Introduction

We’re going to spend the next few weeks studying a basic overview of events in and relating to the book of Revelation. We are going to be defining some commonly-heard terms as well as examining why we believe what we believe. Hopefully, this will help you have a clearer understanding as you hear preaching from the book of Revelation- especially since there are many different ideas floating around about it.

We’re going to start out by taking a look at the first event in the Revelation timeline: the rapture. There is a lot of debate about this subject- especially since the term “rapture” never appears in the Scriptures.

I. Introduction And Definition Of Terms

A. Pretribulational: the belief that the rapture happens before the Tribulation

B. There is a difference between the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

1. The rapture refers to the coming of Christ for His church.

2. The second coming of Christ refers to His coming to the earth to establish His millennial kingdom. This happens after the Tribulation.

3. Contrasts between the rapture and the second coming: (I Thess. 4:13-18 – “¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷Then 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. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”)

a. The saints meet Christ in the air at the rapture. Christ returns to the Mount of Olives at the second coming to meet the saints on the earth. Verse 17 uses the phrase “caught up”, which means “in the air”.

b. The rapture concerns only the saved. The second coming deals with both saved and unsaved. Verse 17 uses the phrase “and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. Unsaved people won’t be with the Lord in Heaven.

II. Why we believe in a pretribulational rapture

A. The rapture is imminent. (could happen at any time) (Titus 2:11-13 – “¹¹For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹²Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”)

1. We are told to look for the appearing of Christ. We’re not told to look for any event before that. There’s nothing else left to happen before the rapture, so it could happen at any time.

B. It is necessary that there be a time interval between the rapture and the second coming.

1. Christ must return for His bride (the church) for the marriage feast. (Rev. 19:7-10 - “⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. ¹⁰And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”)

2. Believers will appear before the Judgment Seat Of Christ in Heaven. (Note that this is different from the Great White Throne Judgment.) This event is not mentioned in the detailed accounts of the second coming of Christ to the earth. (II Cor. 5:10- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”)

C. Scripture contains specific promises of deliverance from the wrath mentioned in Rev. 6:17- “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

1. I Thess. 5:9- “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

2. Rev. 3:10- “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

3. Rom. 5:9- “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

4. I Thess. 1:9-10 – “⁹For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; ¹⁰And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

5. It is God’s nature to deliver believers before divine judgment is inflicted on the world. Examples of this include Noah and Lot. (II Pet. 2:5-9 – “⁵And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; ⁷And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: ⁸(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) ⁹The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”)

D. There is no mention of the church being on Earth during the extended tribulation passage of Rev. 4-19. (ekklesia is not used anywhere in this passage) Thus, the church is already gone.

1. The church is a major part of God’s program, so it’s significant that it’s not mentioned in an extended tribulation passage.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is ample Scriptural support for not only the rapture itself, but for the fact that it happens before the Tribulation. Any other idea or belief is contrary to what the Word of God teaches.