It’s a veritable cash cow. It sells books, tape sets, movies and tee shirts. It’s taught from the pulpits. It’s propounded by pastors, theologians and Bible teachers alike. Though the word appears nowhere in the Bible, they call it, “the rapture.”
That such an event as the believers being caught up to Christ is taught in the Bible can be shown. The problem with how this event is being peddled to the ignorant believers is a matter of timing. The Bible does teach such an event will occur, after a time of great trouble, not before.
It is predicated upon Christ’s warning in Matthew 24:21 that a time of “great tribulation” will begin in the end days.
The essence of the teaching is that millions of Christians will one day vanish on the eve of the greatest cataclysm the world will ever know. Without warning, many cars will in an instant become driverless, crashing into those hapless people who have been “left behind.”
At the sound of a trumpet, commercial jets will fall to the ground causing untold damage and injury to the ill-fated unbelievers who refused to heed the warnings of their Christian friends and family. Millions of people will disappear without a trace. It will cause global riots and the world’s social and economic system will collapse. There will be a period of seven years of upheaval and then Christ will return to set up his kingdom on earth.
This belief scares the pudding out of tens of millions of believers. It is also completely baseless, requiring a complete convolution of what the scriptures teach to defend such a perspective.
It has been said that the Bible can be made to say anything if you torture it enough. Few times have the scriptures been more abused than has been seen relative to the propagation of this “pre-tribulation rapture doctrine.
The facts
The Bible does speak of an event where the saints will be “caught up”
1st Thessalonians 4:17-18
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Likewise, 1st Corinthians 15:51 states
Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
So, don’t these verses prove that Christians will be removed from the earth before this “great tribulation” begins? The plain answer is a resounding no. Nothing in either of these verses gives us reason to assume that the events described occur before the tribulation begins.
There are too many scriptures which explicitly describe such an event as occurring at the end of the tribulation. A careful examination of the Word of God indicates that God’s people will indeed suffer at the hands of the one we call “the Antichrist” before any such rapture can occur.
Before we conclude this introduction to the subject, we present the plain words of Christ as to the timing of this “rapture.” He tells us that it will occur “immediately after” the tribulation and not before.
Matthew 24: 29-31
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Somebody is clearly wrong. Either Christ was confused or the pre-tribulation rapture crowd is confused. You are free to choose whom to believe. This author believes Christ.
© 2010 Craig Portwood
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Comments
Anyone worried about the chaos of the so-called rapture could always move to a Muslim nation, China or India, who being non-christian will experience less disruption. Bad luck to all those other religions who the Christians believe will suffer some terrible disaster.
Hi Craig,
It’s refreshing to see someone write about something other than a pre-trib view. While I would certainly like for that view to be “the correct” one, I also have trouble finding scripture that clearly supports that. I think we need to be prepared to go through it, even though we may not like the reality of what that would mean. When I consider what our “siblings in the Lord” suffer in the 10-40 window, it almost seems arrogant to think that we will be exempt. I will also add that based on what I see and hear in the news, that I think that we don’t have much time left before the one world system, closely followed by the mark, is in full swing.
Hi Elizabeth,
May I say that it's refreshing to know that that I am not alone in my belief. So few believers care to know the truth about this matter in my opinion.
One need only read the Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, to understand what is ahead of us. How are we any better than those who have given their lives for the sake of Christ? Far from being better, I fear we are much worse in America.
I can only hope to come close to being as worthy as they.
Thanks for your kind comment. It's nice to know that I am in good company.
"they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Gathered from the four winds from one end of HEAVEN to the other. They are already in Heaven and gathered from there to return in glory with Messiah.
A thief does not appear in the clouds with great glory for all to see. He comes when you do not expect Him, to take something.
"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." If the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken then I will know I am in the hour of His coming.
The harpazo is not an easy escape from tribulation, for you will always have tribulation, it is the blessed hope from escaping the "hour of trail" (rev 3:10) and God's wrath poured out upon the earth.
There is a difference between tribulation, and the Great Tribulation which is the pouring out of G
John,
Your misconceptions are common. Christ does indeed come as a thief. Matthew 24:42: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." If you are going to be "raptured" without warning, for what will you watch? Your presumption that this gathering mentioned in Matthew 24 occurs after a "rapture," holds no water. There are too many scriptures which mitigate against it. Those used by the apostate church to support it do not stand up to scrutiny, given all the evidence against it. Read the entire series before passing judgment.
Craig,
Actually, my "misconceptions" are not common, the majority of global Christianity is Amillenial, as well as mid or post-tribulational rapture thinkers. We not going to be raptured without warning, the warning was already given - and to "watch" is Gregoreuo which means to stay alert, and is relative to your Christian walk - in other words be sober and alert in your walk for you don't know when the master will return. What is presumptuous and judgmental is to label a believer in the rapture as apostate. Would you prefer folks interested in reading your articles didn't challenge your beliefs or discuss scripture? Heed the warnings of the Lord in calling a brother "raca" let alone an apostate.
John,
1. Your misconceptions are indeed quite common. The pretribulational rapture teaching is widely taught in the mainstream church. That teaching is part of the “Strong delusion” mentioned in 2nd Thessalonians 2:11. That teaching is apostate and the church which fosters that falsehood is also apostate.
2. I have not labeled any believer apostate. I have made my declaration that the “church” which teaches this false doctrine apostate. This turning words around is typical of cultic thinking.
3. I am more than happy to have people challenge me and discuss scripture. I likewise challenge them if they are in error.
4. I neither called you "raca," nor did I brand you a “fool,” much less labeled you apostate.
There is so much wrong with the doctrine of the pre-trib rapture that one barely knows where to start. One more example: You expect to be “raptured” at “the last day,” right? Ref: John 6:4. Well, how many days can there be after the LAST day? The answer is “none.”
Hey Craig,
I've intended to write back to you about the cessation of levitical food requirements and I hope to do that tomorrow: the spirit is willing but the flesh really sucks.
Pertaining to this series of articles, awesome start. You lay out a pleasantly precise platform with highly verifiable data which anyone who is honest, open minded, and desiring of knowing the actually doctrinal facts, can follow.
I'm doing a similar series pertaining to Mark 13, which is of course, the corollary to the Olivet Discourse.
I'll withhold judgment, but you and I may differ on WHICH 'tribulation' which believers must experience/endure.
Satan/AC's 'tribulation' we must assuredly go through, Jesus' words are utterly clear on that point.
However, I would argue that the Church will NOT have to suffer the Wrath of God, which begins with the Bowl and Vial Judgments.
But I'll read the rest of the series before I comment further.
Thanks again for truly great work.
Cheers.
Nice article! There's also another type of millenialist- the Pan-millenialist. These folks believe it'll all pan out in the end so don't worry. I hope for pre, rather not do post, try to focus on God who has it all figured out for pan. Scary stuff.
Monmouth County Life in Photos
There is Satan's wrath and God's wrath, and in studying the scriptures carefully you will see that the two witnesses are resurrected at the end of the second woe Rev. 11:11-14, according to what the other scriptures say - this has to be the first resurrection with the rest of the dead and alive saints. Then the third woe begins which is the wrath of God. Either way, true Christians will not have to worry as God is merciful!
bp? bottomless pit?
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