The different views of the rapture.....

[jc49]

I find this study very good and helpful,I hope will bless you all,jc49,it is by:

David M. Williams

The different views of the rapture in relation to the great tribulation

By David M. Williams (davidmwilliams@geocities.com)

This essay is free for distribution in any manner, with the provision that it remains completely intact, with this notice, the author's name and the full text of the essay. Any comments are gratefully welcomed. Copyright 1995.

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INTRODUCTION

The rapture is an area of Christian theology which has

historically received little attention with regards to precise

formulation. A brief survey of works detailing the development

of doctrine (such as Bromiley, 1978) reveals almost no

acknowledgment of the rapture. This is perhaps explained by

Berkhof (1975, p. 259) who states,

The doctrine of the last things never stood in the

centre of attention, is one of the least developed

doctrines, and therefore calls for no elaborate

discussion.

Further, the very notion of the rapture is much-derided by

critics who find fault due to the allegedly non-existence of such

a doctrine in the scriptures; the seemingly non-existence of the

very word "rapture" in the scriptures (though such an argument

would apply to the Trinity also); and the thought that the idea

of a "secret rapture" where the Church is transported safely from

a catastrophic time of tribulation is foreign to God's plans and

purposes as revealed in history - for indeed, "the blood of the

martyrs is the very seed of the Church" (Cairns, 1981, p.93).

Such arguments are untenable. The main basis for the

rapture doctrine is I Thessalonians 4:13-18 :

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about

those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of

men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died

and rose again and so we believe that God will bring

with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we

who are still alive, who are left till the coming of

the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have

fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down

from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of

the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and

the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we

who are still alive and are left will be caught up

with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore

encourage each other with these words.

From this passage the notion of the rapture is clear; at

some future time all of the saints of God, both dead and alive,

shall be "caught up" into the air to be with their Lord! The

Greek word for "caught up" is arpazo, which means to pluck away

(Zodhiates, 1992, p. 1270) and would be well translated "rapture"

in a Latin Bible (Willmington, n.d, p. 825), such as Jerome's

vulgate - so the word itself is scriptural (just not in an English

translation), as indeed is the notion. The third objection listed

is specific to a particular theological framework and shall be

discussed later. Indeed, many objections exist, not least that of

sincere Christian brethren who seek to know what must happen to

the defenceless family pet when its owners are suddenly raptured!

Such an argument is, of course, based on emotional issues rather than

the scriptures and detracts from the real issue at hand.

Paul reveals more information in I Corinthians 15:51-52 :

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep,

but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the

twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the

trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised

imperishable, and we will be changed.

Having established a preliminary scriptural basis for the

rapture, however, a new problem arises with regards to its

chronological location. As Stern (1992, p. 623) points out, "Only

in relation to the premillenial position does the issue of when

the rapture takes place arise; for Post- and Amillenialists, the

Rapture is vaguely identified with the Messiah's one and only

return." This means that the concept of the rapture is only

particularly defined in the pre-millenial system of theology.

However, this leaves three potential general times for the rapture

to occur, defined in terms of the coming "great tribulation" -

before the tribulation period (pre-tribulational), during the

tribulation period (mid-tribulational) or after the tribulation

period (post-tribulational). Some humourously (and non-seriously)

suggest a fourth possibility of "pan-tribulationalism" - as God is

in control there is no need to worry about such matters; all will

eventually "pan" out according to His plans. The former three

views however, are worthy of considerable discussion.

POST-TRIBULATION

In essence, the post-tribulational system decrees that

the rapture occurs after the tribulation period - the natural

consequence being that the Church must endure it.

Willmington (n.d., p. 825) dismisses this view of the rapture

by appealing to I Thessalonians 5:9 ("For God did not appoint

us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord

Jesus Christ") and Revelation 3:10 ("Since you have kept my

command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the

hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to

test those who live on the earth").

Nevertheless, post-tribulationists dismiss Willmington's

views, appealing to John 16:33, "in this world you will have

tribulation". To the post-tribulationist, it is unthinkable

that God would offer a remarkable transport to the Church as

an escape route in the face of global disaster, eluded to

earlier (although such was the case with Noah). Truly

throughout history the Church has suffered persecution -

indeed under such persecution the Church has historically

thrived - not materially, but in a spiritual harvest, as faith

is refined and tested and the gospel is propagated to further

regions. This was the case in Jerusalem - "Those who had been

scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4).

