​Post courtesy: Tony Campbell

Disclaimer: There are several raptures throughout the Bible but when most people hear the word 'rapture' they instantly think of the rapture of the church. Therefore to keep things simple, when I say rapture I'm talking about the rapture of the church. Also, I expect everyone to look up each verse referenced including the surrounding context out of none other than the King James Bible.

There are 7 basic Bible concepts that need to be understood before approaching the timing of the rapture of the church. If you don't adhere to all 7 of these, please take the time to address whatever one you fall short on before approaching the understanding of the timing of the rapture.

1. Literal Interpretation of the Bible. We are to take the Bible literally where it is intended to be taken literally. If you believe that the Bible is all allegorical then anybody can come up with any interpretation and nobody knows the truth. The metaphors, symbolism, parables, etc. are easy to see in scripture.
2. Distinction Between Israel and the Church. Israel is a physical earthly nation and the church is a spiritual heavenly body. There are three different groups of people according to 1 Cor 10:32. There are Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God. Failure to make these distinctions leads to Replacement Theology which is heresy.
3. The Tribulation is One 7 Year Period. Daniel 9:27 tells us that the tribulation will be for one week. Scripture with scripture reveals that this week is defined as a 7 year period of time. I'm not going to crunch any numbers here but the first 69 weeks of "Daniel's 70 weeks" have already transpired.
4. Imminent Return of Jesus Christ. The rapture can happen at any moment, there aren't any more prophetic signs that need to precede this event. Paul and the early church were expecting it to happen in their time 2,000 years ago! Language like "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up" in 1st Thessalonians 4:17 tells us this.
5. The Church as a Mystery in the Old Testament. Old Testament prophets and even the apostles did not foresee the Church Age coming. Their understanding was that when Jesus came, things would roll right into His ruling and reigning (Millennial Kingdom). This mystery was not known until it was revealed to the apostle Paul.
6. Dispensational Interpretation of the Bible. God dispenses rules/instructions differently to different people in different time periods. How do we know what to do with the differences? In 2nd Timothy 2:15 we are instructed to "rightly divide the word of truth" which in practice looks like finding who the verse is written to and what time period is being spoken of, and sorting out the doctrine accordingly. Not only is this the only way to harmonize scripture and reconcile apparent contradictions but it's literally the only way to understand the Bible. I cannot stress enough how important this is. If you do not study the Bible how God intended, you will not come to sound doctrine.
7. Distinction Between the Rapture and the Second Coming. The rapture is where the church goes to meet Christ in the air. The Second Coming is where Christ comes back down to Earth with the church behind Him. Further compare/contrast will only show more differences between the two events. Things that are different are not the same.

Again, please do not continue with this post without being in alignment with these 7 basic bible concepts listed above. Doing so would be like trying to put the frosting on the cake before you bake it. LOL. But seriously, it would be worse than that.
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While what is already listed above should be enough to understand this fundamental Christian doctrine, I'm just going to drive the point home now. For the rest of this post I will be listing off different proofs for the pre-tribulation rapture. I will try to have them sorted out from the various types of scriptural proofs to the logical arguments and so on.

• In famous rapture passage 1st Corinthians 15:51 Paul says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery" which means this has never been revealed before; this is the first time. The Second Coming on the other hand is the single most prophesied event in all of scripture, being mentioned all over the OT and even spoken of by Jesus Christ Himself (including Matthew 24), all of which was written before Paul's writings.
• Christians are not appointed to wrath. Verses like 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, and Romans 5:9 make that very clear. The tribulation and it's entirety is a time of God's wrath and judgement! Luke 21:23 reads "But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people." Revelation 15:1, Revelation 6:16-17, and dozens of verses in the Old Testament call the tribulation God's wrath.
• After one of the famous rapture passages in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Paul says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." The comfort of the rapture doctrine comes from knowing that we will be taken out of the world before the tribulation. There is zero comfort for the Christian in knowing that they would have to be here for the tribulation.
• In Titus 2:13 Paul says, "Looking for that blessed hope". The rapture is what we are to look for next. If the rapture was anything but pre-tribulational, we would have all these other signs to look for first like the AntiChrist, mark of the beast, etc..
• In Revelation 3:10, Jesus is speaking to the church telling them that He "will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." He follows that in verse 11 with "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Likely referring to the crown of righteousness from 2 Timothy 4:8.

