Hi to my Forum Friends,
In the Religion Forum discussion begun by my Christian Friend, GB, titled "Scriptural Rapture" -- he tells us, "There are many views on the topic of the Rapture. Most modern Protestant Churches, and many since the 19th Century promote, as does our forum member, Bill Gray, holds to a theory called the PreTribulation Rapture. In that view, Christians are Raptured before the 7 years referred to as the Tribulation period, and before the Antichrist comes on the scene.
The PreTribulation theory relies upon symbolic use of Scripture, rather than literal, and promotes the Rapture occurring as implied in Revelation 4:1. Another theory is called the Post-Tribulation theory which teaches the Rapture will happen at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period. Then, there is the Mid-Tribulation position which sets the Rapture timing at the 3 1/2 year, or midpoint, of the Tribulation."
And, my Religion Forum Friend, Head, who advocates extreme legalism, responds, "'Scriptural Rapture' is an oxymoron. The popular, but inane, theory of 'The Rapture' is based on a disordered interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In that passage, the writer is simply addressing the concern that the new Christians at Thessalonica have concerning the fate of their departed faithful brethren. The answer that Paul gives them addresses only the fate of the righteous dead and righteous living at the second coming of Christ. It says nothing about the fate of the unrighteous dead or unrighteous living."
First, let me correct my legalistic Friend. We in the PreTribulation churches do not believe that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is referring to the Second Coming of Christ, which occurs at the end of the seven year Tribulation. We see in that passage that Christ is coming, not back to earth, but in the air, in the clouds (verse 17) where we shall meet Him. This is not His Second Coming.
At this point, let me emphasize, strongly, that it is my Biblical belief that all Christian believers, regardless of each individual's view of the Rapture, the Tribulation, or any End Time eschatological event; regardless of whether he/she believes the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, literal Written Word of God, as I do -- or just a good book for teaching what God wants all people to know -- everyone who, by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, believes and receives His "paid in full" free gift of eternal life is a saved Christian believer and will spend eternity in the presence of God. It is just that some of our Friends who do not believe in the Rapture will be very surprised on the way UP.
Now, regarding 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, it is true that the apostle Paul, in this Scripture passage, is only addressing the fate of Christian believers who had died in Christ. Those who had died in unbelief are not his concern in this particular dialogue.
After Paul had established the church at Thessalonica and had traveled on to Corinth, he received word that false teachings had been brought into the church at Thessalonica -- an attempt by those trying to lure the believers back into Judaism, or into a false or erroneous teaching, much like our legalist Friend in his statement above. They were teaching that those who had already died had missed the return of Christ and the possibility that they would be saved. Those believers living in Thessalonica were being taught that their believing loved ones who had already died, had missed out on the promise of a raptured life in Christ.
We see such teachings today, on our Religion Forum, and in other communities where the Christian faith is discussed -- where some misinformed believers will teach that there will be no Rapture; and that believers are not secure in Christ, for they can lose their salvation if they commit even the slightest sin.
I respond to both of these Forum Friends:
Then, perhaps YOU can answer this question. Looking at John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 -- what event are those Scripture passages describing?
In all three -- there is nothing symbolic at all. These very clearly define one event, the Rapture. And, you will notice that these Scripture passages were written in the 1st century -- not in the 19th century by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren. These Scripture passages, i.e., teachings, were written by the apostles John, who walked with our Lord, and Paul, who personally met Him on the road to Damascus. It would be hard to get closer to the New Testament times than that.
I do believe a literal reading of Scripture does teach a PreTribulation Rapture; that Christ will come -- not His Second Coming, but only returns in the air, i.e., in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17) -- to remove His body of believers, His church, before the seven year Tribulation begins.
Then, my Christian Friend responds, "There is no curiosity in you Bill, just mistaken, blindly, following of what someone has preached to you on the subject. There IS NO Scriptural basis for the PreTribulation Rapture. There are many Scriptures that reference the Rapture itself. But my reference to "symbolic" was strictly relating to the verse that PreTrib folks, like you, point to as the Rapture, which is Revelation 4:1 -- with NO Regard to the following verse at all. They say Rev 4:1 is symbolic of the Rapture, yet in the very next verse John says he's in the Spirit."
Maybe part of the confusion is how we in the PreTrib world view Revelation 4:1. We do not see it as the actual Rapture, nor as symbolic of the Rapture. We view it as a "type" of the Rapture -- just as Joseph is seen as a "type" of Christ in that he suffered, at the hands of his brothers, to save his brothers. Did John actually go into heaven, or was he only shown a vision of heaven? Regardless, he did see heaven as we believers will one day see heaven.
We see the same question offered by the apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:2, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven." Paul did not know if he was taken into heaven bodily or only given a vision of heaven. That is the same way we have to view John's experience. But, either way, we believe that John was shown a vision of heaven as we will see it when we are Raptured.
So, now that we have agreed that John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 -- are all speaking of the Rapture, of Christ coming to take His church, His body of believers, out of this world and into heaven -- which many of us call the Rapture, based upon the phrase "shall be caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. In Greek this phrase is harpazo which is translated in the Latin Vulgate as rapiemur. The Latin rapiemur is transliterated into our English word Rapture. Thus, we in the English speaking world refer to this event as the Rapture.
Now that we have agreed there will be a Rapture; we need only look at WHEN it will happen.
Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."
Here, Christ is telling His "faithful" church at Philadelphia (and all faithful Christian believers) that He will keep us from the wrath, the hour of testing, which is about to come upon the whole world.
What is that hour of testing? It is the Tribulation which is described in Daniel 9:24-27, the final week of years, seven years, which God has established to finish His cleansing of the remnant of His people, Israel. And, of course, that 70th Week of Daniel, the Time of Jacob's Troubles, is the seven year Tribulation which will bring God's wrath upon the whole world. Yet, we have been told in Revelation 3:10 that Christ will keep His faithful church from that time of wrath; that He will come and Rapture His church out of this world and its earned time of tribulation.
And, this is confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 5:
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."
Given Christ's teaching through John in Revelation 3:10 and Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 -- we can see that the church, the body of Christian believers, will be "caught up" -- raptured -- from this world before the Tribulation begins. We have the PreTribulation Rapture.
And, we believe that Jesus Christ will return at the end of the Tribulation to establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth, when He will rule the earth, the perfect theocracy, for 1000 years. This tells us that Christ's return will be PreMillennial.
Therefore, I firmly believe that the Bible teaches a PreTribulation Rapture of the church and a PreMillennial Second Coming of Christ. Thus, I am a PreTribulation, PreMillennial believing Christian. It is in the Bible.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill