BLUE VIEWPOINT
Many believe that Jesus will return before the end-time period known as the Tribulation so that believers will not have to endure the actions of the diabolical figure known as the Antichrist.
Most people believe this, but cannot point to even one Biblical reference to substantiate the concept. So, they separate Bible references to the second coming into multiple events that can be applied to fit their needs. As widespread as this belief is, the Bible never even intimates this early "rapture", and even clearly specifies the way the second coming will happen.
Popular, but not scriptural
Many pastors and very popular web sites have pushed this early exit viewpoint, but discussions with the pastors and email exchanges with the websites fail to produce any direct evidence or references to the word of God that support their concept. All that can be found are opinions stated with lots of emotion, and the current feeling is evidently that if you believe something strongly enough, then it must be true.
...and not very old
Now, there are many places to find "information" about an early rapture, but if you go to any of them that actually research the idea before preaching on it, you will find that the pre-tribulation rapture is a new concept from the nineteenth century (about 1830). It is not an idea preached by Paul, or any of the other apostles from the first century. An example of this "non-conforming" concept is shown on the site at A.S.K:
It may come as a surprise but the doctrine of the Rapture is not mentioned in any Christian writings, of which we have knowledge, until after the year 1830 C.E. Whether the early writers were Greek or Latin, Armenian or Coptic, Syrian or Ethiopian, English or German, orthodox or heretic, no one mentioned it before 1830 (though a sentence in Pseudo-Dionysius in about 500 C.E. could be so interpreted). Of course, those who feel the origin of the teaching is in the Bible would say that it ceased being taught for some unknown reason at the close of the apostolic age only to reappear in 1830. But if the doctrine were so clearly stated in Scripture, it seems incredible that no one should have referred to it before the 19th century.
The lateness of the doctrine does not necessarily mean the teaching is wrong (only the plain statements of the Bible can reveal that). It does show that thousands of eminent scholars over seventeen centuries (including the most astute "Christian Fathers" and those of the Reformation and post-Reformation periods) must be considered prophetic dunces for not having understood so fundamental a teaching. This lapse of seventeen centuries when no one elaborated on the doctrine must be viewed as an obstacle to accepting its reliability.
Now, there are some claims that authors as far back at the middle of the first century made statements that can be translated as references to the "pre-Trib rapture", but there are also many who claim that this idea is a pipe dream because those ideas were not clearly proclaimed by any of the "church fathers", and that the whole idea is from the 1800's. You will, however, find that, when concocted ideas are challenged, the search for "proofs" generally find some vague statement that, when viewed from the right narrow, slanted angle, will give some leeway in a loose translation for a subject never intended.
Reading lies into a verse
There are many references in the New Testament that refer to the fact that Jesus will return. The primary reference people use to describe the event of the second coming of Christ is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which describes the Lord's coming but does not give any hints as to when this will happen:
13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Why did he write this letter?
Paul wrote this to the Thessalonians to calm the fears of some who thought that Christ had already come, or their fear that when He does come, He will only take the living. It was not to let them know some secret timing for an event still in the future. Some people of the time of this writing evidently thought that Jesus had already come and gone (His recent physical first presence and ascension) and thought that they had missed the boat. Others thought that those who had already died would not get taken with Him when He came, and that only those living would be saved.
In fact, the passage above appears to let people know that Jesus had not yet come to be King, and that the planned order of events would not leave any true believer behind - alive or dead. Also, this will be a noisy, busy, reassuring event. To interpret this passage as anything other than a reassurance of what the people already hoped is to make things up.
Taken to "Heaven"?
To be thorough on the matter, there are some who think that there is a difference between the event listed in these verses in 1 Thessalonians and the actual Second Coming of Jesus. They feel that there will be a "secret" second coming which will take people out of the world to Heaven before the Tribulation mentioned above. (Challenge: find any reference to "Heaven" as a destination in this passage (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
), even though this passage is often used as "proof" that those who are taken up will go to Heaven.) Then, evidently seven years later, they feel that there will evidently be a second second coming in which He will come again again and gather up those He has already gathered up and take them to Heaven again. (I think I hurt my brain saying that.)
