The Rapture of the Church, Part 1
 by Jack Kinsella

It would be fair to argue that one of the most divisive doctrines of Scripture for the last days would that of the Rapture of the Church. Specifically, the timing of the Rapture, rather than whether the Bible teaches a Rapture.

To begin with the Rapture of the Church is the 'Blessed Hope' for believers.

The New Testament speaks of a 'mystery' in which Paul writes that 'we shall not all sleep', (or die), but that 'we shall be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:53).

In his letter to the church at Thesslonica, Paul writes, "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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess 4:16-17)

That is the Rapture of the Church. The bodies of those who are 'dead in Christ' -- deceased believers, will be resurrected. Those believers in Christ still alive will immediately be translated bodily from the earth to 'meet the Lord in the air'.

When Jesus ascended bodily to heaven in the presence of the Apostles, an angel appeared to them, saying, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

And it was Jesus Himself Who promised, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3)

Although the doctrine of the Rapture of the Church is the Christian's 'Blessed Hope', in these last days it has become a doctrine of division within the Body.

We've seen some of the most vitriolic diatribes imaginable take place in our forums over the question of when the Rapture occurs. There are three basic schools of thought on the Rapture.

The first is the Pretribulation Rapture. Those who hold to this belief expect that Christians will be raptured before the Tribulation period begins.

The second view is the Mid-Tribulation Rapture, (as well as a similar view called the pre-wrath Rapture). They expect the Rapture to occur at the mid-point in the Tribulation, or before the beginning of the Great Tribulation that is the last half of the 7 years of Jacob's Trouble.

Finally, there is the Post-Tribulation which holds to the view that the Church goes through the entire seven year Tribulation Period, but then is raptured at the end of the Tribulation, just before the 2nd Coming of Christ.

All three schools of thought do have some points of common agreement. They all believe that,

1) the 2nd Coming of Christ is a separate event from the Rapture, and,

2) that there will be a Rapture of Christians BEFORE the 2nd Coming.

As I said, the timing of this event is a subject of great division among Christians. Those who take the post-trib view think that pre-tribbers are preaching a 'Great Escape' that won't happen.

They believe that teaching a pre-trib Rapture does a disservice to the Church and when the Tribulation comes, Christians expecting a 'Great Escape' will not be prepared to endure and might succumb to the Mark of the Beast.

Consequently, to many who hold the post-trib view, pre-tribbers are false prophets preaching a lie of Satan. Judging from my emails, some from that camp believe pre-trib teachers are deliberately spreading error.

Those who hold the mid-trib or pre-wrath have espoused similar views. I find it interesting that I seldom encounter mid-tribbers engaged in battle with post-tribbers. Most of the forum fights I've witnessed have the mid and post crowd on one side, with pre-tribbers on the other.

So, which view is right? In each of the next three issues of the Omega Letter Intelligence Digest, we will look at what the Bible says regarding each view. You can make up your mind for yourself which view lines up best with Scripture.

As we progress through the study, it is important to keep one thing in mind. The issue of interest is WHEN He is coming, but the issue of importance is WHO it is that is coming, and why. 'When' is important, but of secondary interest. People holding all three views are equally saved if they have put their faith in the Jesus Who is coming to begin with.

Whether or not the Church participates in the Tribulation or is Raptured before it begins is a matter of eschatological (doctrine of end-time events and chronology) interpretation and of much less eternal importance than the doctrine of soteriology (salvation). It IS important, but it is proportional.

Members of all three schools of thought will be Raptured at the same time, whether they expect to be or not. That's just how it is. It shouldn't be as devisive an issue as it has become. Lots of churches are afraid to touch it for that reason.

The entire controversy, as divisive as it is, is unique to this generation. In previous generations, it was just an interesting point of doctrine for which there were several interpretations.

In this generation, it has been elevated almost to the level of salvation in doctrinal importance. Check the message boards that debate the Rapture. (Wear a helmet).

