While I could expound on other biblical texts and provide additional validation of the pretribulation rapture, I believe the previous signposts suffice to bring us to our destination, that of establishing a solid biblical case for the pretribulation rapture.

Jesus is coming for His saints, for us, before the start of the tribulation.

In the points below, I review the previous signposts that have led to this conviction regarding Jesus’ return. I believe that, combined, they provide a solid scriptural foundation for placing the rapture before the start of the day of the Lord.

Signpost #1: Premillennialism

Premillennialism is absolutely foundational to a belief in the pretribulation rapture. Those who deny the reality of a literal millennium, the amillennialists, also relegate the tribulation to allegory or past history. If there is no literal tribulation, then determining the placement of the rapture becomes a moot point. That’s why premillennialism appears on our first signpost; we cannot go further if this is not true.

The case for premillennialism is exceedingly strong as I have shown in several previous articles on my blog. For further reference, please see my articles entitled 5 Perils of Denying Jesus’ Future Reign and The Biblical Necessity of Jesus’ Reign. These are on my blog referenced below.

Signpost #2: Unique

In order to place the rapture before the tribulation, we must first determine if it’s a distinct event from the second coming. Is the rapture unique?

Yes, it is. Consider the following significant difference: The resurrection of those who have died in Christ happens first in the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 while with the second coming, the resurrection of tribulation saints occurs much later after a lengthy sequence of events (Rev. 19:11-20:4). During the rapture, the resurrection of the dead in Christ happens immediately; during the second coming, the resurrection of saints happens much later, perhaps not even the same day as Jesus’ return to earth.

This was just one of seven significant differences we highlighted between the rapture and second coming. They are not the same event; the rapture is unique.

Signpost #3: Imminency

The sense of imminency in the New Testament regarding the appearing of Jesus further distinguishes the rapture from the second coming. Because many events in the tribulation must occur before the second coming, it’s not possible to regard it as a truly imminent event.

As we found at this signpost, the New Testament saints eagerly awaited the Lord’s appearing as though it could happen at any moment. Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 are just two examples of many biblical texts that portray believers eagerly watching for Jesus’ appearing as though it could occur at any time and certainly in their lifetime.

The sense of imminency not only separates the rapture from the second coming as a distinct event; it pushes it to a time before the tribulation. As we see next, the expectations of the New Testament saints further confirm this eager anticipation of the Lord’s soon appearing.

Signpost #4: Expectations

When some in the church at Thessalonica died shortly after Paul left the city, the believers there mourned as those “who have no hope” (1 Thess. 3:13). What caused their unnecessary grieving?

Paul’s response in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16 tells us the issue was not that of failing to believe in the future resurrection of their loved ones, but of thinking they had missed out on the rapture. In these verses, the apostle emphasizes that “the dead in Christ will rise first” during the rapture (v. 16). They would be the first to participate in the rapture. Why would the apostle stress this aspect of the Lord’s appearing if it was not the issue causing the unnecessary distress in the church?

If the problem had been a failing to believe in the resurrection of the dead, the apostle’s response would have been similar to 1 Corinthians 15:1-19. He would have assured them that Jesus was indeed the “resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) and they had nothing to fear regarding their loved ones. Instead, Paul emphasized the participation of the dead in Christ in the rapture.

Signpost #5: Surprise

Now if the rapture is such an event that can happen at any moment, we would expect a sense of surprise wrapped into it. And, this is exactly what we see in Scripture.

One such place is 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 where Paul tells his readers that the day of the Lord would surprise people “like a thief in the night” with its sudden destruction from which the world will not escape.

At this point you might object, saying these verses refer to the onset of the day of the Lord, not the rapture, and you would be correct. However, as we saw with this signpost, the sudden and shocking start to the day of the Lord tells us the rapture must occur before it begins, and surprise many as well.

Notice Paul’s promise in verse 9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 9). Through the apostle, the Lord promises that those of us in Christ will not experience the wrath of the day of the Lord. Jesus will catch us up to paradise before this time starts.

If the wrath of the day of the Lord began at any time after the seal judgments of Revelation 6 commence, it would not catch anyone by surprise nor would people be saying, “There is peace and security” (v. 3). For this day to start in such a startling and unexpected manner, it must begin before the misery and huge loss of life that occurs under the seal judgments.

Although those of us watching for the Lord’s return see the signs of the approaching tribulation everywhere we look in this world, the Lord’s sudden appearing will be a surprising and welcome intrusion into our daily routines.

Signpost #6: Panic

How would the Thessalonians saints respond if someone told them the day of the Lord had already begun? What if they thought they were in the midst of the tribulation?

We know the answer to these questions. The errant message caused so much panic among them that they literally shook with fear (2 Thess. 2:2).

