A friend of mine had
a post that gave me the idea for this post.
When does the
Rapture occur? Pre-Tribulation? Mid-Turbulation, or Post-Tribulation?
Did you know that there are three schools of thought on the issue, all
supported by Scripture? In fact I will
give you 5 Scriptures each to support the first two and 4 Scriptures to support
the last one.
Before we proceed
let me just say that it is important to understand that everyone who has these
different views is trying their best to understand what the Bible says. But the
Bible often uses pictures and symbols to describe future events, and these aren't
always easy to understand clearly.
Because of this,
different people might come to different conclusions about what these parts of
the Bible mean. However, even though they might not agree about the exact
details, many Christians decide it's more important to focus on the fact that
Jesus is coming back and that in the end, God wins.
I think it is fair
to say that many if not most Christians believe in Pre-Trib. In other words they believe that they will be
taken up to Heaven before the Tribulation and won't have to suffer through it. The book series Left Behind certainly
subscribed to the Pre-Trib theory.
What are the other
two theories? Mid-Trib meaning that the
Rapture happens part way through and Post-Trib meaning that the Rapture happens
after the Tribulation. Let's take a little
deeper look.
Thanks to ChatGPT, here is a summary of the three viewpoints. I will include the Scripture references for
all.
SUMMARY
Pre-Tribulation View: Those who hold this
view believe that the rapture will occur before the seven-year tribulation
period described in the book of Revelation. This perspective suggests that
God's wrath is not intended for believers, and so they are removed from the
world before this time of intense suffering and judgment. The key scriptural
evidence is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where Paul describes the Lord
coming down from heaven and the dead in Christ rising first. Then those who are
alive will be "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air." Revelation 3:10 is also important, with Jesus promising to
keep believers from the "hour of trial that is going to come on the whole
world."
1 Thessalonians
4:16-17: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and
the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
Revelation 3:10:
"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."
1 Corinthians 15:52:
"In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the
trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be
changed."
John 14:3: "And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
me that you also may be where I am."
Luke 21:36: "Be
always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about
to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Mid-Tribulation View: This view suggests that
believers will be present for the first half of the tribulation period but will
be raptured at the midpoint. The principal evidence for this view is found in
Matthew 24:15-31. Jesus describes the 'abomination of desolation,' thought to
be the Antichrist, standing in the holy place. Then He mentions a time of great
distress, "unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never
to be equaled again." After this distress, the sun will be darkened, and
then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. This is when the elect
will be gathered from the four winds, which is taken by mid-tribulationists to
refer to the rapture.
Matthew 24:15-21:
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes
desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel...then there will be great
distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be
equaled again."
Revelation 7:14:
"And he said, 'These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.'"
Daniel 7:25:
"He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try
to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into
his hands for a time, times and half a time."
Revelation 12:14:
"The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly
to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care
of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach."
Matthew 24:31:
"And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the
other."
Post-Tribulation View: This perspective holds
that believers will live through the entire tribulation period and be raptured
at the end, just prior to Christ's second coming. The primary scriptural
evidence for this view is found in Matthew 24:29-31, where Jesus describes the
sun being darkened and the stars falling from the sky "immediately after
the distress of those days." He then sends his angels to gather his elect
from the four winds. Second Thessalonians 2:1-4 is also a key passage. Here,
Paul is addressing a concern that the day of the Lord has already come. He
explains that this day will not come until "the rebellion occurs and the
man of lawlessness is revealed." This suggests to post-tribulationists
that believers will still be on earth when the Antichrist is revealed.
Matthew 24:29-31:
"Immediately after the distress of those days... He will send his angels
with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds,
from one end of the heavens to the other."
2 Thessalonians
2:1-4: "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being
gathered to him... that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the
man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction."
Mark 13:24-27:
"But in those days, following that distress... he will send his angels and
gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of
the heavens."
Revelation 20:4-6:
"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to
judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their
testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped
the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or
their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The
rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)
This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the
first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
So where do I come
down in all of this? Mid-Trib. Here is why.
It is the theory
that in my mind Jesus speaks most directly to.
Jesus tells us that even He doesn't know exactly when the Rapture is
going to happen. He does however tell us
to watch for the "abomination that causes desolation" in the temple
which indicates we will still be here.
How else could we be watching for it if we weren't here?
I hope you found
this little study interesting and I hope you have a great rest of your day!
