Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Because I believe time is getting very short I wanted to post my document on why I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. If you don’t know Jesus as your personal savior please do so TODAY! The Rapture will occur any time NOW! ARE YOU READY!!!!

I believe the Jewish wedding ceremony was a clear teaching of the Rapture. In the Old Testament when a man wanted to marry a woman word would be spread all over town and everyone would gather at the city gate. This is where the Elders would be who would ratify the marriage agreement. The marriage contract would be read aloud. The proposed groom would pay a dowry or bride price now what is interesting is that this was to take care of the woman if something were to happen to the husband.

Well Jesus did the same, He came to the earth and he paid the bride price by giving his life for the Church! This was for our benefit; He died that we may have eternal life!

Now after the contract is read the man must pour a cup of wine and offer it to his purposed wife. This was known as the cup of Joy. If she drank the wine she accepted the proposal. Then the man would drink from the cup and say you are now consecrated to me by the Laws of Moses and I will not drink of this cup again until I drink it a new with you in my fathers house.

Thus the Last Supper was a contract of marriage. Where Jesus did the same thing, at the last supper Jesus said take, drink this is the blood of the new covenant. I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until I do so with you in my father’s kingdom. Thus when we drink the wine in communion we are accepting Jesus’ proposal for marriage!

Remember that the first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine at the wedding in Canaan. 

Then the Man would say I must go and prepare a place for you in my father’s house. But I will come again for you. Well Jesus did this as well John 14:2-3 Jesus said: In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

This alone pretty much proves a pre trib rapture, because Jesus is coming to take us to heaven. No one goes to heaven after the tribulation!

Then once the place was ready he would return for the bride. Yet it was not up to him, He would have to wait for his Father to say it was ready. Jesus said Matthew 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Yet in their culture they would have understood that what he was saying is that he would come in the middle of the night! As was custom in the Jewish wedding.

But when the Father gives the command he goes to get his bride. This was usually around midnight. When they got near they would shout and blast the trumpet to make her aware that they were coming. Well The bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

But now it gets interesting because when he went to get the bride she would not walk back to the fathers house. No they had a chair for her to sit upon and she was lifted into the air and carried to the father house. 

Then of course after this is the wedding, then the commencement ceremony that would last 7 days and then they come out for the wedding Feast which could last for weeks! The important thing is that when He went to get the bride only those who were ready would be aloud into the wedding ceremony and the door was Shut no one could leave or enter until it was over! Well we will have the wedding ceremony in heaven and then be with Jesus 7 years Then Jesus will bring us forth back to the earth for the wedding feast Luke 12:36 Luke 12:36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

 Thus the Jewish wedding ceremony is a perfect description of the rapture! Just as each of the seven feast days is a prediction of an event in the life of Jesus!

Couple this with Hebrews 9:28 Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for

him. Why are we waiting for the Rapture of course! Just as the bride to be waits so do we!

Furthermore the tribulation is clearly for the Jews not the Church

Daniel 9:24

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Revelation 7 speaks of 144,000 Jews being sealed by God

Revelation 11 speaks of two Jewish witnesses

Revelation 12:6 

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Jeremiah 30:7 

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

It seems fairly obvious that the tribulation is not about the church , but is a time for the Jews to reconcile with God. The tribulation is Israel’s last 7 years to make an end of their sins and get right with God it has nothing to do with the church.

The Bible clearly speaks of dispensations a period of time where God deals different people in a different way. We are currently in the dispensation of Grace. But after the rapture Gods focus will return to the Jews. Dispensations- Eph1:10. Eph 3:2, Col 1:25, 1Cor 9:17

The rapture can not be post tribulation although I know there are sites promoting an end of tribulation rapture but this can not be! Let me explain.

I know why they believe this because of Mathew 24:29-31

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

But Jesus is talking about the Jews and others who would come to believe in Jesus during the tribulation. Besides it says gather not transformed or taken to heaven. 

Scripture says the wicked are gathered and cast into hell at Jesus’ second coming!

 Matthew 13:37-43

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

As believers we will be changed at the rapture

1 Corinthians 15:50-53

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

So if the Wicked are cast into Hell at his second coming and the Righteous all get immortal bodies then how does Satan gather people at the end of the Millennium? As there will be no flesh and blood humans left on the earth to have children? This can not be! As Rev 20 says there will be so many they will be as the sand of the sea?

Rev 20:7-8

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

This more than any thing else proves to me that it must be a pre-tribulation rapture! Besides there is much more that shows that it must be a pre-tribulation rapture!

In addition Zechariah 14:16 says people will come to worship Jesus every year for the feast of Tabernacles and Isaiah 65 says people will have children and people will die during the millennium. Therefore there must be flesh and blood humans on the earth that would be gone with a post trib rapture?

But because the Jews rejected Jesus as their messiah God has turned his attention away from the Jews and onto the Gentiles (Age of Grace – church age) until the rapture. 

Romans 11:25 

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

The Rapture will end the time of the Gentiles. Then God will turn his attention back to the Jews as it is the time of Jacobs trouble.  Furthermore Rev 3:10 Jesus said Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Thus those who do Gods will not face the Tribulation.

