Driving to church recently, I came upon a stretch of road with dug up asphalt and construction equipment nearby. Though it was creating a minor inconvenience as traffic navigated around it, few drivers became impatient, knowing that such evidence meant the inconvenience would be temporary, as clearly, better things were coming soon.
The scene served as a good analogy for this post. When certain signs of progress are present, it portends that something better is coming. It is easier to tolerate bad traffic if around the clogged road we see signs that someone is working toward a solution. Matthew 24:32-33 (‘Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.’) reminds us that these signs mean that our Rapture must be near.
The best ‘signs’ or evidence that Christ’s plan is progressing as prophesied and that His return is near are in our headlines every day. One may not think our headlines show ‘progress’, but one must interpret ‘progress’ in light of scriptural prophecy. Things are indeed progressing just as prophesied. Though that means the world is getting worse, and not progressing, from a prophetic standpoint, things are indeed progressing.
Just as when you see Christmas decorations going up, you know Thanksgiving is near, if the signs preceding His Second Coming are near already, then the Rapture is even closer!
Different prophecies have different ‘focal lengths’. There are short term and distant applications for prophecy just like the same telescope can be used to see detail in a mountain across the valley as well as detail on the moon’s surface, just by adjusting focal length. This is especially apparent in Isaiah, where some verses speak of the immediate future of Israel and its coming battles with Assyria, while others shift focus to Armageddon and the Millennium.
Most people, church-going or not, are familiar with concept of ‘The Rapture’ of the Church (bride of Christ) prior to the seven-year Tribulation period. The Left Behind books and movies (and the dozens of ‘knock-offs’ inspired by them) have certainly familiarized most people with the concept.
The Church (the bride of Christ – those who have confessed Christ as their Savior and repented from their wickedness (turned from their rebellion)) is promised to be ‘kept from the hour of testing’, meaning we will not have to endure the Tribulation years, nor the likely ‘gap period’ between the Rapture and the onset of the seven-year Tribulation. (See separate post on ‘Gap Period happenings’)
Many have debated the timing of the Rapture. Even 40 years ago, I was reading a commentary on the book of Revelation in the church of my childhood, and was introduced to the terms ‘pre-Tribulation, mid-Tribulation, and post-Tribulation’ rapture as well as terms describing the timing of the Millennium in relation to the second coming of Christ (pre-Millennial, Amillennial, and post-Millennial). To my eight or nine-year-old mind, it seemed complex but it set me on a lifetime quest to gain further understanding. I have been enthralled with the idea of the Rapture ever since, and have often prayed it would occur before some stressful event I was due to face.
After decades of deep study, prayer, and reflection, my conclusion is that anything other than the Rapture being pre-Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ occurring prior to the Millennium is incorrect, as are the concepts of ‘Preterism’ (all prophecies were fulfilled in the first century AD) and ‘Pre-wrath’ (the Rapture will occur right before the worst part of the Tribulation, at a point slightly beyond the midpoint, after the sixth seal is opened).
Though the other views have some interesting points, my opinion is the weight of their arguments do not measure up to the pre-trib view. The good news is, the exact interpretation is not a ‘salvation issue’. The debate has caused heated discussions on threads and in churches. But step back and ask ‘is God going to deny heaven to one who has faith in Him because he did not properly sort out the different positions and choose the right one?’
No.
Arguments for and against the different positions are just an internet search away. It may help though to explain my personal disaffection with the other views.
Acts 17:11, as Dr. Missler often cites, basically says ‘don’t trust anything anyone else tells you, but search the scriptures yourselves, and consult with God about it.’ This is one of those issues.
I certainly hope we are raptured before the Tribulation, and I think there is abundant biblical evidence for this, but if not, then the Tribulation will certainly test believers’ mettle, and only a close walk with God (firm foundation) will get you through the storm without a compromise of your faith.
Just a few points about the other views before we continue.
Those that espouse the post-tribulational viewpoint feel that since Christians currently suffer brutal persecution at the hands of man around the world, what makes pre-tribbers think they are special enough to avoid intense persecution as well? Answer – we don’t.
Persecution of Christians now is by the hands of man inspired by Satan. The judgements of Revelation are from the hand of God upon the whole earth. As one person replied during an internet debate, ‘what groom beats the he** out of his bride before marrying her?”
Post-tribbers also try to make Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace an example of how believers will go through the Tribulation, but God will protect them. They fail to realize that Daniel himself was not present in Israel at the time (he too would have certainly been thrown into the furnace if he had been) but had apparently been ‘called away’ for business in Babylon. The ‘Fiery Furnace’ event occurred during his absence. Does Daniel represent the church in this scenario? I leave that for you to decide in your own study. (Certainly, the Church is represented throughout the Old Testament, part of the ‘mystery’ Paul was privy to comprehend. Ruth, for instance is a great allegory for the church, as a Gentile bride.) And further, those who espouse that ‘believers will be protected through the Tribulation’ must not have understood Revelation 6:9, which says:
‘9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.’
Rev 6:9 indicates that during the Tribulation, additional believers will be slain who will be added to the ranks of those previously martyred. So, there is no protection for believers during the Tribulation as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced in the fiery furnace. An exception are the 144,000 virgins (12,000 Jewish men from each of the 12 tribes listed in Revelation 7:4-8 (tribe of Dan left out with Joseph getting a double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh to still add up to twelve) who did not defile themselves with the ‘Woman who rides the Beast’).
One also must keep in mind the traditional Jewish model for a wedding – how the groom goes away and prepares a place for his bride before returning by surprise to take her away. The wedding feast after, ran for seven days (analogous to seven years, as the Tribulation will be). Questions remain whether the marriage supper of the Lamb occurs in heaven or on earth after Christ returns. The parable of ten virgins in Matthew 25 is of Israel waiting on the groom (Jesus) and His bride (the church) to come for the marriage supper. J. Vernon McGee believed the marriage is in heaven, and the supper is on earth.