By itself, that fact should set off alarm bells in the back of your head. The fact it is the hottest topic in the Church today sends a signal. Because this IS a debate for the last days.

Over the next three issues, we'll discuss the purpose of the Tribulation period, specific promises made to the Church Age, what Jesus said about the Tribulation period and what the Bible says about the 2nd Coming of Christ.

When we're finished, I don't expect to have changed anybody's view, but instead hope to provide you with reasons you can tick off for why you hold it.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1st Peter 3:15)

Part 2

What is the purpose of the Tribulation period? That should go a long way toward helping us to understand whether or not the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation Period, out of it, or after it.

We begin with the Prophet Daniel. Daniel was given a vision of history as it would unfold. Daniel foretold the rise and fall of three great empires and the rise, fall and revival of the last great world empire -- that of Rome.

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel 9:24

We've dealt with the nuts and bolts of Daniel 9:24 previously. (See Daniel's Seventieth Week, Feb 22, 2002)

But here is a quick review of the salient points:

1. 'Weeks' refer to 'weeks of years' - 70 7 year periods equalling 490 years using the Hebrew 'shabua' or 'heptad' the way we use the Greek 'decade' in our culture to divide years into groups of ten years each.

2. The angel specifically said this period was for Daniel's people (Jews) and Daniel's holy city (Jerusalem).

3. Within this time frame six things will be accomplished; 1) finish the transgression, 2) make an end of sin, 3) make reconcilation for sin, 4) bring in everlasting righteousness, 5) seal up the vision and prophecy and 6) anoint the Most Holy.

All of these are clearly directed at Israel. Points 1-3 were settled for the Church at Calvary, points 4-6 take place at the end of the Tribulation, after the 2nd Coming, with the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

The first 69 weeks --483 years, concluded with the Messiah being 'cut off, but not for Himself" (Dan 9:26). Then there is a pause in God's Plan for Israel while He turns His attention to the Church. Daniel is told the 70th week opens with the antichrist 'confirming a covenant between Israel and the many' (Daniel 9:27)

Daniel indicates the Tribulation Period is for Israel's national redemption. That theme is picked up by Zechariah 12-14 and is further outlined in Revelation Chapters 4-20.

Jeremiah says it is the 'time of Jacob's trouble'.

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of JACOB'S TROUBLE,(emphasis mine) but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7)

"For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:11)

There is also a second group of people that go through the Tribulation. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10)

Note the phrase, 'them that dwell upon the earth'. We find it six other times; Rev. 6.10, 8:13, 11:10; 13:8; and 17:8.

In 8:13 a threefold woe is pronounced against them because of the final three trumpets, which are to come.

They are the ones who gloat over the death of the two witnesses in 11:10; and worship the beast from the sea in 13:8.

In 13:14 they are the individuals who are deceived by the beast from the land into making an image of the first beast.

The earth dwellers gaze in wonder at the scarlet beast in 17:8, while 13:8 and 17:8 adds that their names are not written in the Book of Life.

By contrast to the 'earth-dwellers', Jesus says of the Church in His prayer at Gethsemane;

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16)

Clearly, since the Tribulation period is the time of Jacob's Trouble, was pronounced upon Daniel's people and Daniel's city, and its purpose is to accomplish for Daniel's people in the last days the same thing accomplished for the Church at the Cross, the Tribulation period is for the Jews.

Just as clearly, according to Jesus, it is also to judge the earthdwellers whose names are not written in the Book of Life.

If there is a purpose for the Church in the Tribulation Period, there is no express mention of that purpose in Scripture, although Scripture is clear regarding both Jews and 'earth-dwellers'. And the 'earth dwellers' can't be the Church, since their names are not written in the Book of Life.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, specifically at verse 10: "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

What 'wrath to come'? Romans 8:1 says I am already delivered from being condemned to hell.

"There IS therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . "Romans 8:1

Now skip forward to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9.

