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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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THE DOCTRINE OF THE RAPTURE 1Th 4:13-18 (7/03/11) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. SUMMARY OF BASIC RAPTURE BELIEFS A. Pre-Tribulation Rapture View - The
teaching that Jesus comes for His bride, the true Church, before the
Tribulation period begins. B. Mid-Tribulation Rapture View - The
belief that Jesus raptures the Church half-way through the seven-year
Tribulation period. C. Pre-Wrath Rapture View - The belief
that the Church will be raptured just before the wrath of the Day of the
Lord. D. Post-Tribulation Rapture View - The
teaching that Jesus will come for His Church at the end of the Tribulation
period, but prior to the Millennium. E. Partial Rapture View - The view
that teaches that only those believers who are found worthy will escape the
terrors of the Tribulation by being taken in the Rapture. II. BRIEF ANALYSIS OF RAPTURE VIEWS A. Pre-Tribulation Rapture View 1. The Church will be “kept” from the hour
of Testing (Rev 3:10). a) There term “hour” (hōra)
would mean a specific and special time. b) The term kept “from” (ek)
can be translated “out of.” c) The testing will be upon the whole world. d) Christians were not “kept from” the
destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. 2. The Church will be rescued from the
“coming wrath” (1Th 1:10). a) The wrath of God can be associated with
the Tribulation judgments (Rev 6:16-17 - Seal Judgments; Rev 11:18 - Trumpet
Judgments; Rev 15:7 - Bowl Judgments; Rev 19:15) and not just the Second
Coming. b) The Church is told to look for the
imminent return of Christ (Joh 14:2-3; Phi 3:20; 1Th 1:10; 4:16-17; Tit 2:13;
Jam 5:8; 1Pe 4:7) and not prepare for the Tribulation. 3. The Church is absent from the Tribulation
in Rev 4-19 (cp. Rev 1:19; 4:1) a) Rev 1:19 gives the outline of Revelation. b) John is asked to “come up” in Rev 4:1,
which chronologically could make reference to the Church. c) The “twenty four elders,” which represent
the Church, are seen only in heaven during the Tribulation (Rev 4:4, 10; 5:5,
6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4). d) The Tribulation pertains to the Jews and
not the Church (“Jacob’s Trouble” - Jer 30:4-11) and Daniel’s “people” - Dan
9:24). e) The biblical Doctrine of Imminent Return
of Christ is only supported by the Pre-Tribulation View. f) The Holy Spirit’s ministry as Restrainer
in the Church will end at the Rapture (2Th 2:6-7). 4. The Church being delivered from Judgment
is seen in Biblical Typology a) Noah was delivered from Judgment (Gen
7:15-16). b) Lot was delivered from Judgment (Gen
19:15-16). c) Rahab was delivered from Judgment (Jos
6:25). B. Mid-Tribulation Rapture View 1. The Rapture triggers the intense
judgments at mid-Tribulation (Dan 7:25; 9:27; 12:7, 11; Revelation 11:2;
12:6, 14). a) Problem: The middle of the Tribulation is
due to the breaking of the covenant with Israel (Dan 9:27), not because of
the Rapture. b) Problem: God’s judgments begin in the
first 3 1/2 years. (Rev 6:16-17). 2. Mat 24:27 speaks of the Rapture because
it uses the word “parousia,” making
the Rapture occur after the first half of
Tribulation. a) Problem: Parousia
cannot determine the event because it is used both of the Rapture (1Th 2:19;
4:15) and the Second Coming (2Th 2:8). b) Problem: There are signs and judgment
throughout the entire seven year Tribulation Period (Mat 24:5-9 - first half;
Mat 24:15-28-last half). 3. The Trumpet Judgment of Rev 11:14 is
identical to 1Th 4:16 of the Rapture. a) Problem: There are various trumpet calls
in Scripture (Jdg 3:27; 6:34; 1Co 15:52), which not associated with the
Trumpet Judgment. b) Problem: Rev 11:14-19 makes no mention of
the Rapture. |
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