The Four Views Of The Rapture-Pre-Tribulation View, Part 1
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 7, 2009
The Day of the Lord: The Four Views Of The Rapture-The Pre-Tribulation View, Part 1
Lesson # 26
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
Now, that we have completed a study of the Tribulation period, I thought that it would be appropriate and very helpful to this church to understand why the church will not go through the Tribulation.
The Bible teaches that the rapture will take place prior to the Tribulation period since it teaches that the church is delivered from the wrath to come.
This teaching that the rapture will take place prior to the Great Tribulation period is called by theologians and students of prophecy, the “pre-tribulation” view.
Not all Christians adhered to this view as a result there are four different views of the rapture, which we will begin to note this morning.
I will present the arguments for each view and then demonstrate through the Scriptures that these other views are incorrect and that the “pre-tribulation” rapture view is the correct biblical view.
Now we must remember that like the term “Trinity,” the term “rapture” is not found in the original languages of Scripture but rather is taken from the Latin term rapio, “caught up” that is used to translate the Greek verb harpazo, “caught up,” which appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Like the term “Trinity” the term “rapture” is used by theologians to describe a doctrine that is taught in the Bible.
The “rapture” is a technical theological term for the resurrection of the church, which is imminent, invisible to the world, and terminates the church age dispensation.
It will take place in the earth’s atmosphere when the Lord Jesus Christ will suddenly and forcefully remove the church from planet earth in order to deliver her from the Tribulation period (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The rapture is taught in John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 15:50-57, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and Titus 2:13.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
“Will be caught up” is the verb harpazo (a%rpazw), “to snatch or take something away forcefully in such a way that no resistance is offered, to grab or seize by force with the purpose of removing and/or controlling”
The verb harpazo refers to the Lord Jesus Christ taking His church forcefully and suddenly out of the world by means of His divine omnipotence.
1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
There would be no comfort from the doctrine of the rapture if the church has to go through the Tribulation period.
The four views of the rapture: (1) “Pre-tribulation”: The rapture will take place “before” the Tribulation. (2) “Partial”: Only those believers who are worthy will be taken off the earth at the rapture. (3) “Mid-tribulation”: The rapture will take place during the “midway” point of the Tribulation. (4) “Post-tribulation”: The rapture will take place “after” the Tribulation.
The first view of the rapture is the “pre-tribulation” view, which contends that the rapture of the church will take place prior to the Tribulation period and will deliver every church age believer from this awful period.
The “pre-tribulation” view adheres to the literal method of interpreting the Bible unlike the “post-tribulation” view, which spiritualizes the literalness of the events in the Tribulation in an attempt to harmonize these events with other Scriptures in the light of this interpretation.
The “pre-tribulation” view makes a distinction between Israel and the church and sees them as two distinct entities in the plan of God.
Now, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 explicitly teaches that the church age believer is delivered from this wrath, thus it follows that the church will be raptured “before” the Tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 1:1, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.”
1 Thessalonians 1:3, “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”
1 Thessalonians 1:4, “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.”
1 Thessalonians 1:5, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”
1 Thessalonians 1:6, “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 1:7, “so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”
1 Thessalonians 1:8, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”
1 Thessalonians 1:9, “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.”
1 Thessalonians 1:10, “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
The purposes of the Tribulation do not include the church, thus favoring a “pre-tribulation” rapture of the church.
The first great purpose of the tribulation is to prepare the nation Israel for her Messiah (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:7; Ezek. 20:37; Dan. 12:1; Zech. 13:8-9; Rev. 7:4-6; 12:1-2; 17).
The second great purpose of the tribulation is to pour out judgment on unbelieving men and nations (Revelation 3:11; Joel 3:2).
It is impossible for the church age believer to face God’s wrath during the Tribulation period since this would in effect cause Christ to have to face God’s wrath again since the church age believer is united to Christ as members of His body (Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:30) and His future bride (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:1-7).
1 Thessalonians 5:9 explicitly teaches that the church is delivered from this wrath.
1 Thessalonians 5:1, “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”
1 Thessalonians 5:3, “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.”
1 Thessalonians 5:4, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5, “for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.”
1 Thessalonians 5:6, “so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”
1 Thessalonians 5:7, “For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This leads us to the communion service and so therefore, could we have our ushers pass out the communion elements and let us take a few minutes to meditate upon the Lord and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper.
The communion service is also a reminder that we have fellowship not only with God but also with each other as members of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:24, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25, “In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”