The Four Views Of The Rapture-Mid-Tribulation View
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 2, 2009
The Day of the Lord: The Four Views Of The Rapture-Mid-Tribulation View
Lesson # 28
Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 11:1.
This morning, as part of our study of the prophetic subject known as the “day of the Lord,” we will study the “mid-tribulation” view of the rapture.
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 “mid-tribulation” view holds that the rapture is described in Revelation 11.
Revelation 11:1-14, “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.”
The “mid-tribulation” view holds that the rapture is described in Revelation 11 by contending that the “two-witnesses” are symbolic of a “larger company of witnesses” that they represent two groups, the dead and the living at the rapture.
They interpret the cloud as representing the Lord’s presence and that the great voice is the shout of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which is totally devoid of exegesis and is an argument from analogy.
The two witnesses are spoken of in Revelation 11 as individuals and not as symbolic representatives of the church.
These two witnesses are called “two olive trees,” which means that they are associated with Israel since in the Old Testament the olive tree represented Israel, which would refute the “mid-tribulation” view that the two witnesses are symbolic of the church (See Hosea 14:6; Romans 11:17, 24).
The “mid-tribulation” position contends that the rapture is to occur in connection with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the catching up of the two witnesses in Revelation 11.
However, the seventh and final trumpet judgment recorded in Revelation 11:15-19 comes at the end of the Tribulation period and results in the Second Advent of Christ.
The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 and 11:15-19 are all related to the nation of Israel during Daniel’s Seventieth Week and have no connection whatsoever to the church.
Revelation 11:15-19 records the seventh and final trumpet judgment, which is the third woe and results in the Second Advent of Christ.
Revelation 11:15-19, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’ And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”
Chronologically, the seven bowl judgments follow the seven trumpet judgments that are recorded in Revelation 8:1-9:21 and 11:15-19 and the seven trumpet judgments follow the seven seal judgments that are in Revelation 6:1-17 and 8:1-5.
Therefore, the rapture does not occur in connection with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the catching up of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 since the seventh trumpet completes God’s judgment program at the end of the Tribulation.
Also, the first seal judgment, which precedes the seven trumpet judgments predicts the emergence of Antichrist and 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 says he cannot appear until the removal of the Spirit, which would result in the removal of the church since the church is permanently indwelt by the Spirit.
Some expositors have tried to asso¬ciate the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the last or sev¬enth trum¬pet of the Tribula¬tion and with the trum¬pet of Matthew 24:31.
By doing this, they attempt to put the rapture either in the Tribu¬lation or at its end, when the Lord returns to earth.
There are obvious differences that exist between the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the last or sev¬enth trum¬pet of the Tribula¬tion in Revelation 8:7f. and with the “great trum¬pet” of Matthew 24:31.
The result of the blowing of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 results in entrance into the kingdom or millennial kingdom of Christ whereas the result of the blowing of the trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the resurrection of church age believers.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is also the resurrection of church age believers whereas the result of the blowing of the trumpets by elect angels in Revelation 8 is the execution of judgments during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet in Joel 2 is war and an invasion from an enemy.
The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 both result in the resurrection of the church and the purpose of both are to gather the church to Christ and they are not blown by elect angels.
Whereas, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 are blown by elect angels and the result of the former is the execution of judgments during the Tribulation whereas the result of the latter is entrance into Christ’s millennial kingdom.
Therefore, the “mid-tribulation” view that the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15 and the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 are identical is erroneous.
God does not want the Christian to believe in the “mid-tribulation” position because it denies the distinction between Israel and the church in the sense that it places the church in the first half of the seventieth week, which was decreed for Daniel’s people the Jews according to Daniel 9:24.
The church is nowhere mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and in particular the Seventieth Week, which deals explicitly with Israel and never mentions the church which would be inappropriate since the church is the body of Christ.
God does not want the Christian to believe in the “mid-tribulation” view because it denies the doctrine of the immanency of the rapture in that they apply to the church all the signs that were designed to warn Israel of Christ’s Second Advent.
He wants you to know that the rapture is imminent because it serves as motivation to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Lord (1 John 3:1-3).
The “mid-tribulation” view argues that God promises the church tribulation and therefore can expect to experience the first half of the Tribulation period.
However, the term “tribulation” can be used in a “technical” way referring to a specific period in the future and a “non-technical” way meaning it is not used with reference to a specific period of time in the future.
The term “tribulation” is used in relation to the church in a “non-technical” way in John 16:33, Romans 5:3, 8:35, 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and Revelation 1:9, 2:9-10, whereas it is used in “technical” way in Matthew 24:9, 21, 29, Mark 13:19, 24 and Revelation 7:8, 14 where it is used with reference to the Tribulation period.
It is also important for every Christian that he or she understands the pre-tribulation view of the rapture is the correct view because it is God’s will and God wants His children to know His will.
Also, it is important for every Christian that he or she understands that they will not go through the tribulation period because it is in the Word of God and Christians in 2 Peter 3:18 are commanded to grow in the grace and “knowledge” of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God is His mind and thinking.
Lastly, it is important for every Christian that he or she understands that the mid-tribulation view of the rapture is incorrect in order to minister to fellow Christians who have been misled by such teaching and instruct them in the correct doctrine.
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.
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.”