You're going to need to be thinking in terms of a timeline for the next couple of points (I will post a simple one in the comments for those who have a hard time visualizing).

• Revelation 1:10 reads "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet," What does this mean? John was transported to the time of the tribulation / second advent and BEHIND him (on the timeline) he heard a great voice, as of a trumpet. God's voice is often likened unto a trumpet, especially in the famous rapture passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:52. Are you seeing this? Then Revelation 1:19 lets us know we are about to receive an account of "the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;" which are the church age, the tribulation/second advent, and the Millennial Kingdom/eternity respectively.
• Now this one is my personal favorites and it's a doozie. When Jesus is speaking to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, there is a threefold application. There is the spiritual application where Christian's all throughout the church age can take and practically / devotionally apply it to themselves. There is a doctrinal application which will be applied to local churches in the tribulation. Lastly there is a historical/prophetic application meaning these seven churches represent periods of time throughout the last 2,000 years of the church age. They are chronological, with Laodicea (means Civil Rights) being the period we are in at the end of the church age. Still with the timeline mentality, going through Revelation 2 and 3 we have just progressed through all of the church age. Now read Revelation 4:1-2 "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." What does this mean? After the church age, John hears the voice of God saying "Come up hither" and then BOOM, John is in Heaven. Then chapters later the tribulation starts. Now if that doesn't scream pre-tribulation rapture of the church I don't know what does.
• The church is not mentioned anymore in the book of Revelation after 5:9-10 until the end. The tribulation goes from chapters 6-19 and not once is the church mentioned there. Then in Revelation 19:4, the church is following Christ down out of Heaven for the Second Coming.

These next ones are doctrinal differences confirming both the pre-tribulation rapture and the necessity of rightly dividing the word. Although they are basic, I won't be getting into the details of these doctrinal differences because they can be just as extensive as the timing of the rapture. Just know there are multitudes of verses for each of these topics.

• Right now in the church age we are saved by grace through faith. It is faith alone, "not of works" whatsoever (Ephesians 2:8-9). During the tribulation people will be saved by grace through faith AND works. During the tribulation, saints will have to "endure to the end" to be saved (Matthew 24:13). There are a plethora of 'works' included in enduring to the end but not receiving the mark of the beast is undoubtedly the most notable. This shows a difference in the plans of salvation between the two time periods, thus some sort of division needs to be made between the two because they are obviously contrary to each other. The rapture of the church separates them.
• Practically the same as the point above but still worth vocalizing, there is different a gospel from the church age to the tribulation. Right now is the gospel of grace that saves (Acts 20:24) also known as Paul's gospel (Romans 16:25). During the tribulation it is the gospel of the kingdom that will be preached (Matthew 24:14). The gospel of the kingdom is what was preached during Christ's earthly ministry as well. Remember the mentality then was that they were going straight from Christ's birth / ministry to Him ruling and reigning in the Millennial Kingdom, they had no idea the church age was about to be inserted. Furthermore, later in the tribulation (Revelation 14:6) angels will be preaching the everlasting gospel. All of these gospels are now based off faith in the blood atonement of Christ on the cross through His death/burial / resurrection.
• Right now, a Christian in the church age has the beautiful promise of eternal security. According to Ephesians 1:13-14 says a Christian is "sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession". That redemption is referring to the rapture, praise God. During the tribulation, saints will not be eternally secure (sealed with the Holy Spirit) and will be able to lose their salvation. According to Hebrews 10:26, "if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,". This is made clear in verses like Hebrews 6:1-8, Hebrews 10:26-31, and Revelation 14:9-11. Again, these major differences in salvational doctrine need some sort of division between the two because they are obviously contrary to each other and cannot both be true at the same time.

Typology and Symbolism

Song of Solomon is about a wedding between a Jewish bridegroom and a gentile bride i.e. Christ and His bride (the church). Analyzing what first century Jewish wedding traditions look like in comparison to Christ and His church reveals remarkable support towards a pre-tribulational rapture of the church. There is an 80 minute video discussing this in depth. You can watch it here.

