Pretribulation Rapture?

Question

Not every Christian believes in a pretribution rapture.

For those of you who believe in it, what scriptures do you base this on to say Christians will not have to go through the tribulation.

God's servant...have read the Bible many times and just don't see this in Revelations or anywhere else for that matter. So I'm asking for the actual scriptural reference for pretrib thoughts, and I am praying about this.

Thanks!

Answer 1

A pre-tribulation Rapture is spoken of in these places:

Read Revelation 4:1-2a. Many people overlook the fact that God's trumpet-like command that John "Come up here" is actually a picture of the Rapture. 1 Cor. 15:52 tells us the Rapture will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and ... we shall be changed." When John arrives in Heaven, he sees 24 elders in white, wearing "stephanos" crowns, which are crowns typically given as rewards. We all know from later passages in Revelation that the redeemed saints have robes of white and crowns, right? The number 24 is a reference to Levitical tradition whereby 24 priests were chosen to represent ALL of the priesthood for certain ceremonial events. Redeemed saints have been made priests by our High Priest, Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:6 and 5:10). Since these things occur BEFORE the later passages describing the Tribulation, we can safely conclude the Rapture occurs before the earth's trial begins.

Now consider Rev. 3:10, spoken by Jesus: "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Here, it is obvious that Jesus does not mean for His church to be involved in the Tribulation.

Then there is the doctrine of "Imminency." Luke 12:40 reads "be... ready also: for the Son of Man comes at an hour you think not." Believers are constantly urged to look for the coming of the Lord (see Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). Conversely, those living during the Tribulation are given the exact number of days from the signing of the Antichrist's 7-year peace treaty to the day Jesus returns in Daniel 12:12. Think about it: if the Tribulation and all of its events had to happen BEFORE the Rapture, it wouldn't be imminent, would it? And if we knew how to calculate the date of His return for us, it wouldn't be at an unknown hour, would it? So Jesus MUST have been speaking about two different events: the Rapture and His Second Coming.

There are many more references, but too many to discuss here. I suggest you go to this ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT web site and read what it has to offer: www.pre-trib.org

I hope this helps. Peace and love in Jesus.

p.s. -- "Trentroy," go to the web site I've referenced above with an open mind. A post-trib rapture makes no sense whatsoever -- why would Christ beat and kill His Bride before He married her?

Answer 2

It's stated in Revelation that it will be after the tribulation, right before the final wrath. Doesn't say anything in the bible about a pre-trib rapture. Evangelicals came up with this concept because Jesus told His diciples He'd be with them till the end. And He did stay with them until their ends, their horrible, painful deaths, but He didn't mean He'd rapture them away from their horrors, just that He'd stay with them. It's wishful thinking and the Left Behind series just reinforced that unbiblical concept. One thing that always hits me, who the heck do they think will be getting their heads lopped off if all christians will be raptured away? Are they putting all their faith in a fictional book series instead of the bible? I truly suggest all you pre-tribbers try reading the bible for yourselves instead of just believing what some evangelical says. I just pray they don't lose faith when they're still here during the trib.

Suzanne, John was told to "come up here" in order to see what it was he was suppose to write, doesn't have anything to do with the rapture. The final wrath is what christians will be spared from, not the tribulation.

Jesus will return to collect His own, not two times, once. The pre-trib theory would have Him coming back once to retrieve His own, and then again. The bible clearly states there will only be one time.

Answer 3

It's a somewhat negative concept, really, for no one sees the Church actually go to heaven. We simply assume it when they show up there later on.

After the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation, the Bible speaks of the "great multitude which no man could number", being in heaven. Pretrib scholars argue that the Church has to have been raptured shortly before.

Boy, I hope they're right. I don't want to go thru that tribulation mess!

Answer 4

The rapture was introduced by a 1920s female radio evangelist who would swoon and then reveal such nonsense. She was hugly popular, but there is nothing in the Bible to even suggest that followers of God are going to be taken away before the demise of the world. Look at it this way, if all of a sudden all believers disappeared who would care to fight in a battle for power because the outcome would be evident, the winning side would be assured of spending eternity in fire.

Answer 5

The "decide for" in that scripture is the rustic of Israel. They, alongside with all non-believers will circulate in the time of the tribulation. "For God hath not appointed us to wrath yet to acquire salvation by using our Lord, Jesus Christ." (a million Thessalonians 5:9) Christians won't go through the wrath of God because of the fact our sins have already been washed away as we've gained the righteousness of Christ. additionally examine 1Thess.4:15-18, which tells of the believers being referred to as as much as meet the Lord interior the air and extra up into heaven. After that the tribulation will start up.

Answer 6

It's stated in Revelations. Read the book and you will see... will not point out actual scriptures because it's a powerful book that should be read in all it's entirety.