Another good point for the pre-trib rapture was made by a commenter who pointed out, ‘what groom beats up his wife (makes her go through the Tribulation experiencing the wrath of God) before marrying her?’
The Pre-Wrath perspective fails to take into account that ONLY Jesus Christ was found worthy to open the seven seals on the scroll (believed to be the ‘title deed’ to the earth). Therefore, all seven seals from the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation are God’s wrath. Satan couldn’t open the seals, only Christ. So the argument that the first half of the Tribulation is Satan’s wrath seems incorrect to me.
Therefore, this post will hereafter be dedicated to explaining the pre-Tribulation, pre-Millennial viewpoint. The Second Coming of Christ will be detailed in a subsequent post. For further explanation of these terms and others, another post will be prepared on eschatological terminology.
It is easy to confuse the Harpazo (Rapture) with the Second Coming of Christ. At the Rapture, He will come like a thief in the night and only his Bride will hear the trumpet and be called up. He will not set foot on the earth (so He has not yet come again to earth), but the Church will meet Him in the air. At the Second Coming, on the other hand, the whole world will see Him and He will personally set foot on the earth. Many verses in Matthew allude to both occurrences in the same passages so it can be confusing. I will copy a list from Dr. Chuck Missler (Koinonia House) in another post that differentiates the verses regarding the Rapture and those for the Second Coming.
It helps to understand Old Testament feasts when studying end time events. The feasts were commemorative of past miracles of God but also prophetic. The Jews certainly appreciate the historical aspects and celebrate them. Their thinking though is that the Messiah has not yet arrived and they interpret the feasts prophetically with that in mind. We know He has already arrived and carried out His perfect work on the cross and know He has promised to return for us. We therefore interpret the feasts accordingly. Basically, many of the prophecies they say point to His first coming, we say point to His second.
The Feast of Trumpets foreshadows the Rapture of the Church as we will discuss in a minute.
The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) (or ‘day of making a loud noise’) is celebrated every fall in the month of Tishri on the day of Rosh HaShanah (Jewish civil New Year). Tishri is the first month of the New Year on the Jewish civil calendar, while Nisan is the first month of the year on the Jewish spiritual calendar. Each of these ‘New Year’ months has three feasts celebrated within them, with the Feast of Weeks occurring in between. The feasts of Nisan are like the three candles on the left of a Menorah, while the feasts of Tishri are like the three candles on the right of the Menorah. The center candle is like the Feast of Weeks. (Please see ‘The Feasts of Israel’ by Dr. Chuck Missler – I have borrowed heavily from it).
The Feast of Trumpets was first commanded in Leviticus 23:24…
‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.’
And again, in Numbers 29:1-6….
‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets. 2 You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without defect; 3 also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 5 Offer one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.’
*Following the Feast of Trumpets, a ten-day period of affliction is observed called the ‘Yamim Noraim. In prophecy, a day often symbolizes a year (see Daniel 9 where ‘weeks of years’ are prophesied and one ‘day’ spoken in prophecy equals one year. (70 ‘weeks’ = 70 x7 days = 490 years)).
The ten-day Yamin Noraim after the rapture likely symbolizes a ten-year period of time before the occurrence symbolized by Yom Kippur which follows.
Yom means ‘day’. A kippah is a covering of the head. Yom Kippur is the ‘day of covering’ where sins are covered (wiped away). This symbolizes the second coming of Christ. Prior to the Second Coming then, is the ten-day Yamin Noraim (a ten-year period comprised of a three-year gap period, then a seven-year Tribulation – truly ‘a time of affliction’ if there ever was one).
A separate post deals with what will likely take place during a three-year Gap Period. (Bill Salus wrote a book called Apocalypse Road, half fiction, half well-researched documentary which goes into detail).
More on the Feast of Trumpets symbolizing the Rapture….
From GotQuestions?.org…
[“Question: ‘What is the Feast of Trumpets?’
Answer: The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God. It is one of seven Jewish feasts or festivals appointed by the LORD and one of three feasts that occur in the autumn. The Feast of Trumpets began on the first day (at the new moon) of the seventh month. Its name comes from the command to blow trumpets (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1-6). It is also called Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year,” because it marks the beginning of the Jewish civil calendar. During this celebration, no kind of work was to be performed, but burnt offerings and a sin offering were to be brought before the Lord.
In the Leviticus passage, the words ‘trumpet blasts’ are a translation of the Hebrew word teruah, which means “a shout” or “a blowing.” It appears that the shofar (ram’s horn) was to be blown at this time, as it was on the other new moons (Psalm 81:3). Jewish tradition indicates that both the ram’s horn and the priestly silver horns (hazozerah) were used in the Feast of Trumpets.
(Psalm 81:3 – ‘Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.’)
The Feast of Trumpets was important for several reasons. First, it commemorated the end of the agricultural and festival year. Also, the Day of Atonement fell on the tenth day of this month, and the Festival of Booths began on the fifteenth day. The blowing of the trumpets on the first day of the month heralded a solemn time of preparation for the Day of Atonement; this preparation time was called “Ten Days of Repentance” or the “Days of Awe.” The trumpet sound was an alarm of sorts and can be understood as a call to introspection and repentance.
The Feast of Trumpets, along with the other six festivals of the LORD, foreshadowed certain aspects of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The prophets linked the blowing of trumpets to the future Day of Judgment: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1; see also Zephaniah 1:14, 16).
