There are three basic views concerning the rapture that the majority of Christians believe. First we must define the term rapture and discover its Biblical foundation. The English word rapture comes from the Latin word rapio which literally means “to seize or snatch away”. The Biblical basis for the rapture is found primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 where this Latin word rapio is often translated into English as “caught up”. Believers in Christ (dead and alive) will be “caught up” with Christ in the air and taken from this Earth to the place He has prepared for His saints. This takes us to the differing views concerning the rapture. All of these views differ mainly on the point in time that the rapture will occur in relation to the Great Tribulation, which is a time of intense suffering and persecution unlike any the World has ever seen or faced (Matt. 24:21). These three views of the rapture can be identified quite easily by their names. They all are named based on when they believe the rapture will take place in relation to the Great Tribulation.
The Pre-Tribulation view holds that the Believers in Christ that have already died and the Believers still alive on earth will be taken up to heaven prior to the Great Tribulation. John MacArthur is a widely known Pastor who holds this view. According to MacArthur, “For many reasons, the pretribulation view seems most faithful to New Testament teaching.” (“1 Thess. Commentary”, 65).
There is a total absence of New Testament instruction to the church as to how it should endure and conduct itself during the Tribulation.
Rev Chapters 2-3 speak of the church on earth and then chapters 4-5 speak of the church in heaven. If it were to happen at the end of the Tribulation then the Church would be taken away and then brought right back for Christ’s reign on earth. This would make the rapture pointless.
The Thessalonians were worried their loved ones who had died would miss out on the rapture. If the Believers alive would be left on earth to endure the Tribulation they would have rejoiced that their loved ones who had died would miss this great persecution.
The Mid-Tribulation view believes that the rapture will happen during the Great Tribulation, “in the midst of a period of apocalyptic woe and distress prior to the second coming of Jesus”. (Blaising, 158). This view is perhaps the least prominent view held. The majority of those who believe this view hold to a belief that Christ’s return is not imminent. The Scripture clearly teaches that Christ’s return could be at any time (John 14:2-3; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 4:16-17; 5:5-9). Often times Midtribulationists will cite the fact that the Church will endure trials, suffering, persecution and tribulation in order to prove that we will go through at least some of the tribulation. It is true that the Church will suffer great persecution, as can be seen in reading many history books, or “Voice of the Martyrs”. Persecution has and will continue to be a part of the life of every Christian. Even Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Persecution is not sufficient proof that Believers will suffer through the Tribulation.
The Posttribulation view holds that “the rapture and the second coming both occur in one event of Christ’s second coming, which will transpire at the end of the Tribulation” (Blaising, p. 158). Many of the arguments for this view have been dealt with above. The Church enduring tribulation (does not necessarily mean the “Great Tribulation”), Christ’s return not being imminent, etc. This views strongest argument is that the Scripture does teach about the Great Tribulation and the things that will transpire during this time. The answer to this argument would be there will be some Believers on earth during the Tribulation. These will consist of people who have accepted Christ as the Messiah after the rapture has taken place. The teaching of these things is for them to know what is happening and turn to Christ.
References
Blaising, Craig, A. “Three Views on the Millennium – Premillennialism”.
Hodge, Jim. “Three Views of the Rapture”.
MacArthur, John. “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians”.
MacArthur, John. “The Second Coming: Signs of Christ’s Return and the End of the Age”.
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The NEWEST Pretrib Calendar
ReplyDeleteHal (serial polygamist) Lindsey and other pretrib-rapture-trafficking and Mayan-Calendar-hugging hucksters deserve the following message: "2012 may be YOUR latest date. It isn't MAYAN!" Actually, if it weren't for the 179-year-old, fringe-British-invented, American-merchandised pretribulation rapture bunco scheme, Hal might still be piloting a tugboat on the Mississippi. roly-poly Thomas Ice (Tim LaHaye's No. 1 strong-arm enforcer) might still be in his tiny folding-chair church which shares its firewall with a Texas saloon, Jack Van Impe might still be a jazz band musician, Tim LaHaye might still be titillating California matrons with his "Christian" sex manual, Grant Jeffrey might still be taking care of figures up in Canada, Chuck Missler might still be in mysterious hush-hush stuff that rocket scientists don't dare talk about, John Hagee might be making - and eating - world-record pizzas, and Jimmy ("Bye You" Rapture) Swaggart might still be flying on a Ferriday flatbed! To read more details about the eschatological British import that leading British scholarship never adopted - the import that's created some American multi-millionaires - Google "Pretrib Rapture Diehards" (note LaHaye's hypocrisy under "1992"), "Hal Lindsey's Many Divorces," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)" and "Thomas Ice (Hired Gun)," "LaHaye's Temperament," "Wily Jeffrey," "Chuck Missler - Copyist," "Open Letter to Todd Strandberg" and "The Rapture Index (Mad Theology)," "X-Raying Margaret," "Humbug Huebner," "Thieves' Marketing," "Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal," "The Unoriginal John Darby," "Pretrib Hypocrisy," "The Real Manuel Lacunza," "Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism," "America's Pretrib Rapture Traffickers," "Pretrib Rapture - Hidden Facts," "Dolcino? Duh!" and "Scholars Weigh My Research." Most of the above is written by journalist/historian Dave MacPherson who has focused on long-hidden pretrib rapture history for 35+ years. No one else has focused on it for 35 months or even 35 weeks. MacPherson has been a frequent radio talk show guest and he states that all of his royalties have always gone to a nonprofit group and not to any individual. His No. 1 book on all this is "The Rapture Plot" (see Armageddon Books online, etc.). The amazing thing is how long it has taken the mainstream media to finally notice and expose this unbelievably groundless yet extremely lucrative theological hoax!