This was the case under Roman persecution (Cairns, 1981, p.

91-93). Persecution kept the Church pure - it kept

hypocritical, dishonest and insincere people from the Church.

"No light decisions were made for Christ in those times,

especially when acceptance of Christ meant possible loss of

citizenship; imprisonment with daily starvation and torture

until death; crucifixion, and sometimes burning while still

alive and hanging on the cross. . . ." (Hamon, 1981, p. 80-81).

Such is the essence of the Puritan classic, Foxe's Christian

Martyrs of the World.

The flaw in this logic, however, is that the tribulation

period is not a time of persecution. Rather, it is a time of

God's wrath being outpoured on the earth. During this time

people shall cry to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us

and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and

from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath

has come, and who can stand?" (Revelation 6:16-17). When

Christ returns, "He treads the winepress of the fury of the

wrath of God Almighty" (Revelation 19:15). Willmington's

verses above apply most certainly - for God has appointed His

Church to salvation and not to wrath. Surely the day of the

Lord will be terrible (Malachi 4:5) !

Messianic Jewish scholar David Stern offers a different

and original reason for his holding to the post-tribulation

view - it is unthinkable "that Messianic Jews are to be faced

with the decision of whether to identify with their own

people the Jews and stay to suffer or with their own people

the believers (the Messianic Community, the Church) and

escape" (Stern, 1992, p. 623). Stern develops this idea

further :

But if Sha'ul [Paul] and other Jewish believers are

members both of Israel and of the Messianic

Community, Pre-Tribulationists must answer this

question: when the rapture takes place, do Jewish

believers in Yeshua [Jesus] stay behind with the rest

of physical Israel, or do they join the rest of the

Messianic Community with Yeshua in the air? They

can't be in both places at once. Is it a matter of

our personal choice? Do we have to choose whether to

be more loyal to the Jewish people or to our brothers

in the Messiah? This is an absurd question, absurd

because the situation proposed will never arise

(Stern, 1992, p. 804).

Stern's objections, however, are based heavily on his

emphasis that Jewish people remain Jewish once becoming

Christians; indeed, they are "fulfilled" Jews. This is, of

course, true, but Stern's emphasis is so great that he

(unintentionally, but effectively) divides the body of Christ

in two - those who are Jewish and those who are Gentiles,

despite Paul's admonition that "there is neither Jew nor

Greek. . . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians

3:28). Stern continues, ". . . . This is not what they

[Messianic Jews] bought into when they came to faith. They

were told, 'Now you're a Jew who has accepted his Messiah.'

They were not told, 'Now you have abandoned your Jewish

people and will spend eternity without them'" (Stern, 1992,

p. 804). Certainly the Gentile Christian is distinct from

the Gentile non-Christian (who will unquestionably remain

after the rapture). The deciding factor is not whether one

is Jewish or otherwise, but whether one is a disciple of

the Lord Jesus Christ or not.

Finally, the rapture is quite distinct from the Second

Coming in which Jesus returns to the earth, to the Mount of

Olives (Zechariah 14). At the rapture, Jesus draws the

Saints to Himself in the clouds (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).

At the Second Coming, He returns with the Saints (Revelation

19:11-16). The post-tribulational view virtually has the

Saints of God acting like a yo-yo - arising into the air,

only to return immediately to the earth. This further gives

no time for the Bema seat of Christ or the marriage supper

of the Lamb.

MID-TRIBULATION

The mid-tribulation view of the rapture is that it will

take place midway through the tribulation period.

Such a view is a curious exposition of scripture, for the

Antichrist makes a covenant with the Jewish people and then

breaks it three and a half years into the tribulation (Daniel

9:27). Even if the mid-tribulation rapture occurs earlier than

this time, it still must take place after the Antichrist has

been revealed, which can only happen after the "restrainer" is

removed (II Thessalonians 2:7-8).