1. Groom leaves father's house | Jesus left Heaven
2. Groom travels to desired bride's home | Jesus came to Earth as a baby
3. Groom pays a great price for the bride | Jesus died on the cross for our sins
4. Offer to be accepted or rejected | Jesus offers salvation to us
5. Marriage contract / Legally Bound | If we accept we become His church (Bride of Christ)
6. Groom goes back to father's house to prepare home | Jesus went to prepare a place for Bride
7. Father sends son back when all is ready | God will send Christ for His church when ready
8. Groomsmen announce groom's arrival | Archangel will shout
9. Bride immediately taken back with groom | Church is raptured to Heaven
10. The two enter wedding chamber for 7 days | Church and Christ in Heaven for 7 year tribulation
11. Great wedding feast after 7 days | Church attends Wedding Feast of the Lamb

In Genesis 5, Enoch, who was a type of the rapture, was taken right before the worldwide judgement of the flood.
People often use Lot as a post-tribulation rapture argument because he was just kept safe from God's wrath and not raptured / translated but I think from the language used it's entirely possible that is another type of the pre-tribulation rapture. In Genesis 19:22 the Lord was speaking to Lot in the context of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah and it reads, "Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither". Likewise, God will not start His wrath until the church escapes thither.

Concepts

• In Jeremiah 30:7 the tribulation is called "Jacob's trouble." Throughout scripture you will find that Jacob is another name for Israel. Jacob's trouble is a time were God goes back to dealing with the Jews/Israel. The tribulation is not "the church's trouble." The church age is over and the left behind gentiles are more of an afterthought so to speak. God resumes His prophetic timeline with regards to the nation of Israel.
• The tribulation is also called Daniel's 70th week. The first 69 weeks were operating under a faith and works system, similarly the last week of Daniel will too. Only this time there is an amendment. The book of Hebrews is all about this. Now that Crist has died on the cross, His finished work there is now the object of faith. God going back to work through this program and the church age being closed out points to a pre-tribulation rapture.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

• Church is not told to prepare for the tribulation (instead to look for our blessed hope).
• Would Christ put His bride through the worst time in human history right before her wedding?

Now I know there is still a 'post-tribber' out there right now who has already disregarded everything I just listed and wants to tell me that Matthew 24 says "Immediately after the tribulation...And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds.." I get it. I want you to know that I believe that verse is 100% true and means exactly what it says. This entire passage is written TO Jews in the context of right before the second coming of Christ. THERE WILL BE A POST TRIBULATION GATHERING, A RAPTURE IF YOU INSIST, BUT IT IS NOT FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST, IT WILL BE FOR JEWS AND MAYBE OTHER TRIBULATION SAINTS.

We must rightly divide the word! Understand who the verse is written to and what period of time is being spoken about and sort out the doctrine accordingly. As a Christian in the church age, not everything in the New Testament is written to you. Therefore if a Christian starts applying anything and everything in the New Testament to themselves, they will come up with major wrong doctrine and ultimately leads to a false works based gospel.

I hope this post has been a blessing to you. Take this to the Lord in prayer if you must, it's what we should do to begin anything anyways. Please keep debate off this post, there are lost souls watching and we don't want to be a stumbling block for them.

This post is not exhaustive.

Brethren, look up because our redemption draweth nigh. Maranatha!

By Maria Kneas, May 8th, 2024

Spiritual warfare is increasing. The spiritual atmosphere keeps getting darker. And in the world around us, we are seeing more and more evil. Shameless, in-your-face evil that we never could have imagined a few years ago. Rampant delusion and insanity. And widespread lawlessness that keeps increasing.
 
As Christians, we need to do two kinds of reconnaissance in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones. And in order to be able to be effective in doing practical things to resist this evil.
 
The first kind of reconnaissance that is needed is the obvious one of studying the enemy. Its strengths and weaknesses. Its strategies. And its practical tactics. Plus identifying its enablers.
 
The second kind is something that we can easily overlook because we have become distracted by looking at the enemy and the damage that it is doing. And because we have become war weary.
 