I believe this happened for two reasons. First, the message of the false teachers contradicted Paul’s earlier promise that they would miss the day of the Lord, what we call the tribulation today. Second, they understood that those alive during this time would experience horrific suffering and death such as we see in the Apostle John’s description of the tribulation in Revelation 6-16.

To alleviate the panic, Paul quickly wrote a second letter telling the Thessalonians that this day had not yet begun, and again assured them they would not experience God’s wrath that will characterize the beginning of the day of the Lord and continue until the second coming.

Signpost #7: Restrainer

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, the apostle tells the Thessalonians they could know the day of the Lord had not yet started because they were still on the earth. Why do I say that?

The key to my startling statement is found in the identity of the Restrainer. In his response to their panic, Paul tells his readers that this time of wrath cannot start until God removes the Restrainer, which allows the unveiling of the antichrist (compare verse 3 with verses 6-8).

As we saw in signpost 7, the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit.

If the “rebellion” or more accurately, the “departure” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is the rapture (and the context suggests it is), this ties the whole passage together. When Jesus comes for His church, He removes the unique presence of the Spirit within the saints, which allows the antichrist’s work to become public.

The rapture must thus occur before the tribulation that starts with the antichrist’s covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27) because we will know his identity at that point.

Signpost #8: Absence

If the pretribulation rapture is true, we would expect to find the church in heaven rather than on the earth during the tribulation. And, that is what we find in the book of Revelation.

The apostle John highlights the church’s absence on the earth during this time in two ways.  As we saw in this signpost, the elders of Revelation 4-5 represent the church, and they are already in heaven with Jesus before the start of the seal judgments of chapter 6.

Second, we see this in the church’s absence during the tribulation. In Revelation 3:20-21a, John identifies two groups: those who will miss the time of testing to come upon the world, and the earth-dwellers whom the apostle repeatedly refers to in chapters 6-16.

While the apostle keeps referring to the earth-dwellers, he never mentions the church as being on the earth during the judgments of the tribulation. We also see the presence of those who come to Christ during the tribulation as the martyred saints standing before the Lord in heaven (Rev. 6:9-11).

Signpost #9: Church History

Those who claim no one in the church believed in a pretribulation rapture until 150 years ago make two critical errors. First, they base their denials of the rapture on church history rather than on the words of Scripture. Second, the claim that a belief in pretribulation rapture originated with John Darby in the 1800’s is demonstrably false.

To be clear, the Bible must be our only source for faith and practice. However, in order to encourage believers who often hear this false and deceptive claim regarding church history, with this signpost I provide much evidence from the early centuries of the church demonstrating an early belief in the pretribulation rapture.

The witness of church history is not the basis for our belief, but it does completely nullify the claim that no one believed in a pretribulation rapture before the time of John Darby. The quotes I provide in this signpost prove its existence at an early time in the church as well as a century before the time of Darby.

Conclusion

I do not intend my above points to be exhaustive; I could have brought up other passages of Scripture and provided other arguments in support of a pretribulation rapture. These are the most convincing arguments for me.

All the evidence points to Paul’s assurance in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”

Jesus will take all those who truly know Him out of this world before the wrath of the day of the Lord begins. Is this not an unmistakable promise that we will be in paradise with our Savior when the tribulation begins on the earth? I believe it is; we cannot separate any of the judgments in Revelation 6-16 from this wrath.

While many may not agree with those of us who anticipate such a pretribulation rapture, we do have a firm biblical foundation for believing that Jesus will come for His church before the start of the tribulation.

Jonathan Brentner

Website: Our Journey Home

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E-mail: Jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com

You may have noticed this world is taking a turn that isn’t all good. In some areas – Iran, China and North Korea, for example – there are people turning to Jesus in record numbers. In Iran, it’s reported most of the “converted” are female. These are areas where Christians are not thought very highly of. In fact, if discovered, they face the possibility of being martyred. There have been pictures posted on social media of teens and pre-teens about to be beheaded because they will not turn away from believing in Christ to accept Islam. It’s amazing the faith and courage they display rather than deny Jesus and be able to live. (any emphasis is mine)

Then, we look at what’s happening in America. What Jesus and others told us about false prophets and antichrists increasing near the end of this age is very obvious today. It’s only accelerating as the “prince of this world” (Satan) knows his time is short, and he’s pulling out all the stops. We are seeing the satanic movement gain popularity, and it’s out in the open as never before. There are even “churches of Satan” being formed in numerous places in our country. Isaiah 5:20 is in full force with evil being called good, and good being called evil. For anyone who thinks God is surprised about all this, He gave Isaiah and other prophets a clear picture of all this over 2,500 years ago. Satanic statues are even being put in front of some government buildings as a form of protest where the 10 Commandments have been displayed.

