Is There A Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

Early History Of The Rapture

The teaching of the rapture might seem as if it has been part of Christianity since the first century. However, that would be inaccurate. I admit that I have not read all the Church Fathers on this topic, but I have searched for references without finding any results. What I do know is that the rapture doctrine was first credited to a man named John Nelson Darby. He, along with the Plymouth Brethren, popularized it in the 1930s. It later gained popularity through the Scofield Study Bible.

The rapture almost became a pop culture topic in the 1970s with the book “The Late Great Planet Earth,” written by Hal Lindsey. Curiously, this book came out at the same time the counterculture was gaining popularity, and we will see how that might have contributed to the decline of Christianity.

Understand that this does not mean the rapture teaching is not valid. I only point this out so that we do not have a misunderstanding about its origin and come from a belief based on a faulty assumption.

The Kingdom Of God.

The kingdom of God is one of the most misunderstood topics in the Bible. If you have read my articles and watched my videos, you will see how crucial it is for understanding the biblical story. From the foundation of the world, the Lord desired a paradise on earth, so He created the Garden of Eden. He created man explicitly to assist Him in bringing it to fruition. The Lord’s will for our planet to be a paradise has never changed and never will change.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

Matthew 25:34

The reason that is important to the rapture is that Christianity has adopted an incorrect view of heaven without knowing it. Our songs are filled with words like ‘leaving this world behind’ and ‘the world is not my home,’ etc. Man was created from the earth for the earth.

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s:
But the earth hath he given to the children of men.”

Psalm 115:16

Jesus gave us the promise that His followers will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5

That verse is from Psalm 37, in which it is stated that His people will inherit the land forever!

“For the Lord loveth judgment,
And forsaketh not his saints;
They are preserved for ever:
But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.”

Psalm 37:28–29

Peter makes it clear that we are not looking to go to a place about which we know nothing. Instead, He says we are looking for our home to be made new.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

2 Peter 3:10–13

The Words Of Our Savior

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

Matthew 24:29–35

It is in these words from my Savior that I hold as a foundation for what to expect for His return. They are easy to understand. Other passages are to be understood in the light of our Savior’s words. As I mentioned in my previous article, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 has always been difficult for me to understand from the pre-tribulation rapture perspective. One day, someone pointed out to me that 2 Thessalonians was precisely what Jesus said in Matthew 24. Let me compare the two passages. They are both talking about the gathering of the saints. They both discuss it taking place after the tribulation. 2 Thessalonians doesn’t exactly say that, but it does say the gathering will not happen until the man of sin is revealed. Why shouldn’t they say the same thing? Would Paul say something contrary to his Lord?

The Rapture And The Resurrection Are The Same.

Paul said this in 2 Thessalonians 2:5, “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” Well that must be what was written in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Jesus said His coming would not be until after the tribulation, and Paul said it won’t happen until the man of sin is revealed. So why do we think the catching up in 1 Thessalonians is a separate event from the resurrection? Read these passages for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit what to think of them. To believe what you want to believe is foolishness! You must trust what the Bible teaches.

I know there are many more things to be addressed in this topic, and I will get to them in subsequent articles. But for now, let us thoroughly consider what has been said and see if there is at least the possibility that these passages refer to one event.

I would love to hear your thoughts by contacting me here.