Part 6 – The Timing of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of “the body of Christ” to Heaven

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Proving the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

In these days of uncertainty and decline in the world’s stability like never before, Bible believing Christians should be looking to the promise of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as a “comfort.” Paul’s rather complete explanations of the Rapture are seen in 1Thes. 4:13-18 and 1Cor 15:51-55. Paul closed 1Thes. 4:18 using the words “wherefore COMFORT One Another With These Words [of the Rapture]” (1Thes. 4:18). In the course of this study, I will explain how that the Rapture or the ‘catching away’ of all Gentile grace-age believers of this age to heaven will occur before the 7-year Tribulation begins.

Some ask; “Does Scripture actually promise a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, or is it an opinion?” They may challenge us to cite Bible verses that would lead a person to believe the Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine.

Some skeptics then say the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture began as the creation of John Nelson Darby in about 1830. This is not true as the Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine is clearly seen in the Pauline Scriptures, now nearly 2,000 years ago. To those who ask, “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine of Darby is so young, how can it be Biblical,” I reply, then on that basis we could say the recovery of our most core faith doctrine of “Justification by Faith” is not illegitimate only because it dates back the 14-1500s?

The fact is that it is only since the end of the 1,000-year ‘dark middle ages’ ended, during which time the pure unadulterated Bible truth we stand upon today was kept shrouded by the Roman Catholic Church, locked away in dusty libraries. Only since then, do we have the recovery of many important fundamental doctrinal Bible truths that Christ originally revealed to Paul. These fundamental Bible truths came to light with the Protestant reformers; including John Wycliffe, Jon Hus, and Martin Luther. The fact is that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is just as critical to our faith today as “justification by faith,” which was recovered through the 14th and 15th centuries.

Actually, there are many ancient manuscripts dating back to the 2nd century that when translated from Latin have revealed that many of the early Church fathers held to the very same Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine as Darby, who only later rediscovered the same. Consider, Irenaeus, who was born during the first half of the 2nd century, held the belief that the Rapture took place prior to the end times Tribulation. So did, Cyprian (200 AD - 258 AD), as a Bishop (overseer) of the church in Carthage, and others also. Dr. Tommy Ice cites them and many other such Pre-Darby Pre-Tribulation Rapture statements in his recent lecture. https://www.pre-trib.org/other-articles-by-dr-thomas-ice/message/a-history-of-pre-darby-rapture-advocates/read

The Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine provides believers security and “comfort.” All who believe and appreciate Paul’s 1Thess. 4:13-18 concerning the promised Rapture of both the dead and the living members of the church, “the body of Christ” before the Tribulation period. Below we have some of Paul’s words of assurance and security, that plainly say we are not subject to God’s “wrath to come” in the 7-year Tribulation period. How can Paul say this? We have this truth is only because Jesus Christ took upon Himself “the wrath of God on our behalf, suffering and dying at the Cross for Our Sins. Our sin-debt account is stamped “PAID IN FULL.”

Now consider these Pauline verses.

10 And to wait for his Son [of God] from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even [that is] Jesus, which DELIVERED US [already] FROM THE WRATH TO COME.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV)

9 For GOD HATH NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV)

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [dead in their graves], 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 [have died] 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 [alive] unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [dead in their graves]. 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 (KJV)

20 For our conversation [Old English for ‘citizenship’] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body [resurrected spirit-body], according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV)

13 Looking for that blessed hope [expectation], and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13 (KJV)

Keep in mind that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Gentile church, which is called “the body of Christ,” is Only Written of by the Apostle Paul in his epistles. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is another one of several “secret” doctrines that Christ revealed directly to Paul for those of this age of “the dispensation of grace of God.”

51 Behold, I [Paul] shew you a mystery [Greek, musterion, meaning ‘a God-ordained SECRET’]; We shall not all sleep [be dead in the grave], but we shall all be CHANGED,” (1 Corinthians 15:51 (KJV)

Then also there was also revealed to Paul “the revelation of the mystery [secret]” of the of the Cross (2Cor. 2:7-8) and “the fellowship of the mystery [secret]” (Eph. 3:9) of the joint body of Jew and Gentile in Christ without racial distinction during today’s “the dispensation of the grace of God.” Then there is the mystery of the indwelling Christ (Colossians 1:25).

