When it comes to the matter of the Rapture, differing ideas abound. The most popular viewpoints deny that there is such a thing in Scripture. Another widespread belief combines it with the Second Coming.
Thereโs also a wide variety of opinions regarding the timing of the Rapture among those who believe in a literal seven-year Tribulation and Jesusโ thousand-year rule over all the nations. Most who hold to these premillennial beliefs place our homegoing before the Tribulation period, while others place it at various points during this time of โJacobโs trouble,โ or at its end.
Thereโs also another category that I refer to as the โRapture agnostics.โ When we think of an agnostic, the first thing that comes to our minds is someone who does not know if God exists or not. According to Dictionary.com, however, thereโs a secondary meaning that describes this perspective as that of โa person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study.โ
Rapture agnostics deny that โthe possibility of ultimate knowledgeโ regarding the placement of the Rapture either before or during the Tribulation.
Many in this camp say that all the beliefs in regard to the positioning of the Rapture are just the โbest guesses.โ Others remain uncommitted to any position by repeating the popular phrase, โIt will all pan out in the end.โ
But is it possible to know for sure that the Rapture will happen before the start of the seven-year Tribulation? Yes, and as I explain below, the viewpoint that says we cannot know whether or not we will experience the Day of the Lord’s wrath confirms our belief that we will miss all of it.
Why Would The Lord Allow His Bride To Experience His Wrath?
Letโs start with something upon which all premillennialists agree; the Tribulation period will be a time of widespread death and devastation upon planet earth. The horrific depictions of the Day of the Lord wrath in the Old Testament track closely with the judgment we read about in the book of Revelation.
The Lord described this future time in Matthew 24:21-22: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
The event that cuts this time short is Jesusโ Second Coming, which He describes in glorious detail in verses 29-31. According to Jesus, a very small percentage of people alive at the start of this time will remain breathing at its end, which aligns with Godโs warning in Isaiah 13:6-13 and what we read about the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl judgments in Revelation.
Premillennialists agree that this will be a horrific time of death and near-total destruction. But why would the Lord allow His Redeemed to experience His judgments, i.e., the Day of the Lord’s wrath? And this begs another question.
Why Would The Lord Leave Us Without A Definitive Word?
The extreme nature of the Day of the Lord leads me to another question: โIs it reasonable to assume that the Lord would not give His Church, His Bride, any clear direction as to whether or not they will experience this horrific time on the earth?โ The answer must be a definitive โNO!โ
If we believe the Tribulation will be as bad as the Bible says it will be, are we really to believe that the matter of whether or not we will experience this horrific time is just our best guess? What does that say about our Savior if He indeed has left us with no clear indication of whether or not to expect deliverance or a need to prepare for this time of devastation?
If the Church is destined to go through this deadly time on the earth, we would expect to read something about our preparation for it. Of course, two millennia of prepping for it would be out of the question. Yet, we would expect to find something written among all the prophetic passages of the New Testament about preparing for it once the signs of the end appear, but there is nothing about this matter. Nothing!
Yes, the Lord told His disciples to expect tribulation (John 16:33) and the Apostle Paul warned that โall who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecutedโ (2 Timothy 3:12). However, the Day of the Lord’s wrath targets those who reject Jesus and refuse to turn to Him even in the midst of severe judgments. Itโs also a last call to repentance for those who reject the Savior, as well as a time of suffering for the Jewish people so they will turn to their Messiah at its end. Where exactly do the redeemed fit into these purposes?
Is it realistic to assume that the Lord would leave us with no definitive word as to whether or not we would go through this horrific time of judgment on the nations? No, absolutely not. Jesus has provided us with a certain hope that will miss all of this horrific time on the earth.
Is There A Clear Biblical Path To The Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
Yes, a decisive biblical path exists to our belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul talks about the Day of the Lord’s wrath. In verses 9-10, we have the promise of deliverance from this time: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
For us as believers, the Rapture signifies our deliverance from this time. If we were destined to endure this time, why would the apostle conclude with these words, โTherefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doingโ? Would this really apply if most believers were to suffer and die because of the Lordโs wrath against the wicked and ungodly? Whereโs the comfort in certain suffering and death?
In my book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast, I include a lengthy section describing step by step how the words of the New Testament lead us to a definitive belief in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Such a path exists. Itโs beyond the scope of this article to lay out all the biblical evidence for this conclusion.
Yes, many Christians disagree with my conclusion. But is this not the case with the other beliefs we hold dear? Differing opinions exist on almost every doctrine listed in any church statement of faith, which is why we depend exclusively on the words of Scripture for the basis of all that we believe.
The matter of settling most of our cherished beliefs often rests upon more than just one verse or single passage from Scripture. It happens by comparing Scripture with Scripture, allowing clear passages to interpret those that are not so clear on the topic, and accepting Godโs Word as the only authority over human wisdom and experience.
The Rapture agnostics tell us we cannot determine whether or not we will go through all of the Tribulation or perhaps a part of it. This is not true.
The Bible provides us with a clear path leading to the certainty that Jesus is coming to take us home before the start of the Tribulation period, or what the Old Testament describes as the Day of the Lord. The absence of nary a hint that we must prepare for this time adds confirmation to this trek through Scripture.