(3) "For when THEY shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM, as travail upon a woman with child; and THEY shall not escape." (Note the pronouns 'they' and 'them')

(5) "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: WE are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let US not sleep, as do others; but let US watch and be sober." (Note the change -- 'they'- 'them' become 'we'- 'us')

(7) "For THEY that sleep sleep in the night; and THEY that be drunken are drunken in the night."

(8) "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

Ok - let's stop here. There is clearly a distinction between Jews, 'earth-dwellers' and 'us' -- the Church. Now look up at verse 8's reference to 'the hope of salvation'.

What does that mean -- 'hope' of salvation? Salvation from what?

My salvation comes with an iron-clad guarantee, signed in Blood. I don't 'hope' for salvation -- I am saved now.

Clearly, taken in context, the 'hope of salvation' referenced by Paul can't be salvation from hell.

But salvation from the 'wrath to come' is indicated by the context and consistent with the doctrine that says "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them from my hand." (John 10:28)

And the 'wrath to come' is the Tribulation period - the time of Jacob's Trouble.

The argument for a pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church is consistent with Scripture. In the next issue, we'll look at the Scriptures used to support a Mid Tribulation Rapture and see how it lines up with the revealed Word of God.

As we progress, keep in mind that the salient point is not so much 'when' as it is "Who" is coming.

Because Jesus is coming. And soon.  

Part 3

You wouldn't know it to listen to a debate on the subject, but all three parties in the Rapture Debate believe that they are the ones who have the right position and have the Scriptures to back them up.

Whenever I write on the subject of the Rapture, I get email from those holding a different view and it never ceases to amaze me how nasty some of them are.

I've been called a false prophet (for the record, I'm not any kind of prophet, false or otherwise), a false teacher, a liar, a purveyor of the doctrines of demons and more.

More than one has accused me outright of knowing the truth (their position, naturally) and deliberately spreading deception to some nefarious end that never quite gets explained to me.

But the fact is that those who believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture are no more sincere than those who believe the Rapture comes at the midpoint in the Tribulation.

The mid-tribulational view divides the Tribulation into two periods of 1260 days each, according to Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 12:7 and sees the Rapture of the Church occurring at that mid-point.

There are plenty of Scripture verses that can be used to support a mid-Trib Rapture. "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24:9-13

It would seem to indicate here that Jesus is exhorting us to "endure to the end' tying our endurance to being saved from the Great Tribulation.

Similarly, Jesus' reference to the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15) is followed by a warning to flee, (21)"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

(40-41)"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

The mid-tribulationist equates the beginning of the Great Tribulation when the antichrist abolishes Temple worship and begins his persecution of Israel with Rapture.

The problem with the mid-Tribulation view is it fails to explain WHY the Church endures the first half of the Rapture. The final week of Daniel is clearly set aside for the national redemption of Israel. (Daniel 9:24)

In order to make the mid tribulational view work, Jesus must be speaking to the Church when He is answering the question posed Him in Matthew 24:3 "What will be the sign of Thy Coming and of the end of the world?"

If Jesus were addressing the Church in the last days, why would He say, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:" (20).

Jesus makes plain the perspective from which He was speaking and to Whom, saying, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in JUDAEA flee into the mountains: (15-16)

Jesus warning of being delivered up to be afflicted, and killed, and to be hated of all nations for His Name's sake isn't a reference to the Church. He is addressing Israel, who has been delivered to affliction for 2000 years as 'Christ-killers'.

He is NOT addressing the Church. The Church is not here at that time.

But Jesus WAS addressing the Church when He said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2-3)

In Rev. 2 and 3 we have Jesus talking to the Seven Churches, but what I want you to notice is where Jesus is in relation to these churches. "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;"

Now, from Chapter 4 to 19, Jesus is no longer on earth, but in heaven. So, if Jesus is no longer on the earth during the Tribulation period and He promised us we would always be with him, it would seem to indicate that we are going to be in Heaven with Jesus during the Tribulation period.

