The phrases that is most commonly used to sustain pre-tribulationism are those which describe Christ's coming "for His saints" and "with His saints". At the Rapture, the pre-tribulationists say that Christ comes for the saints that He may catch up the living saints and the raised dead saints to meet Him in the air. In I Thess. 3:13, Paul spoke of the parousia of the Lord Jesus with all His saints, when he prays that the Lord would make the Thessalonians abound in love to one another and to all men, and
"so that he may establish your heartsThe pre-tribulationists argued that it is impossible for Christ to come with His saints unless He has first come for them. There must have been a previous gathering of the saints unto Christ in the air so that He can now comes to earth accompanied by the saints. Therefore, the Rapture must occur in advance of Christ's coming with the saints and it must be a separate event.
unblameable in holiness before our God, even our Father,
at the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus
with all his saints." (I Thess. 3:13)
This interpretation possesses a simplicity that appears very persuasive, but it by no means proves a pre-tribulation rapture. What does the Word of God means when it says that Christ will come "with His saints"? The word "saints" means "holy ones", and may not refer to men at all but to the angels that will accompany the Lord as described by Jesus in Mark 8:38:
"For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my wordsThe phrase in I Thess. 3:13 that is translated "with all of his saints", and means literally, "with all his holy ones", may mean His holy angels. And if the "holy ones" of this verse are angels, then it cannot be used to support a pre-tribulation rapture.
in this adulterous and sinful generation,
the Son of Man shall also be ashamed of him
when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels." (KJV)
But even if the phrase does refer to redeemed men, it provides no necessary support for the idea of two separate events of Christ's coming. The most natural meaning of the passage is that it refers to the same event that is described in I Thess. 4:14:
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,This "coming with Christ" is simultaneous with the Rapture and the Resurrection of the dead saints, as next three verses indicates, and is not a separate event which will occur at a considerable time after the Rapture.
even so God will bring with Him
those who have fallen asleep in Jesus."
"15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,When Christ returns at the time of the Rapture for His saints, those who are dead in Christ God will bring with Him.
that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord,
shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God;
and the dead in Christ will rise first:
17 Then we who are alive and remain,
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air:
and thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(I Thess. 4:15-17 NAS).
The pre-tribulationist teach that when Christ comes at the Rapture for His Church, He will descend into the air of the earth but not to the surface of the earth, and He will "meet" the Saints in air and Christ will turn around and return to heaven with all the saints. But the verse (I Thess. 4:17) does not say this: that Christ returns to heaven after He meets the Saints in the air. Paul does not say in this passage what happens after the meeting in the air. Paul's thought here in I Thess. 4:15-17 may be understood by looking at the Greek word in verse 17 that is used of the meeting of the Lord in the air, apantesis. This noun occurs in only three other places in the Greek New Testament. We find it used of the second coming of Christ in the parable of the virgins who were waiting for the hour of the wedding feast when the bridegroom would come. Finnally, the cry is raised, "Behold, the bridegroom! come ye forth to meet him" (Matt. 25:6 KJV). The virgins then went out to meet the approaching bridegroom and as they meet him they, the virgins, reverse their direction and immediately returned, acompanying the bridegroom to the wedding. The bridegroom did not reverse his direction as did the virgins who came out to meet him. The word is again used of Paul's visit to Rome. As he approached the city, some of the brethren heard of his approach and they went out to meet him outside of the city and so accompanied him as he entered Rome (Acts 28:15-16). Paul did not change his direction but those who came out of the city to meet him did reverse their direction and went back into the city of Rome with Paul.
In the same way, the second coming of Christ will be a coming which is at the same time a coming for His saints and also a coming with them. The resurrected dead saints and the transformed living saints will arise from the earth into the air to meet the coming Lord in the air, and then the saints will reverse their direction and come with the Lord to the earth. The Lord does not reverse His direction as He comes from heaven to earth, but the saints do and will return to the earth with the Lord. The coming of Christ for His saints and the coming with them are two aspects of the same event, not two separate events.
