The Rapture & Tribulation
Jesus describes the moment of his return as being similar to the flood that came unexpectedly upon the people of Noah’s day. He then goes on in Matthew 24:40-42 to say, “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. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” It is clear that at his coming there will be people who are taken and people who are left. Paul describes the moment in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 writing, “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.” So at the moment when he descends, the believers who have died will be reunited with their bodies and transformed immediately into new glorified bodies. In the next verse he says, “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.” In other words, the believers who have not died will then also be transformed and ascend into the air where Christ and the resurrected believers are. The word for “caught up” when translated into the Latin is where we get the word rapture from. There are typically three views on when the rapture takes place, all of which have good evidence as support. But all three views hinge on an understanding of the tribulation.
One possibility is that Matthew 24 is describing a period of tribulation prior to the rapture and also prior to the final tribulation described in Revelation. The other possibility is that Matthew 24 is the same tribulation as the one described in Revelation which then ends with the rapture and the return of Jesus to earth. The other view has the rapture taking place either in the middle of the seven year tribulation or at a point prior to God pouring out his wrath. I have personally changed my position on this doctrine more times than any other disputable matter. Currently, my study would lead me to believe that the rapture and second coming of Christ are the same event, taking place after the time of the great tribulation.
My first argument for a post-tribulation rapture is based on the themes of suffering and perseverance. Just as Christ suffered in the passion week, so does the Body of Christ presently and potentially in the tribulation as well. In Acts we have stories of believers, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41). In Romans 5:3 Paul writes, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.” In Romans 8:17 Paul says we are, “heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Sometimes a pre-tribulation view can seem like a form of hopeful escapism. But 1 Peter 2:21 reminds us, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
So what evidence is there that the church will endure suffering during the tribulation period specifically? In Revelation 2:10-11 Jesus writes to the church at Smyrna and says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” There are several evidences here. First is that we clearly see a church experiencing tribulation and Jesus calls them to be faithful in their suffering. He calls them to conquer and trust that they will not experience the second death. The close proximity of the reference to their suffering with the second death would seem to imply that this is close to the judgement that results in the second death.
Next we see in Revelation 7:9 John describing a scene which clearly references the church made up of gentiles. He writes, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne.” And when asked who these people are, he responds with, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.” So here we have gentile believers who have passed through the tribulation. We also see in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 that at the rapture we, “will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The tribulation of Matthew 24 is immediately followed in verse 30 by Jesus saying, “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.” Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.” These all sound like they are describing the same moment. We also see that during the period of the tribulation in Revelation we have numerous reference to the saints (13:7, 10; 16:6; 17:6; and 18:24) who are experiencing the sufferings on earth. The saints would be a clear reference to the church. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 also makes references to the judgment of God, the suffering of the church, and his coming on that day. In verses 7-8 he says, “the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” This again seems to make a case for Jesus coming at the end of this time of suffering to take home the church, giving them relief from suffering and enacting justice on those who persecuted them. There is good evidence for the other views as well, but there is no way of knowing. The best posture is to be hopeful for a pre-tribulation rapture and also ready to endure a post-tribulation rapture.