Post Tribulation Rapture

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In Christian eschatology, the Post Tribulation Rapture doctrine is the belief in a combined Resurrection and Rapture (eg., Resurrection-Rapture) of all believers coming after the Great Tribulation.

1 Doctrine and implications
2 Opposing doctrine and Biblical Case Against the Pretribulation Rapture
3 See also
4 External articles and further reading

[edit] Doctrine and implications

This doctrine holds that there is a Resurrection-Rapture of living believers in Jesus Christ at the end of the age (or the "End times"). Posttribulationists believe that Christians won't be taken up into (the 3rd) Heaven at the rapture, but will gathered by the angels to meet Christ in the air, then return with him to enter the millennium on earth. This is usually understood as being in line with historic premillenialism.

²⁴ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

— Matthew 24, Book and verses of the Bible

For additional references, see also the parallel passages from Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:20-28. While the passages in Luke 21 parallels Matthew and Mark, it offers a couple of interesting clarifications. This passage in Luke offers interesting references to some of the major events which are greatly elaborated on in the Revelation. Reading all three Books of the Bible in parallel, it would appear that Luke elaborates on the "abomination of desolation" describing Jurusalem being surrounded by the armies of the world and of Jerusalem's imminent destruction (Luke 21:20).

Another account which lends support to the idea of a post-tribulation rapture is in 2 Peter 3:10-13 where the idea of a "thief in the night" comes from. In this passage, Christ's return is equated with the "elements being melted", and "the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up". Another key difference between the pre-, mid-, and post-tribulation lines of theology is the number of times that Jesus Christ must return. Although it is not directly referenced, in both the pre- and mid-tribulation raptures, Christ must then return a third time, at the end of the Tribulation period.

In pretribulationism and midtribulationism, the rapture and the Second Coming (or Greek, paraousia) of Christ are separate events; while in posttribulationism the two events are identical or simultaneous.

The belief is that God's Elect from all ages will be translated from mortal bodies into immortal glorified bodies at the Second Coming of Christ and that this will be at the end of the age. This event, it is believed, will come at the conclusion of what is termed the 70th Week of Daniel, the final seven years of this present age. This view was held by the early Church Fathers and has been held by Christians since that time. The doctrine of the Post-Tribulation Rapture is today held by a growing number of evangelical Christians. For Post-Tribulationists concerned about the recent declension of Christian faith, doctrine, and morale in the western church, an important reason to advance the Post-Tribulation Rapture doctrine relates to the importance of preparation of believers for "witness under trial".

The "witness under trial" issue was of major concern to evangelist Corrie Ten Boom, whose family suffered in Nazi prison camps during World War II for the crime of protecting Jews. Corrie Ten Boom preached that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture would leave the Christian church ill-prepared for witness under persecution, just as it had in China when Mao Tse Tung rose to power, and warned that Pre-Tribulationism was the sort of false doctrine that Jesus warned about.

Defenses for the Post-tribulational Rapture

1.The Post-tribulationalist usually sees the Rapture and The Second Coming of Christ as one event (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1 for the fact that there is only one article "the" for the two events ("the coming...gathering") described in that verse thus making it one event). I believe this is known as Granville Sharpe's rule in Greek and it is an unchangeable one.

2.Also, why would Paul in 2 Thessalonians go to great lengths describing the coming of the Antichrist and the falling away to the Thessalonians in order to calm them down that it had not happened yet if they were not going to be there for it as maintained by the pre-tribulational position.

3.The most common passage used in defending a pre-tribulational position is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. However, this passage never mentions the timing of Christ's coming but that those who are alive will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and always be with the Lord. Rather it mentions the dead rising, His Coming, angels, the trumpet of God along with the gathering of the elect and all of these participants are present in Matthew 24:30,31 which is clearly a Second Coming passage even agreed to by pre-tribulationalists.

4.Linguistic support for a one-event 2nd Coming is in the word "meet." This word in 1 Thessalonians 4 and in Matthew 25:1 (which is also a Second Coming parable) refers to the custom of people going out to meet a dignitary as he was approaching their city before he got there, and accompanying or welcoming him back to where they came from. This is also the usage in Acts 28:15 of those meeting Paul as he headed for Rome. This describes the post-tribulational postition very clearly.

