There are four basic views of when the Rapture will take place:
- Pre-trib
- Mid-trib
- Post-trib
- Pan-trib
Pre-Trib people believe the rapture will take place before the Tribulation. Mid-Trib people believe the rapture will take place during the Tribulation. Post-Trib people believe the rapture will take place after the Tribulation. Pan-Trib people aren’t sure when Jesus will return, they just know it will all pan out in the end.
In this post I want to show you the Scriptures that have influenced by belief that Jesus will return before the Tribulation to rapture his church. Since the book of Revelation deals primarily with future events, I’d like to begin there.
How do we know the rapture of the church takes place prior to the start of the Tribulation (that period in history Revelation 6-19 speaks of where God pours out his wrath against sinful man)? The book of Revelation gives us three reasons:
1. The church is in heaven singing God’s praises before the Tribulation begins.
Revelation 5:9-10 says, And they [this is a group of people – not angelic beings] sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” NKJV
Look at that song. Look at the lyrics of that song (you have redeemed us to God by Your blood). Who can sing this to Jesus? Only raptured Christians can sing that song. The nation of Israel can’t sing that song – they’re not redeemed from all the nations. The angels can’t sing that song – they aren’t redeemed (Jesus redeemed humans, not angels). This song is sung by raptured Christians, in heaven, before the first seal, which initiates the Tribulation, is even opened (that happens in Revelation chapter 6).
The second reason we know the church won’t go through the Great Tribulation is…
2. The events of Revelation chapter five take place after the church age is over.
Jesus told the apostle John in Revelation 1:19, Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. NIV This verse is the key to properly understanding the book of Revelation. It’s the table of contents of the book. Jesus tells John to write down…
- “what you have seen” which refers to the vision John had of Jesus in Revelation 1
- “what is now” which refers to the church age in Revelation 2-3
- “what will take place later” which refers to events that will transpire after the church has finished its mission on the earth and has been removed.
Revelation chapter four begins with the phrase “after these things” to which we need to ask “After what things?” After the things of the church age have been completed. Beginning with Revelation 4:1 we are dealing with things that are future – things which have not yet taken place but will take place after the church’s work is finished on the earth.
The third reason we believe the church will be spared from the Great Tribulation is…
3. The Bible clearly teaches that God’s children will be spared from the Great Tribulation.
In Revelation 3:10 Jesus says to us who live in the church age, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. NIV The trial that is going to come on the whole world is a reference to the Tribulation, and Jesus says to those living in the church age, “I will…keep you from the hour of trial” that’s coming.
All this to say – we who believe in Jesus will be raptured (or snatched away) prior to God pouring out his wrath against sinful man on the earth in the seven year period known as the Great Tribulation. Followers of Christ who are raptured will be spared the trauma of death and the coming disasters that will occur when the Tribulation breaks out on the earth.
Ok. Now that we’ve seen from the book of Revelation that believers won’t go through the Tribulation, lets look at some other Scriptures that teach the same thing.
Will believers experience God’s discipline? Yes! Hebrews 12:6 says, “…the Lord disciplines the one he loves…” Will believers experience light and momentary troubles? Yes! Second Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” But will believers experience God’s wrath against sin? No! Romans 5:9 says, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” First Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we have to experience God’s wrath against sin, Christ died in vain (for on the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin in our place).
Believers will be removed (raptured) prior to God’s wrath being poured out on the earth. This was foreshadowed in the Old Testament.
- In Genesis 6 mankind had become so sinful and wicked that God decided to wipe them out with a great flood. But Noah was a righteous man (Genesis 6:9) who raised a godly family. The Bible says in Genesis 7 that Noah and his family were commanded to get into the ark before the flood waters came. Before God’s wrath was poured out (literally) against sinful humanity, Noah and his family were already safe inside the ark. They were spared from God’s judgment against sin.
- In Genesis 18 the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so sinful and wicked that God decided to wipe them out by reigning fire down from heaven. But Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7) who was living in one of these cities. The Bible says in Genesis 19 that Lot and his family were commanded to leave the city before the fire fell from heaven. So before the fire fell, Lot and his family were already safe outside the city. They were spared from God’s judgment against sin.
In the same way, before God pours out his wrath against sinful man on the earth during the Great Tribulation, the church will first be brought safely to heaven. You see, God’s wrath is saved for his enemies, not his children.
- In the book of Exodus the Egyptians are sinning against God by keeping the Israelites as slaves and refusing to let them leave Egypt as God had commanded. As a result God pours out his wrath on the Egyptians, but the Israelites are spared.
- We read in Exodus 9:6 that when God sent his plague against the livestock “…All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.” We read in Exodus 10:22-23 that when God sent his plague of darkness that “…total darkness covered all Egypt for three days…Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”
There are certain benefits the IRS gives to married people that single people don’t get. In the same way, there are certain benefits God gives to saved people that unsaved people don’t get, namely that they are spared from his wrath against sin.
So in chronological order:
- In Genesis 7 the wicked are judged, while righteous Noah was spared from God’s wrath against sin.
- In Genesis 19 the wicked are judged, while righteous Lot was spared from God’s wrath against sin.
- In Exodus 9 & 10 the wicked are judged, while God’s people (the Israelites) are spared from God’s wrath against sin.
- The apostle Paul teaches that believers will be spared from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:9).
- And so does the apostle John in the book of Revelation (Revelation 3:10).
For all these reasons and more (there are further arguments to support the pre-trib view) I believe the rapture will take place before the Tribulation.
Note: Just to be clear, what you believe concerning the timing of the Rapture isn’t a matter of salvation. And even if you hold a different view than me on this matter, you are still welcome to worship at New Day. But with that said, it’s important we believe right, because what we believe about the future directly influences how we live in the present.