Going, Going, Gone. Three Theories About The Rapture Part 2

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54

Almost all Christians agree on three things: 1) there will be a future time of tribulation, something the world has never seen 2) the second coming of Jesus Chris 3) a transition from mortality to immortality for believers, “the rapture” (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) When does the rapture occur in relation to the tribulation and the second coming? Three main theories concerning the timing of the rapture are pretribulationism (occur before the tribulation begins), midtribulationism (occur at the midpoint of the tribulation), and posttribulationism (occur at the end of the tribulation). This week we will look into midtribulationism.

Midtribulationism:

The rapture occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation. At that time, the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." The church will meet Christ in the air, and then the bowl judgments are poured upon the earth (Revelation Chapters15 & 16) A time known as the Great Tribulation. Here the rapture and Christ’s second coming (to set up His kingdom) are separated by a period of three-and-a-half years. According to this view, the church goes through the first half of the tribulation but is spared the worst of the tribulation which occurs in the last three-and-a-half years.

Scriptural Support:

Chronologically given support in (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

The order of events are as follows:
1) apostasy (abandonment of one's religious faith)
2) the revelation of the Antichrist
3) the Day of Christ.

The midtribulational view teaches that the Antichrist will not be decisively revealed until “the abomination which makes desolate” (Matthew 24:15) So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel-let the reader understand. This occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation. (Daniel 9:27) He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him

Also, midtribulationists interpret “the Day of Christ” as the rapture; therefore, the church will not be caught up to heaven until after the Antichrist is revealed.

Another teaching is that the trumpet of (1 Corinthians 15:52) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed Is the same trumpet mentioned in (Revelation 11:15) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." The trumpet of Revelation 11 is the final in a series of trumpets; therefore, it makes sense that it would be “the last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15.

Scriptural Disproof:

The above logic fails, in view of the trumpets’ objectives. The trumpet that sounds at the rapture is “the trumpet call of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

The one in Revelation 11 is a warning of judgment (one trumpet is a call of grace to God’s people, the other is a proclamation of doom on the wicked).

The seventh trumpet in Revelation is not the “last” trumpet chronologically (Matthew 24:31) And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other a later trumpet which sounds at the beginning of Christ’s kingdom.

1Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. The church has not been appointed “to suffer wrath but to receive salvation.” This would seem to indicate that believers will not experience the tribulation. However, midtribulationism interprets “wrath” as only referring to the second half of the tribulation (specifically, the bowl judgments). Limiting the word in such a way seems unwarranted. Surely the terrible judgments contained in the seals and trumpets (famine, poisoned rivers, a darkened moon, bloodshed, earthquakes, and torment) could also be considered the wrath of God.

Midtribulationism places the rapture in Revelation 11, prior to the start of “the great tribulation.”. There are two problems with this placement in the chronology of Revelation:

1) the only occurrence of the term “great tribulation” in the entire book is Revelation 7:14

2) the only reference to a “great day of wrath” is in Revelation 6:17

Both of these references come too early for a midtribulational rapture.

Same as last week, the final weakness of the midtribulational view is shared by the other two theories: 1) The Bible does not give an explicit time line concerning future events. 2) Scripture does not expressly teach one view over another.

We have diversity of opinion concerning the end times and some variety on how the related prophecies should be harmonized. Remember keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and the Rapture will not be as important. We don't know when Jesus is returning but we do know that He is. Next week we will look at the final theory till then may you and yours be Blessed...