5.Another strength for this position is that in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 Paul seems to say that the rest the church would have for their affliction would be at the revealing of Jesus Christ with fire and judgment and at this time those who were afflicting the church at Thessalonica would be repayed for such treatment. No mention is made of a Pre-tribulational removal but that rest comes at His Coming and so does judgment.

6.A passage quoted often by pre-tribulationalists is Revelation 3:10 which speaks of the Philadelphian church being "kept from the hour of trial which is about to come upon the whole earth." The debate centers around the phrase "kept from" which many scholars say could be taken to mean "physical removal from" (Pre-trib) or "preservation from or in the midst of" (Post-trib). It is not conclusive. However it is interesting to note that later in Revelation, on at least 3 occasions, saints are "sealed" and kept out of harms way when God pours out judgment on the earth or specific judgments from God only affect His unbelieving enemies. See Revelation 6:4,8,15,17;9:4; and 12:6,14 for examples.

7.Another passage is John 17:15, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." This passage is one of the most blunt verses, showing that Jesus himself would not want the Christians taken out of the world in order to protect them from evil. Often this is where the Pre-Trib argument falls apart.

8.Often a pre-tribulationist who argues that there are 'two phases' can be countered with Acts 1:11, which compares Christ's Ascension with his Coming. Logically, the Second Coming cannot have two phases if the Ascension only had one.

9.Pre-tribulationists may use Luke 17 as proof. However, Verse 37 explains what happens to the people that are "taken": the eagles gather together at their [dead] bodies. Do they eat them? "Taken" is usually referred to as in judgment thus leaving their bodies for the vultures.

10.The Parable in Matthew 13 explains that the unsaved (tares) are destroyed FIRST.

11.Zechariah 14 speaks of the "Day of the Lord" and that "in that Day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives." This exactly parallels the angel's statement in Acts 1, "that as He left so shall He return." Tying this with I Thessalonians 4:16-17, we see all the living and dead Christians are gathered to Jesus at that time. Going back to Zechariah 14:5 we read, "Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. " This inexorably links the return of Jesus to the glorification and "rapture" of Christians to Him.

12.In Revelation 2:25 Jesus says to the faithful at Thyatira, "Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come." In other words, 'hold onto the the truth of the Christian faith and its' obedience amidst the false teaching of Jezebel and her sins, until My coming again.' Even pre-trib commentators admit this is talking about the Second Coming of Christ (John MacArthur, Robert L. Thomas). Why would Jesus say hold on to the faith until I come again if they were not going to be there when he returned, but would have been raptured? Expositor's Bible Commentary, volume 12 also makes this assertion.

13.In James 5:7,8 it says, "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold the farmer waits for the precious produce of the the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." They are to be patient amidst persecution until when? Until the coming (parousia) of the Lord. Parousia is well known to mean "presence" and refers to His second coming 16 of the 17 times it is used in the New Testament. Also notice that the farmer analogy seems to indicate that the farmer is aware of the coming rains just as the believer is aware of coming events being warned by Jesus and told "when you see these things begin to take place [end time signs in the sun, moon, and stars / world chaos], straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28

14.Jesus, speaking chronologically in the Olivet Discourse regarding end time events(Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 22), goes from the escalation of troubling times beginning in the 1st Century and the present age (highlighting the sack of Jerusalem by Rome in A.D. 70) to the time of tribluation and then to His Second Coming without any mention of a prior removal of the church 7 or 3.5 years before before it. On the contrary, He states that "immediately after the tribulation of those days...they [the world] shall see the son of Man coming...and He shall send His angels, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:29-31)." Therefore, Jesus seems to put the rapture just before His Second Coming or on His way to earth. The phrase "gathering together" describes the rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 using the same Greek word.

[edit] Opposing doctrine and Biblical Case Against the Pretribulation Rapture

Opposing doctrines include:

Pretribulationists believe that all Christians then alive will be taken bodily up to Heaven (called the rapture) before the Tribulation begins. Those who become Christians after the rapture will live through (or perish during) the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, Christ will return.
Midtribulationists believe that the rapture of the faithful will occur halfway through the Tribulation, after it begins, but before the worst part of it occurs.