We need to study ourselves in order to see if there are any ways that the enemy can readily get at us. Do we have vulnerabilities? Do we have a soft underbelly, or an Achilles heel? Because if we do, then the enemy can harm us. And that will cause problems not only for us, but also for people we love.
 
The Bible warns us about some things that we need to watch out for. I’m only mentioning a few here, but there are others as well. We need to be on guard for all of them. In addition, we can ask God to cleanse our hearts. Psalm 19:12 says, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.”
 
Because of that Scripture passage, every day I ask God to deal with my blind spots. With the problems I have that I’m not aware of. (Or maybe only partially aware of.) To give me “ears to hear” what He is saying to me. To make me willing and able to see what He wants me see. And to make me willing and able to do whatever He wants me to do about it.
 
With the way that the world keeps getting more and more evil and insane, all of us have to deal with fear and anger and discouragement. All of those are natural responses to being faced with evil. Especially when it sometimes seems to be overwhelming.
 
For me, the primary problem is fear. (But sometimes I get quite angry.) For strong men, the primary problem is likely to be anger. (But they also have to deal with fear and discouragement.) For some people, the primary problem is discouragement.
 
When discouragement hits, it’s good to remind ourselves that God is willing and able to keep us going until our tour of duty is over. We are weak, but Almighty God can enable us to be faithful soldiers. God can give us the strength and courage and faithfulness that we need in order to be able to do that.
 
Of course, we all have other ways that the enemy of our souls can get to us. Weaknesses. And blind spots. And areas of vulnerability. And we all get war weary. Therefore, it’s good to keep asking God to deliver us from these areas of weakness and vulnerability. To make us aware of them and show us how to overcome them. To make us be strong enough to keep on fighting. And to enable us to fight effectively.
 
When it comes to dealing with fear and discouragement, it helps to keep remembering Eternity. Our time down here on earth is SO brief compared to Eternity.
 
While we are here on earth, time seems to go by slowly. But remember what the Apostle Paul said:  “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
 
Remember who talked about a “light affliction” that was only “for a moment.” This is the Apostle Paul who was beaten, stoned and left for dead, thrown into a Roman prison, betrayed, shipwrecked, had times of extreme hunger, was attacked by mobs, etc.
 
Now I’ll put that in terms of us personally, here in modern America. If some horribly evil people do something terrible to us, the worst that they can do is to cause temporary suffering and death. But if we love God, then we will be in Heaven with Jesus, rejoicing for all Eternity. And the same applies to the people we love.
 
There are NO exceptions to Romans 8:28. God promised to make ALL things work out for the good of those who love Him. And therefore, no matter what anybody does to us, if we love God, then eventually we will look back at what happened to us and be grateful that we went through it because of the good that God brought out of it.
 
A good example of that is what happened to Joseph in Egypt. His brothers meant it for evil. But God meant it for good. And God brought great good out of all of the suffering that Joseph went through. Not only for Joseph, but for his entire family. And for multitudes of people in Egypt.
 
When dealing with anger, it helps to remember what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12:  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
 
Remember that many of these seriously evil people are literally demon possessed. Or else they are being controlled by (or heavily influenced by) evil men and women who are possessed. Either way, they are being used by puppet masters. Our real enemy is the devil. Not the puppets.
 
It also helps to remember Romans 12:19. The Apostle Paul said, “Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.’”
 
Now that does NOT mean letting evil people get away with things. We can fight them and their agenda tooth and nail. But at the same time, we can do that without hating them or trying to get revenge.
 
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus told us:  “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
 
How in the world can we do that with somebody as wicked as George Soros? Here are some things that help me do it:
 
(1) We don’t know how they got that way. They may have been tormented and deceived and deluded since childhood. They may be possessed by demons.
 
(2) Obviously they don’t deserve love and prayer. But neither do I. Because of my sins, I deserve to go to hell. But in spite of that, Jesus loves me and He forgave me. Therefore I should show my love and gratitude to Jesus by obeying Him.
 
(3) The one thing that I can do for horribly wicked people is to pray for their salvation. That shows them love, and it blesses them, and it is praying for them.
 