Paul's teaching here in I Thessalonians of the Rapture of the Church is essentially an indication of the transformation of living believers into their glorious resurrection bodies without passing through physical death. They are caught up from the earth to be with the Lord and thus enter into the new realm of their glorified existence along with the resurrected dead. Thereafter they shall ever be with the Lord, and they will then accompany Him as He continues on His way to the earth. The saints who are now equipped with their resurrection bodies come with Lord to destroy the Antichrist and his armies at the battle of Armageddon. Thus there is no ground whatsoever to assume that there must be a considerable interval of time between the Rapture and Christ's coming with His Church. These are two aspects of a single indivisible event. The phraseology of Christ's coming for the saints and with His saints is no proof for the assumption that these are two separate events divided by number of years. Such an assumption may be drawn, but it is a human interpretation, not the clear assertion of the Word of God. Other interpretations are equally possible. But there is no evidence here of a pre-tribulation rapture.
The pre-tribulationists often argue that the Rapture must be separated from
the Revelation of Christ's Coming to earth in order that
there may be an interval of time between the Rapture and the Revelation
so that the Saints may appear before the judgment seat of Chirst to receive
rewards for the things done in the body before they come to earth with Him.
Concerning this interpretation, two questions must be raised.
First, where does the Word of God say that the saints are to be rewarded
before Christ returns in glory? What is there to prevent this judgment
of rewards from taking place after Christ has come in victory and established
His millenial kingdom? In the millennium, the saints are to reign with
Him, and before they begin that reign with Him Christ exercises His kingly
authority in rewarding the saints on the basis of their faithfulness
manifested in their earthly existence and their reward will be their position
in the reign with Christ. Something like this may be involved as in the
parable of the pounds in Luke 19:11-19.
Secondly, if a period of time must intervene for this judgment to
take place, will seven years be enough? It is estimated that there are
now two hundred million living Christians. In seven years, there are just
over two hundred million seconds. How much of a fraction of a second is
necessary for the judgment of each believer? If an interval of time is
needed, then far more than seven years will be needed. There is plenty
of time after Chirst returns to earth for His thousand year millenial reign.
The pre-tribulationists appeal to the picture of the marriage feast of Lamb in Revelation 19:6-9 to prove the pre-tribulation rapture. They argue that in this vision the Church is seen in the presence of Christ, arrayed for the marriage banquet, and this position of the Church at His return requires a Rapture at an earlier time, before the Great Tribulation, else the Church would not be in heaven preparing for the feast.
When we look at the passage more closely we discover that Revelation 19:6-9 is a prophetic hymn about the marriage supper of the Lamb and not an actual description of that event. Nearly all interpreters agree that this refers to the union of Christ and His Church. It pictures the joy of that union.
"6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude,Our Lord used the picture of a wedding feast several times to describe the future joy of His kingdom (Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24). The pre-tribulationists hold that this event will occur at the Rapture. At the Rapture, Christ will appear as a Bridegroom to take His Bride to Himself. And at the Revelation, Christ will come with His Bride to establish His kingdom. The passage in Revelation 19 describes this glad day.
like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thundepeals, crying,
'Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage feast of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen,
bright and pure' --
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, 'Write this:
Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'
And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'"
(Rev. 19:6-9)
The time of the wedding feast is specifically indicated. The wedding, the reunion with Christ, occurs at the Revelation of Christ in glory. The feast does not actually occur in Revelation 19. The passage does not describe the wedding feast. It is a prophetic hymn, not a description of the marriage; it is a hymn of anticipation. John beholds in vision what actually takes place in chapter 20:4-6.
The prophetic character of the hymn is proved by its first line:
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns." (vs. 6)
This reign has not yet actually begun; it about to begin.
Greek grammarians speak of this verb as an ingressive aorist,
and the meaning is, "The Lord our God ... has begun his reign."