We see Christian businesses being attacked as if somehow being in violation of certain people’s rights. If a photographer refuses to photograph a “gay wedding” or a baker refuses to bake items that would go against their Christian beliefs, the radical left throws a fit and sues them in court for damage. One thing that is very obvious, Christian businesses are purposely being targeted. There are secular businesses that would do the photography or bake what is asked for without question. Sad part is, the litigation becomes very costly, and many of the businesses have to close down. Just recently, it was reported a restaurant chain, known to be owned by Christians, was “brow-beaten” to stop donations to other Christian organizations. It’s as if the “almighty dollar” speaks louder than God’s Word.

Things that are called “abominations” by our Heavenly Father are being openly praised in public as now being perfectly normal, and supposedly no longer a sin. Many so-called entertainment personalities and a fair number of elected officials at all government levels are siding with the radical left. We have seen in the Bible where God punished worshipers of Baal because of their belief in child sacrifice. Yet today, numerous elected officials are saying it’s perfectly alright to support “partial-birth abortion” or even euthanasia for a baby that is delivered alive. Impossible as it may seem, there was even a suggestion in another country, in the not too distant past, that parents should have up to 2 years to decide if the baby lives or is killed.

In 1965, there was a song released called “The Eve of Destruction.” Jesus beat that by about 2,000 years when He said, “Now when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28, NET).

There is a definite movement to take down President Trump, and at the same time, one to take down Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. Several prophecy experts believe that these two individuals are all that is standing between the peace process and the formation of a one-world government. The U.S. is in a turmoil that exceeds the protest movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Israel is showing a weakness that just may have to do with the “hook” spoken of in Ezekiel 38:4. It’s being reported that even the Pope is trying to unite all religions into a “one-world religion,” saying we all worship the same god. (Note the small “g.”)

Satan knows Bible prophecy as well as anyone, even if he doesn’t accept its truth. He does realize the end of this age is rapidly approaching, and is setting the stage for his last “hurrah.” He will have seven years, granted by the Father, to torment this earth as never before. After that, and after the antichrist and false prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20), Satan will be bound and tossed into a bottomless pit for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-2). He will not be allowed to deceive the nations during that time, but man’s sin nature will not disappear.

At the end of the thousand years, he will be released to come out and gather people from all over the earth to attack Jerusalem. Jesus will have been on the throne in Jerusalem for the entire thousand years, yet people will still turn against Him. When the final attack takes place, it is put down by fire from Heaven, and Satan will be the next one tossed into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:7-10). After this, there will be the White Throne Judgment where everyone who lived from the creation to the cross that turned against God, and all who turned against Jesus from Calvary to that moment, will be judged. All at this judgment will be sentenced to Hell to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:11-15). This is final, permanent, without any possibility of a pardon. Everyone will know exactly why they are in that line.

Imagine this happening and not having a Creator that truly loves His creation. Imagine having to fend entirely for ourselves through all the evil that is rapidly gaining speed. What if we had a Creator that held each of us responsible for every sin we will ever commit, and wouldn’t accept any sacrifice as sufficient to exonerate us. Talk about living a life with absolutely no hope!

Would we not want a Heavenly Father that had compassion for us, and that knows we could never attain the perfection He requires? Think just for a moment, if we didn’t have an Advocate that could cover every one of our transgressions, how hopeless our existence here would be.

The good news is, we have an Advocate, and He is a part of the Father Himself (John 10:30). There is only one stipulation, and it’s a personal choice each and every person has to make for themselves. Believe Jesus came to this earth as a willing (John 10:18) sin-free sacrifice for us. He died on that cross, and His blood washed away our sins. We must have faith that He was raised from the dead that third day to completely conquer sin and eternal death for all who call on Him to be their Savior. If we confess that we are sinners, as everyone is (Romans 3:23), and ask for His forgiveness, we will be saved (Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:9-13).

Consider the 1999 song that was written and performed by the Gather’s that fills us with hope and inspiration to help us through these troubling times. It’s called, “Because He Lives.”

1. God sent His Son; they called Him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior Lives.

(chorus) Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future; and life is worth the living, because He lives.

(2) How sweet to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still, the calm assurance; this child can face uncertain days because He lives.

(c-3) And then one day, I’ll cross that river. I’ll fight life’s final war with pain. And then as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory, and I’ll know He reigns. (chorus)

After all is said and done, a line in a 1940 song by J.B. Coats sums it all up. “Where could I go but to the Lord?” Remember John 3:18 and 1 John 5:12; both say that if we have the Son, we have the Father. Without the Son, we’re lost. There is no other way to have eternal life with Jesus (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). Call on the Savior today, and put all doubt and fears behind you. We will not be able to stop what is about to happen in this world, but we will have our reservation to be called up to meet our Jesus in the air very soon (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Maranatha

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