Again, to be fair, there are several versions of this thought line, including one that declares that the second second coming will only happen for those were converted to faith in Christ during the Tribulation and so became believers after the "Rapture". However, with no references, what justifies adding this interpretation to a statement that is already very clear?
More confusion
There is one point that, unfortunately, seems to make this secret Rapture idea very easy to accept. The Bible says in Zechariah 14:5
5You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
and 1 Thessalonians 3:13
13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
(that would be Old and New Testament, in case you think we use only one source to prove a point) that when Jesus comes He will be accompanied by His "saints", or more accurately, His "holy ones". Most Christians automatically think this is speaking of people who have died in Christ and went straight to Heaven or were Raptured.
This mistaken understanding gives credence to either of two scenarios that are common among Christian beliefs; 1) People go to Heaven when they die, or 2) The dead in Christ will be Raptured before the tribulation as will the living in Christ. Unfortunately, neither of these scenarios have support in the Scriptures.
Any research into hermeneutics, etymology, and popular commentaries casts a totally different light on this interpretation. No, I'm not going to do a hermeneutics or etymology study here, the commenters have already done that for us. However, you may be surprised at what you would find if you did such a study.
But, then there are the facts...
A quick search for "Zech 14:5 commentary" takes you to a page that shows various commentaries for both the expository view of English translations and the exegetical view in the original languages. While some of them don't even mention the "saints" passage, those that do limit the interpretation of that word to "angels". There are two exceptions to this statement. One exception to this is the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, which says:
saints - holy angels escorting the returning King (Mt 24:30, 31; Jude 14); and redeemed men (1Co 15:23; 1Th 3:13; 4:14). Compare the similar mention of the "saints" and "angels" at His coming on Sinai (De 32:2, 3; Ac 7:53; Ga 3:19; Heb 2:2).
"Proof" references?
Not to make too fine a point of this, but look up all the verses used to justify the "redeemed men" and "similar mention of the 'saints' and 'angels' " and you will see, with the exception of 1 Thessalonians 4:14, they never even mention men. And, even those in that verse are the ones who have died. Angels do not die. Even for this passage, my CJSB puts it this way:
14do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:14, CJSB, emphasis mine)
One passage that is very clear on the identity of those who accompany Christ at His coming is Matthew 25:31
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne."
. Another is Mark 8:38
38"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
. Evidently, the Greek word interpreted "angel" (angeloi or angelon) is so "vague" and difficult to interpret that many pastors claim that these holy ones are the dead in Christ who went to Heaven at the time of their deaths or seven years earlier at the so-called pre-Trib Rapture. But when you see the word "angeloi", even if you aren't a Greek scholar, it's hard to think that it means "saints". Unless, that is, unless you need it to mean something it doesn't say in order to support some kind of misleading doctrine. But, who would think that today's pastors would be that misleading? OK, I would.
Jesus is going to raise the "sleeping" dead in Christ at His second coming, along with those faithful believers living at the time. Dead bodies without spirits do not "sleep" in the grave awaiting His return. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
16For 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.
clearly says that the dead in Christ will rise first. If Christ comes down from Heaven and then the dead in Him are raised from their graves to meet Him in the air, what does that say about where they were? He will then take (from His point of view, "bring" from that of those on earth) them to earth (Jerusalem) to reign with Him for the Millennium.
Take your pick...
The other exception is the Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, which mentions an either/or scenario. Why this one offers the choice is not stated, but the reference to bringing their spirits to be reunited with their bodies implies a belief that their spirits have been residing in Heaven. As shown on other pages of this site, this concept has no justifcation in the Scriptures and is a personal interpretation (opinion) beyond the evidence.
A very noisy "secret" event?