The relatively new opposing doctrine is termed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the doctrine of an early Rapture of Christian believers occurring before the final seven years (or three-and-a-half years) begins and before the Tribulation of the End Times. This has become the most widely accepted eschatological doctrine in the United States during the past century. It is commonly taught in the vast majority of evangelical churches to the exclusion of all others. (See Dispensationalism for additional information about the root of Pre-Tribulation Rapture theology.)

The belief in the pretribulation or midtribulation rapture theories of dispensationalism is often criticized, on the grounds that it results in the division of Christ's single return into two stages. Some see it as an impossible "apartheid of the Elect" of sorts which is not seen in scripture. Pretribulationists defend it on the basis of a scripture passage which affirms that God has not appointed His people to wrath. Posttribulationists counter that the tribulation associated with the final witness of the saints is in no way connected to the wrath of God. This wrath of God will only come at the last day, and it will fall upon the heads of the wicked at the last judgment.

[edit] See also

Albrecht Dürer's woodcut, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Events and ideas

Rapture: event in certain systems of Christian eschatology (the study of the end times) whereby it is believed that all Christians will be taken from Earth by Jesus Christ into Heaven.
Apologetics: field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position.
Exegesis: extensive and critical interpretation of a text, especially of a holy scripture.
Bible prophecy: concept that many Bible verses contain prophecies.
Internal consistency and the Bible and Biblical inerrancy
Futurism: interpretation of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel generally in the future as literal, physical, apocalyptic and global.

People ^[1]

Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Chapter 23.
Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas, chapter 4
Caecilius Cyprianus (Bishop of Carthage; Post-Tribulationist) [Treatise 7.2]
Didache (speaks of Jesus gathering the elect after the Tribulation)
Ephrem the Syrian (Post-Tribulationist)
Hermas, The Shepherd of Hermas
Hippolytus (Writer of the early Christian Church; Speaks of the Antichrist's reign and persecution of the Church )
Irenaeus (Post-Tribulationist; Disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John the apostle)
Justin Martyr (Christian apologist and Post-Tribulationist)
Tertullian (Father of the Latin Church; Post-Tribulationist)
Victorinus (third or fourth century; Book of Revelation first commentary writer)
John Gill (Held the view that the Church was not raptured out in any event prior the tribulation)
John Charles Ryle (19th Century Anglican bishop and theologian)
Archibald T. Robertson (20th Century highly respected Greek scholar)
Wayne Grudem (well known Christian theologian, author, and professor)
Matt Slick (Evangelical Calvinist Christian hold to a post-tribulation rapture)
Greg Koukl (Evangelical Radio Host, Apologist, Author and Speaker for Stand to Reason)
John Piper (Evangelical Calvinist, Pastor, Author) Articles listed below.

[edit] External articles and further reading

References and citations

↑ William Arnold III, Post-Tribulation Rapture, 7. History of Pre- and Post-Tribulationism

Relevant Biblical verses

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (Resurrection of the righteous dead in connection with the Rapture)
Matthew 24:29-31 (Jesus about the Resurrection-Rapture)
Ezekiel 34:12 (Prophet Ezekiel about the Resurrection-Rapture)
Revelation 20:4-5 (Resurrection taking place after the Tribulation)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Other Biblical sources

Reference Articles & Sermons

John Piper 'Questions on the Second Coming' [2]
John Piper 'Definitions and Observations Concerning the Second Coming of Christ' [3]
Rhett Totten 'The Church, Tribulation, and the Rapture'

[4]

Post-Tribulation Rapture books

Gundry, Robert, "First the Antichrist". Baker Books, May 1997. ISBN 0-8010-5764-7
Gundry, Robert, "The Church and the Tribulation"
Perry, Richard H., "Of the Last Days: Listen, I Tell You a Mystery". Essence Publishing (Canada), Jul 2003. ISBN 1-55306-595-6
Moesta, Louis, "The Crucible and the Crown". WordFire Press, October 1999. ISBN 0-9673548-0-3
Woods, Dennis James, "Unlocking the Door: A Key to Biblical Prophecy". Vital Issues Press, June 1994. ISBN 1-56384-039-1
Dave MacPherson, "The Incredible Cover Up". June, 1975. ISBN 0-931608-06-6
George Eldon Ladd, "The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of The Second Advent and the Rapture." Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956.
Anthony Hoekema, "The Bible and the Future." Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979.This excellent work is amillenial.