(4) Jesus paid a terrible price in order to enable those people to be able to get saved. And Jesus should get what He paid for. Therefore, I can pray for their salvation for the sake of Jesus. Because I love Jesus and I want Jesus to get what He paid for.

(5) Forgiving is a way of showing loyalty to Jesus. It’s a way of showing Jesus that my love for Him is more important than my anger at those horrible people. That my relationship with Jesus is more important than my feelings about those people.
 
The Bible gives us an important warning about anger. There can be righteous anger. We see that when Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers in the Temple. However, because of our sin nature, even our most righteous anger isn’t 100% righteous. And over time it can gradually morph into becoming unrighteous. Therefore, long-term anger can give the devil ways of getting at us. Only God is holy enough to have His anger be 100% righteous. And have it remain totally righteous.
 
Here is what the Apostle Paul told us in Ephesians 4:26-27. He said:  “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
 
Some translations use the term “place” but others say “opportunity.” The Greek word is “topos” and it is Strong’s 5117. It can mean place, situation, or opportunity.  In military terms, that would be a beachhead. A place from which to launch an attack.
 
Here is something that the Apostle Peter said. This applies to fear and anger and discouragement and any other kind of emotion. In 1 Peter 5:8 he said:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
 
The Webster 1828 dictionary gives five definitions of the word “sober.” One of them is, “Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion; as sober judgment; a man in his sober senses.”
 
If we become overwhelmed by any kind of emotion, then that can impair our judgment. It can make us  become less vigilant, because we have become preoccupied by our feelings. And that can give the devil (and his minions) an opportunity to get at us.
 
Here is another important principle. Jesus told us to forgive. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus said: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Jesus said that immediately after giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.
 
Obviously, forgiving is very important to Jesus. That’s a problem, because sometimes it can be VERY difficult to do. For example, I know a woman who had to forgive the drunk driver who killed her son. And Corrie ten Boom had to forgive the Nazi guards who tormented her and her sister Betsy in a German concentration camp. Betsy died there.
 
There have been times in my life when I was hurt so deeply that it was very difficult to even want to try to forgive those people. I had to start out by asking God to make me be willing and able to forgive. Here are some things that have helped me forgive when it was difficult:
 
(1) That person obviously does not deserve to be forgiven. But neither did I. Because of my sins, I deserved to go to hell. However, in spite of my sins, Jesus forgave me. Jesus was willing to be tortured to death on a cross, in order to enable me to be forgiven.
 
(2) Jesus told me that because He forgave me, I should forgive other people. That includes people who have done harmful things to me and to people I love. I should forgive them. However, that does NOT mean allowing them to keep on doing harmful things. I can forgive the person and at the same time protect myself and my loved ones.
 
(3) If I don’t forgive, then I am disobeying Jesus. I am rebelling against Jesus. How can I say that Jesus is my Lord and Master if I refuse to try to obey Him?
 
(4) If I don’t forgive, then I have given my anger at that person priority over my love for Jesus. That is a form of idolatry. It is putting my feelings about somebody above the Lordship of Jesus.

(5) Doing what Jesus tells me to do is a way of showing love and loyalty to Him. Therefore, I try to forgive out of loyalty to Jesus. And love for Jesus. And the desire to obey Jesus, who is my Lord and my Master. I want to be his “good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)

(6) When it’s really difficult, then I ask Jesus to make me be willing to forgive. With Corrie ten Boom, for her it was so difficult, that her starting point was to ask Jesus to make her be willing to be willing to forgive. The point is to move in the right direction, as much as we are able to.
 
We are living in challenging times. But God knew when we should be born. And He has work for us to do here and now.
 
Chuck Missler said that our time on earth is Boot Camp. That God is training us and preparing us and equipping us for the work that He has for us to do when Jesus rules and reigns from Jerusalem for a thousand years. And for whatever God has for us to do after that.
 
God is faithful and He loves us. And God’s power is beyond our comprehension. Almighty God created the universe, and He holds it together with the word of His power.
 
God’s love and power and wisdom and faithfulness have no limits. Therefore, no matter what happens to us, because we love God, He will make it work out for our long-term good. And when we get to Heaven, then we will look back and be grateful for everything that we went through because of the good that God brought out of it.