this scripture is the same language both Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 use to describe the angels gathering the elect. See this in the below table with like colors for parallel language:
The sixth seal marks the start of the Great Tribulation and the beginning of God’s wrath as stated in Matthew 24:21 and Revelation 6:17.
Saints Raptured Out of the Great Tribulation Appear in Heaven
As you can see in the above scriptures, two events occur after the signs in the heavens. 1) The angels seal the 144,000 Jewish bond-servants, and 2) believers are caught up in the clouds with Jesus.
If there is any doubt on what is meant by the phrase caught up, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, look at the Greek word used, harpazó. Harpazó means to be seized, snatched away, suddenly and decisively in an open display of force.
This snatching of the believers is reflected in the very next verses in Revelation 7 where we see a great multitude appear in heaven. The great multitude in heaven must be a direct result of the rapture because it occurs in the exact sequence given in Matthew 24, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 4, and Revelation 6.
The language used in Revelation 7 to describe the multitude also matches promises made to overcomers in the church.
- They will wear white garments – Revelation 3:4-5, and
- Those who avoid “the hour of testing” will serve God in His temple – Revelation 3:10-12.
If there is any doubt, the angel even answers John’s question from where the people came. He answered, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation…” Most importantly, understand that the Great Tribulation starts when Jesus opens the sixth seal, but the rapture occurs immediately following the heavenly signs of the sixth seal, sparing believers from God’s wrath.
This scenario closely matches the pre-wrath theory but is notably different because the pre-wrath theory places the rapture at any time in the Great Tribulation, not necessarily at the beginning.
(see The Timing of the Rapture is Clear in Scripture for a more detailed discussion)
Satisfying the Pre-Tribulation and Post Tribulation Rapture Arguments
Now let’s look back at the Pre-Tribulation and Post Tribulation theories’ key arguments and see if the sequence I propose above meets their arguments.
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
The biggest problem with the pre-tribulation theory is in defining the Great Tribulation as a seven-year period. Proponents of this theory believe the Great Tribulation spans Daniel’s seventh week. But this assertion contradicts scripture in too many places.
The Great Tribulation occurs after an event known as the Abomination of Desolation, according to Matthew 24:15-21. The Abomination of Desolation occurs mid-way through the 7th week described in Daniel. This is why the Beast reigns for 3 1/2 years (Revelation 13:5, Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7).
Outisde of this issue, the sequence I propose above satisfies all of the arguments for a pre-tribulation rapture:
- Jesus promises true believers will not suffer the Great Tribulation. – Yes
- Christians will not incur God’s wrath. – Yes
- The Bible depicts the church as the bride of Christ at the wedding supper of the Lamb before Christ descends to earth to destroy the armies of the Antichrist. – Yes
Post-Tribulation Rapture
The post-tribulation theory’s primary problem is that it violates too many scriptures, such as those mentioned above.
- The Beast/Antichrist, who reigns for 3 1/2 years, makes war with the saints.
- The error in these statements is the assumption the saints refers to all saints. The Bible is clear that Jesus will not rapture all of the church. Revelation 2 and 3 clearly show that those in the church who have not made Jesus their Lord will suffer the Great Tribulation.
- This is also apparent in Jesus’ parable of the 10 bridesmaids, who represent the church. In this parable, only half of the bridesmaids are ready when the groom (Jesus) comes for them. Some of those left behind will repent of their ways and overcome the Antichrist even when faced with death (Revelation 12:11). These believers who miss the rapture but repent must be martyred (Revelation 13:15, 18:24, 20:4) and will be resurrected after the Beast is destroyed.
- Paul states that God will resurrect the dead in Christ before the saints rise to meet Jesus. Revelation doesn’t mention resurrection until after Christ returns and destroys the Beast (Revelation 20:1-6).
- The first resurrection is not a one-time event but a classification for the resurrection of believers. For example, we know that God resurrected the dead saints around the time of Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 27:52-53). Also, as mentioned earlier, we know from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that God will resurrect the saints after Jesus opens the sixth seal.
- The resurrection described in Revelation 20 is explicitly limited to the martyrs killed by the Beast for resisting him (Revelation 20:4). Why would the Revelation 20 resurrection be limited to the martyrs unless God had already resurrected the other saints?
Know the Signs Leading to the Great Tribulation
It is important to know the signs and the timing of the rapture.
We will surely suffer persecution before the rapture. Matthew 24 and the fifth seal scriptures state this clearly. Those who hold to a pre-tribulation belief may lose faith when persecution comes, and the rapture hasn’t yet transpired. They may lose faith in the pastors who taught them this pre-tribulation belief.
It is good news for true believers that we will not suffer the Great Tribulation, but we must fully surrender to Jesus to hope to receive this great gift. Those believers left behind will have a harder road to make it to the resurrection, that being the acceptance of death at the hands of the Beast.
Keep your lamps full of oil and you will rise to meet Him in the clouds. He is coming soon!