Then Dan 7:21 says I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;  

Also Rev 13:7 says And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

 These indicate the anti-christ has victory yet in Mathew 16:18 Jesus said And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Thus the church must be gone as we do not fall to Satan and his rule!

Can’t you see when he comes for his church he does not come to judge the world for sin, he comes to gather his faithful! At his Second coming he comes with vengeance upon the wicked world!

The rapture is mentioned in 1 Cor 15 and 1 Thes 4 but it says Jesus will meet us in the Clouds and he is not coming for vengeance! Yet in Rev 19 Jesus comes to the earth and he comes in vengeance for the sin of Mankind! Clearly this is two separate events!

Paul speaks of the rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 

 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Where is our comfort if we are going to face the Tribulation?

 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 Further more the Church is not to suffer Gods wrath. The Tribulation is Cleary Gods wrath. For it is Jesus who opens the seals that make up the tribulation. 

 1 Thessalonians 1:10 

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:9 

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

 We Shall escape when Jesus takes us to heaven

 Isaiah 26:20 

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

 Revelation 6:16 

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

 The rapture is our blessed hope, we will not be here for the tribulation. These passages are a contradiction to rev 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

  Titus 2:13 

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Why would Jesus speak of an escape from the wrath to come if it is post tribulation?

 Luke 21:36 

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The Rapture must occur pre-trib because the restrainer of   2 Thessalonians 2:6 is the Holy Spirit.

The restrainer is referred to as both the neuter (what) and as the gender (He) this mix mix applies to he Holy Spirit who is a person (He), but also described in the greek as a (what). It also says that he will restrain until he is taken out of the way. Since the Man of sin has not yet been revealed, we can see that the restainer has been suppressing his appearance for over 2000 years. When we look at all the pieces we see that:

The restrainer is referred to as both a He and a what.

The restrainer existed in Paul’s day

The restrainer has been restraining for over 2000 years

The restrainer is powerful enough to suppress the powers of darkness who wish to promote the man of sin

The restraint is global

The restrainer must have super natural powers what government could restrain Satan and do so continuously for 2000 years? Yet scripture teaches the Holy Spirit has such a ministry.(Gen 6:3, Gen 20:6, John 16:18). Thus it seems the best solution for the identity of the restrainer is the Holy Spirit Himself.

The Holy Spirit at the founding of the Church began to dwell in believers. Thus we as believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) When the church is raptured it will return to the way it was in the Old Testament. The Holy spirit was here but it did not reside inside of people. It would come upon people for a while and then leave them again.

Clearly we are in heaven in Revelation 5:7-9 

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (beginning of tribulation) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The elders are obviously raptured saints the Greek term for elders is never used to refer to angels, only to men.

Revelation 13:6 the antichrist blasphemes God, his tabernacle, and those that dwell in heaven (raptured saints of course)

How do we return with Jesus if we are not taken pre-tribulation?

Revelation 19: 7-8 

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Revelation 19: 11-14 

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

 Jude also speaks of our returning with Jesus in Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

 Zechariah 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

In Revelation the church is mentioned 19X in chapter 1-3 then disappears until chapter 20 Also Rev 1:20 Jesus is walking among the seven candlesticks and says they represent the church. Yet they appear in heaven in Rev. 4:5 after John is called into heaven he sees the throne and before the throne are the seven candle sticks as the Church has to have been raptured! Then God says you must see what takes place here after. After what? After the church is taken obviously!

Also in Revelation  “Let him who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the churches” over and over in chapter 1-3 Then in chapter 13:9 it says “He who has an ear let him hear” what the spirit has to say to the churches is gone!

And last but not least is what we are wearing! Tribulation saints will get white robes Revelation 7:9

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

 Revelation 7:13-14 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 They Get robes the Church age saints get fine linen Revelation 19:6-8 

 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Thus The Church is gone before the Tribulation or they all would have been given robes and not fine linen!

 Is it so hard to believe that Mathew 24:31 was speaking of the Jews: The whole point of the tribulation is for the Jews to get right with God! Its Daniels 70th week! Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Why ignore so much that points to a pre-trib rapture because of one verse? The Jews are the chosen Race they are Gods Elect! Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Why do so many want to preach a Post tribulation rapture when scripture makes it clear that Jesus is coming to take away his Church, but he is not coming to the earth! Yet in the end He will come to the earth and this is his second coming and he is bringing the church age saints with him! To bring vengeance upon the world!

Thus we need to be watching and looking Jesus made this clear in Matthew 25 :1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

 The point is many may claim to be Christians but you MUST be born again to enter into the Kingdom. I hope I have helped some to see the truth!

There are so many today who want to try and set dates for the return of Jesus and of course they are wrong. Yet because of this many have left the faith because they loose hope. Many pastors today will not preach on bible prophecy because it leads to controversy. So many pastors are ignoring prophecy all together and not teaching that Jesus is coming back. Yet this has caused a problem because it is prophecy that proves the Bible is real. God said I have showed you these things that when you see them come to pass you will know that I am God!

This is what is bringing about the apostasy the Bible speaks of. Because people no longer believe the Bible is true. A survey says that 85% of people do not believe in the Core Values given to us in scripture. Sounds like apostasy to me!