God wants his children to know they are not the object of his wrath. Like any loving Father, God’s desire is to protect his children. He wants us to be confident in his love for us.
There have been disputes among Christians about when the rapture will occur. Some Christians believe the rapture will occur after the tribulation is over or midway through. Thankfully, a difference in opinion about the timing of the rapture is not a salvation issue. Below, I will explain what the rapture of the church is, that God’s wrath will not be poured out on his children, and how we can know the rapture will occur before the tribulation begins.
What is the rapture?
The rapture is when God takes his church off of the earth before the wrath of God is poured out on an unbelieving world during the tribulation. There is one generation of believers that will not experience the death of their bodies. These are the members of the church who are living at the time of the rapture. The church is not one specific denomination; it’s anyone who has been born again by believing in Jesus.
Immediately before Jesus collects his church off the earth, he will first raise up the bodies of those who have died believing in him. Their souls are currently in heaven. God will take their previous bodies from the grave and transform them into new glorified bodies. Their souls from heaven will be reunited with their bodies from the dust of the earth.
When Jesus rose from the dead, there was an earthquake, and those who were saved from Adam till Jesus were raised from the dead. I believe it’s possible another earthquake may happen at the time of the rapture.
Matthew 27:51-53“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
After the dead are raised, Jesus will gather up all the living believers from off the earth. These two events will occur in a very quick moment. At that time, our bodies will be changed from mortal to immortal, and we will meet Jesus in the air.
The Bible has used the word sleep in multiple places to describe death. You can see some specific examples of this in Psalm 13:3 and Acts 13:36. Here are some verses that describe the rapture:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”
The rapture will happen without warning. This will be a worldwide event across time zones. It will occur for some while they are working and others while they are sleeping.
Matthew 24:39-41 “they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.”
Luke 17:34-35 “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”
Some of you, like me, may wonder how you are going to be pulled up in a moment if you are in a house or on a subway. After the resurrection when Jesus’ body was glorified, I believe he could go through walls.
John 20:26 “A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!'” This was the second time he did that. See also John 20:19.
After the church is removed from the earth, the tribulation will start. The Bible does not specify how long after the rapture it will take for the seven-year tribulation to begin. The tribulation may follow quickly, or it could take a couple of years. The start of the tribulation begins when a man, whom the Bible refers to as the Anti-Christ, confirms a seven-year covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). This begins the final week of years Daniel talks about.
The Body of Christ
Salvation is like a marriage covenant. 2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.”
Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” See also Ephesians 5:23.
When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, fully trusting in him (not your works) to save you, the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, uniting your spirit with his.
Ephesians 1:13“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:17 “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”
Not only do we become one with Jesus in spirit, but the church (bride) becomes one with him in body. 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
Similar to how a man and a woman become one body through their marriage union, we also become one body with Christ. Ephesians 5:30-32 “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” See also Ephesians 5:28-29.
Romans 12:4-5 “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Ephesians 5:30“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” See also Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 & Ephesians 3:6.
Here’s why it’s important to know that we are one body with Christ through our union with him. When the tribulation starts, the wrath of God will be poured out upon the whole world. Because the body of Christ already took the wrath of God on the cross, his body (the betrothed church)needs to be removed from the earth before the wrath of God can come down. God will not dish out his wrath again upon the body of Christ because Jesus already took the penalty for our sins through his death on the cross. Doing so would be double jeopardy. This is why Jesus will remove his body (the bride) from the earth and why the rapture of the church needs to occur prior to the tribulation.
Saving us from the wrath to come
When the Bible says we will experience tribulation in this world (John 16:33), it doesn’t mean we will go through the seven-year tribulation period described by John in the book of Revelation. We will experience tribulation and wrath caused by our fellow man but not by our own Father. The seven-year tribulation period involves God pouring out his wrath on the unrighteous world.
Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” See also Colossians 3:6.
Those who accepted Jesus as their Lord are made righteous by his sacrifice. God’s wrath does not abide on us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
The seven-year tribulation period is also referred to as the Day of the Lord. This day involves the wrath of God.
Zephaniah 1:15“That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness…” Verse 18 “Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy.”
Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” See also Revelation 6:17.
