PROOFS THE RAPTURE IS BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
1. No mention of the church is made in connection with the tribulation. Only Israel and nations are mentioned.
2. The promise to the church at Philadelphia (which represents the revived church of the last days) states:
"I will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth."
Rev.3:10
3. The tribulation is a time of God's wrath on an apostate church, a backslidden Israel, and an ungodly world. Believers are "not appointed unto wrath."
(I Thess. 5:9)
4. We are to be "delivered from the wrath to come." (I Thess.1:10)
5.Types in the Bible
Enoch--raptured before the flood
Lot and his family--delivered before the judgment on Sodom
6. In Revelation 4:1, the "Come up hither." represents the rapture. Following that - the church is seen in heaven with crowns on their heads--which Paul said would be received on the day of the rapture. Following the rapture day scene of Rev. 4 & 5, the tribulation starts in chapter 6.
7.Greek words used to describe the rapture:
harpadzo =caught away by force out of harm's way
ekphugein = to escape clean away from a person or condition
apolutrosis = to take unto oneself a valued object that was paid for in full earlier
optomai = appear
Some have said that if we would search we will find no history of the teaching in the early church record. They say that it did not exist until the 1830's. But that is not true.
Let us examine some early church writings.
Justin Martyr 100 A.D.-
" The man of apostasy shall venture to do unlawful deeds on earth against us the Christians."
(Trypho, cx)
This is true, for many will be saved during the tribulation, after the rapture of the church, they are called the tribulation saints... So this statement does not teach against Pre-trib rapture. It confirms that after the rapture, there will still be many come to Jesus.
The Pastor(Shepherd)of Hermas 150 A.D.-
"Happy ye are who endure the great tribulation that is coming."
(Vision Second)
" Those, therefore, who continue steadfast, and are put through the fire,
will be purified by means of it
Wherefore, cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This then is the type of the great tribulation that is yet to come."
(Vision Fourth)
This passage is often used by those who do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Yet, remember that the early church was going through great tribulations when they wrote this. The Roman rule was causing many to be burnt upon crosses, crucified upon crosses, thrown to lions, imprisoned, scourgings with 39 stripes, beheaded, etc. So when they spoke of enduring tribulations, they meant the tribulations in which they were currently. Note that they also said this then is the type of the great tribulation that is yet to come. They knew another, greater tribulation was still to come, but only the tribulations they were currently in would be the ones they endured before the coming of the Lord.
Irenaeus 130 A.D.- " And they (the ten kings) shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the church to flight."
(Against Heresies, V, 26, 1)
Where two or three are gathered in His name, is a church. Therefore, after the rapture of the church in a pre-trib rapture, there can be a church of tribulation saints which will endure some tribulation before being killed. So mention of a church in the tribulation is still consistent with pre-tribulation teaching.
There is currently an apostasy, and a great falling away, perilous times, and much tribulation upon saints in areas of this world. We are already seeing trials galore. Yet, this is not the 7 year tribulation spoken of in Revelation and Daniel. We may find some in China, where many die due to their Christian faith, may think they are already in the tribulation. In the early church, some in Thessalonica thought they were in the tribulation and had missed the rapture, so Paul wrote His epistles to correct their thinking.
Hermas.....
There is an interesting paragraph in the Shepherd of Hermas, that shows that the early church spoke of tribulations often, for they were going through many. Still, they also knew of a separate tribulation, through which they believed the church would not pass.
Hermas tells us that he passed by a wild beast and met a virgin who saluted him saying... Hail O man.!
He returned the greeting... Lady, hail!
Then she asked... Has nothing crossed your path?
Hermas replied...
I was met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through the power of the Lord and His great mercy, I escaped from it...
The virgin said... Well, did you escape from it, because you cast your care on God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other than His great and glorious name? You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. God therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be free and spotless in serving the Lord blamelessly.
Hermas, The Shepherd of Hermas, Book I, fourth, ch. ii, also ch. iii)
This shows that the teaching was definitely in the early church, of a pre-trib rapture. The teaching of the pre-trib rapture was not added in 1830, as some try to claim, but in that time, there was a restoration of the doctrine that had been lost when the church apostatized in the dark ages. The church lost not only the pre-trib rapture doctrine, but had also lost the doctrine of salvation by faith, not works. The church had became powerful feeling, and persecuted the world for a time. Instead of wanting an escape of the tribulation of judgment from God on this world, they tried to judge the unsaved themselves. This was a time a restoration of doctrines of salvation by faith, not works needed to be done, and a restoration of the ignored doctrine of the rapture needed done. So, the revival of the doctrines occurred in that time period.
The journey is almost over.
We will soon be met by Jesus in the clouds, and finish the trip with Him. He has finished our heavenly mansions, He has prepared a great supper. We have rewards to receive at the judgment seat of Christ, we have robes to put on. There will be a great reunion reception in the throne room of God, described in Revelation 4 and 5, where we will shout the victory for completion of our gospel road travel.
The twenty four elders, representing the 24 divisions of the heavenly priesthood all have crowns on their heads in Rev. 4 and 5. Paul clearly teaches that no saint, not even him, would get their crown until the rapture time. The tribulation starts in Rev. 6 -19, so the rapture day in heaven, described in Revelation 4 and 5, indicates a pre-trib rapture.
During the time when the tribulation occurs on earth, the judgment of believers will take some time in heaven. There will be the passing out of rewards. The marriage supper of the Lamb, the opening of the New Jerusalem, will also take some time. If we went up to the clouds, and then immediately come back to rule and reign with Christ for a 1000 years, when would those things occur?
The gospel road trip to heaven, is almost finished. We are soon to arrive at our chosen destination.
May the Father bless you too!
