Why I Believe in a Pre-Trib Rapture
Pastor Dale Morgan
Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
Jack Kinsella
I received an email from a reader who asked me to explain how I arrived
at my doctrinal conclusion that the Bible supports a pre-trib Rapture of
the Church. It isn't the kind of thing that can be adequately explained
in something as limited as a web column, but I will try and hit some of
the points I found most convincing to me.
The question that spawned this column went as follows; "Dear Jack: I'm
still trying to find a place in the Bible to convince me the Rapture
will happen at the beginning of the Tribulation--which I feel we are
already in due to the scary things all over the place. I respect your
ideas and, if you have it, would like for you to give me that one little
piece of information from the Bible to cause me to believe in a
preTribulation Rapture." - Paula
What began as my reply rapidly expanded into the column you are reading.
I begin with a link to an article that I think contains some necessary
background and lays out some of the groundwork. 'Daniel's Seventieth Week'
As far as a specific verse that points to a pre-trib rapture, I don't
know if I could, or that I'd advise you to trust me if I did.
One verse standing alone can be used to prove anything. Seen it done too
many times to doubt it. I would be leery of any doctrine that doesn't
find support across the whole body of Scripture.
I believe that a pre-Trib rapture has less dissonance with the overall
Scripture than do the other views; however, I don't think the timing of
the Rapture has eternal consequences among the members Body of Christ.
We're saved by grace through faith in the shed Blood of Christ as full
payment for sin, not by faith in the timing of His return.
Paul said in his discussion of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians "wherefore
comfort one another with these words" (4:18)-- not 'challenge or contend
with one another over these words.'
Therefore, while I teach the doctrine of a pre-Tribulation Rapture
because I believe that it is the correct doctrine, it is in the spirit
of extending a measure of comfort that I do so.
That said, it isn't that the Rapture occurs at the beginning of the
Tribulation -- it occurs before the Tribulation begins -- a different
prospect altogether. The Rapture is a secret, signless, event that could
have happened at any time from the days of the Apostles until tomorrow.
The Tribulation takes place at some time after the Rapture. It could be
a moment later, a day later, a week later, ten years later.
The two events are unconnected, apart from the fact the first signals
the end of the Church Age and the second signals the resumption and
conclusion of the Age of the Law - the 'Time of Jacob's Trouble.'
It's just that the Rapture happens at some point before those judgements
can begin.
Where's The Holy Spirit?
2nd Thessalonians 2:7 tells us that "the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of
the way."
The word rendered 'let' in the KJV was the correct translation for
English as used in King James' day.
In Old English usage common in 1611, to 'let' was to 'restrain', the
precise opposite of how the word would be used in contemporary English.
So, He Who restrains will continue to restrain [evil] until He is taken
out of the way, Paul writes, "and then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:"
Note first that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit
is God, obviously He will not be taken from the earth. Where God isn't,
nothing is.
Second, note the ministry of the Holy Spirit. "And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever;" . . . the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. .
.[John 14:16, 14:26]
Clearly, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is absent during the time of
the Tribulation, since that ministry is what withholds or restrains
unrestricted evil now.
In any case, Jesus sent the Comforter to the Church to abide with us
forever. Scripture teaches that each Christian is personally indwelt by
the Holy Spirit.
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" [1
Corinthians 6:19]
Logically, then, if the Church goes through the Tribulation, but the
ministry of the Holy Spirit must be withdrawn before "that Wicked is
revealed", then either that withdrawal is part of a general evacuation,
or else the promise of a Comforter must be revised.
Something along the lines of, "I will send you a Comforter, but just
when you need Him most, during the worst time of tribulation to ever
come upon humanity, when men will cry out for the rocks to fall on them
rather than live another moment, well, at that time, the Comforter will
be recalled. You can face the greatest spiritual assault to ever come
against the earth on your own."
Who Was Jesus Talking To?
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" [Matt 24:3]
What follows is called the Olivet Discourse in which Jesus outlines the
events that will precede His coming 'at the end of the world' says the
KJV -- not the 'end of the age', as some Bible versions render it.
Note carefully His audience. His reply is addressed to the Jews, not to
the Church. He spoke of Tribulation events from the perspective of those
who will go through it. The events described are all described from the
perspective of observers geographically located in and around Jerusalem.
It wasn't the Church that asked Jesus 'what will be the sign of Thy
coming and the end of the world?"
It was His disciples [all of whom were Jews] who asked the question. The
Church had not yet been born at Pentecost. Jesus had not yet been
rejected and crucified. Jesus was not risen, and the Comforter had not
yet come.
The description of the last days contained in the Olivet Discourse is
consistent with the details Jesus gave John when He described the
Tribulation as John recorded in the Book of the Revelation.
Note also that Jesus addresses the Church in the first three Chapters of
the Book of Revelation. It is to the Church that He makes this promise,
"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." Rev 3:10
And a Talking Trumpet
In Chapter 4, verse one, John writes, "After this I looked, and, behold,
a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it
were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I
will shew thee things which must be hereafter."
An open door in heaven and a talking trumpet. Hmmm.
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:52)
"For 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:" 1 Thessalonians 4:16
John is called to heaven by a trumpet saying 'Come up hither' so he
could watch what takes place next. Paul uses the same imagery to
describe the Rapture.
And what takes place next from the heavenly side of the spectator's box
is the beginning of the Tribulation.
From there on in, there is no mention of the Church on earth again for
the remainder of the Book -- until Jesus returns at the end.
Now, I know that there will be those who will parse every word, come up
with verses to contradict the verses I've cited, and that for every
argument, somebody will have a counter argument.
In every case in which I've ever written on the topic, I've gotten a
flood of emails from people calling me a false prophet or a deceiver and
demanding I immediately adapt to their view.
I know of no Scripture that makes believing in a pre-Trib Rapture a
requirement of salvation. One can be saved and not believe in any kind
of Rapture at all.
So let me say this. I'm not demanding that anyone adapt themselves to my
view.
This column is called "Why I Believe In A Pre-Trib Rapture" and not,
"Why You Should Believe What I Do".
Neither is this intended to be an exhaustive exegesis of Scripture, or
even the most profound of theological evidences. I barely scratch the
surface what Systematic Theology details about pretribulationism.
These are just what were the high points for me. They fit with the whole
body of Scripture when understood from a pre-Trib perspective, and
require endless explanation and allegorical interpretation to make them
fit any other view.
I've heard endless assaults on both Dispensationalism and
Premillennialism, it's ancestry, its parentage (or lack thereof), and
I've been drawn into what are, in the end, pointless and usually heated
debates on the subject.
The Scriptures say, "Prove all things, and hold fast to that which is
good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21
To me, that includes the doctrine of a pre Tribulation Rapture.