The Rapture – Four Views
Comparison of Four Pre Millennial Eschatological Views
Written By Troy Geddes- July 2006
When comparing the four major views concerning the return of Christ, it is very important to realize that, on one hand, there are many things that the pre/mid/post tribulation and pre wrath positions have in common. We are looking at very close relatives here (not cousins or grandparents, but “siblings”. This is unlike what we find when comparing the different views on the Millennium, which is as if we are looking at different “ethnic groups”. On the other hand, we all understand that He can’t possibly return four different ways. The New Open Bible’s commentary on Second Thessalonians makes this claim: “The return of Christ is mentioned more times (318) in the New Testament than any other doctrine… (1419),”. We are commanded by Jesus to understand His return (Matt. 13:43; 24:15; Rev. 2:7;11;17;29; 3:6;13;22 NLT) and we are promised a blessing if we listen and obey these words of prophecy (Rev. 1:3 NLT).
Pretribulational Rapture
The pretribulational position is strongest in dispensationalism. An understanding of scripture that distinguishes between the church and Israel that beleives God has a different program for each ( Thiessen 374).. Much like a chess clock Israel’s time runs while the gentile’s clock is stopped. God will begin working with Israel again; separate from the church. Two passages that clarify this are Romans 11:28 and Revelation 7:1-8 (Israel), 9-14 (Gentiles). This fact is also easily understood in that God has created one new group (His Church), from these two groups Ehp 2:15.
The weaknesses of the pretribulational position are in abusing its strengths. The distinction between Israel and the church is the Scripture filter in which some theologians now interpret the Bible. The result of such filtering leads to the conclusion that the seven year time frame is only for Israel and doesn’t include the gentiles. Therefore, the Lord could return at “any moment” for believers “like a thief in the night” and we “the chosen”(1 Peter 1:1; 2:9), will not face the antichrist. Is this what 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Matthew 24:24 teach? NO absolutely NOT! We discover that the Lord, “will not come like a thief in the night” to believers because that “day” will not come until the man of sin is revealed of which “the chosen” ones will see. This error has evolved from mixing ecclesiology (study of the church) with eschatology (study of end times). This secret rapture teaching was challenged in 1886, by S.P. Tregelles LL.D. in the Hope of Christ’s Second Coming, in a chapter titled, “The Jewish Wastepaper Basket”. He wrote, “whatever has been felt to be a difficulty has been set aside by saying that it is Jewish; and that one word has been deemed to be quite enough to show that it has nothing to do with the Church (37)”
Dispensationalism has changed the Biblical teaching on salvation as explained by Dr. John MacArthur Jr. in Faith Works. This is called “No-lordship” teaching that separates the justification of the sinner (what God does for us) from practical sanctification (what God does in us), (222-225). This “no-lordship” doctrine defends faith without works, the same faith that James calls “dead faith” (James 2:17). This is a doctrine that has changed that what is clearly taught in 1 John 3:1-10 and is strictly caused by the distinction made between Israel and the Church.
Midtribulational Rapture
The midtribulational position believes God’s wrath begins in the middle of the “seventieth week of Daniel” (Dan. 9:24). The strength of this position is that it uses the midpoint of this seven year period to establish the timing of the rapture (Dan. 9:27). Passages like Revelation 11:2-3 and 12:6 are proof texts: “42 months”, “1260 days”, “Times, Times and half a Time.” Much the same way that pretribulational believers use “John being called up into heaven” in Revelation 4:2, midtribulational believers use Revelation 11:21, where the “two witnesses” are called “up into heaven”, to establish the timing of the rapture. The lack of scriptural support for both the pre/post tribulational positions gives this middle position more strength. Van Kampen points us to page 148 of Wolvoord’s book, The Rapture Question, where Dr. John Walvoord says “neither posttribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the Scriptures. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either” (44).
The weakness of the pretribulational and midtribulational positions is in teaching that the Church will not face the antichrist (They are looking for the upper taker not the under taker). This is in conflict with what Daniel, Paul, and Jesus teach. The Bible teaches that Michael, the restrainer (Dan. 10:21; 12:1), will be removed (2 Thes. 2:7), which begins the great tribulation (Matt 24:15, Rev. 12:7-12). Jesus warns us about this in Matthew 24:15-31, warning about that which, “Daniel the prophet spoke about” (Dan. 12:1-4). This is why Paul wrote, “Please don’t be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, revelations, or a letter supposedly from us, don’t believe them. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one who brings destruction” (2 Thes. 2:2-3 NLT). Paul points to this “man of lawlessness” fifteen times in only eight verses (2 Thes. 2:3-10)., in verse 5 saying “don’t you remember that I told you this when I was with you?”. Using the book of Daniel, as Jesus said (Matt. 24:15), Paul would have taught that Michael was the restrainer (Dan. 10:21; 12:1-4) who is the guardian angel over the nation of Israel.
History and the Crucial Part of the Debate
Robert Gundry has written about this in his book “The Church and the Tribulation” and his research shows that great church fathers such as Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Justin Martyr, the Pastor of Hermas, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Melito of Sardis, Methodius. All wrote about the anti-Christ and his last and final attempt to persecute God’s people the Church. This last attack on the church is also shown in Revelation 13:7-10. Put simply they didn’t believe in the pre-tribulation position that the church would not face anti-Christ.