This announcement anticipates the reign. The reign actually begins
after Christ appears as the victorious conqueror on the white horse,
clad in a warrior's battle-stained garments for the battle of
Armageddon (Rev. 16:16; 19:17-18). Only after the destruction of the
Beast and False Prophet, together with the kings who serve them
(19:19-21), and the binding and imprisonment of the Devil does the
kingdom come and the reign announced in Rev. 19:6 actually begin.
The prophetic hymn sings of this reign as though it had already
taken place, for it is actually about to occur.
The marriage of the Lamb is associated in this prophetic hymn with the beginning of the kingdom and the coming of the conquering Christ. It has not yet occurred. It did not occur at a supposed rapture at an earlier time. The actual union of the Bride and Groom is not even pictured; only the announcement of it is given. As the hymn proclaims the future beginning of the kingdom, it also proclaims the future marriage feast; but both are in the immediate future, and both will take place after Christ returns.
So the vision of the bride prepared for the wedding feast is prophetic. In vision, John sees the bride ready for the marriage; but this is not a vision depicting either the saints in the intermediate state or the Church in heaven prior to the return of Christ. It is a vision of what shall be after Christ returns. Then will occur the resurrection of the dead in Christ, both saints and martyrs (Rev. 20:4). The final proof that this is a prophetic vision is the fact that the dead in Christ are not yet raised; their resurrection occurs after the return of Christ (Rev. 20:4).
In the book of the Revelation, there is only one coming of Christ, and it takes place at the end of the Tribulation. It has a twofold meaning. To the Church, it means a banquet of joy, the marriage feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9); to the world, it means a banquet of death (Rev. 19:17-18), a visitation of judgment. Christ is both the Blessed Groom and Conquering King.
Another basis for the view that the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation is the claim that the Word of God teaches that the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world before the Tribulation begins: and since the Holy Spirit indwells the Church, it is concluded that the Church will be taken out of the world when the Holy Spirit is removed.
This teaching is based on II Thess. 2:6-7:
"6 And now ye know what withholdethor, using a more modern translation:
that he might be revealed in his time,
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way." (KJV)
"6 And you know what restrains him now,Almost all pre-tribulationists maintain that "he who now restrains" is the Holy Spirit. The mystery of lawlessness is already working in the world, but the Spirit of God who indwells the Church exercises a restraining power upon lawlessness. There will come a day when this will be no longer true and when the restraint is removed. The pre-tribulationists tell us that this can refer only to a removal of the Holy Spirit from the world in the Rapture of the Church.
so that in his time he may be revealed.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;
only he who now restrains will do so
until he is taken out of the way." (NAS)
But this is just a human interpretation. The Word of God does not say that the Holy Spirt is the restrainer. In this passage, Paul does not say who or what is restraining. Paul's language here is brief and concise because he had already taught them in person who or what is the restrainer. But we were not there, and we do not know to whom or what he is referring to in this passage. Modern interpreters only assume that he is referring to the Holy Spirit and to the Rapture of the Church. But that assumption is only a human guess and not a teaching of the Word of God.
Other interpretations have been proposed. Since the Greek
noun in verse 6 that is translated "what withholdeth" or "what restrains" is
neuter, it refers to some definite thing that will be taken out of the
way before the Antichrist is revealed. But in verse 7, the restrainer or
"he who now restrains" is masculine and would refer literally to some person
or individual who "withholdeth" or "restrains" the revelation of the
Antichrist. The word "withholdeth" literally means "to hold fast".
And the expression "be taken out of the way" is literally
"will be out of the midst". Thus the expression "until he be taken
out of the way" (literally "until he come out of the midst") may not refer
to the restraining power at all but to the Antichrist. In this case, the
restraining power is the power of God Himself. The verse 7 may be paraphrased,
"for the mystery of lawlessness already is working;
only there is the one who restrains just now, namely God,
until he, the Antichrist, arises out of the midst."
