Can believers rest in the security that we will be raptured before the Great Tribulation? Let us re-examine first-hand the passages on rapture.
By
personally scouring the Bible for passages related to the rapture, we get a
better understanding of this controversial subject. More importantly, by
examining these verses without any preconceived ideas from others, we can
arrive at our own conclusion—whether the rapture is before or after the Great
Tribulation.
But
first we need to ask God for wisdom. We also need a spirit of independent
inquiry. Indeed, if we have the open-minded attitude of the Bereans, we will
surely come to a knowledge of the truth.
Though
the word ‘rapture’ is not found in the English Bible, the concept of believers
being airlifted to safety remains clear in the minds of believers who are
looking forward to this blessed hope.
In
1 Thessalonians 4:17, the passage universally agreed by all as most descriptive
of the rapture, ‘caught up’ is translated from
the Greek word harpazo, which means ‘to seize upon with force’ or ‘to snatch
up’.
For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise
first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(1
Thessalonians 4: 16-17)
Though
this passage gives us the clearest picture of the rapture, it does not provide
us any idea about its timing in relation to the
Great Tribulation.
Next we focus on the passages on rapture with chronology
mentioned—after the Great Tribulation:
Immediately
after the tribulation of those days the sun will
be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son
of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,
and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they will gather together His elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
(Matthew 24: 29-31)
“But
in those days, after that tribulation, the sun
will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven
will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the
Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will
send His angels, and gather together His elect
from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of
heaven.
(Mark 13:24-27)
Notice
the close similarity between the above passages in 1
Thessalonians 4, Matthew 24 and Mark 13:
1.
Jesus descends from heaven.
2.
Trumpet sounds.
3.
Angelic beings are God’s agents.
4.
Gathering of the elect (God’s chosen ones).
Some
contend that the passages in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 are not descriptive of the rapture account in 1 Thessalonians 4. They
say that Christ’s second coming and the rapture belong to a different timeline altogether.
I
beg to differ. Isn’t it clear that Christ makes His appearance from heaven in all
three passages? Aren’t the trumpets, angels and the concept of believers being
‘caught up’ / ‘gathered’ evident in all three passages (Matthew 24, Mark 13 , 1
Thessalonians 4)?
Is
there anyone among you who is a statistician? What is the probability that the passages in Matthew 24 and Mark
13 are not referring to the rapture account in 1 Thessalonians 4?
With four features which are similar, it is
highly unlikely that Matthew 24 and Mark 13 are not descriptive of the 1
Thessalonians 4 rapture account. http://bit.ly/10hmG3k
Using
the analogy of a traffic accident, each witness provides his or her own
perspective of the incident. A male witness would probably focus more on the
make and engine capacity of the vehicles involved and who is likely to be the offender
whereas a female witness would probably focus on the colour of the vehicle and
the drivers’ appearance and response. You cannot possibly have an identical portrayal of an event when different ones
give their own accounts. Nevertheless, the witnesses are all referring to the
same event.
Similarly,
the parallel passages (Matthew 24, Mark 13 and 1
Thessalonians 4) do provide for us a picture of the rapture, albeit with some
minor differences.
And
when we combine all these three passages, we discover the sequence of events is
crystal clear—the rapture comes after
the Great Tribulation.
The
authors of the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark
and Luke—each provide their own perspective of an event / teaching. Sometimes,
for example, something which is covered in great detail by Luke is barely
covered by Mark. However, there is a strong parallelism
among the three Gospels in content. And by piecing together the three versions
of the same event / teaching, we get a better understanding—and
sometimes even the sequence of events become apparent.
Antichrist—the main protagonist in the Great Tribulation—must precede
the second coming of Christ
Now,
brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon
shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if
from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any
means; for that Day will not come unless the
falling away comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all
that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple
of God, showing himself that he is God.
(2 Thessalonians 2: 1-4)
Paul
tells us that Christ won’t come again until the Antichrist—the
main protagonist in the Great Tribulation—has made his appearance. Thus the sequence of events outlined in 2
Thessalonians 2: 1-4 is not incompatible with the sequence found in both the Matthew 24 and Mark 13
accounts (Christ’s second coming/rapture follow the Great Tribulation).