In the New Testament, we see that the Lord’s Second Coming will be accompanied by the sound of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Each of the judgments in Revelation 8-9 is also signaled by a trumpet. Just as the shofar called the Jewish nation to turn their attention to the Lord and ready themselves for the Day of Atonement, so will the “trump of God” call us to heaven and warn the world of coming judgment.” ]
(note – they lump the Rapture in with the Second Coming. The Rapture is distinct and is thought of my many as phase one of the Second Coming. Again, see the differences above.)
Sukkot, (the Feast of Tabernacles (aka Feast of Booths)), which follows, foreshadows the Millennial kingdom prophesied throughout both Old and New Testaments. See separate post on The Millennium.
Back to the Rapture, and verses that support that the church will be called home prior:
Revelation 3:10 – to the church in Philadelphia – ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth’.) and I Thessalonians 4:15 ‘For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…’
Many argue the word ‘rapture’ does not appear in the bible – well, of course not! The bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek! (It amazes me how many people seem to think the original language of the bible was King James English, and thus they feel more pious if they recite scripture from the King James Version). The Greek word is harpazo (Greek), which in Latin is written as ‘rapturo’. The meaning is ‘snatching away suddenly’.
I Corinthians 15:51- 53 ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality’.
I Thessalonians 4:15-18 15 ‘For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.’
I Thessalonians 5:1-11 ‘Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.’
‘Last Trump’ – there only two Trumpets of God in scripture – Exodus 19:16 and 19, then the ‘last one’ mentioned in I Cor 15:51-52 and again in I Thess 4:16-17.
A ram has two horns, a left and right. These were made into shofar, the first and the last. “I am the First and the Last” Rev 1:17.
It is easy to confuse the ‘judgement trumpets’ of Revelation 8-11 with the ‘trump of God’ in I Thess. 4:16, and I Cor. 15:52, and therefore think the ‘last trump’ in I Corinthians 15:52 and I Thess. 4:16 refers to the last judgement trumpet of Revelation chapter 11:15. This is made more difficult in that they are, in fact, derived from the same Greek word, salpigx. I defer to the wisdom of someone who has studied much longer than I…
From ‘The Feasts of Israel’ by Dr. Chuck Missler
[“The type of trumpet I believe Paul is referring to is not one of the heavenly judgement trumpets, or the silver trumpets from the Temple; it is the shofar, the ram’s horn, mentioned repeatedly throughout the old testament. The ram’s horn has its institution, its point of origin in the Akedah, the offering of Isaac at the hands of Abraham, when God provided the substitutionary ram. The ram had two horns, the left called the ‘first trump, and the right called the ‘last trump’.
I believe the ‘last trump’ is directly tied to the Feast of Trumpets without any connection to the judgement trumpets. The celebration traditionally involves the sounding of specific trumpet blasts on the shofar.”]
Understanding the Shofar blasts – the first one is long, then three quick ones, then nine rapid ones, each segment of the same length (takes just as long to sound the first note as the nine rapid ones together, like a whole note is same length as eight ‘eighth notes’
T’qiah – 1st -long
Sh’varim – three shorter notes
T’ruah – 9 rapid notes
Repeat all three, three times followed finally by the
T’qiah q’dolah – final long triumphant blast (Missler ‘The Feasts of Israel’)
These are not the same as the trumpets of judgement in Revelation 8-11.
Other raptures (or types of raptures) in scripture…
The first rapture mentioned in the bible…
Genesis 5:20 ‘Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him’.
The angels could not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot and his family had escaped…
Genesis 19:21 ‘He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore, the name of the town was called Zoar.’
The flood did not come until Noah and his family were safely in the ark….
Genesis 7:15-18 ‘So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him.17 Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.’
Philip was ‘snatched away’ after baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch….
Acts 8:34-40 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
(Interesting side note: It is speculated that the Ethiopians are the custodians of the Ark of the Covenant said to be housed in Axum. The Queen perhaps sent the treasury official to investigate whether it was time yet to return the Ark to Jerusalem. (The Ark is said to have been moved to Egypt for safekeeping in the days of Josiah, then moved down to Ethiopia). The official undoubtedly told his queen, ‘Not yet!’ See Zephaniah 3:10 ‘From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings.’ And Psalm 68:29 ‘Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring gifts to You. 30 Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, trampling underfoot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.31 Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.’)
Elijah of course was snatched away…
2 Kings 2:11 ‘As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.’
Paul – II Cor 12:2 ‘I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.’
John – Revelation 4:1,2 ‘ After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.’
Jesus – Acts 1:9 ‘9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”’
And Revelation 12:5 – ‘And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.’
Verses supporting the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church…
I Corinthians 15:51-53 ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality’.
I Thessalonians 4:15-18 15 ‘For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.’
Rev 1:12 and 1:20 – the lampstands (churches) are on earth, but in Rev 4:1 and 4:5 after John hears ‘come up here’ through the door into heaven, there is no mention of the church until we are described accompanying Him at His return (Matthew 24:31 and Rev. ch. 19). God’s focus is on the Jews during this meantime.
Rev 3:10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’
The following passage likely predicts what occurs just after the rapture during the gap period, in the mass confusion that will be occurring….
Matthew 24:4 – 8 ‘And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.’ (Revelation judgements now commence).
*Then follows a passage on the Tribulation and the Second Coming. Matthew 24:9-31…
‘Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.’
(*Note – this ‘preaching of the gospel to the whole world’ will be accomplished by the 144,000 Jewish ‘virgins’ who did not defile themselves with ‘the Woman who rides the Beast’ (Rev 17:1-15) as well as Elijah and Moses who will be alive, embodied, and preaching in Jerusalem, until Antichrist kills them publicly and allows their bodies to lie in the streets three and a half days. God will then resurrect them to the astonishment of the whole world (who will see it on the news/internet).
