Pre-trib rapture, mid trib- rapture, postrib rapture. That is the question? There are of course arguments for all three theories. I myself however having looked at all the possibilities have concluded that a Pre-tribulation rapture of the church makes more sense. In this post I am going to try and explain why I believe the church will not go through God's wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. People generally have a hard time with this preposterous idea of millions of people suddently disaperaring. Even among Spirit-filled Christians, there is conflict and disagreement. For those who are not familar with the rapture, it is an event in which at some indeterminate time all believers in Jesus Christ will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord in the clouds.
Sounds crazy doesn't it?
Yet the Bible calls it our Blessed hope. Titus 2:13 says: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
In John 14:2,3 it says: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it where not so, I would have told you so. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and recieve you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also.
Wow! That is a direct promise from our Lord that He will come back for us, and something as believers we should be looking forward to. Jesus has been preparing this place for thousand of years. I imagine it is going to be very good indeed. The Jewish wedding is a wonderful example of the rapture. When we except Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we are set apart and sanctified. In a Jewish wedding the betrothal takes place, and then the bridegroom departs to the father's house to prepare an additonal room for himself and his bride. Even though they are committed to each other they are not yet married. Also even though the bridegroom has gone, the bride has no idea at what point he will return. It could be a year or longer. But she waits in anticipation for his return. Which by the way would have been preceded with a shout. The bridegroom often showed up at midnight to suprise his bride. When he arrived there would also be a huge feast.. Aptly called the wedding supper. This is a wonderful example of the rapture of the bride. During the 7 years of tribulation we the believers will be at the marriage supper of the lamb. While all hell breaks lose on earth, we will be safe in heaven with the Lord.
The scriptures teach the doctrine of imminence. Which is that Christ could come at any moment, which is not the second coming as all sorts of things have to happen before that. We would be able to work out when Jesus is returning. The rapture will be unseen to the world. Believers will meet Christ in the air. The second coming with be in power and glory to establish his kingdom. In which God says every eye will see him.
One of the arguments against a pre-trib rapture is that it is a new testament event which does not appear in the old testament. However if you take time to study you can find scriptures that do fit with the Pre Trib theory. Here are a few OT verses. Isaiah 26:19-21 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the doors about thee, hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast. For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. If Isaiah is not talking about the rapture what is he saying. Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me, he shall set me upon a rock. Jesus Christ is referred to as a rock.
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which hath wrought his judgement, seek rightousness, seek meekness, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Pslam 83:3 They have taen crafty council against thy people, and consulted against the hidden ones.
These are old testament scriptures that clearly seem to be talking about a group of people who are to be hidden when God's anger is poured out.Jesus also announces it in the upper room the night before his crucifixion. In John 14:3 Jesus says he is going to prepare a place for us and that he will come back for us.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. and thus we shall always be with the Lord. There comfort one another with these words( 1 thessalonians 4 :13-18) So as His bride we are to wait and prepare for the bridegrooms return. Mathew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh.
There are so many othere scriptures that make a pre-trib rapture seem the most likely scenario. One thing I have picked up on is why is Jesus going to meet believer's in the air? Why not on earth if it is his final coming?
Also the word says in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says that God has not appointed us to suffer weather before we recieve salvations through our Lord Jesus Christ.
A pre-trib rapture is God's gracious way of saving us from a terrible time that will come upon the earth. To quote a well studied Bible expositor Chuck Missler. If the rapture happens after the tribulation then the bridegroom is saying, Come lets get married, then I am going to beat the living daylights out of you. And then we are going to have dinner. Comfort one another with these words.
Does that sound right to you?
Those who have a post-trib view will not be looking forward to the judgements that are poured out in revelation. They will not be able to say with confidence. Even so come Lord Jesus; God's word says that the bride is set apart and sanctified.
Ephesians 5:25-27We the bride are to prepare for the coming of our bridegroom Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.
Peter 3:10Our Lord will come upon a very unsuspecting world. It will be a normal day when Jesus comes back for believers.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 Paul writes But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.In the Olivet discourse Jesus gives signs that we are to look for.
He uses the fig tree as a parable Matthew 24:32-33 Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
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