The "secret" event that some say is described in these passages described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
somehow nullifies verse 16 in the same set of verses or banishes all the noise making to the "second" second coming. Based on the words of verses 16 and 17, I see an uncanny resemblence to the real Second Coming events described in Revelation 20:4-5
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
where the only reference to a resurrection is to the first resurrection. If this "pre-Trib rapture" is the first resurrection, and there can only be one first anything, the rising of the dead in 1 Thessalonians 4 must either be a later resurrection, for which at this point there is no need. Revelation 20:5 says that this one is the first resurrection described in Revelation.
Maybe in Daniel...
In an effort to cover as many bases as possible, my wife presented an idea this morning that Daniel 12:1
1At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered.
means there will be a Rapture before the Tribulation starts because of the phrase "will be delivered". In reading the passages again, doing some comparison with the passages in Revelation 13 through 20, you still cannot get there from here. Remember when the books Daniel mentions are opened?
That happens in Revelation 20:12
12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
, after the Millennium ends and the judgment is under way. This is too late for the "Rapture" because the Antichrist was killed when Christ came immediately before the Millennium. The whole concept of the "Rapture" was contrived by men to keep the saints from being persecuted. It's a mystery as to why people want to believe that when the Bible says in many places that they will be persecuted by the "lawless one", "that Wicked", and many other terms used to refer to the Antichrist.
If you tie these words of Daniel 12:1
1At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered.
with the activities in Chapter 11 of Daniel, you see that the Antichrist has just finished doing his mean thing, and it is over for him. Daniel 7:25
25He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
and Revelation Chapter 13 clearly say that the Antichrist will insult God and have the holy people delivered into his hands, so they must have been around for that part. That took 3 1/2 years (time, times, and half-a-time). The only thing left after that (or probably happening during the same 3 1/2 years) is the Wrath of God which is the series of seven trumpet judgments, from which Michael will protect the people of God (Daniel 12:1
1At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered.
). That takes 3 1/2 years as well, and it is that Wrath of God from which the people "will be delivered", without "taking them to Heaven" (remember Noah, Lot, and Job).
What about the "seven years of tribulation"?
Well, as much as you have heard about the "seven years" of tribulation, find something in the Bible that says that end-time tribulation will last for seven years. Oh, the seventieth week of Daniel, and the peace treaty with Israel, will be declared for a period of seven years, but that does not mean that the seven years will be all tribulation. It will start as a period of peace.
At the "middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering." (Daniel 9:27) Since the sacrifices and offerings will only be performed in the newly built temple in Israel, by the Jews, the Antichrist will break the "peace" treaty with Israel after 3 1/2 years, leaving only 3 1/2 years of the seven-year period. It is during this time that he will begin to persecute the saints. When God sees him start doing that, He will unleash His wrath on those who follow the Antichrist. Yeah, yeah, this is not what your pastor is saying, but read the Bible for what it says, not what you have been told. Your pastor also says that Sunday is holy, there will be a pre-Trib "Rapture", that Christmas is a Christian holiday, and roast pig with a side of lobster will be O.K. for dinner...
How many days...?
There is some discussion about the lengths of time mentioned in Daniel that vary from the 1260 days of Revelation, namely the 1290 days from Daniel 12:11
11From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
and/or the 1335 days from Daniel 12:12
12Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
, but the differences are not significant to this discussion. Either way, there is a period during which the saints are persecuted by the Antichrist for half (or all?) of tribulation, and a period during which Michael protects ("delivers") the people of God from the Wrath of God for the other half, and all God's people are patient enough to wait through the whole time (1335 days).
If you are not down here going through the period of God's Wrath on the earth, as some claim, there is no need for any patience. Yet, there is no time for the people of God to have been "raptured" and yet still go through these periods of time.
Everything in the interpretation must fit the rest of the Bible
Some interpret the passage from Daniel 12:2
2Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
in such a way as to show that all these things happen at once--thus allowing the misleading thought that we are "raptured" at some undefined resurrection and then whisked away to Heaven, missing all the fun of tribulation. However, to make them fit with John's very detailed description of the end times in Revelation, we must look at them closely, and see them in a way that allows both the resurrection and the rapture to fit the words of the Bible. The only way this can be is if the "rapture" happens at the second coming of Christ.