And this is precisely what verse 6 says,
"And now do you know that which restrianeth,
to the end that he (the Antichrist) may be revealed in his own time."
Verse six and seven thus say the same thing and there is a
similar balance in the two parts of verse six and of verse seven.
6a "And you know what restrains him now" (the power of God)
6b "so that in his time he may be revealed" (the Antichrist),
"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;"
7a "only there is one who restrains just now" (God)
7b "until he comes out of the midst" (the Antichrist).
We readily admit that this is a human interpretation and that we are not asserting that it is authoritative as the Word of God. But it is at least as possible as the interpetation that the restraining one is the Holy Spirit; it seems to maintain the balance between the two verses 6 and 7 more naturally. In any case, any support for a pre-tribulation rapture from this passage is nothing more than an assumption. The Scripture says nothing explicitly about the removal of the Holy Spirit or of a Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation. It is an assumption and not an assertion of the Word of God.
If the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture is in the Word of God, it
ought to be asserted in the passages where the doctrine of the resurrection
is set forth; for according to pre-tribulationism, the resurrection of the
righteous will occur before the Great Tribulation takes place.
Pre-tribulationism divides the resurrection into three parts:
(1) the resurrection of the dead saints, which will occur at the coming
of Christ for His Church in the Rapture at the beginning of the Great
Tribulation.
(2) the resurrection of the Tribulation martyrs at the end of the
Great Tribulation; and
(3) the second resurrection at the end of the millennium (Rev. 20:12-15).
The resurrection of dead saints at the Rapture and the martyr-resurrection
are, according to pre-tribulationism, two parts of the first resurrection (
Rev. 20:4-6).
If the first resurrection of
Rev. 20:4-6
is divided into two parts, the Word of God ought to make this clear. That is,
the two stages of the first resurrection should be as clear as the fact of the
two resurrections of Rev. 20.
The amillenialists deny that there are in fact two resurrections as revealed in Rev. 20. They speak of the General Resurrection of all the dead before the final judgment. But the teaching of two resurrections is a clear assertion of the Word of God in Rev. 20, and the teaching of a single resurrection must ignore several important passages of the Scriptures. The book of Revelation speaks explicitly of a first resurrection at the beginning of the millennium ( Rev. 20:4-6), and then describes a second resurrection at the end of the millennium (Rev. 20:7-15). Any interpretation of this first resurrection which spiritualizes it and refuses to see that the first resurrection is a bodily resurrection of the same sort as the second resurrection, is ignoring the demands of language. Two literal bodily resurrections are demanded by the language of the Word of God in the book of Revelation.
This twofold character of the resurrection is also suggested elsewhere in the Scriptures. Our Lord spoke of a resurrection of life (the first resurrection), and a resurrection of judgment (the second resurrection, John 5:20). He spoke of the resurrection of the righteous as though it was to be distinguished from the resurrection of the unrighteous (Luke 14:14). He spoke of those "that are accounted worthy to attain to that age, and the resurrection from the dead" (literally, the resurrection which is from dead ones, Luke 20:35), indicating that it is a resurrection of some of the dead which will be the attainment of a favored group who have been accounted worthy of this particular blessing. Similarly, Paul's hope for the future is not upon a general resurrection -- a doctrine which he would have held as a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), but upon the attainment to the "out-resurrection which is from dead ones" (Phil. 3:11). At the parousia, not the dead in general, but "they that are Christ's" will be raised.
"But each in his own order;All of these passages reinforce the teaching of Revelation 20 that there will be two resurrections of the dead. This is not an assumption but the expicit affirmation of Scriptures, reinforced by other Scriptures which imply two resurrections.
Christ the first fruits,
then at his coming [parousia] those who belong to Christ."
(I Cor. 15:23).