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
(*Note – demons will give people power after the Rapture to perform miracles and deceive many as false Christs. Jesus lets them know that by the time the false prophets are saying “He is here or there’, He has actually already come for his Bride like the lightning). (J. Vernon McGee believes the ‘lightning’ refers to the Second Coming, not the Rapture, as lightning can be clearly seen in the sky, and the sequence of events outlined by Christ here makes it fit for the Second Coming).
He did not touch the earth, and will not until the Second Coming, when he alights in Bosrah, Jordan, to rescue the believing Jewish remnant (the ‘elect’ mentioned above, who must repopulate the earth during the Millennium) who have escaped to Petra. Then Christ, with the blood of his slain enemies on his robes, will appear…
[Revelation 19:12-13 – 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
And Isaiah 63:1-6 ‘Who is this who comes from Edom (modern day Jordan), with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come.5 I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; so My own arm brought salvation to Me, and My wrath upheld Me. 6 I trod down the peoples in My anger and made them drunk in My wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”]
…and stand on the Mount of Olives and cleaves it (Zechariah 14:2-5)…
Zechariah 14:2-5
‘For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!’
Why does He make sure to say this to his disciples? Because he wants it recorded in scripture as the Jews will still be here after the Rapture, and need to know this information. Their eyes will be opened after the Rapture ‘when the fulness of the Gentiles comes in’ and ‘the partial hardening’ has ended (Romans 11:25) and will suddenly want to devour scripture now, the New Testament, which they previously despised, to gain information. Christ makes sure those who have become saved will read this warning and know to flee when the Antichrist declares himself to be the Messiah in the Third Temple).
Matthew 24 continues…
The Glorious Return
24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,’
(*Note here – the ones mourning are the Jews who did not become believers in Christ during the Tribulation, but rather persecuted their brethren who did, and now realize their grievous error. (See also Zechariah 12:10 – ‘I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn’).)
(Matthew 24:30 cont’d) ‘and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.’
(* Christ is returning with His bride, the church, here. We are gathered from the SKY, not the earth – I believe this is not the Rapture but the Second Coming – we are already in heaven with our groom being busy with whatever assignments He has given us, but now we are called from our places in heaven (the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other’) to accompany Him on His Second Coming. The Rapture in contrast will come ‘like a thief in the night’. This description above is in no way a surreptitious approach – quite the opposite).
Continuing…
Matthew 24:32 – 25:13
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.’
(*Note – ‘this generation’ refers to those Jews who were alive when the ‘fig tree became tender and put forth its leaves’ in other words, when Israel was reestablished as a nation and the second regathering began in May of 1948. See the blog post – ‘The length of a generation’ for more points)
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.’
(* Note : ‘But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone’ refers to Christ while He was in the flesh. Knowledge of the timing of the Rapture was one of the divine attributes he temporarily denied Himself while in the flesh. Now that He is back with the Father, He has regained those attributes he temporarily laid aside, and knows the timing again.)
I thank Dr. J. Vernon McGee for setting me straight on the following. Previously, I believed this passage (Matthew 24:37- 41) to be out of sequence, as it seems to reference the rapture. As Dr. McGee explains in his commentary on this passage, it is actually describing the Second Coming. The ones that are taken are taken to judgement. The ones left will enter the Millennium.
37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.’
45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Parable of Ten Virgins:
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
The parable of the Ten Virgins is further illustration of the Second Coming taking some by surprise. Note that no one will know the day or hour of Christ’s Second Coming, but since it is prophesied His return will occur 3.5 years from the Abomination that makes Desolate, many will know the year. Note that the bride (the church) is already with the bridegroom. The virgins are members of the bridal party, not the bride herself.
Other verses foretelling the Rapture:
John 14:1-3 ‘Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.’
I Cor 15:1-53 The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection
‘15 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised [g]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
The Order of Resurrection
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? 30 Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Become sober-minded [j]as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, [n]earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, [o]we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
The Mystery of Resurrection
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.’
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.’
Romans 8:19 ‘For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.’
I Corinthians 1:7-8 ‘so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
I Cor 16:22 ‘If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha (note: Maranatha means ‘Come Lord!’ in Aramaic. This was a plea for Christ to make good on His promise to rescue them from the hour of testing.)
Philippians 3:20-21 ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.’
Colossians 3:4 ‘When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.’
1 Thessalonians 1:10 ‘and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.’
1 Thess 2:19 ‘For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?’
1 Thess 5:9 ‘For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,’
1 Thess 5:23 ‘Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
2 Thess 2:1 (3) ‘Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,’ (3) ‘Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,’
( Doesn’t this mean that the rapture will not happen until Antichrist performs the abomination in the third temple? (mid-trib interpretation)). Well,…
2 Thess 2:7,8a ‘For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed…’ (emphasis mine)
So, this clarifies that Antichrist will not be revealed until the restrainer is taken out of the way. (Lower case used to identify ‘he ’who restrains’ (not ‘He’) so is not referring to God Himself, but the Holy Spirit-filled church)). So, the church must be gone before Antichrist can be revealed. (The Holy Spirit will not be removed, just the Church He has indwelled up to that time. The Holy Spirit will be actually be very busy on earth during the Tribulation, working through the 144,000, indwelling their converts, and working to draw as many unsaved as possible to Christ.)
I think what Paul means by ‘with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,’ (3) ‘Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed,’ Paul is referring to the Rapture here. Once the man of lawlessness is revealed, then the Second Coming will occur ‘soon’ afterwards (3.5 years later).
I believe the word ‘second’ could be inferred prior to ‘coming’ in 2 Thess 2:1.
*The main point of this passage was reassuring believers at the time that Christ had not returned already and they had somehow missed out. This is one passage that is better worded for Paul’s day than ours. ‘The apostasy’ likely means ‘the departure’ (Rapture) as explained below….
