Mid and Post tribulation rapture

May 9, 2020

 

Saturday. Yesterday the Governor announced our county would be “yellow” on the 15^th. This opens the possibility of having church on the 18^th, pending board guidance. Stay tuned for the announcement.

 

Yesterday we looked at the Pre-tribulation position. Today we cover the other two predominate views of when a “rapture” may happen. Note, we are skipping split and partial views. Also note, this is a "thumb nail" sketch and not a complete explanation. I am loathed to admit this, but scripturally all three positions are plausible. Neither can be proven without ignoring evidence to the contrary.

 

The second position about WHEN the rapture will occur is the “MID-tribulation rapture.”  1 Thessalonians 4:16 states, “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.” [NIV] The idea here is the connection and timing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 half way through the tribulation.

 

The MID-tribulation position may also be supported by 1 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.” [NIV] The reference is to the LAST or seventh trumpet, specifically. If the trumpet calls of 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 are the same as the one in Revelation 11, then the rapture will occur MID-tribulation.

 

The third position is the POST-tribulation rapture.  Starting with Revelation 6:9, 11 we read, “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. … Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” [NIV] Here the “fellow servants” to be slain because of Jesus during the tribulation are Christians. The image of “brothers and sisters” is specific to the church throughout the New Testament. The blood shed will continue through the tribulation. Therefore, Christians will be here throughout the tribulation.

 

The Post-tribulation rapture also suggests that if the Holy Spirit were removed then the possibility of salvation would be lost. John 16:8 states, “When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove (“convict”) the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” [NIV] Since the possibility of salvation is offered/open during the tribulation, then the Holy Spirit (or the church) cannot have been removed from the world.

 

Another argument for the Post-tribulation rapture comes from Revelation 13:7, “It (the beast out of the sea) was given power to wage war against God’s holy people (Greek = “saints”) and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.” [NIV] “Saints” is generally a term referring to the church.  This reference comes up again in Revelation 17:6, “I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people (saints), the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.” [NIV] The term “saints” is specific to the church throughout the New Testament. We see the church alive late in the tribulation.

 

When will the rapture happen?  Answer: it is uncertain if we are honestly handling scripture. The point is as Peter put it 2 Peter 3:11b – 12a, “… what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming….” [NIV] Notice Peter says we can speed its coming? He was just quoting Jesus (see Mathew 24:14).

 

The “soul bet” is what happens if we set our hearts on a PRE-tribulation rapture and it does not happen. My suspicion is MANY will abandon the faith. Or as Paul said, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs…” [2 Thessalonians 2:3a NIV] The Greek word translated “rebellion” is the word “apostasia.” We commonly know that word in English as “apostasy” meaning “a falling away” (KJV). This may be a future event, then again maybe the defection it already happening.