Notice
further, in 2 Thessalonians 2: 1, Paul mentions the second
coming of Christ and the gathering of believers (rapture) in one breath as if they were consecutive events (one event closely
follows the other), thus affirming the view of Christ’s
second coming/rapture in the Matthew 24 and Mark 13 accounts.
Supportive
evidence that believers will be raptured when Christ returns, thus saving them
from earth’s sorrows, is described by physician Luke:
“Then
they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now
when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption draws near” (Luke 21: 27-28). What redemption? Deliverance from the
Great Tribulation.
If
you are still unconvinced that the rapture comes after the Great Tribulation,
let me ask you three questions.
Firstly,
is there any verse or passage which spells out clearly for us that after the rapture comes the Great Tribulation? Answer:
None. The case for a pre-tribulation rapture is based on indirect inferences,
not direct, clear passages as the ones found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 which
spell out clearly for us, AFTER THE TRIBULATION.
In
a court of law, evidence that is adduced has different weightage and
reliability. Surely, a blood-stained knife at the crime scene (on which DNA
testing of the blood can be used to trace the murderer) is considered superior
and strong evidence. On the other hand, there may be less conclusive evidence
such as this—the murder suspect was seen talking to the victim on the evening
the crime occurred. Or the former may have a motive to kill her because she
rejected her advances five years ago. Finally, the judge and jury will have to
assign greater weightage to superior and strong evidence rather than base their
verdict on hunches and circumstantial evidence.
By
now, I hope you get my point. I believe pre-tribulation rapture is based much
more on indirect evidence and reasoning rather than solid evidence—direct, clear
passages as in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 which spell out clearly for us, AFTER THE
TRIBULATION.
Let
me reiterate. There is no scripture to show us clearly and convincingly that after
the rapture comes the Great Tribulation.
If
we search for various references related to the word ‘tribulation’, we will be hard pressed to find a verse which explicitly tells us
that rapture precedes the Great Tribulation.
Secondly,
if believers are already raptured and are safe and secure in heaven, who is the
Antichrist going to oppress and persecute? The Antichrist utters blasphemies
against God and makes war against the saints (Rev. 13:6-7). The Antichrist is
against everyone that is for Christ, including those who believe in Him. But if all the saints are raptured, who is he going to
'anti'? It's only logical that there must be believers around on earth for him
to go against.
Believers
who are overcomers are mentioned in Revelation
20:4: “Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the
authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for
their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on
their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned
with Christ for a thousand years.”
These overcomers are rewarded for their
ability to stand up against the Antichrist who
has made it impossible for anyone to buy or sell unless
he or she has the mark of the beast (Revelation 13: 6-17). This mark is a seal
for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the
Antichrist).
Believers
who are overcomers are also mentioned in Revelation 7: 14: "These are they
who have come out of the great tribulation; they
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” They did
not escape but rather had to endure the Great
Tribulation.
Thirdly,
do you believe Jesus would make it so difficult for us to understand end time
events? As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately. “Tell us,” they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the
sign of your coming and of the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3)? Would He make it
so difficult for His children?
He has already spelled out clearly for us in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 but many refuse to believe that Matthew 24: 31 and Mark 13:27 refer to the
rapture. They choose to believe that His second coming and rapture belong to a
different timeline.
- “And
He will send His angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they will gather together His elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31)
- “And
then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from
the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven” (Mark 13:27).
Rather
than accept Jesus' words at face value, some prefer to listen to great
theologians’ arguments why the rapture has to be before the Great Tribulation.
Why is it important to
have a right understanding that believers will have to go through the Great
Tribulation? Is it
merely an academic exercise?
Certainly
not. A right understanding that believers will go through the Great Tribulation
before we are raptured will motivate us to pull up our
socks, spiritually speaking. We are less likely
to be complacent. We will then humble ourselves and yearn to know God
more intimately. Hopefully, our lives will become more circumspect, intentional
and purposeful as we aspire to live out His calling for our lives. We will
build ourselves up in the faith so that we are able to
endure when the Great Tribulation descends upon us. Because only
overcomers receive the prize.