From Christinprophecy.org (Lion and Lamb Ministries)
[‘There is another verse that is often cited as proof that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins. It is the one I quoted at the beginning of this article — 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
(‘Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…’)
The reason it is often presented as evidence of a Pre-Trib Rapture is because it states that “the day of the Lord” (The Tribulation and Millennium) will not occur until “the apostasy comes first.” How does this relate to the timing of the Rapture? Because the word, “apostasy” can also mean “departure.” And thus, this verse could be saying that the departure of the Church must occur before “the man of lawlessness” (the Antichrist) is revealed and the Tribulation begins.
I personally have never thought much of this argument. I am always suspicious of biblical doctrines that are based on alternative translations. People who are straining to prove a doctrinal point, will often look in a Greek or Hebrew lexicon for the definition of a word and then will choose whichever one fits their pre-conceived doctrine. The problem with this approach is that the true meaning of words must always be determined by their context, not by the possible alternative definitions.
A New Insight
But recently, my thinking about 2 Thessalonians 2:3 has changed — all because of an outstanding presentation on the subject that I heard Tommy Ice make at a conference where the two of us were speaking.
For those of you who may not be familiar with Tommy Ice, he is a biblical scholar who graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and who serves as the Director of the Pre-Trib Research Center (www.pre-trib.org).
Tommy pointed out that the Greek noun, apostasia, is used only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in Acts 21:21 where it states that an accusation was made against Paul that he was “teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake [apostasia] Moses.”
The word is used in verb form a total of 15 times in the New Testament, and only three of these have anything to do with a departure from the faith (Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12). In other settings, the word is used for departing from inquity (2 Timothy 2:19), departing from ungodly men (1 Timothy 6:5), departing from the temple (Luke 2:27), departing from the body (2 Corinthians 12:8), and departing from persons (Acts 12:10 and Luke 4:13).
This insight about the use and meaning of the word was certainly compelling, but the argument Tommy presented that was most convicting to me was his revelation that the first seven English translations of the Bible rendered the noun, apostasia, as either “departure” or “departing.” They were as follows:1
The Wycliffe Bible (1384)
The Tyndale Bible (1526)
The Coverdale Bible (1535)
The Cranmer Bible (1539)
The Great Bible (1540)
The Beeches Bible (1576)
The Geneva Bible (1608)
Tommy also noted that the Bible used by the Western world from 400 AD to the 1500s — Jerome’s Latin translation known as “The Vulgate” — rendered apostasia with the Latin word, discessio, which means “departure.”
The first translation of the word to mean ‘apostasy’ in an English Bible did not occur until 1611 when the King James Version was issued. So, why did the King James translators introduce a completely new rendering of the word as “falling away”? The best guess is that they were taking a stab at the false teachings of Catholicism.
One other point Tommy Ice made that I thought was significant is that Paul used a definite article with the word apostasia. The significance of this is emphasized by Daniel Davey in a thesis he wrote for the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary:2
Since the Greek language does not need an article to make the noun definite, it becomes clear that with the usage of the article, reference is being made to something in particular. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasia is prefaced by the definite article which means that Paul is pointing to a particular type of departure clearly known to the Thessalonian church.
In light of this grammatical point, Tommy observed that “the use of the definite article would support the notion that Paul spoke of a clear, discernable notion.”3 And that notion he had already identified in verse 1 when he stated that he was writing about “our gathering together to Him [Jesus].”
This interpretation also corresponds to the point that Paul makes in verses 6 and 7 where he states that the man of lawlessness will not come until what “restrains” him “is taken out of the way.”
And what it is that restrains evil in the world today? The Holy Spirit working through the Church.
Notes
1) Tommy Ice, “Is the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3?” www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/TheRapturein2Thessalonians2_3.html, page 2.
2) Daniel K. Davey, “The ‘Apostasia’ of 2 Thessalonians 2:3,” Th.M. thesis, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, May 1982, p 47.
3) Tommy Ice, page 2.’ ]
Additional verses encouraging faithfulness until the Lord’s return….
1 Tim 6:14 ‘that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,’
2 Tim 4:1 ‘I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:’
Titus 2:13 ‘looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,’
Hebrews 9:28 ‘so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.’
James 5:7-9 ‘Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
I Peter 1:7 ‘so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;’
I Peter 1:13 ‘Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I John 2:28 ‘Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.’
I John 3:2 ‘Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.’
Jude 21 ‘keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.’
Rev 2:25 ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come’.
Rev 3:10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’
And some excellent final thoughts from Dr. Robert Gromacki…
Where is “the Church” in Revelation 4-19?
Dr. Robert Gromacki
Where is “the Church” in Revelation 4-19? [article content enclosed in brackets below]
[OVERVIEW
Where is the church during the seven-year Tribulation, as outlined in Revelation 4-19? If posttribulationism were correct, you would expect to see the church mentioned as being on earth during this time. However, that is not the picture one sees in Revelation 4-19. This writer demonstrates through investigating many of the details of Revelation 4-19 that the church is pictured in heaven with Christ, having been raptured before the Tribulation began. You can become informed of the overwhelming support for the pretribulational understanding of this issue through this essay.
The Roman emperor Domitian banished the apostle John to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Rev. 1:9). It was there that John heard the command of Jesus Christ: “What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia” (Rev. 1:11 NKJV). John recorded what he saw and heard, and then he sent the volume to seven local churches located in key cities within the Roman province of Asia; namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev. 1:11).
The content of the book of Revelation can be divided into three sections, based upon Christ’s command: “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Rev. 1:19 NKJV). These three sections reveal a time sequence: past, present, and future.
What had John just seen? He had just seen a symbolic vision of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of seven lampstands that represented the seven local churches (Rev. 1:12-18,20). This content forms the past section of the book (“the things which you have seen”). The present section (“the things which are”) can be seen in the seven individual letters to the churches (Rev. 2-3). The future section thus forms the major part of the book (Rev. 4-22). The prepositional phrase “after this” (meta tauta) literally means “after these things.” It is found three times (1:19; 4:1 [twice]). The third section begins with these words: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (4:1 NKJv).
The future section (Rev. 4-22) contains an introduction, revealing the throne of God the Father in heaven and the taking of the seven-sealed scroll by Jesus Christ (4-5). The seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments are then described (5-16). The judgment of Babylon is then set forth (17-18). The second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth is finally presented (19:11-21). The millennial kingdom, the great white throne judgment, and the eternal state close out the prophetic revelation (20-22).
The typical futurist interpretation of the book contends that chapters 4-19 describe what will take place in the seven years preceding the second coming of Christ to the earth (19:11-21). Consistent advocates of premillennialism hold this position regardless of their particular view on the rapture of the church.
However, only those who embrace the pretribulational rapture (or the pre-seventieth-week-of-Daniel rapture) will argue for the absence of the genuine church on the earth during these entire seven years. What evidence can be found within Revelation 4-19 to show that the true church is in heaven when the events of these chapters are taking place? The following looks at nine indications.
The Mention of the Church
The words “church” or “churches,” so prominent in chapters 1-3, do not appear again in the book until the last chapter (22:16). The singular “church” and the plural “churches” together occur 19 times in the first three chapters (1:4,11,20 [twice]; 2:1,7,8,11, 12,17,18,12,19; 3:1,6,7,13,14,22).
The term “church” (ekklesia) literally means “a called out group.” It has two main usages in the New Testament. It can be used of the body of Christ, which He is building in this age (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:1-6). It is composed of believing Jews and believing Gentiles made one in Christ (Eph. 2:15-16). The term can also be used of a local congregation of believers (Acts 14:27; Gal. 1:2). It is so used in this second sense in the book of Revelation.
However, there is a strange silence of the term in chapters 4-19. That fact is especially noteworthy when you contrast that absence with its frequent presence in the first three chapters. One good reason for this phenomenon is the absence of the true church and true evangelical churches in the seven years preceding the second coming. The true believers of the church have gone into the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven before the onset of the events of the seven-year period. The church is not mentioned during the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments because the church is not here during the outpouring of these judgments.
The Admonition
The recurring phrase “unto the churches” (2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22) is conspicuously absent in a similar admonition (13:9). All seven letters to the churches end with this admonition by Christ: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (NKJv). Each individual person in each individual local church was to hear and to apply the truth that Christ gave to all of the local churches. For example, a believer in the church at Ephesus could profit spiritually from what the Savior said to the churches at Pergamos or at Philadelphia.
Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are the three main enemies of God and His people during the seven-year period (13:1-18; 19:20-20:3). The beast, symbolic of the military-political dictator of the end times, will rule for 42 months, the second half of the seven-year period. John recorded this truth about him: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (13:8).
At this point, John records the warning: “if anyone has an ear, let him hear” (13:9). Period! There is no mention of “saying to the churches,” a phrase which is repeated seven times in the seven letters. If the previously mentioned churches (Rev. 1-3) could possibly be in the seven-year period to face the wrath of the beast, then why wasn’t the admonition addressed to them? The obvious answer is that they won’t be on earth at that time.
There is the mention of “saints” in the context (13:7,10). These saints, however, are those who get saved during the seven years after the true church has been taken into heaven.
The Wife of the Lamb
The church, as a body-unit, is not seen after chapters 1-3 until the marriage of the Lamb is discussed (19:7-9). Here is the description:
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (19:7-8).
The church is called Christ’s “wife” (gune). Paul used the metaphor of husband and wife to describe the relationship of Jesus Christ to the church (Eph. 5:22-33). The wife is seen as a complete, definite unit in heaven even before the actual second coming of Christ to the earth (19:7; cf. 19:11-16). There is no sense that part of the wife is in heaven and another part is on earth.
The wife has also been rewarded prior to the second coming of Christ to the earth. Her accountability can be seen in the fact that she “has made herself ready” (19:7). However, no believer deserves any reward for what he has done for the Lord. The divine conferral of reward is still an expression of His redemptive grace, thus the text reads: “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen” (19:8). The linen is defined as “the righteous acts of the saints” (19:8 NKJV). The phrase “righteous acts” is the translation of a plural noun (ta dikai�mata). It seems to refer to the righteous deeds done by genuine believers rather than to the imputed positional righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:22; 4:22-5:1).
Thus, the judgment seat of Christ has already taken place in heaven before He returns to the earth. All believers in this church age know that they will have to give an account for what they have done since they have been saved (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
Since the wife has been rewarded prior to the return of Christ to the earth, then the wife had to be raptured into heaven before that event.
Christ’s Activity
The focus of Christ’s activity changes from chapters 1-3 to chapters 4-19. In the first three chapters, His ministry was in the midst of the seven churches on earth. He is commending, criticizing, and correcting them. In chapters 4-19, however, His activity occurs in heaven. He is occupied with the seven-sealed scroll and the judgments that proceed from it.
As the living Head of the church, His body, He is presently building His church (Matt. 16:18). He is in us and we are in Him, His attention is on the church. However, that emphasis disappears in chapters 4-19. In the seven years prior to His return to the earth, He is preparing the world and Israel for His coming. The church is now completely with Him in heaven by way of resurrection, translation, and rapture. That phase of His creative and redemptive purpose has been finalized.
24 Elders
If the 24 elders represent the church, then the church is already in heaven before the opening of the seal judgments. The elders have a prominent part in chapters 4-19. They are mentioned 12 times (4:4,10; 5:5,6,8,11,14; 7:11,13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4). They are first mentioned as present in heaven around the throne of God the Father “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads” (4:4 NKJV).