No matter how many ways I look at it, I just can't overcome a few problems reconciling Scripture with the mid-tribulation view.

What purpose is served by having the Church participate in the first half of the Tribulation but not the second if the whole 'week' is set aside for Israel? Why have a Rapture at all?

Why would Jesus be positionally in the midst of the 7 Churches for the entire Church Age, but positionally in heaven from Revelation 4:1 forward if the seven golden candlesticks remain on earth during Daniel's 70th Week?

Why is there no reference to the Church from Revelation 4:1 and forward?

These are serious problems from my perspective.

But again, that is not to say that those who hold to a mid-tribulational Rapture haven't searched the Scriptures and found answers that satisfy those questions in their minds. They are as sincere as I. We simply disagree.

In the next issue, we'll look at the post-tribulational view and how it lines up with Scripture.

Part 4

The third possible timing of the Rapture would take place at the end of the Tribulation. This is called the post-tribulational view.

In this view, the Church goes through the entire Tribulation Period, together with the 'earthdwellers' and Israel and is Raptured to meet the Lord in the air as He is returning at the 2nd Coming.

As in the case of the other views, this view can be supported by Scripture. As I mentioned before, I've received email accusing me of deliberately spreading error and of being a false teacher because I espouse a different Rapture scenario than they do.

Such nonsense is just that - nonsense. Believers are believers BECAUSE they believe. If someone is a sincere, Blood-bought, born-again believer, why would they adopt a position they don't believe is supported by Scripture? Beyond that, why would a believer teach a position they KNEW to be wrong?

Supporters of the post-Tribulation position are sincere, as are those who hold to either the pre-trib or mid-trib scenarios.

In Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus speaks of a great gathering.

"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."

It certainly sounds like the Rapture, and it sounds like it occurs at the end of the Tribulation. But Matthew 24, as I pointed out previously, is given, not from the perspective of the Church, but from the perspective of the Jews.

Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation (25:15) -- a distinctly Jewish blasphemy, followed by a warning to those in JUDEA (16) to flee, and for them to pray their flight be not on the sabbath day (20).

Now compare Matthew 24:30 with Zechariah's description of the coming of Christ from the perspective of the Jews. "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10)

In Matthew 24:31 we see that the 'elect' gathered by His angels are gathered, not from the earth, but from 'one end of HEAVEN to the other'.

Revelation 19:14 says "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." As we've already seen, those in white linen are the Bride.

The post-trib position is that 'one end of heaven to the other' really means the Rapture of earthbound believers at the end of the Tribulation Period.

But reading what Scripture SAYS, rather than interpreting what it 'really means', indicates the elect gathered AFTER the Tribulation are gathered FROM heaven, which is consistent with the pre-trib view that that is where the Church was all along.

Bible prophecy is unfolding according to a systematic theology that shows that God dealt at different times throughout history in different ways through a system of progressive revelation. This systematic theology is called Dispensationalism.

The main points of dispensationalism are:

Dispensationalism demands:

The book of Revelation after the letters to the seven churches is a prophecy concerning events that will occur during the last seven years before the second coming or 70th week.

This 70th week is called the tribulation period. The last half of this week (the last 3.5 years) is the Great Tribulation spoken of in Dan. 9 and in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24). This tribulation period is a time when God will pour out His wrath on a sinful world (earthdwellers).

It is at this point that the mid-tribulationists believe the Rapture occurs.

The coming of Christ will occur in two phases. The Rapture, and His Second Coming at the conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon.

Dispensationalism concludes the Church cannot be here during the tribulation period because God has ended the Church age and resumed dealing with Israel.

The Church is also raptured to keep the Christians from the wrath of God which according to Romans 5:9 Christians will not experience.

The second phase is Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation with His saints to begin the Kingdom Age dispensation.

History consists of different dispensations or 'economies'. A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.

Systematic theology reveals seven distinct Dispensations of God.