25 Whereof I [Paul] am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you [Gentiles], to fulfil [Grk. pleroo, complete] the word of God; 26 Even the mystery [secret] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints [the believers]: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, The Hope of Glory:” (Col. 1:25-27 (KJV)

Since Paul is “The [One] Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) he, as the Moses of today’s grace dispensation, conveyed “the commandments [instructions] of the Lord” to “the body of Christ” (1Cor 14:37). It is Paul alone who writes of our destiny relative to our Rapture and the Tribulation period, so as to dwell with Christ “Eternal In The Heavens (2 Cor 5:1b). Thus, we are not destined to return to earth as our abode. The “Kingdom of [from] heaven” to come on earth is promised only to Israel. Therein, Jesus’ “the Twelve” Jewish Apostles to Israel [Not Paul] will sit on “Twelve Thrones.” Israel is never promised heaven as their eternal abode. Israel, as the Lord’s Bride, Kings, and nation of Priests, is destined to co-reign eternally with Christ on the earth in “the Kingdom”.

10 And [the LORD] hast made us [Israel] unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:10 (KJV)
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6 (KJV)

Having this understanding, let’s now consider that there are today several different eschatological views on the subject of the end-time timeline and the placement of the Rapture of “His body,” relative to the Tribulation period. Consider these three (3) erroneous views among those of so-called Christendom today.

  1. Some are ‘amillennialists,’ such as the Roman Catholic Church, who doctrinally rejects both the Pre-Tribulation Raptureand Millennial Reign of Christ.’ (For detail go to: http://www.artlicursi.com/articles/part-9-%E2%80%93-rcc-rejects-both-%E2%80%98pre-trib-rapture%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98post-trib-%E2%80%98millennial-reign-christ%E2%80%99   citing several Catholic quotes.) Most ‘Amillennialists’ deny that the Antichrist will be a real man and they deny a literal Tribulation period.
  2. There also are ‘Preterist’ who hold that the Bible’s End Times prophecies of the Apocalypse have already been either nearly or entirely fulfilled. Preterism is the view that all of the prophecies concerning the end of the age occurred in 70AD when Israel was destroyed by the Roman General Titus, and they say there are no End-Time events on the horizon.
  3. Then there are some who believe the Rapture of the church does not occur UNTIL at least MID-Tribulation, which is half-way or 3-1/2 yrs. into the 7-year Tribulation period, calling it the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Various versions of what they call the Pre-Wrath Rapture say the Rapture is to occur sometime after the 6th Seal and before the 7th Seal. The Pre-Wrath view, was first taught by Robert Van Kampen in the 1970’s. Then, in the early 1990s Marvin J. Rosenthal published the book “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church” which popularized the Pre-Wrath Rapture. They erroneously say the Christians must go through at least the 1st 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation’s 7-year period. As you will see in Part 7 of this series, the sufferings to occur under ‘The Four Horsemen’ of the Apocalypse as seen in the first 4 SEALs, along with the 6th “SEAL” Scriptures, contradict this view.

The main problem with the eschatology (the end times view) of the above three examples is that they do NOT “rightly divide” the word of truth as Paul instructs us in 2Tim. 2:15. They take that which applies to the Nation Israel ONLY and try to apply it to the Gentile church, “the body of Christ.”

The three views listed above are all false understandings. The first 2 views are so blatantly wrong that as I progress in this series, I particularly only want to point out the error of item 3 (above), whereby the Pre-Wrath Rapture,’ wrongly times the Rapture to occur sometime during the 6th SEAL and just before the 7th SEAL is opened. We will see the horrific sufferings of the first half of the Tribulation period in Part 7 when Antichrist and the ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ appear on the world stage.