The Rapture of the Church

Recently, I have been contemplating whether the rapture of the Church will happen before the Tribulation or at the end of the Tribulation. This is a reevaluation for me, since I was taught the pre-tribulational rapture, but later felt there was no biblical justification for it and believed in the post-tribulational rapture. What follows is a summary of what I believe are the very best arguments for the pre-trib rapture, although it is certainly not a definitive answer to this age-old question. Likely, I will continue to ponder these things for years to come.

(I’m starting from the assumption that premillennialism is correct in this blog post. The question of premillennialism vs. amillennialism vs. postmillennialism is not something I’m prepared to tackle right now.)

Wrath of God is Never Poured Out on His People

A well-established biblical teaching is that God does not judge the wicked with the righteous. He does not pour out His wrath on His people. In fact, Genesis 18:25 teaches that God considers this principal a matter of His integrity and righteousness. In the case of Lot, God was unwilling to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there were believers there in the city. Lest we think that this was an unusual thing for God to protect His people from His judgment poured out on the wicked, we have the examples of Noah and Rahab, also. Noah and his family were spared from the wrath of God coming on the world in the form of the Flood. Rahab and her family were spare from the judgment of God that fell on the city of Jericho. We could also consider the apocalyptic judgments sent on the Egyptians before the Exodus. The chosen people, the Israelites, were untouched by these judgments.

The New Testament says that God delivers us who are believers from the wrath to come (1 Thes 1:10; 5:9). We are saved from wrath through Jesus (Rom 5:9). Certainly, the pinnacle of His wrath is eternal hell, but, consistently, the Bible teaches that the Tribulation is a period of God’s intense wrath coming on the earth and world of unbelievers. Revelation mentions wrath over and over again in relation to the judgments on the earth: “The wrath of the Lamb,” (Rev 6:16 NKJV); “the great day of His wrath has come,” (Rev 6:17); “Your wrath has come,” (Rev 11:18); “the wine of the wrath [of God],” (Rev 14:8, 10, 19; 16:19; 18:3); “in [the last seven plagues] the wrath of God is complete,” (Rev 15:1); “seven golden bowls of the wrath of God,” (Rev 15:7; 16:1); “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God,” (Rev 19:15). Would not the “judge of all the earth do right,” and deliver His bride from “His wrath” to be poured out on the earth? It is hard to imagine otherwise.

Conversely, the New Testament teaches that His wrath and tribulation sent as judgment are reserved for unbelievers. “God…will render…to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish…” (Rom 2:6-9 NKJV). “Because of these [evil deeds] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience,” (Eph 5:6). “Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience…” (Col 3:6). “[God’s] wrath has come upon them,” (1 Thes 2:16). “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them…” (1 Thes 5:3).

So, we can say emphatically that (1) the Tribulation is a time of God’s wrathful judgment on the world, but (2) God does not judge His people in wrath. This compellingly implies that God will somehow preserve His people from His wrath, coming on the world in the form of many calamities, plagues, and pestilences. The rapture could be how He accomplishes this deliverance for His Church. (Those who are converted during the Tribulation who avoid execution by the beast could be preserved in various, relative safe locations from the judgments of God. In line with this view, we have at least one example in Revelation of believers being kept from the judgment of God in Rev 9:3-4.)

Imminency of Jesus' Return

Another teaching that appears clear to me in the New Testament is the imminent return of Jesus Christ. The early church was expecting Jesus to come back at any time and “without warning.” It was their blessed hope, as it should be ours. The apostles taught that this expectancy of His return was sanctifying. “…We know that when [Jesus] is revealed [i.e. returns], we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn 3:2-3 NKJV). Jesus taught in parables that all should be watching and waiting for His unexpected return (cf. Mt 24:42-44; Mt 25:5-7; Lu 12:40), of which no one would know the day and hour (Mt 25:13; Mk 13:32). As implied by the parables of Jesus, considering He could be returning at any moment is sobering and encourages us to be doing His work and putting to death the works of darkness.

The post-tribulational rapture destroys this imminency. Why would we be expecting His return at any moment if we believed that seven years of extreme tribulation must happen first? Why would we be watching and waiting for Christ to come back if we knew that that can’t happen until the antichrist comes first? It makes no sense to be eagerly awaiting Jesus’ return if there is so much prophecy that must be fulfilled for seven years before He comes back! The doctrine of imminency is destroyed; there is no sanctifying hope to see Him return for His bride, the Church.

The Bible teaches that the coming of Jesus will be like a “thief in the night.” Now, for us who believe, His return will not overtake us as a thief (1 Thes 5:4). That does not imply that His timing will be predictable, but simply that His return will not be an unwelcome surprise as a thief breaking in would be. We will be watching and awake and sober. For unbelievers, He will return “as a thief” in judgment. But, for everyone—believer and unbeliever alike—we are told that His appearing will be at a time when we are not generally anticipating His return.

Symbolism in the Bible Pointing to an Early Rapture

Although I am no expert on ancient customs, I have been told that the Galileans had a very particular way of conducting betrothals and weddings. The bridegroom would get betrothed to his bride (cf. 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-27), leave her for a long time to prepare a place for her (cf. Jn 14:2), come unexpectedly back to take her to himself and his newly built room (cf. Jn 14:3), and conduct a wedding feast for seven days (cf. Mt 25:10). Three aspects of these weddings may point towards a pre-trib rapture: (1) the bridegroom would return to joyfully surprise his bride, (2) he would take her away to his place, and (3) the wedding feast was a private event held for seven days. In a post-trib scenario, Jesus’ return for His bride would be quite expected by believers, He would return to earth rather than taking His bride away to heaven, and there would be no private feast with Jesus and the Church.