Does the Word of God similarly teach that the first resurrection will consist of two stages, the first of which will occur at the beginning of the Tribulation? No such teaching appears in the Scripture. The resurrection will occur at "the last day" (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24). A reference to the resurrection is included in Paul's longing for the transformation of the body at the coming of Christ ( Phil. 3:20-21), but the time is not clearly stated. References to the resurrection are found in Romans 6:5, 8:11, II Tim. 2:18, Acts 17:18, 24:15, Heb. 6:2, 11:35, but no indications of time enable us to place the resurrection before the Tribulation.
Other references having more specific temporal reference are I Cor. 15:23, where the resurrection occurs at the parousia of the Lord, and I Thess. 4:16, where it occurs when the Lord descends from heaven; but these passages say nothing about the relationship of the resurrection to the Tribulation. The question of the time of the parousia with respect to Tribulation has been discussed above.
The one passage that explicitly locates the first resurrection is the prophecy in Rev. 20, and this is also the only passage which describes the resurrection of martyrs. In chapter 19 of Revelation, Christ comes on a white horse as a victorious conqueror to destory the Antichrist and the kings who supported him. After the battle of Armageddon, Christ begins His rule during the Millennium. During Christ coming to earth, the first resurrection occurs. John saw two groups of people who are raised from the dead ( Rev. 20:4); he saw thrones and people seated upon them to whom judgment was given and also the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark. John says little about this first group because his main concern is with those who have slain by the beast, the Antichrist. He at once singles out for special attention this second group: the souls of them who had been martyred by the Beast in the Great Tribulation. Both groups come to life at the same time in the first resurrection.
The identity of the second group is clear. But who are they that are in the first, undefined group? Only one possibility commends itself. They are the righteous who have died naturally, who have not been martyred. They are the saints in general, the "dead in Christ" ( I Thess. 4:16). To say that this resurrection occurred earlier back between chapters 3 and 4 is to contradict the clear assertion of this passage:
"4 Then I saw thrones,They both came to life in the first resurrection. The subject of the verb is both groups -- those seated on thrones and the martyrs. There is no mention or suggestion of a resurrection earlier than this one which is at the glorious return of Christ at the end of the Tribulation, and this passage locates the resurrection of both the saints and the martyrs at the Revelation of Christ.
and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed.
Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast
and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They come to life again, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life again
until the thousand years were ended.
This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection!
Over such the second death has no power,
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and they shall reign with him a thousand years." (Rev. 20:4-6).
The teaching that a resurrection of saints takes place at the beginning of the Tribulation is an assumption utterly unsupported by the Scriptures that teach resurrection, and it is contradicted by Rev. 20. There is no resurrection before the first resurrection; otherwise, it would not be the first.
The pre-tribulationists teach that the Church must be removed from the world before the Tribulation to escape the wrath of God. In I Thess. 5:9, Paul says,
"For God appointed us not unto wrath,Since the Great Tribulation is to consist in part of the outpouring of God's wrath upon a decadent and sinful society (Rev. 16:1), and since God has not appointed His people to experience wrath, must we not conclude that the Church is to be removed before the Tribulation, before the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth?
but unto the obtaining of salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Thess. 5:9)
We agree that the Church which Christ has redeemed by His precious blood will never experience the wrath of God. If the question of the time of Rapture to the Tribulation is to be settled on this issue alone, then the choice would be a pre-tribulation rapture, for the Church will never suffer God's wrath. But that the Church will never suffer the wrath of God does not lead to pre-tribulationism, for this verse, I Thess. 5:9, says nothing about either the Rapture or the Tribulation. All this verse asserts is that the Church will not fall under the wrath of God. The wrath here may not refer to the Tribulation at all, but to God's wrath in the final judgment (Rom. 2:5). But, if it does include the Great Tribulation, the verse neither asserts nor suggests that the Church will be removed from the world; it is only promises deliverance.