Daniel was describing a very future prophecy, and he knew it must be far future because of the interpretations of his famous statue of many materials representing Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Roman empires, as well as the mixed kingdom (feet of clay and iron mixed) at the end times. So, when we interpret Daniel's prophecy, we must stay somewhat general, unlike that part of John's Revelation which specifies a deliberate series of events.
Another "sign" of the end times?
In the interests of being thorough, there was an event in the summer of 2018 that is being interpreted by many Jews as a sign of the soon coming of the Messiah. A red heifer was born (September?), was inspected by the priests, and "verified" as a possible candidate of the cow that was to herald preparations for the building of the new temple. While the concept is steeped in Jewish tradition, a site at OpenBible.info lists Bible references for the description and use of the "last" red heifer. This tradition holds that there will be only ten ever born that qualify (no more than two white hairs on the entire body, no flaws at birth, etc.), and there have been nine reported through the years before this birth. The site lists some 91 verses, but some of them are pretty vague and do not even refer to cows, much less red ones.
This event is described in a monthly periodical called Sapphires from an organization called Hope of the World. The article was written by Jonathan Cahn, the organization's president. Here is his description of the heifer:
THE RED HEIFER
One of the commands given to Israel in the Law of Moses requires the birth of the "Parah Adumah", the red heifer. The sacrifice of the red heifer is to bring purification. Red heifers are mentioned in rabbinic speculation concerning the end times. The birth of a red heifer, many believe, will herald the building of the Third Temple. And some Christians believe that such an event will herald the second coming of Jesus. In the latter part of 2018 it was announced that a red heifer had been born. Rabbinical experts conducted an extensive examination of the calf. After the examination they verified that the calf had fulfilled all the requirements concerning the red heifer, including its being born "without blemish". The event was being heralded as the first verified birth of a red heifer in two thousand years.
(excerpt from The January 2019 publication of Sapphires, author: Jonathan Cahn)
Based on the less-than-definitive Biblical references from the Open Bible site, and the fact that this concept is from Jewish tradition, it is very difficult to verify whether this is truly a result of prophecy. However, with the wide-spread beliefs of many that we could see the Messiah return at any moment, it seems appropriate to bring this to your attention. There is a rather lengthy description, with references, of this subject at Wikipedia if you would like some more specifics.
While my personal view is that we are still some (two?) centuries from the Second Coming, this may be one sign that the Third Temple (Ezekiel chapters 40 - 48?) will at least be getting started. This will eventually bring back the God-commanded sacrifices (predicted by Daniel) that had to stop in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the second temple. (For those who say this can never happen, see my page at Sacrifices for reasoning and references.) Once the sacrifices start again, the Antichrist can appear on the scene and start beating up on the people of God after the peace treaty is broken. Then, according to His word, we can say we are getting close to the return of our Lord.
Jesus Christ is coming - His way, not ours
At the end of that time Jesus Christ will return to fight a battle (Revelation 19:11-15
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
), resurrect the dead in Christ (Daniel 12:2
2Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
, Revelation 20:4-5
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
), gather the living in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17
17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
), and establish His kingdom here on the earth. Then, after the thousand years, the "others" mentioned in Daniel 12:2 are raised to shame and everlasting contempt (the rest of the dead from Revelation 20:5).
Now, without pontificating here, this is just pointing out what is fairly obvious in the text. Anyone can believe anything they want. The final decision is with Christ. As long as it does not affect your salvation, it doesn't matter what you believe about the order of events, as long as you do not lose faith because what you thought would happen didn't. If you see another way to interpret the actual words of the Bible without making up stuff, I would be happy to investigate any verses that point a different way. (See discussion menu Why only "Second" Coming? for some reader response to our thoughts about claiming that only one second coming is in our future.)
Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at glenjjr@gmail.com and give us your view.
