Why I believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture

 

Why I believe Christians will be taken up from the earth before the Antichrist is revealed and the time of tribulation begins.

Or in short -

Why I believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

There are four basic ways of viewing the return of Christ to take up the believers as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

1. Post-Tribulation: The first, the post-tribulation belief, was most prevalent, in fact almost universal in the church, before the re-establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948. “Replacement Theology” held sway then, holding that God had disowned Israel due to their disobedience and that the Church had taken its place. It was inconceivable to most before World War 2 that the nation of Israel would ever be re-established, so then everything mentioning Israel (after 70 AD) MUST THEREFORE really be about the church.

2. Pre-Tribulation: This view came to the fore after 1948. If Israel exists, then most of the book of Revelation really does apply to Israel, not the church. Christians really will be spared the “wrath to come” and be lifted up to meet Christ in the air before that time.

3. Mid-Tribulation: This view is less popular than the others, but still held by some. It holds that Christians will go through the first 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation before they are taken up, but the rest of the world will have to go through the whole thing.

4. No Tribulation: There will be no return of Christ. Most unbelievers hold this position today, unfortunately many who call themselves “Christians” do as well. Christ is dead. He will not return. There will be no Tribulation, Rapture, Antichrist, or Millennium. Jesus was just a good teacher who showed us the way to build heaven on earth. It is entirely up to us whether we do so or not.

All of these views have existed throughout church history, but some have been more prominent in certain periods than others.

I will now lay out my Scriptural justifications for holding the pre-Tribulation position.

1. Revelation 1:1 to 3:22: The first three chapters of Revelation deal exclusively with the Church. The seven churches mentioned were real churches, located within “Asia” or present day Turkey. Each had different strengths and weaknesses, and churches with similar characteristics exist all over the globe today. However, looking back on church history today, we can also see that the characteristics of each church were prominent during certain periods of church history. Therefore, these seven churches also represent seven distinct periods in church history. You can easily pick out the dominant characteristics of each era and of the churches in that era, but that is not the point of this paper. I will only concentrate on the last two:

• Ephesus, the evangelical church: Here we see a church to which God has opened the door to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. It develops good relations with the Jews, and is promised that it will be kept from the hour of testing (Tribulation) that will come upon the whole earth. This is my first Scriptural basis for the pre-Tribulation rapture.

  "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." "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."

• Laodecia, the lukewarm church: This church is described as being wealthy, comfortable, and having need of nothing (including God). It is blind not only to its own state, but to the needs of others. It’s good works are also lukewarm. This is the only church in which Jesus is described as being outside the door, knocking to get in. Jesus still loves them, and will come in to those who allow Him in, but in the end God will spew the majority of this church out of his mouth. Some will repent and turn to Jesus, but most are too comfortable. They do not really belong to Him and will not be raptured. This certainly well describes most churches today, even those who were once evangelical and still bear the name. Many openly teach the heretical “prosperity gospel”.

After Chapter 3 of Revelation, the church is not mentioned again. The above is the first Scriptural argument I advance.

2. Second Thessalonians 2:1:

Paul addresses believers’ concerns that the Day of Christ was already past by giving the order of events as they would happen.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

First in order: A great falling away. This began in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century. Germany’s “higher criticism” undermined the authority of Scripture and people’s faith in it. It has now spread to the US, but is not yet worldwide. In a number of places the number of believers is growing and active evangelism is going on. The gospel has not yet been preached to every tribe, tongue and nation, but that time is getting close. This addresses the common question of many today about millions of believers suddenly vanishing from automobiles, aircraft, etc. as a popular series of movies depicts. The “Great Falling Away” will greatly shrink Christendom, so the numbers of true believers will be much smaller and more easily covered up.

Second in order: The Antichrist revealed and proclaims himself to be God in the Temple. Just when will this happen? Well, at present there is no Temple. And as other verses in this section show, something or someone is holding back the antichrist.

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (hinders) will let (hinder), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Who can hold back the Antichrist? That would have to be the Holy Spirit. Where is the Holy Spirit? Indwelling the Church (believers). There are only two ways the Holy Spirit can be “taken out of the way”. He would have to be removed from believers, or the believers would have to be removed, taking the Holy Spirit with them. The first option would contradict Scripture itself: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9. If you do not have the Spirit, you are not a Christian, so God would be stripping you of your salvation to take the Holy Spirit from you.

Some get confused here as there are either two “second comings” of Christ or a two-stage coming. In the first one He does not return to the planet but believers are taken up from the planet and meet Him in the air. In the second, 7 years later, He physically returns to the planet, defeats the forces of Satan, and rules personally and bodily for a thousand years. In the first the Holy Spirit is removed, leaving absolutely no hindrance to evil, which seems to be what men desire. For seven years, they get their wish as evil runs rampant. In the second God (Jesus) comes physically to end evil and to rule.

This also fits well with what Jesus said before His ascension: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." If the Holy Spirit could not come and indwell believers while Jesus was physically present on earth, it logically follows that the reverse would also be true. The indwelling Spirit has to be withdrawn before Jesus physically returns to earth. The church presently is the “body of Christ” on earth, but when Jesus returns bodily it will no longer be necessary nor desirable for Him to have two bodies.

3. So after the church is removed, will there be any believers? What will take its place? Will everyone submit to the Antichrist and take the “Mark of the Beast”?

Israel is presently re-established as a nation though largely with ethnic, not believing, Jews. The events of the time may bring more to return to active Judaism.

The Antichrist may be responsible for the rebuilding of the Temple, (the Temple of Jesus’ time was built by Herod, himself hardly a devout Jew), and for political reasons. Like back then, they may soon part company.

The two witnesses who suddenly appear in Jerusalem and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will bring new people to faith worldwide, likely starting with those who were close to believing before but never made the commitment.

But those who come to faith during this period will refuse the Mark and will endure terrible persecution. The majority will be killed.

However, as to Christians at the present time, the Bible shows that while they may endure some persecution at present as well as suffering along with others some natural disasters, they do not have to fear “accidentally” receiving the “Mark of the Beast” and will never know who the Antichrist is or see his rise to power, because the indwelling Holy Spirit, through them, is the one holding all that at bay! Only after they are raptured will “all hell break loose!”

The increasing tempo of “natural” disasters approaching and during the Great Tribulation will also devastate resources and population. Famines and epidemics will kill huge numbers. Meteor strikes will devastate the oceans. Technology will quickly fail under the onslaught faster than our supply chains collapsed in the pandemic. Few if any will be flying around the globe in jets as the movies show. Scorching heat will prove global warming real: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Genetic “engineering” may unleash biological terrors, Revelation Chapter 9.

By the end, the Battle of Armageddon will be fought on horseback with wooden weapons.

Once Christ wins, the rebuilding will begin. A thousand years later Satan will be released and men will flock to him, proving that even a thousand years of direct rule by Jesus Christ would not change man’s fallen nature. The planet will again be destroyed in the ensuing war, resulting in Satan’s final defeat and in a whole new earth having to be provided for the human survivors.