Some have suggested that the identity of the "restrainer"

is the Antichrist himself - a non-sensical notion indeed,

particularly in light of Paul's teaching that "the secret

power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now

holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of

the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed" (II

Thessalonians 2:7-8). Others suggest the "restrainer" is the

Holy Spirit (Dake, 1963, p. 230). However, John sees those who

have become Christians during the tribulation, and martyred for

their faith (Revelation 7:14). It is only by the work of the

Holy Spirit that one can be brought to Christ (John 16:8), not

by man, and so the Holy Spirit can not be the "restrainer"

removed from the earth. The "restrainer" is in fact none

other than the Church - the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13)

and the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). Hence, the Church

must be raptured before the Antichrist may be revealed and so

the mid-tribulation view of the Antichrist being revealed

before the rapture is not possible.

Furthermore, the mid-tribulation position requires the

tribulation to be broken into two unrelated halves, which has

the potential for requiring many Biblical passages to have an

allegorical interpretation in order to be consistent. For one,

the seventieth "week" of years of Daniel's remarkable prophecy

(Daniel 9:24-27) could not be for "his" (Daniel's) people - the

Jews (Daniel 9:24) - it would also of necessity pertain to the

Church.

One possible basis for the mid-tribulation rapture is

the inability to distinguish between the rapture of the Church

and the rapture of the two witnesses which does take place

midway through the tribulation period (Revelation 11:3, 7, 11).

However, the two witnesses are hardly representative of the

entire Church and it must be concluded that they are quite

separate.

Some scholars identify the "last trump" of I Corinthians

15:52 with the blowing of the "seventh trumpet" in the middle

of the tribulation (Revelation 11:15-18). Rosenthal (1995,

p. 5) states, "One of the major fallacies which has led to so

much confusion in prophetic interpretation has been the

tendency to identify Paul's 'last trump' with 'the seventh

trumpet' of the Book of Revelation".

Due to the fact that I Corinthians was written about

55 A.D. and Revelation was written about 96 A.D. (some would

say 70 A.D., but nevertheless, it was written after

I Corinthians and Paul's martyrdom). Explicitly John states

that the contents of the book of Revelation were given by

God the Father to the Lord Jesus, who in turn used an

angelic messenger to convey the message to John

(Revelation 1:1-2). The very word "revelation" means an

unveiling of that which was hitherto unknown or concealed.

Rosenthal (1995, p. 5) continues,

Therefore, when Paul wrote of one generation of

believers experiencing rapture (being "changed") at

"the last trump," neither he nor the Corinthians knew

anything concerning the seven seals, seven trumpets,

and seven bowls of the Book of Revelation. Paul's

"last trump" and the Book of Revelation's "seventh

trumpet" are not synonymous.

The true meaning of "the last trump" requires an

understanding of the Jewish notion of the "Day of the Lord"

used nineteen times by eight Old Testament prophets. This

was the future time when God would go to war (Rosenthal,

1995, p. 5). Associated with this would be the blowing of

a trumpet - the Jewish shofar (Joel 1:15; 2:1; Zephaniah

1:14-16). Indeed, the phrase "the last trump" hardly

shows a mid-tribulation rapture because it instead refers

to the commencement of the very last time of battle in this

age - the very start of the dreadful Day of the Lord - the

tribulation period itself.

PRE-TRIBULATION

The pre-tribulation view may be summarised thus,

It was held that the return of Christ would take

place in two stages. First there would be a quiet

appearance of Christ when all true Christians would

be taken from the earth - the 'rapture' of the

saints. After this, Antichrist's reign would

continue but be brought to an end by the appearing of

Christ in glory and the introduction of a 1,000 year

reign of Christ on earth from Jerusalem (Humphreys

& Ward, 1995, p. 128-9).

If the book of Revelation is to be taken as a

chronological work, which most futurists would agree, there

is great significance in the similarities between

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 above and Revelation 4:1-2 - again a

voice like a trumpet is heard and John is transported

instantly through a door in heaven to the very throne-room

of God.

Indeed, the very "door" is significant to those who

see a secondary meaning in the seven Churches of Revelation

chapters 1-3, being the historical development of the Church

over history, from the early Church to that at the time of

the Second Coming. With this view the door of Revelation

3:10, opened to the Philadelphian Church, is equated with

that of Revelation 4:1 (Cartledge, n.d., p. 119). This view

then equates the lukewarm Laodecian Church as the false

religious system that arises during the tribulation. Such a

view however is counter-productive as the Philadelphian

Church is still part of the Church and so requires the Church

to be divided - the lukewarm left behind, which implies a

Protestant purgatory.