Posttribulational Rapture
Posttribulational believers have some very strong points for others to contend with. Their strongest, by far, is in teaching that the rescue of the righteous will happen the very same day as the judgment of the wicked, (not seven years apart). In the parable of the “wheat and the tares” we see no gap but a very same day separation (Matthew 13:30). The Lord will not return with his wheat for his wheat. We see this is confirmed by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 17:26-29 where Jesus says right up until the time Noah entered his Boat, and until the morning Lot left Sodom. (see also 2 Pt. 2:9 NLT). A second strong argument is found by placing the “harvest” at the “end of the age” (Matt. 13:39). Anybody who reads Matthew 24 and places the “harvest” before verses 12, 14, and 28 is neglecting the clear teaching of scripture.
The weakness of this position is the same as it is in all the “tribulation” positions. They contend that the source of all the evil mentioned at this time is from God. Not understanding that Bible uses different words for a reason. First, the man of sin will be exalting himself during the “tribulation” (Dan. 11:36; 2 Thes. 4.); then the Lord pours out His wrath in which He alone will be exalted (Is. 2:17; 2 Thes. 2:8). This describes two different sources of wrath within the future seven year period.
This is why the saints in the fifth seal of Revelation are crying out for God to avenge their deaths (Rev. 6:9-11). Are they asking God to avenge His own wrath? No, because none of the “elect” are appointed to His wrath (1 Thes. 5:9; Matt. 24:22).
Pre-Wrath Rapture
Comparative Accounts of Matthew 24 and Revelation 6-8
| False Christ’s (first seal) | Matthew 24:5 ; Revelation 6:1-2 |
| Wars (second seal) | Matthew 24:6; Revelation 6: 3-4 |
| Famines (third seal) | Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6: 5-6 |
| The Great Tribulation (fourth seal) | Matthew 24; 9,21 Revelation 6:7-8 |
| Death (fifth seal) | Matthew 24: 9,22 Revelation 6: 9 |
| Sign – end of the age (sixth seal) | Matthew 24: 29; Revelation 6:12-17 (wrath) |
| Judgement/Rescue (harvest) | Matthew 24:13;31 Revelation 7:9-14 |
| Wrath of God Begins (trumpets) | Matthew 24:37-39 Revelation 8:1-7 |
The strength of the pre wrath position is easily seen in this chart (Van Kampen164). From Matthew 24 alone it is impossible to know for sure where the wrath of God begins. This is exactly why there are three tribulation positions. However, with the same exact sequence of events in Revelation chapter 6, (both taught by Jesus) it is impossible NOT to know where, in the Bible, the “Wrath of God” begins. It begins exactly where the Bible says it does, in Revelation 6:17 “For the great day of their wrath has come.” No other position begins the Day of the Lord’s wrath here teaching that the wrath starts some where else. The pre wrath position seems to solve all the problems the posttribulational proponents have thrown at the pretribulational teachers and vise-versa. In his book, The Rapture Question Answered, Van Kampen explains this situation rather well. The following is a paraphrased illustration:
Assume you have six passages dealing with a particular topic. One group of passages seems to teach, 1, 3, and 5 while a second set of passages appear on the surface to teach 2, 4, 6. So group one sweeps 2, 4, and 6 under the rug and will die for their common denominator of 15. The others sweep 1, 3, and 5 under the rug willing to die for their common de-nominator of 12. Neither group discovering that 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 have a common denomination of sixty!” (25)
Biblically prewrath is very sound. This theory protects dispensational truth by placing the rapture at Revelation 7:9; protecting the very same day principle by placing God’s wrath at Revelation 6:17 and 8:1; It, also, teaches that the Day of the Lord will not come like a thief in the night to believers (1 Thessalonians 5:4) because certain things must happen before the Day of the Lord’s wrath (Joel 2;31, Mal 4:5, Is 2:10-21, Zeph. 1:7 and 2 Thes. 2:3).
In Conclusion
Jay Vernon McGee once said on the radio, “If your view of end times does not change your life, then change your view of end times.” Please imagine, for a moment, that you have traveled back in time to the 25th of December 2004. Would you be sipping tea on the beach beside the very ones that will be swept away by a Tsunami in just twenty-four hours? We might remember that, “He does not want anyone to perish,” (2 Peter 3:9). although “Satan will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them” and for “enjoying the evil they do”. (2 Thes. 2:10-12)
Works Cited
Nelson Publishing, 1990. New Open Bible Study Addition,, New King James Version
Thiessen, Henry, 2001. Lectures in Systematic Theology, rev. ed., Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing House.
Tregelles. S.P. 1864. The Hope of Christ’s Coming, 6th addition, Whitstable Litho Ltd.
Van Kampen, Robert, 1997. The Rapture Question Answered Plain and Simple, Fleming H. Revell, Baker Book House
“Revelation.” Narr. Jay Vernon Mc Gee Through the Bible 89.5 KOKS, Poplar Bluff Mo. (2002)