Who are these elders? Do they represent angels or men? If human, do they symbolize Old Testament believers, New Testament believers, or both?
The numerical adjective “twenty-four” is significant. King David divided the Levitical priesthood into 24 orders (1 Chron. 24). Each order performed priestly functions at the tabernacle and at the temple for eight days, from Sabbath to Sabbath. In the distribution of the work load, each order would function two weeks per year. In so doing, each order represented the entire priestly tribe and the nation of Israel before God. Thus, the number “twenty-four” came to be representative of a larger, complete group. Thus, the “twenty-four elders” is a phrase which denotes more than two dozen specific persons; rather, the elders stand in for an entire group of personal beings, either angels or humans.
Three features about their description are striking. First, they are “sitting” on thrones. They are not standing, flying, or hovering. Have angels ever sat in the presence of God? No Scripture verse says that they have ever done so. However, Jesus promised every believer in the church age: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also over came and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21 NKJv). God positionally has made every believer to “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). The “sitting” feature of the elders better suits men than angels.
Second, the elders were “clothed in white robes” (himatiois leukois). These words were previously used of believers within the churches (3:5,18).
Third, the elders had “crowns” (stephanous) on their heads. These are crowns gained by achievement and victory. Again, believers in the churches were promised crowns (2:10; 3:11; same word). In the epistles, believers in this church age are promised crowns for specific accomplishments: the incorruptible crown for living a spiritually disciplined life (1 Cor. 9:25); the crown of rejoicing for impacting lives to receive Jesus Christ as Savior (1 Thess. 2:19); the crown of righteousness for loving the appearing of Christ (2 Tim. 4:8); the crown of life for loving Christ in the endurance of trials (James 1:12; cf. Rev. 2:10: the crown of life given to the believer-overcomer at Smyrna for being faithful unto death); and the crown of glory for faithful pastors (1 Peter 5:4). Holy angels do not wear crowns, but believers can and will wear them.
The triple description of the 24 elders as sitting, clothed, and crowned speaks for an identity of redeemed people, notably the believers of this church age.
A text-translation problem within the context of the praise of the elders must be addressed (5:8-10). The elders 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 (5:9-10
In this song of redemption, notice the first person plural personal pronouns (“us” and “we”). Both the King James version and the New King James version, based upon the received Greek text (Textus Receptus), indicate that the elders are praising God for their own salvation.
On the other hand, the New International version, based upon the critical Greek text, has this translation:
You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.
Notice the usage of the third person plural personal pronouns (“them” and “they”). The New American Standard Bible also has the third person pronoun. The Majority Greek Text has the third-person pronouns, and that fact is noted in the margin of the New King James version. With the usage of the third-person pronouns, the elders seem to be praising God for the salvation of another group. Those who believe that the elders are angels are quick to point out that interpretation.
However, can people speak about themselves in the third-person rather than in the first person? The song of Moses and of the children of Israel, expressed after their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their passage through the Red Sea, contains these words: “You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation” (Exod. 15:13 NKJV). The Israelites are definitely singing about themselves, and yet they sing in the third person. Thus, if the third-person text translation (in Rev. 5:8-10) is accepted as the preferred, original text translation, that fact alone does not preclude the possibility that the elders are singing about their own salvation.
Again, if the third-person text translation is viewed as the original, then the fact that other Greek texts before 1611 (the year that the King James version was published) contained the first person is very significant. It shows that people before 1611 held to the view that the elders were redeemed people. Critics of the pretribulational rapture position, consequently, cannot argue that the proponents of the pretribulational rapture have superimposed their dispensational bias upon the passage.
Angels are set in contrast to the elders: “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders” (Rev. 5:11 NKJV). They sang praise to Christ without any reference to their redemption or to the salvation of others: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (5:12 NKJv). If the elders are angels, then the song would appear to be redundant. The second song and the contrast between the elders and the angels suggest that the elders are humans.
The term “elder” (presbuteros) is never used of angels in the Bible. The word itself denotes maturity and growth. It is contrasted with “younger” (1 Tim. 5:1-2). How could angels be designated as elders when all of the holy angels were created at the same time. In other words, they are of the same age. In contrast, the elders of a local church were to be men of spiritual experience (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). When Paul called “for the elders of the church” at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus, they came as the official leaders and as the representatives of all the believers in Ephesus.
The more plausible explanation of the 24 elders is that they represent a group of redeemed people. Who are these people? Since the believers within the Old Testament period will not be resurrected until the return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Dan. 12:1-3; Rev. 20:4-6), the elders more likely represent the redeemed of the church.
The Heaven-Dwellers
The beast, that great military-political leader of the end time, will open his mouth “in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:6 NKJV). Who are these heaven-dwellers? They are contrasted with earth-dwellers (12:12; 13:8,14). The earth-dwellers are both human and unsaved. Thus, the heaven-dwellers seem to be human and saved. The verb “dwell” (sk�n�untas) is the same word used for Jesus Christ’s incarnation: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV). A similar word (sken�s) is used to describe the believer’s present body as a “tent” (2 Cor. 5:1,4). The verb (“to dwell”) or the noun (“tent”) is never used of angelic activities or bodies.
In the critical Greek text, the phrase “those who dwell in heaven” is in apposition to “His tabernacle” (the connective “and” is omitted). This equation suggests that the heaven-dwellers, as God’s tabernacle, is a specific group with none to be added. If that is so, then their description better fits the raptured church, since more people will be saved in the second half of the seven-year period.
John’s Experience
John’s experience should not be equated with the rapture of the church. John wrote: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (4:11 NKJV). Some claim that this event clearly indicates the fulfillment of the main rapture prediction (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Old Scofield Bible, p. 1334). Others see the experience of the apostle as a symbolic representation of the translation of the church (New Scofleld Bible, p. 1356).