Other biblical symbolism to be considered is the seven feasts of Israel in the Old Testament. Four of these feasts were fulfilled literally and precisely by Jesus when He came the first time. On Passover, Jesus was crucified. During Unleavened Bread, Jesus was in the grave. During the Feast of First Fruits, Jesus rose from the dead. At the end of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Jesus sent His Spirit in power on His people. The final three feasts, which had a significant calendar gap from the other four feasts, have not yet been fulfilled by Him. The next one to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets, which fits best with the gathering of the Church to Jesus. (We would assume that this feast will not be fulfilled to the day, simply because Jesus says that no one knows the day of His return.) The one after that is the Day of Atonement, which fits best with the final redemption of the remnant of Jews at Jesus’ second coming. The last feast is the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, which most believe symbolizes the Millennial kingdom.

The final three feasts are separate events, spread out over multiple days on the Jewish calendar. The Feast of Trumpets precedes the Day of Atonement on the calendar. For that reason, the timing of the feasts implies that the rapture occurs some amount of time before the Jews meet their Messiah and are saved by Him. Arguably, this is not easily reconciled with the post-trib view that puts the rapture at the same general time or same day as the final redemption of the Jewish remnant. There would be too much happening all at once: the rapture, the marriage wedding feast, and the salvation of the Jews.

Finally, we have an interesting picture in Revelation that could point to the pre-trib rapture. Revelation 1-3 speaks about seven different churches, representing perhaps different types and ages of churches. Then, there is a sudden shift in Revelation 4. A door is opened in heaven (Rev 4:1), which is reminiscent of the door that is opened for the bride to enter into the marriage feast (cf. Mt 25:10). A trumpet sound is heard (Rev 4:1), which is reminiscent of the “Last Trumpet” spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that accompanies the rapture. Then, John is called up into heaven (Rev 4:1), which was a personal rapture event for John. Once in heaven, John saw twenty-four thrones (perhaps symbolic of the Old Testament twelve patriarchs and believers, and the New Testament twelve Apostles and believers) and seven lamps (Rev 4:4-5). These seven lamps may be connected to the seven churches that earlier in Revelation 1:20 were called “the seven lampstands.” So, after the trumpet sound and being caught up to heaven, John saw these lamps and thrones, representative of the believers, there in heaven. The parallels with the rapture are hard to miss. After Revelation 4, where the “church” is no longer mentioned, you have the many judgments of God poured out on the earth during the Tribulation.

Further Hints?

The Bible indicates that there is an escape from the coming Tribulation. Jesus said, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things [trials] that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man,” (Lu 21:36 NKJV). How do those who God graciously counts worthy escape the judgments? In Revelation, one of the faithful churches is promised to be kept from the “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world,” (Rev 3:10). How do they escape it? On the contrary, Revelation 2 says that unfaithful people who do not repent will be cast into “great tribulation” (Rev 2:21-22). Why does it say only the unfaithful ones will be cast into “great tribulation”?

2 Thessalonians 2 deserves a whole blog post by itself. But, let me try to summarize it as I understand it. They were afraid that the “Day of Christ had come” (2 Thes 2:2 NKJV), because of false teachers who were teaching that their tribulation was the Tribulation. They were afraid that they could possibly be lost and that God’s wrath had come upon them. But, Paul assured them that certain events had to happen before the wrath of God was poured out: (1) an apostasy of some kind had to happen, (2) the antichrist had to be revealed publicly, and (3) he had to accomplish the abomination of desolation in the temple (2 Thes 2:3). Then, God’s wrath would come on the world. Paul seemed to be showing them that there was no way that the Day of Christ had come already, and that they were not “left behind” as they feared. In the post-trib view, this passage seems to make little sense. Why would they be troubled about the “Day of Christ,” if they were destined to go through it no matter what? In fact, they should be eagerly awaiting the Day of Christ, because it would be the prelude to His return! Furthermore, how would Paul reassuring them that various events would come before the Days of Christ help them feel any better? In fact, they would be much happier if they could know that they were mostly through the Tribulation already, rather than believing that they still had all those awful events to look forward to, followed by the great judgment “Day of Christ.”

A Final Word

One argument that I have personally raised against the pre-tribulation rapture is that all believers of all ages have suffered persecution and trials. None are exempt. In fact, the Bible all but promises that believers will undergo tribulation (Jn 16:33; 1 Thes 3:4), trials (Jam 1:2), persecutions (2 Tim 3:12), and suffering (Rom 8:17). No, we are not to think that there can be any promise of deliverance from tribulations or that tribulations will never be hard. We are not to believe that God promises any kind of deliverance from hardships and general calamities.

However, there is a distinct difference, I have come to believe, between God’s wrathful judgment on the one hand, and persecution and general tribulations of a fallen world on the other hand. God’s wrath is reserved for His enemies; providential trials and sufferings come indiscriminate upon all mankind. The Great Tribulation is a time of the fierceness of God’s wrath on His enemies of which believers shall escape in whatever manner God chooses.

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To any who should read this during the Tribulation (or before!), as long as you have life and breath, you most certainly have hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. He is able and willing to save anyone who calls upon His name (Rom 10:11-13), whether you have rejected Him in the past or not. All of us are deserving of His wrath, but He promises (and He cannot lie) eternal life to all who flee to Jesus as their only hope of forgiveness and pardon and righteousness—a sure hope that anchors the soul (Heb 6:18-19).