Nevertheless, there is great significance in the fact

that John is told to "Come up hither" (Revelation 4:1) - the

very same words spoken to the two witnesses before they too

are raptured (Revelation 11:12). Further, the Church is

remarkably absent from any of the proceedings from Revelation

4:1 to 19:11 when Christ returns - indeed, the Church surely

has no part in the tribulation.

Not only so, but the tribulation period is the final

"week" of years in Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27),

specifically designated for the Jewish people. The times

of the Gentiles are complete, and God again turns His hand

to His ancient peoples, the end result that at His Second

Coming the Jews will look on Him whom they have pierced

(Zechariah 12:10) and all Israel will be saved (Romans

11:26) - the Messiah they expected at Jesus' first coming

will finally arive (Edersheim, 1993, p. 113) !

CONCLUSION

The honest Christian theologian can do nothing less

than assimilate the data of revelation provided in the

scriptures and draw from this one's theology and framework

of belief. To do otherwise is wrong, and one must not be

persuaded by purely emotional arguments, or seek to

manipulate scripture to conform to a preconceived

world-view.

When one examines the conflicting views of the rapture

in the pre-millenial framework, it becomes apparent that the

only one which consistently fits the facts of Biblical data

is the pre-tribulation view. Certainly as Christians we look

not for tribulation, but for "His Son from heaven who has

delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thessalonians 1:10).

The early Church expected the coming of the Lord imminently

and did not expect any intervening events, especially the

Thessalonians (Matthew 24:44; I Thessalonians 5:2).

Just as Noah and his family were saved from God's wrath

(Genesis 7:6-7), as was Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:14),

and indeed the Children of Israel were saved from the plagues

on Pharaoh (Exodus 7:18; 8:3, 21-22; 9:3-4; 10:22-23; 11:6-7),

so too the Church shall be saved from the coming great

tribulation by the rapture.

The Christian is commanded to look up - for their

redemption draws near (Luke 21:28)! What can be said but

"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20).

WORKS CITED

Berkhof, L. 1975 (1937). The History of Christian

Doctrines, Baker Book House, Michigan.

Bromiley, G. 1978. Historical Theology: An Introduction,

T & T Clark, Ltd., Edinburgh.

Cairns, E. 1981. Christianity Through the Centuries,

Acadamie Books, Michigan.

Cartledge, D. n.d. Eschatology, Rhema Bible College,

Townsville.

Dake, F. 1963. Dake's Annotated Reference Bible, Dake

Bible Sales, Inc., Georgia.

Edersheim, A. 1993. The Life and Times of Jesus the

Messiah. Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts.

Foxe, J. 1989. Foxe's Christian Martyrs of the World,

Barbour and Company, Inc., Ohio.

Hamon, B. 1981. The Eternal Church, Christian

International, Florida.

Humphreys, R. and Ward, R. 1995. Religious Bodies in

Australia, 3d. ed., New Melbourne Press, Victoria.

Rosenthal, M. 1995. 'Israel's Fall Feasts.', Zion's Fire,

vol. 6, no. 4.

Stern, D. 1992. Jewish New Testament Commentary, Jewish

New Testament Publications, Inc., Maryland.

Willmington. n.d. Willmington's Guide to the Bible,

Pacific College Study Series, Melbourne.

Zodhiates, S. 1992. The Complete Word Study New

Testament, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga.

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davidmwilliams@geocities.com

David M. Williams

jc49

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings JC49,

When one examines the conflicting views of the rapture

in the pre-millenial framework, it becomes apparent that the

only one which consistently fits the facts of Biblical data

is the pre-tribulation view. Certainly as Christians we look

not for tribulation, but for "His Son from heaven who has

delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thessalonians 1:10).

The early Church expected the coming of the Lord imminently

and did not expect any intervening events, especially the

Thessalonians (Matthew 24:44; I Thessalonians 5:2).

Let me reference:

2 Thess 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Please tell me where in the last days timeline the above highlighted scripture takes place???

Blessings,

Dad Ernie