rapture2
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THE RAPTURE OCCURS AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION |
I believe that the rapture will take place after the great tribulation. I also believe that it will not be the Church which is the Body of Christ that is raptured, but it will be believing Israel and grafted in Gentiles that will be raptured. I realize that this is not a widely held view, but I suggest that the reader read the paper at this site The Rapture of the Church? for scriptural evidence of this position.
Another view I believe to be true that is also not widely held, is that the tribulation is not world-wide. Again, may I suggest that the reader read the paper on this site, The Tribulation Is Not World Wide
Assuming for the moment that the tribulation in not world wide and that it is believing Israel that will be raptured, let us look at the question of when the rapture will take place.
We read in Rev. 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth”. The “hour of trial” is of course, the tribulation. The question is, how will those who have patiently endured be kept from the tribulation. .
We read in Rev. 12:6, “The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days”. Also Rev. 12:13-14, “When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and a half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.” In my opinion, these passages answers the question of how believers will be kept from the tribulation. They will escape to “the place prepared for them”.
The reader may recall the words of our Lord as recorded in Matthew 24:15-20, So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel-let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath”. The reason for all this is given in the next verse (verse 21) which reads, “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until not- and never to be equaled again”.
It is clear that God has prepared a place to escape the tribulation. We may not know today where this place of refuge from the tribulation will be, but I am convinced that God will make it known to those who will need to know when the time is right. If the rapture were to take place before the tribulation, there would be no need of a place to escape.
Once we accept that the tribulation is not world wide and that it is believing Israel that will be raptured, it is my opinion that the passages in Thessalonians may be taken at face value. I Thess. 4:15-17, “According to the Lord’s own words, I tell you that we who are still alive who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command….and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…”. When taken at face value, it is clear that Paul is saying that the rapture occurs at the time of the coming of Christ in the clouds.
I will not attempt to “shoot down” other theories of when the rapture will take place, but I would enjoy hearing from the visitor of this site as to any specific problems or questions you might have with the views expressed in this paper or any paper on this site.
This paper was written by Joyce Pollard.
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I would love to hear your thoughts. Please E-mail me at::[email protected]