So
let us be watchful.
“Watch
out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the
worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For
that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times.
And pray that you might be strong enough to
escape these coming horrors and stand before the
Son of Man.”
(Luke
21:34-36)
The
current atrocities happening in the Middle East make us cringe in fear and
revulsion. But the suffering that awaits believers during the Great Tribulation
is going to be far more horrendous and unimaginable.
The
above article is of the opinion that there will be a post-tribulation,
pre-wrath rapture for believers.
POSTSCRIPT
Better
get ready for big trouble
David
Pawson believes that much of the Church has fallen for the view that they will
be taken out world (“raptured”) before the tribulation, which, he says, is a
deductive position (deduced from scripture), arrived at by reason. “Much of the Church believes in escapology
rather than eschatology!”
He
takes the inductive approach where scripture must state clearly what will
happen and he does not believe that there is a clear statement of this in the
New Testament. “If we are not going to
go through the tribulation, why is there so much detail about it in the Bible?”
Quoting
from Dutch Resistance heroine Corrie Ten Boom following her visit to China, he
stressed that there is a need to tell people how to be strong, to stand and not
faint when trouble comes, to train for tribulation, pointing out that she wrote
down and learned scriptures for the troubles ahead. “Letting people believe that they will escape
the trials of the tribulation is deception which will leave them unprepared,”
he said.
RELATED POSTS
WILL CHRISTIANS GO
THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION?
A
popular teaching tells us that Christians will not have to go through the Great
Tribulation because they will be raptured first. But is such a 'pre-tribulation
rapture' view valid? Is it true to say Christians will be airlifted to safety
before the Great Tribulation begins?
HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE?
To
live soberly and purposefully during these perilous end times, we need to arm
ourselves with wisdom and discernment.
HANG IN THERE, DON'T
GIVE UP
Sometimes,
we don’t like to admit that trials are an integral part of the Christian
experience as much as blessings and victories. However, the process of growing
into maturity involves learning to persevere through trials and arriving at a
place of unshakeable faith.
THE GREAT FALLING AWAY
Spiritual
decline is characteristic of the end times we are now living in. Will believers
be affected by this turning away from the faith?
“FEEL GOOD” TEACHING AND
TRIALS
Does
“feel good” teaching prepare believers to face trials?
FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY
"I am afraid too many today are being lulled into
thinking that when things get really bad, we as believers will be suddenly
snatched out of it all ("the great snatch," the rapture is sometimes
called). This is indeed poor preparation for what is yet to happen—and a
serious misreading of the prophetic message."
http://bit.ly/10hmG3k
CORRIE
TEN BOOM ON RAPTURE AND TRIBULATION
In
China, the Christians were told, “Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you
will be translated — raptured.” Then
came a terrible persecution. Millions of
Christians were tortured to death. Later
I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, “We have failed. We should have made the people strong for
persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of
persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes—to stand and not faint.”
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OTHER RAPTURE REFERENCES
Passage hinting about ‘gathering’ and ‘separation’ of
good and evil people
Next,
we look into passages which hint of a gathering and separation of good and evil
people—but no mention is made about its time relationship with respect to the
Great Tribulation.
Jesus
will gather the elect during the rapture before He brings judgment on those who
are evil. In other words, there will be a separation. Jesus’ return in the
clouds of heaven ushers in a day of reckoning—salvation of His people and
judgment of the wicked.
Then
two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women
will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch
therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
(Matthew
24:40-42)
“The
Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom
all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them
into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the
righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who
has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:41-43).
Other parallel passages on gathering and separation:
Parable
of wheat and tares-- Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43
Parable
of sheep and goats—Matthew 25: 31-33
Parable
of dragnet—Matthew 13:47-52
Sickle used to reap--Revelation 14:14-20
Passage about rapture with special reference to putting
on new bodies
Behold,
I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
(1
Corinthians 15: 51-53)
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OTHER REFERENCES
Post-tribulation
rapture movie:
