Below is a lesson I taught many years ago and is now a chapter in my book called “Upon This Rock”.
Rev 3:10
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. (KJV)
The Pre-tribulational rapture!
At one time, the mainstay of fundamentalists. Today this doctrine is attacked openly by men who used to be strong supporters! Why would this doctrine be so difficult to grasp, and why would there be such a stand against it?
We had better begin with some;
I. DEFINITIONS
The Rapture refers to a time when the Lord will return in the clouds and call all Christians to heaven, without their having to die.
Although the word is not found in the Bible, the doctrine definitely is.
Paul spoke about this event in,
1Thes 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
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.
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:
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.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (KJV)
There are four basic views that are taught about when the Rapture will occur;
A. There is the view that no Rapture will occur.
There are those that believe that things will continue on as they are forever, and that the only way a person gets to heaven is by death.
This seems to be so blatantly contrary to literal Bible interpretation, that only the most liberal religionists believe it. Serious students of the Bible dismiss it totally.
B. Pre-Tribulational Rapture.
This view holds that the Rapture will occur just before the Tribulational period that the Bible says will one day try all the earth with sufferings such as this world has never before seen.
C. Mid-Tribulational Rapture.
This view holds that the Rapture of the church does not happen until half way through the Tribulation.
The Tribulation, according to the Bible, is 7 years long. The first 3 and 1/2 years are of comparative peace, the second 3 and 1/2 are the ones of terrible trials. This view places the Rapture after the 3 and a half years of peace, but before the 3 and a half years of trial.
D. Post Tribulational Rapture.
This is the “bouncing ball” theory. The view teaches that the Christians that have survived the Tribulation alive will be raptured out of this earth at the end of the Tribulation, and then immediately return to the earth as Jesus establishes His kingdom here.
Let me give you a brief
II. HISTORY
of the development of these views;
A. The Earliest Christians Believed in the Pre Tribulational Rapture!
In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Paul said,
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds… (KJV)
Paul believed that the Rapture would happen in His own lifetime. He did not believe that He would die before Jesus would take Him to Heaven.
In fact, it sounds as if there was a church that believed they were in the Tribulation, and Paul wrote to them to let them know that they would not have to go through that! The church of Thessalonica was one that was severely persecuted. The lost of Thessalonica ran Paul out of town in just four weeks, AND THEN FOLLOWED HIM TO THE NEXT TOWN AND TRIED TO RUN HIM OUT THERE TOO!
2 Thessalonians was written by Paul to encourage these Persecuted Believers THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION!
Look at
II Th 1:6-8
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (KJV)
and
II Th 2:1-8
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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 worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
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 will let, 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: (KJV)
One of the arguments used by those opposed to the pre – Tribulational rapture view, is that there is no evidence of churches that taught this view prior to the 1800’s. This is not necessarily a concrete argument against the view since much non- Catholic writing before the 1700’s was destroyed by those persecuting them. The Protestant views have been essentially restructured Catholic views and would predictably not be reliable.
B. As the Catholic Church grew and took root; it began to teach that the Bible was not to be taken literally, but spiritually.
They ignored the literal teaching of the Bible, and replaced it with a spiritual teaching. Catholicism eventually began to teach that there would be no Tribulation, or even a literal kingdom when Christ returned to earth.
Since most of today’s Christendom traces its roots back to Catholicism, they also take their doctrines from some form of the Catholic teachings. The Reformers tried to justify a literal interpretation of the Bible with their Catholic teachings by coming up with such things as Post Tribulationalism and the like.
C. Back in the late 1800’s and Early 1900’s two men, both Protestants, began to popularize the Pre-Tribulational Rapture view.
They were C. I Scofield, and Lewis Sperry Chafer. Scofield wrote the notes in the still popular Scofield Reference Bible. Chafer founded the Dallas Theological Seminary. Both promoted the Pre-Tribulational Rapture very successfully.
I should say, they did not dream up the doctrine. The Pre-Tribulational Rapture had been taught and preached by many throughout the centuries, THEY WERE JUST THE ONES TO MAKE THEM POPULAR.
Back in the 70’s and 80’s, when I first began to live for the Lord, there was no question concerning the subject of the Pre- Tribulational Rapture among fundamentalists. The Charismatics however, had written several books on what they called the Mid- Tribulational Rapture.
D. However, in the last several years, there has been a popular movement towards the Mid-Tribulational Rapture view by many fundamentalists.
Marv Rosenthal, a popular Jewish Fundamentalist Christian, changed his view to what he called the “PRE- WRATH” view. It is virtually the same as Mid-Trib, wrapped in a new name.
Although there have been a number of articles written against Rosenthal’s views, he was popular enough among the fundamentalists, that he has developed a large following in fundamentalism.
I believe that this issue could become one of the more divisive that we face in coming years! Already some well known ex-fundamental Baptists have organized and promoted rallies and gatherings designed to attract Independent Fundamental Baptists and present to them the arguments for the Pre-Wrath Rapture view. Dr. Roland Rasmussen, long time Fundamental Baptist pastor and popular guest speaker at Independent Baptist colleges, has written a book on the Pre-Wrath Rapture view and has promoted it heavily among Independent Baptists.
With that, let us now consider three reasons
III. WHY I BELIEVE THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION.
A. First, Because our judgment has already been dealt with on the cross.
The Tribulation serves two purposes;
First, to bring the Jews to a place where they will trust Christ as Saviour.
Second, To judge the Gentiles for their idolatry and rejection of God.
For the Christian both issues are dealt with. We have already trusted Christ as Saviour, so we would not need this Tribulation for that. And our sins have been judged in Jesus. He has already taken the judgment for them, and God does not remember them any more. There is therefore no reason for us to be in the Tribulation!
B. What purpose is there for the rapture if not to rescue the Christian from Tribulation suffering?
There is none! The Rapture’s entire purpose is to take the Believer out of this world while the world is judged! The idea of the “bouncing ball” is out of character for God! He would not rapture us to heaven only to return moments later with Jesus!
C. The word church is not found anywhere in the book of Revelation after the Tribulation begins!
In Revelation 2-3 there are the letters to the seven churches. In Revelation 4:1 John is told to “…Come up hither…” and be shown the things that will happen in the future (the Tribulation). The church is not found again on earth! I believe that is because that church has been removed, or RAPTURED TO HEAVEN!
There would be no hope in the return of the Lord, no real reason for looking forward to His return if you believed that you would have to face suffering and even death at the hands of anti-Christ before Jesus arrived.
The Rapture is pre-Tribulational! God WILL remove us from this earth BEFORE the hour of trial that is to try this earth. This is the BLESSED HOPE of the believer.