These next verses reassure us that God’s wrath is not for those of us who have become one with Jesus and allowed his blood to cleanse us of our sins.
Romans 5:9 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”
1 Thessalonians 1:10 “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God has us hidden
God loves us! Like a Father, He wants to hide His children from danger and trouble.”
Psalm 27:5 “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”
Zephaniah 2:2-3 “before the decree takes effect before the day passes away like chaff, before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.”
I would like to look at Isaiah 26 in detail. I believe it’s speaking of the rapture and then the tribulation, in that order.
Rapture
Isaiah 26:19“Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!
For your dew is like the dew of the morning,
and the earth will bring forth her dead.” (See also 1 Thessalonians 4:16.)
- I believe verse 19 is talking about the resurrection which will happen at the rapture.
Hidden from Wrath
Isaiah 26:20 “Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut your doors behind you. (See John 14:2-3and Matthew 25:10 below.) Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.” (Compare with 1 Thessalonians 1:10.)
- Verse 20 says we are going to enter our rooms. I believe the rooms we will enter after the resurrection is explained in John. John 14:2-3 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
- The door that will shut behind us is the door to the wedding banquet. Matthew 25:10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.” (See also Luke 13:25.)
- The passage also says we will hide ourselves until the wrath has passed. The church will be with Jesus up in heaven until the tribulation is over. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus emerges from heaven with his bride following him. This seven-year period is the bridal week for the church (Genesis 29:27).
Tribulation
Isaiah 26:21“For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity” (See also Luke 21:35.)
The Lord is going to punish the people on earth for their sins. Notice the order: Isaiah talks first about the resurrection and then follows up with us hiding in our rooms during the wrath (when God is punishing the inhabitants of the earth). God says we will be hidden in the day of trouble, hidden in the day of anger, and hidden in our rooms until the wrath has passed. Be confident, you will be hidden during this day.
The Rapture and Second Coming are Two Separate Events
Knowing the Timing
The Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events. Some critics of the pre-tribulation rapture believe that God will rapture us at the Second Coming. The rapture is when Jesus pulls those with the Holy Spirit (Church) up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Second Coming is when Jesus physically returns to earth with his holy ones (Zechariah 14:4).
Regarding the rapture, Jesus says we won’t know the day and hour of his coming. Matthew 24:36, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
The second coming is a different story. The Bible is clear Jesus will return immediately after the tribulation. Matthew 24:29-30 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Scripture foretells exactly how long the tribulation will last, so we can calculate when the return of Jesus will be. The tribulation timeframe is divided into two sections, each being three and a half years. The first half is called the tribulation, and the second half is called the great tribulation. For our calculations, the Jewish calendar uses 360 days in a year, not 365.
- John specifies 1,260 days will be in the first half (Rev 11:3), and 1,260 days will be in the second half (Rev 12:6).
- 1,260 X 2 = 2,250 days. 2,250 days divided by 360 days = 7 years.
- John confirms there will be 42 months in the first half (Rev 11:2) and 42 months in the second half (Rev 13:5).
- 42 months X 2 = 84 months total. 84, divided by 12 = 7 years.
- Daniel tells us there will be 7 years (Daniel 9:27).
Everything adds up to a total of seven years.
360 days x 7 years = 2,250 days .
When the anti-Christ confirms the seven-year covenant, the countdown of 2,520 days begins until Jesus returns. We are told in Daniel 9:27 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that at the mid-point of the tribulation, the Antichrist will go into the Temple and claim to be God. When this occurs, the time frame of 42 months (1,260 days) is given (Rev. 13:5). Just in case you missed the date of the covenant, you can start counting down from the date the anti-Christ goes into the Temple and stops the sacrifices and offerings.
We can clearly see when Jesus will return to the earth at the Second Coming. The removal of the believers from the earth at the rapture is more of a mystery. Jesus indicates the rapture will come like a thief in the night. A thief does not announce his coming ahead of time. He catches people off guard, and he comes to take something of value when people are not expecting it. Jesus is coming at an unknown hour to snatch his treasured possession (Deut. 26:18 & Exodus 19:5) from an unsuspecting world.