When the Israelites were in Egypt during the visitation of the plagues upon the Egyptians, they were sheltered from the worst of these plagues that befell the Egyptians. In a similar way, it is possible that the Church may find herself on earth during the period of the Tribulation but will by divine protection be sheltered from the suffering entailed by the outpouring of the bowls of wrath and thus delivered from the wrath to come.
And I Thess. 5:9 says nothing about the Rapture as the way of deliverance. The Rapture is not the only way to be delivered from wrath. The Scriptures says that the deliverance from wrath is by the precious blood of Christ. By taking away our sins by the redemption through the blood of Christ, God saves us from His wrath. It was by the shedding of blood that the Israelites were delivered from the worst of the ten plagues, the death of the first born, How much more by the shedding of the blood of Christ, we believing saints will be delivered from God's wrath, during the Tribulation or afterwards at the Great White Throne judgment.
There are several Scriptures that pre-tribulationist interpret to teach that the saints will be bodily removed from the midst of the coming Great Tribulation. Revelation 3:10 appears at first sight to teach a pre-tribulation rapture.
"Because thou didst keep the word of my patience,This prophecy refers to the Great Tribulation, and it is directed not against God's people but against the "earth-dwellers". This phrase is a recurring one in the book of Revelation by wich the author designates the people of a godless society who have surrendered themselves to the worship of the Antichrist and who are to suffer the wrath of God (cf. Rev. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8). The language of this verse, taken by itself, could be interpreted to teach complete escape from the coming hour of Tribulation. The language is, "I will keep thee out of the hour of trial [tereso ek]".
I also will keep thee from the hour of trial,
that hour which is come upon the whole world,
to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev, 3:10 KJV)
But this language neither asserts nor demands the idea of bodily removal from the midst of the coming trial. This is shown by the fact that precisely the same words are used by our Lord in His prayer that God would keep His disciples "out of the evil [terses ek tou ponerou]" (John 17:15). In our Lord's prayer, there is not idea of bodily removal of the disciples from the evil world but of preservation from the power of evil even when they are in its very presence. A similar thought occurs in Gal. 1:4, where we read that Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from (literally,"out of", ek) this present evil age. This does not refer to a physical removal from the age but to deliverance from its power and control. "This age" will not pass away until the return of Christ and the disciples will not be remove from it.
In the same way, the promise of Rev. 3:10 of being kept ek the hour of trial need not be a promise of a removal from the very physical presence of tribulation. It is a promise of presevation and deliverance in and through it. This verse neither asserts that the Rapture is to occur before the Tribulation, nor does its interpretation require us to think that such a removal is intended.
Another verse which seems to teach bodily deliverance from the tribulation and thus to suggest a pre-tribulation rapture is Luke 21:36:
"But watch ye at every season, making supplication,Many teacher assume that "all these things" refers to everything which will occur during the period of the Great Tribulation. However, we must ask, is this a mere assumption, or does the Word actually teach it? Does "all of these things" refer to the persecutions of the Great Tribulation which shall be inflicted upon the people of God by the Abomination of Desolation -- a persecution which is described in Matt. 24:15-22?
that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of Man."
This eschatological persecution by the Antichrist of the "elect" recorded in Matthew is not recorded by Luke. Instead, Luke relates the words of our Lord pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in A.D. 70. In the verses which follow (vv. 25-28), Jesus announced the events which would immediately precede His second coming. There will be signs in the heavens and distress among the nations as men are filled with foreboding over "the things which are coming on the world" (v. 26). The context makes it clear that this fear is caused by the expectation of divine judgment, of God's wrath, "for the powers of the heaven will be shaken". The thought is not greatly expanded; but it clearly has to do with supernatural events which will attend the return of the Son of Man with power and great glory. Then we meet the striking statement,
"Now when these things begin to take place,The events which indicate the imminent coming of Christ strike fear to the hearts of some but hope to the hearts of others, who see in these very signs the promise of coming redemption. This verse excludes the idea of a secret, any-moment coming of Christ. Recognizable signs are to precede His return to hearld its near approach.
