Bible Discussion Thread

Scripture provides numerous evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of Christ’s followers prior to the 7-Year Tribulation period described in Chapters 6 through 18 of the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ, and for their return to earth with Him at His Second Advent.The Scripture passages that speak of Christ “appearing/coming” speak to His followers only, not those unrepentant at the end/battle of Armageddon. Also, this “coming/appearing” for His followers is in context quite distinct from Christ’s Second Advent to earth at the end of the Tribulation. After all, Christ is depicted during His Second Advent as coming to earth with an incalculable number of His followers with Him. In addition to this evidence we have the book of Revelation itself which speaks distinctly for a pre-Tribulation Rapture, via it’s narrative, it’s structure, and unique symbology. Revelation 3 also contains specific statements of keeping believers from Tribulaton while it lacks any statements or direction to Christ’s followers during the Tribulation period. There is not time in Biblical history where God does not speak to His followers. In Revelation, He stops speaking to them at the beginning of Chapter 4, when John (a prefigure of all believers) is taken up in Heaven (a prefigure of the Rapture). We can see in Rev. 13:9 that all the 144k Jews who had been sealed are in Heaven and no on on earth who believes in Jesus is left to preach, so God sends His angels to fly thru th eatmosphere to preach. There are no christians or believing Jews left on earth. Furthermore, the reason for the Tribulation period (explained in the Old Testament book of Daniel) is opposite of the reason for the Rapture. The Tribulation period is a time of judgment when God once again begins dealing personally with His people Israel, when He will once again commissions them to personally spread Christ’s gospel of redemption, while also holding the recalcitrant accountable for rejecting their Messiah. So the Tribulation is totally opposite dispensationally to the time we live in now, which is the "time of the Gentiles" or "church age/age of grace." In the Trib, it will be like the Old Testament in terms of judgment. We are currently under grace, not the OT law. This dispensational age--commonly called “The times of the Gentiles’ or “Age of Grace” or “Church Age“ will have its end at the time the Lord “snatches away“ His followers to keep them from the Tribulation period.
In addition to this evidence Jesus’ own words in the Gospels, promises contained in the Epistles of Paul and others, and Old Testament prophesies and prefigures provide numerous proofs to confirm a Pre-tribulation Rapture.