When the rapture happens, that’s when destruction begins. When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, that’s when he’ll put a stop to the war and the destruction.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 « Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
The verses right before this, at the end of chapter 4, are talking about the rapture. Jesus will come down out of heaven, and we will rise up to meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Jesus’ feet never touch the ground when he collects his bride at the rapture. His feet will touch the ground when he returns at the Second Coming (Zechariah 14:4). 1 Thessalonians 4 describes Jesus coming to collect his bride and bring her back home. Then chapter 5 starts talking about the day of the Lord (tribulation) and sudden destruction. This is consistent with a pre-tribulation rapture.
The Atmosphere of the Last Days
Another way we can know the rapture comes before the tribulation is due to the description of what life will be like when the rapture happens versus the Second Coming. They are completely opposite. When the rapture occurs, things are going well; people are enjoying life and getting married. They’re eating and drinking. They have money to buy things; people are building. They are planting crops in their fields. When the Second Coming happens, one third of the land has been burned up, people are starving, and half the population is dead. The rest are at war.
During the tribulation, there will be wars, famine, plagues, and great earthquakes (Rev 6). One-third of the trees, grass, rivers, and ocean will all be destroyed (Rev 8). There are 7 seal, 7 trumpet, and 7 bowl judgments. The seal judgments kill about one-quarter of the earth’s population (Rev 6:8), leaving three-quarters left. The trumpet judgments kill one-third of the remaining population (Rev 9:15). At the end of only the second of three judgments, about 50% of the world population will be dead. During the latter half, many Christians who accepted Jesus after the rapture will be beheaded because they refuse to take the mark of the beast and worship the anti-Christ (Rev 20:4). If you were left behind, I can’t emphasize it enough; do not take the mark of the beast! Salvation is lost the moment you take that mark. For more details on the mark of the beast, please check out my article The Mark of the Beast – What you need to know – Part 1 & The Mark of the Beast – It’s a Marriage – Part 2.
The tribulation will be worse than any other time in history. When Jesus returns on the last day of the tribulation (Rev 19:11-21), he must stop the war (AKA Battle of Armageddon), or everyone in the world would end up dead. Matthew 24:21-22 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.”
When Jesus describes the rapture, life is normal, and people are surprised by it. At the end of the tribulation, the world will be in complete and utter chaos.
This is how Jesus describes the world when he returns for his church: Luke 17:26-30 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”
God’s Track Record of Pulling People Out
The rapture has been taught since the Church began. It’s not a new doctrine. God has already raptured two people.
Genesis 5:24& Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.” “Before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.”
2 Kings 2:11″And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Enoch and Elijah are two instances of individual raptures in the Old Testament where God took people off the earth so that they never died. The rapture that is soon coming will be a worldwide event.
God has a history of pulling out the righteous prior to judgment.
Noah and his family were saved from the worldwide judgment of the flood. Not one drop of rain came down until Noah and his family were safely inside the ark.
Lot and his family were pulled out of the city prior to God destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. God did not say to them, “I will protect you in the city as I destroy it.” No, all the righteous were physically pulled out prior to God’s judgment. Not one drop of fire and brimstone fell until they were removed.
Genesis 19:16 & 22 says the angels came and forcibly grabbed Lot and his family. The angels said the city could not be destroyed until they were safely out.
If God would not rain down his judgment until Noah and Lot were safely out, he will not rain down his judgment on earth until we are safely out.
Revelation 3:10 is addressing the faithful church and says, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
If the rapture were to happen at the end of the tribulation, the verse above wouldn’t make any sense. This verse says that the trial (tribulation) is coming on the whole world and that he will keep us from this hour of trial. The church cannot be dwelling on earth concurrently with an all-encompassing, global trial if God is also going to keep his church from going through that trial. God will once again pull the righteous off the earth before his judgment comes, and I believe that will be very soon.
Luke 21:36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Your sister in Christ,
Jenny
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For Further Study
If you’re interested in another sign that points to the rapture of the church prior to the tribulation, a study of the Jewish Feast days may be of interest. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were fulfilled on the exact day of the spring feasts. The rapture, Second Coming, and reign of Jesus will most likely be fulfilled on the fall feast days. Here is a brief overview from Got Questions. How did Jesus fulfill the meanings of the Jewish feasts?
If you want to be included in the rapture but are not sure what to do, please check out my article called Salvation Explained.