A new period or dispensation begins when God introduces a change in the principles or ordinances valid up to that time. For example a number of ordinances are introduced at the time of Noah. With the coming of the Church Age, the Mosiac Laws or ordinances are annulled.

In order to hold to a mid or post position it is necessary to deny Dispensationalism, claiming it is a recent invention. But at the same time, all three scenarios recognize the Church Age as a distinct dispensation.

We began this series with the intent, not to change anybody else's view, but to explain why we hold to the view that we do.

Our mission at the Omega Letter is to equip the saints with evidence and hard facts that point to the reality that these are the last days, not to engage in a pointless debate.

The Rapture will happen when it happens and nobody will know for sure who was right until it doesn't matter any more anyway.

Our purpose was not to argue FOR a pre-tribulation rapture so much as it was to clearly outline what we believe and why we believe it.

We view unfolding prophecy through the systematic theology of Dispensationalism because, without rightly dividing the Word, prophecy makes no sense.

For example, Jesus said the Comforter would remain with the Church until He comes. Yet the only reference to the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation is Revelation Chapter 7 when Jewish evangelists are miraculously 'sealed' (indwelt) by the Holy Spirit the way Church Age believers are now. That indwelling gives the Jewish evangelists 'power' to preach.

Together with 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we see the Restrainer is taken out of the way, saying that once that is accomplished, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." (8)

If the Church goes through the Tribulation, then Jesus' promise of a Comforter until He comes needs rewriting to say, "I will send you a Comforter Who will stay with you until you need Him most, and then you are on your own for seven years."

Without an understanding of the divisions between the Dispensations, (like the Church Age and Daniel's 70th Week) prophecy is contradictory.

Jesus promised the Church in Matthew 16:18 that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." But we then read in Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him (the religious beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."

Which is it? Do we prevail, or does the antichrist? Apart from Dispensationalism, the two statements contradict.

But if the Church Age is over and the Tribulation period is the time of 'Jacob's Trouble' and judgment against 'them that dwell upon the earth' rather than for the Church, then Scriptural harmony is restored.

As I pointed out in Part Three, the major problem with the mid-trib view is that it fails to explain what role the Church plays in the time of Jacob's Trouble -- even the first half.

The major problem in the post-tribulational view adds to that problem the problem of mathematics.

Revelation 13:15 says of those who do not worship the beast and accept his mark that he would "cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed".

So we see two kinds of people in the Tribulation period. Those who take the mark and those who are killed. When the Tribulation is over, where are the living believers who get raptured?

For there to be believers left to Rapture, they will have to escape the antichrist's global positioning surveillance systems, satellite thermal imaging systems, police and military dragnet, unable to buy or sell, living in caves for seven years.

A couple of decades ago, that seemed at least possible. But not so likely today. We saw how effective a strategy that was for al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

And the antichrist is unlikely to follow the same civilized rules of engagement Washington must observe today to avoid global condemnation.

We conclude the Pre-tribulation Rapture scenario is the view that is most harmonious with Scripture, particularly when given the added dimension of actually watching the preparations unfold before our very eyes.

But our faith isn't in WHEN Christ comes, it is in the fact that Christ IS coming soon. And the Rapture Debate is one more evidence of that fact.

Notice that the debate isn't over whether or not the Lord will come in this generation. For most, that is not even an issue.

A century ago, they were debating over whether He was coming at all. Today, we're fighting over His coming within a seven-year time frame.

Regardless of what you believe concerning the timing of the Rapture, the soon coming of the Lord is proved by the fact such a debate exists at all. And no matter what you believe about the timing of the Rapture, and no matter who turns out to be right in the end, the important thing to remember is WHAT we are debating.

We are living in the last generation in history. There are people reading my words -- right now -- who will never, ever die in the traditional sense, but will be caught up bodily to be with the Lord.

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" - 1Thessalonians 4:18

SOURCE:  Omegaletter