look up and lift your heads,
because your redemption draweth nigh" (v.28)
Then, as in Matthew, we read a warning against lapsing into spiritual stupor, "lest that day come on you suddenly like a snare" (v. 34). From the context, "that day" can be nothing but the day of the glorious coming of Christ which will bring judgment to all mankind (v. 35). In light of this impending judgment, spiritual alertness is imperative. Therefore Jesus warned,
"But watch ye at every season, making supplication,The antecedent of "all these things" which the watchful will escape is found in verse 26, "the things which are coming on the world" which strike fear to the hearts of man -- the divine judgments which will be inflicted at the return of Christ. The world is to fear the judgments of God's wrath, which will accompany "that day", but the watching believer need not fear them. It is indeed these judgments which those who are spiritually awake will escape.
that ye may prevail to escape all these things
that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36 KJV)
This promise has nothing to do with the Tribulation described in Matt. 24:21 which involves persecution of God's elect by the Antichrist. The parallel verse to Luke 21:26 is not Matt. 24:21f., which describes the persecution by the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation, but Matt. 24:29-30, which describes the judgment which will fall at the end of the Tribulation at the appearing of the Son of man. Then, all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of the impending judgment.
"29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened,Those who are spiritually asleep will suffer judgment; but those who are "watching", that is, who are spiritually awake, will escape judgment and will stand before the Son of Man.
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 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....
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known
in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched, and would not have suffered
his house to be broken through" (Matt. 24:29-30, 43).
Luke 21:36 has nothing to do with the question of the Rapture of the Church. It is a promise that God's people will not be subjected to the divine judgment which will fall upon an evil world at the second advent of Christ. We have already met this promise in Rev. 3:10 and I Thess. 5:9. It was also given by our Lord.
We have now completed our survey of the passages which have to do with the Tribulation, the Rapture, and the Resurrection. Nowhere is the Rapture placed before the Tribulation. On the contrary, problems of exegesis are frequently raised if it is assumed that the Rapture precedes the Tribulation. Most of the Scriptures contain no specific temporal references as to the relationship of these events. We must again emphatically point out that nowhere does the Word of God affirm that the Rapture and the Resurrection of believers will precede the Tribulation. The one passage which maintains clear indications of time is Revelation 20:4-6, and it places the first resurrection at the end of the Tribulation at the coming of Christ in glory and the second resurrection at the Great White Throne judgment. Pre-tribulationism is an assumption in light of which the Scriptures is interpreted. It is not supported by any affirmation in the Word of God.
We have examined closely the main basis upon which the three solutions to the problem of when the rapture occurs. In this section on the post-tribulationism, we have looked carefully at the Scriptural basis upon which pre-tribulationism rests. We have found in each instance, that the Biblical data does not support the pre-tribulation interpretation. Nowhere in the Scriptures is the pre-tribulation rapture asserted. And in no instance does the Biblical data require the theory of a pre-tribulation rapture. Theoretically, it is possible that such expressions as Christ's coming for His saints and with His saints refers to two different events. But in our examination of the Scriptures we have found that other interpretations are possible which are at least equally possible and valid. Therefore, pre-tribulationism is not a necessary interpretation. It is an assumption in light of which the Scriptures may be interpreted. Nowhere can its adherents really say, "Thus saith the Lord." Students of the Word may be permitted to make such an assumption, if they care to do so, but in such an important matter, they should be willing to admit that it is an assumption and not the sure Word of God and not the direct teaching of the Word. And that another interpretation, that is, that of a single coming of Christ to rapture the Church at the end of the Tribulation, has an equal if not a stronger claim to Biblical support.
[4] In writing this part of the paper, I have relied very heavily upon
George Eldon Ladd's book,
The Blessed Hope, pp. 62-104
[Grand Rapids, Michigan: Em. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956, 1992]
so that maybe I should put quotation marks around this part of the paper.
Thank you, Dr. Ladd.