Luke 21:34-36
Luke 21:34-36 NKJV — “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV — But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 NKJV — But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Revelation 3:7-13 NKJV — “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
Ok. I've provided a
few of the scriptures that I think support a pretrib rapture.
My question now becomes...
What do you think that the tribulation period is?
According to Daniel 9:20-27, with the emphasis on vs 27, it's the 70th week of the time God promised to Israel.
We see that the first half is distinct from the second half.
A covenant is made and then broken in the middle.
Thus, the tribulation period is the final 7 years of human history prior to the Kingdom of God on earth for the millennium.
In Jeremiah 30:5, it's known as the "time to Jacob's Trouble."
Elsewhere in Daniel we read that the coming world leader will deceive by prosperity.
Daniel 8:25 NKJV — “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.
The question here becomes....
Since the tribulation is about Israel, and not the church, why would the church be sent into a period of time dedicated entirely to Israel and the world?
Note 2 Thessalonians 2,
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV — The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
As noted in Romans 1, the wrath of God is poured out on those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
"After the Wrath" is often argued by those who believe in midtrib rapture. The problem is that the wrath of God begins when the restrainer, restrains no more.
Next, the church is the bride of Christ.
Why would he send his bride into a period where God is pouring out his wrath on a Christ rejecting world?
I recognize that the church of thyatira is to be cast into a period of trouble. They are just one of seven churches described in Revelation 2-3.
Note then in Matthew 25.
The parable of the 10 virgins. 5 were ready, and 5 were not ready.
Note that the 5 not ready virgins were left behind when the groom came.
Going back to the Luke 21:34-36 passage.
He's giving us the wherewithal to escape the coming wrath.
