The word rapture (like the word Trinity) is never used in the bible but we use the word to describe the great”catching up” of the saints mentioned in 1 Thess. :
(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.
-1 Thess. 4:17
Actually we use the word rapture to describe a few instances in the bible where men were taken up to heaven without seeing death.
This happened twice. Once with Enoch (Gen. 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5), and once with Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).
So what do I, along with other bible believers, mean when we say pre-trib rapture? Well, it’s the scriptural belief that we in the church age will be raptured to heaven BEFORE the time of the “great tribulation.”
Bretheren, this is one of the most complex studies we’ll be having and the very reason I saved it for last. It will require all the tools we’ve gathered so far in our studies of Dispensationalism and KJV truth. Please study and pray about these things:
(15) 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
So what is the “great tribulation” and why do we call it that?
As you study the bible, and dispensationalism, a clear theme emerges. We, as Christians, have simply been grafted in. The real story is about God re-deeming his people, the Jews:
(22) Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell,
severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
(23) And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for
God is able to graft them in again.
(24) For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and
wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more
shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own
olive tree?
(25) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is
happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out
of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
(27) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Romans 11:22-17
When you read the book of Revelation, the reader and hearer are promised a blessing:
(3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,
and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 1:3
I believe, much like the Apostles who did not understand the resurrection of Christ until AFTER it happened, the blessing that the book of Revelation gives is the key to unlocking the old testament as a whole. So, be prepared for some jumping back and forth.
There are more than 500 old testament passages about prophecies of Revelation and the 2nd Advent of Christ. It IS the theme of the Bible. For this study we will focus solely on what the bible calls the “time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble.”
(1) The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
(2) Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words
that I have spoken unto thee in a book.
(3) For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity
of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to
return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
(4) And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and
concerning Judah.
(5) For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear,
and not of peace.
(6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore
do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail,
and all faces are turned into paleness?
(7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of
Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
Jeremiah 30:1-7
This time is also referred to as “Daniel’s 70th week” (Daniel 9:20-26)
Jesus, however, when speaking in Matthew 24 he calls it a time of “great tribulation”:
(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matthew 24:21
As dispensationalists, here comes our first clue as to why we won’t be present during the tribulation. The tribulation is for the Jews. The 2nd Advent is for the Jews. It’s a purification process where God is fulfilling his covenant with them. But we know form Galatians ch.3 that right now, in the church age, there is NO difference between Jew and Gentile!
(28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
We’ve only just begun…
Take note of how Jesus describes the great tribulation in Matthew 24:
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)
(16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
(17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house:
(18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
(19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
(20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day:
(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matthew 24:15-21
He describes the SAME EVENT slightly differently in Luke 21 (remember that we are to live off of EVERY WORD of God(Matt. 4:4)):
(21) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them
which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
(22) For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written
may be fulfilled.
(23) But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in
those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon
this people.
Luke 21:21-23
We can see in the above passage the SAME event, but here Jesus describes it as ‘wrath’ in vs. 23.
In fact, the events of revelation are described as ‘wrath’ quite a few times:
(15) And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev. 15:1
(9) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or
in his hand,
(10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;
Rev. 14 :9-10
(12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time.
Rev. 12 12
Why is this significant? Because Christians in the church age (us) are not appointed to wrath:
(9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him.
Romans 5:9
(9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thess. 5: 9
Alright, so, so far we know that the time of tribulation is meant for the Jews and NOT us… but where are the versus on us actually being raptured??
We’re almost there…
We know, from our study on dispensationalism and OSAS, that we have been sealed until the day of redemption, but tribulation saints must endure to the end. They are on a faith + works system:
(13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matt. 24:13
(12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are
the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Rev. 14:12-13
For those tribulation saints, Jesus’ return will be a world-wide event:
(27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
(28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered
together.
(29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
(30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see
the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.
Matthew 24:27-30
This return, the 2’nd Advent of Christ is no Mystery. Daniel spoke of it. Joel spoke of it. Jeremiah spoke of it. Isaiah spoke of it. Even Jesus had spoken it before the passage we just read! Just a few verses above he states:
(25) Behold, I have told you before.
Matthew 24:25
The Jews were very familiar with this prophecy!
Why is that important? Because the rapture of the church is a MYSTERY given to Paul AFTER the death and resurrection of Christ!
(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.
1 Cor. 51-52
(25) Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel,
and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
(26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Romans 16:25-26
Notice in 1 Cor. 51-52, Paul is describing the rapture as a mystery. He also describes it as happening in a moment, and with a resurrection of the dead. Both are different than the descriptions of the 2’nd advent, because they are two separate events. We go UP and meet Jesus in the Sky… the 2nd Advent is all about Jesus coming DOWN and ruling on earth.
(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.
1 Thess. 15-18
Lastly, I will close with a parable from Jesus about the rapture. Even when he spoke it, his disciples could not understand what he was saying, It remained a mystery until Paul:
(1) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the
sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber.
(2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
(3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth
his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
(4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
(5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know
not the voice of strangers.
(6) This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things
they were which he spake unto them.
(7) Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the |
door of the sheep.
(8) All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did
not hear them.
(9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go
in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:1-9
Pre-Trib rapture, and the book of Revelation is no small study. But it is a worthy one. Below I have linked several video sermons by other bible believers on this subject. I hope this study and the following sermons serve you well. And remember, we are supposed to rejoice, pray, and look forward to the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Not the Great Tribulation or the Anti-Christ):
(7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith:
(8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
(2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.
(3) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is
pure.
1 John 3:2-3
(20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev. 22:20
Video Sermons: