7 Reasons why
I Left behind
“Left Behind”
and the
and the
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Does the Bible really teach that there is going to be a pre-tribulation “Rapture” of certain believers, or is this just another end-times view that takes Scripture out of context?
You decide.
I’m using the acronym “R.A.P.T.U.R.E” as an outline for these 7 reasons.
*Please take some time and consider the following arguments in this article with a teachable heart. You don’t have to agree, but at least read these 7 reasons, and be like those in Acts 17:11 who, “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were true.” May God bless you as you “study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth!” 2 Timothy 2:15
Reason #1 “R”apture
“R” stands for “Rapture.” A Rapture of the church at the beginning of an end times tribulation period and 7 years before Jesus’ second coming is nowhere taught in the Scriptures. Nowhere! There is not one verse in the Bible that plainly teaches that the church is going to be removed from the planet 7 years before Jesus returns. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1Corinthians 15:51-55, Revelation 3:10 and John 14:3. These are the passages often used to support a “pre-tribulation rapture of the church.” However, an honest reading of those passages would never lead someone to believe in a special rapture of Christians before a tribulation period unless they were first “trained” to read a pre-trib rapture into the text. In the Bible the Rapture, Resurrection of the dead and Return of Jesus Christ are all written as a simultaneous event. (See Reason #6) The plain reading of Scripture does not have the Lord returning twice in the end. The Bible clearly teaches that the Second coming is one event.
Reason #2 r“A”pture
“A” stands for “Always.” Always in the New Testament the word “saint” means a redeemed, Jesus believing Christian in the Church unless the quote is directly referring to the Old Testament “saints” before Jesus came the first time. You will notice that the Book of Revelation has “saints” all throughout the Tribulation period and the entire book*. Those Tribulation “saints” are called and identified as, “brethren, servants, those who keep the commandments of God, people from every tribe, tongue and nation, apostles, prophets, those who live and die for their faith in Jesus Christ” and they are called “the Bride.” This sounds a lot like the Church to me. If saints are living during the tribulation and those saints are described exactly as one would describe the Church then it is obvious it is the church that is present during the Tribulation period. It is unbiblical to redefine the word “saint” in Revelation to mean something different than what it means everywhere else just because it conflicts with your particular end times view or tradition. “Saints” in the New Testament are Christians in the Church, and we have no Biblical support for calling them anything else in the Book of Revelation.
(*For a thorough description of God’s people in the Book of Revelation see Revelation 5:8-10, 6:9-11, 7:3, 9-17, 10:7, 11:3, 10, 18, 12:10-11, 17, 13:7-10, 14:1-5,12, 16:6, 15, 17:6,14, 18:4, 24,19:2,5-10, 14, 20:4-6,9, 21:3,7, and even Daniel 7:25, 27)
“A” also stands for “Appointed to wrath.” You might have heard someone say, “the church is not going to be here through the Tribulation because “God has not appointed us to wrath,” and the Tribulation is God’s wrath.” However, throughout the entire Bible we have examples of God successfully pouring out His wrath on the ungodly while preserving, keeping and protecting His people. (See Reason #4) Even today some abide under the wrath of God while others abide under the salvation of God. (See John 3:36, Romans 1:18-32) “Wrath” must be defined by it’s context, because “wrath” is used in a variety of ways in the Bible. Maybe you have heard, “But the church is not mentioned as being on earth from Revelation chapter 4 through the end of the book.” Yes, but the church is not mentioned as being in heaven either. The word “church” is only used in Revelation Chapters 1 to 3 as being a local assembly. From then on believers are not identified as “the church” but as saints, brethren, faithful, servants, etc. So, the saints in the Tribulation must be the Church, and they are not appointed to wrath but salvation.
Reason #3 ra“P”ture
“P” stands for “Peter and Paul.” Peter, Paul and even Jesus did not believe or teach an “immanent” or immediate return of Christ. Remember in John 21:18 after the Lord rose from the dead and met Peter and the disciples at the sea fishing? Jesus later asked Peter if he loved him and then told Peter that he (Peter) was going to die a martyr as an old man. Therefore Jesus was saying that He was not going to return in Peter’s lifetime. Peter knew his entire life that Christ was not returning in his lifetime, and that he would die exactly like Jesus said, a martyr as an old man. See 2 Peter 1: 14. So when Jesus said in John 14:3 that He was going to come again and receive Peter to Himself He was not talking about a “rapture” in Peter’s lifetime, but more likely coming to get Peter at His death, not before. Otherwise the comment in John 14:3 opposes John 21:18. Peter was waiting to be martyred as an old man, not waiting for an “immanent rapture” to rescue him from martyrdom. Paul was told by Jesus that he would witness to Jews, Gentiles, Kings and even go to Rome. (See Acts 9:15, 23:11) Paul was not waiting for a rapture, he was fulfilling God’s purpose for his life and training leaders to continue the ministry of the Gospel on into future generations. (Read 2 Timothy 2:2) The Disciples were told that they would witness to the entire world. (See Acts 1:8) This would suggest that the Lord was not returning anytime soon but would delay His coming so that the Gospel would spread and multitudes could be saved. Jesus even taught Parables that suggest His coming and return would be far off but as a “thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4 suggests that the Lord’s return is “as a thief” to unbelievers who do not expect it, but to us His coming is expected and as a Friend. And 2 Thessalonians also seems to suggest that a few things must happen before the final return of Christ. But the day and hour of the Lord’s return no one knows, but we should be ready for it.
Lastly, just because the timing of the Lord’s coming was unknown to the Apostles does not mean the same thing as “immanent or immediate.” The Lord’s coming could be “at any moment” in the distant future. With all of this said, we know that nearly 2000 years have passed since the Lord came the first time, and that He certainly could come at any moment or continue to delay His coming and extend His mercy to millions of people yet unborn. We should live ready for the Lord’s return but rejoice that His delay means the opportunity for salvation to many more who would be destined for hell if He returned today. Thank the Lord that He delayed His coming until you were saved. Should you not wish the same for others?
Reason #4 rap“T”ure
“T” stands for “types.” Have you ever heard someone say, “There are “types” in the Bible that support the pre-trib rapture, like Enoch being “raptured” before the flood, Lot being “taken out” of Sodom and Gomorrah, Daniel being “gone” while the 3 Hebrews had to endure the fiery furnace, or Elijah being “caught up” in a chariot of fire.”? While none of those “types” support being raptured off the earth in order to escape tribulation, there are many “types” that suggest, even support God leaving His people on earth to be a light and protecting them through tribulation.
I will give 7 examples:
1- Noah and those on the ark were protected through the flood, not delivered from it or removed from the planet. Noah was being saved, and simultaneously God’s wrath was being poured out on the wicked.
2– Lot was protected out of Sodom and Gomorrah by leaving town, not being “raptured” and removed from the planet.
3– In Exodus, Israel was protected by God in the land of Goshen while the plagues were poured out on Egypt.
4- Also in Exodus, Israel’s firstborns were protected at Passover while Egypt’s firstborns were killed. This happened simultaneously.
5– The 3 Hebrews in the book of Daniel were protected in the fiery furnace with God’s presence, not delivered from the fiery furnace.
6– Daniel was protected in the lion’s den by the angel not removed from it. God can protect His people without removing the hardship.
7– The Tribulation saints in the Book of Revelation are protected through the tribulation, from God’s wrath, and not raptured from it.
We should always consider the context of Old Testament stories and characters before we use them as “types” to support a particular view. For example, remember that Enoch was taken off the earth more than a hundred years before the flood. This does not suggest that he was being “raptured” to avoid the flood. And Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire when no tribulation was at hand. These “types” hardly support a pre-trib rapture. We must be careful not to develop doctrines from “types” especially when those “types” are not consistent with the whole of Scripture.
God does at times deliver people from trials and tribulation, but it is also Biblical to suggest that God gives His people strength and endurance to persevere through trials and tribulation. Should we pray for “rapture” or “resilience?” You decide what is more Biblical.
Reason #5 rapt“U”re
“U” stands for “Unnecessary.” It is unnecessary that the Church be raptured before the Tribulation. Honestly, why do people say the church needs to be raptured? Some say that the Church must be taken out of the way so that God can continue His plan for the Nation of Israel. This suggests that God can’t do two things at once. This is silly. God can work with the Nation of Israel and the Church simultaneously, just as He did when Jesus came the first time and just as he is doing today. The Church is not in God’s way. Remember in Reason #2 I mentioned that the description of the “Tribulation saints” in the Book of Revelation is a perfect description of what the Church is. They are called “saints, brethren, those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.” This is exactly what the Church is today. If the Tribulation saints in Revelation appear to be exactly what the Church is today, then why rapture the church at all. Could it be that the Book of Revelation is describing the Church in the Tribulation, rather than an entirely different “brand” of New Testament believer? The believers in Revelation serve and worship God alongside the Nation of Israel all the way until the Lord returns. It seems that we have more Biblical support for believing that the Church will continue alongside the nation of Israel through the tribulation until the end when the Lord returns without ever experiencing God’s wrath. Also, saved “Israel” according to the New Testament is saved “into” the Church, not apart from it. The Church is both Jew and Gentile (non-Jew). Saved Israel are believing Israelites or Jews within the multi-ethnic global Christian Church. According to the New Testament there is absolutely no salvation for any Israelite outside of faith in Jesus Christ and becoming part of the body of the true Christian Church. You see, it is absolutely unnecessary for the Church to be removed, rescued or raptured from the Tribulation when the Tribulation saints and saved Israel survive through the Tribulation. And we know that God has not appointed the Tribulation saints or saved Israel to wrath, but preserves, protects and saves them throughout the Tribulation while He pours out His wrath upon the wicked.
Reason #6 raptu“R”e
“R” here stands for “Resurrection of the Dead.”
In the Bible the Resurrection of the dead always precedes the Rapture at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. Always! Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. These two passages are the “rapture” passages, and both of them clearly tell us the chronological order of events. In both passages we see that first the Lord returns, then there is the resurrection of the dead, and finally there is the rapture of those who are alive at His coming. This is the very plain and clear reading of the verses in context. Why would we reverse the order of those passages to teach that first the rapture happens 7 years before the Lord returns and then is the resurrection of the dead? This is not what the Bible teaches. Don’t take my word for it, read the passages yourself and you will see that in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 the Scriptures teach us that first the Lord descends, then the dead are raised (the resurrection of the dead), and after the dead are raised then those who are alive shall be “caught up” (raptured) to be with the Lord forever.
There is a very clear sequence of events here:
1.The Lord returns 2. The resurrection of the dead 3. The rapture of the living.
When we read through the New Testament and study when the Lord is going to return you will notice that it is always “after” the Tribulation and never before. Whether it’s the Gospels, the Epistles or the Book of Revelation we always read of the Lord coming at the end of the Tribulation and never before. This is important because if we add up the order of events we must conclude that:
1. The Tribulation occurs
2. Then afterwards the Lord Returns
3. Then is the Resurrection of the dead
4. and last is the Rapture of the living.
Why would we ever want to twist and change the clear order of events as outlined in Scripture and place the Rapture which is last to be before the tribulation and 7 years before the return of Christ? If someone notices that the rapture always happens after the resurrection then they should question the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. I certainly understand the Scriptures that are used to support the pre-tribulation rapture idea because I used to believe it. This view is very popular today, however to come to such a conclusion one must pull Scriptures out of their immediate context, change the order of events, and create an end times scenario that is not clearly, nor chronologically taught in the Bible. A text taken out of context becomes a pretext. Regardless of how popular a certain view is, we should allow the Scriptures in context to establish our views concerning past times, present times and the end times.
Reason #7 raptur“E”
“E” stands for “Escape?” The rapture is really an “escape” from having hard-times in the end-times. But did you know that Jesus prayed against the rapture in John 17:15? He prayed for protection from the enemy, not a rapture. In John 17:15 Jesus prays, “I do not pray that You (the Father) should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” This is a powerful prayer and statement made by Jesus Himself. He certainly would not have prayed this if He was intending to “rapture” them and take them out of the world. Also, the word “keep” in this passage is the same as the word “keep” in Revelation 3:10 when He says specifically to the Church of Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will “keep” you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” We have already seen in our Reason #4 that God is completely capable of “keeping” His people protected without having to take them out of the world. We should also consider that Revelation 3:10 was given specifically to the church of Philadelphia, and nowhere is there any implication that it was given to suggest a secret rapture of certain believers living in the end times. God can “keep” us without removing us. If Jesus prayed that His disciples would not be taken out of the world but protected from the evil one, then why should I expect to be taken out of the world rather than protected from the evil one. If His prayer was good enough for His disciples then it is good enough for me. The Jews expected rescue from Roman oppression the first time Jesus came and were surprised when all He gave them was salvation, the Holy Spirit and supernatural strength. As God’s people we should be careful not to commit the same mistake regarding end times.
The idea or hope of some “special rapture” for certain believers could create a false expectation in the hearts of God’s people. Rather than expecting strength and power to endure hardship and tribulation they could be expecting rescue and escape.
The Church has been called to be a shining light and a beacon of hope in times of tribulation. And the Church has been known to shine the brightest when times are darkest. I suggest that the last thing a merciful God would want for a world in the midst of Tribulation is to remove His Church and leave the world on its own. The Church has a message of hope and love and power for a world that’s perishing. Jesus Christ not only offers eternal life, forgiveness and a relationship with God through His death on the cross and his resurrection, He also offers supernatural power to those who are weak. And His grace empowers His people to endure, not escape, to be resilient rather than expect rescue. Jesus prayed for His disciples not to be taken out of this world but to be protected from the evil one. Therefore, I cannot believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. And I cannot teach something that Jesus prayed against.
In Summary:
R– The “Rapture” of the Church before the Tribulation and 7 years before the Second coming of Christ is nowhere taught in the Bible. Nowhere! The pre-tribulation rapture theory is a system that must take Scripture out of its context and out of chronological order. Someone would not conclude a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church just by reading the Bible in context.
A– Always “saints” in the New Testament are believers in the Church. There are multitudes of “saints” throughout the Tribulation period in the Book of Revelation, therefore the Church is present on earth during the Tribulation period, “not appointed to wrath,” and protected by God.
P– Peter, Paul and Jesus never taught that the Lord was returning immediately or in their lifetimes. Peter knew he would die a martyr, Paul knew he would witness to Jews, Gentiles and Kings and Jesus taught parables about His coming being delayed and unpredictable.
T- “Types” in the Bible lend more support to God leaving His people in the midst of trial and tribulation while protecting them rather than rescuing and removing them from the planet in order to escape hardship.
U– It is absolutely unnecessary to rapture and remove the Church during the Tribulation. The Church is a beacon of hope in difficult times and shines the brightest when it’s the darkest. God in His love and mercy for this world will leave His Church here to witness of Him and win multitudes to faith in Christ before the final return of Jesus Christ.
R– The Biblical Chronological sequence of events regarding end-times is always: 1-The Return of Christ 2-The Resurrection of the Dead 3–The Rapture of the Living. These events happen at the same time AFTER the Tribulation, not before.
E– “Escape?” Jesus prayed against the rapture in John 17:15 and instead prayed that His followers would be protected from evil one. I cannot believe or teach something Jesus directly prayed against.
The Most Important Thing
Regardless of your “End-Times” view and whether or not you believe the Church is going to be raptured before the Tribulation, in the middle of the Tribulation, after the Tribulation or at the final end of the age, the most important thing is that you truly know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came from heaven to earth for one reason; to die on the cross for our sins and take the judgment you and I deserve for sinning against God. Three days later He rose again from the dead, defeating death, conquering sin and the grave, and destroying the powers of hell. He is now alive, seated at the Right Hand of God the Father and offers eternal life, forgiveness of all sin, and a living, loving relationship with God as a free gift. We have all broken God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments. We have lied and most of us have stolen something or taken something without asking. We have dishonored our parents at times. We have used God’s Name in vain and committed blasphemy. And many of us have used God’s Son, Jesus Christ’s Name in vain and offended God. The Bible teaches that if we look to lust after someone we have committed adultery in our heart. And if we hate someone it is seen as murder of the heart. It’s obvious we’re all guilty of breaking God’s Law and we’re in desperate need of forgiveness and a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. We broke the Law of God and Jesus came to die on the cross and pay our fine. Because He is alive today you can repent and pray to Him and ask Him for forgiveness and salvation. He will listen to you and if you’ve sincerely come to the end of yourself and want God to step in and help you, He will. Jesus has been saving and changing the lives of millions of people for 2000 years. Even before that He was with God offering salvation and forgiveness to people who believed in the one true God before Jesus ever came to earth to die on the cross. And He will continue to offer salvation to as many as call upon Him and trust in Him until the end of time. He is God of the past, present and future. He is the Great I AM. We do not know exactly when Jesus is going to return and wrap up history. He could come today, tomorrow or a thousand years from now. But we do know one thing, you and I are going to die within the next 100 years and we are going to meet our Maker. Our view of end-times won’t matter much when that happens, but our view of Jesus Christ will. Our own personal “end times” is coming soon and so it is essential that we know Jesus Christ and serve Him all the days that God gives us. As we serve Him let us pray that He delays His coming so that our family, friends, coworkers, classmates and even unborn children will have an opportunity to know Him and escape the true “wrath of God,” eternity in hell. Christ died for sins and rose from the grave, trust in Him and you will be saved. You’ve got God’s Word on it!