There are some similarities: the voice and the trumpet (4:1; cf. 1 Thess. 4:16). However, the differences in the two accounts are much greater. At the rapture, the believers will hear the voice of an archangel, whereas John directly heard the voice of Christ (4:1; cf. 1:10). There is no mention of Christ’s descent from heaven when John went into heaven. There is no mention of a meeting in the air at a point between heaven and earth. There was no permanent change in the body of John. The experience of John parallels those of Paul (2 Cor. 12:1-7) and of Philip (Acts 8:39).
The Lampstands and the Lamps
The individual lampstands, which represented the seven churches (Rev. 1:12,20), should not be equated with “the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne” (Rev. 4:5). Hal Lindsey claimed that the movement of the lamps from earth to heaven was evidence for the removal of the church from earth into heaven before the outpouring of divine judgment (There’s a New World Coming, p. 86).
However, there is a difference in the Greek words translated as “lampstands” (luchnid 1:12,20) and “lamps” (lampades; 4:5). Thus, they cannot be seen as equal symbols for the church. If they could, then why did John use a different word? In addition, the “lamps” are defined as “the seven spirits of God” (4:5).
The so-called equation of the lampstands with the lamps should not be used as a proof for a pretribulational rapture.
Israel’s Prominence
Israel and God’s covenant program with Israel are the central focus of the seven years prior to the return of Jesus Christ. That emphasis accounts for the silence of any reference to the church on earth at the same time.
When John went into heaven, he first saw the throne of God the Father (4:2). He then gave this symbolic description of God: “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (4:3 KJ’s’).
Why did God reveal Himself in this way? There is a clue in the two precious stones. The jasper (iaspidi) and the sardius (sardis) are the same two words used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, in the description of the breastplate of the high priest of Israel (Exod. 28:17-21). The breastplate contained 12 stones, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were set in four rows with three stones in each row. The sardius was the first stone in the first row; thus it represented Reuben, the oldest of Jacob’s sons. The jasper was the last stone in the last row; thus it represented Benjamin, the youngest of the 12 sons.
These two stones, in the description of God, may represent the relationship of God to His chosen people, the nation of Israel. The appearance of the rainbow further substantiates His covenant relationship and the integrity of His pledged word. Thus, these key chapters (4-19) open with God and His relationship to the people of Israel on earth.
The intercalation of the church age is over. God will now complete His program with Israel through the fulfillment of the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27). The focus has shifted from the church (Rev. 1-3) to Israel (Rev. 4-19).
When Jesus Christ took the seven-sealed scroll, He was described as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (5:5). This description is based upon two Old Testament passages that relate the promised Messiah to Israel.
In the first passage, Jacob informed his 12 sons about what would happen to them “in the last days” (Gen. 49:1). Concerning Judah, he said:
Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the people (Gen. 49:8-10 NKJV).
In the second passage, God gave this promise concerning Israel, the future kingdom, and the Messiah:
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious (Isa’ 22:1-2,10 NKJV).
The seven-sealed scroll symbolizes the right to rule as earth’s king. The contents of those seven seals will then occur during the seven-year period prior to Jesus’ return to the earth (described in Rev. 4-19). Jesus Christ’s right to that scroll is viewed from His relationship to Israel rather than from His relationship to the church. He is the head of His body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23), but that description is not given here.
A prominent group in the seventieth week of Daniel is the 144,000, the sealed servants of God (7:3-4; 14:1-5). They are “of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (7:4), namely: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph [Ephraim}, and Benjamin (7:5-8). This passage shows the presence of Israel as a national, ethnic entity on the earth and its tribal divisions in that day.
Mounce, who holds to a posttribulational rapture, claims that ten of the tribes disappeared at the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel (722 B.c.) and that the other two lost their identity when Rome destroyed Jerusalem (A.D. 70). He denies the literalness of the number and the names (The Book of Revelation, p. 168). However, Anna is identified as a member of the tribe of Asher during the infancy of Jesus (Luke 2:36). Also, if Judah is not literal in 7:5, is it literal in 5:5? A better explanation is that God is using Israel, rather than the church, to serve Him on earth during the seven years prior to Christ’s return to the earth.
The second half of the seven-year period will begin with the forced exit of Satan from heaven to earth and his subsequent persecution of a “woman” (Rev. 23:1-17). Who is this woman? She has been seen as Mary, the mother of Jesus, the New Testament church, and as Israel.
John saw this description of her: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” (12:1 NKJv). The mention of the sun, moon, and 12 stars should take us back to the dream of Joseph: “Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me” (Gen. 37:9 NKJv). Jacob understood the meaning and said: “Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” (Gen. 37:10 NKJv). In the interpretation, Jacob is the sun, Leah (or perhaps Rachel) is the moon, and the 12 sons of Jacob are the 12 stars.
The woman was present at the birth of Christ (12:5) and will also be present on earth during the 1260 days prior to Christ’s return to the earth (12:6,13-17). In using the “law of previous reference” as a principle of interpretation, only the nation of Israel would qualify as the meaning of the woman. This position finds support in the Old Testament passage (Gen. 37:9-10), in the actual historical situation at the time of Christ’s birth, and in the promise of a restored, regenerated nation of Israel.
Where is the church in Revelation 4-19? An investigation into those chapters will show that the church will be in heaven with Jesus Christ. When will she go there? She will be raptured there before the events of Revelation 4-19 occur.]
Final note from me: Brothers and sisters, the time is short! Headlines daily (raptureready.org) portend the end of the church age, and thus our chance to share Christ with the unsaved. If you, reading this have not received Christ as your Lord, do so now. See the blog post ‘Peace with God’ on how to invite Christ into your heart.
