The RaptureVarious Views – Which

is Correct?By: Minister Tony Avila

Four Common ViewsThe Pretribulation Rapture

The Partial Rapture

The Midtribulation Rapture

The Postribulation Rapture

What is the Rapture?Rapture is from the Latin verb “rapto.”It means: “To Seize; to carry off.”Translated as: “caught up” 1 Thes. 4:17

Rapture Defined Christ’s descending from Heaven in the air, whereupon Christians (dead and alive) will be caught up suddenly from the earth to meet the Lord.

The Partial Rapture ViewOnly SOME will be removed.Only those who are “worthy” are taken.Others will be raptured throughout the Tribulation.The Tribulation will “purify” the Christians and they are called “overcomers.”

Partial Rapture Viewed

Tribulation Period

Like a continual rapture

What passages are used?Matt 24:40-42 Then shall two be in the

field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

What passages are used?Matt 24:40-42 Then shall two be in the

field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Seen as a requirement in order to

be raptured

This passage outlines God’s program for Israel, who is already in the Tribulation period at this point. The one taken is taken to judgment and the one left is left for the Millennial blessing.

What passages are used?

1 Thess 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Again, a conditional

rapture view.

What passages are used?1 Thessalonians 1:102 Timothy 4:81 Corinthians 15:23Philippians 3:11Hebrews 9:28Luke 21:36

Great Doctrinal DifficultiesDenies the death of Christ frees from condemnation.Denies the unity of the body of Christ.Denies the completeness of the resurrection of believers.Confuses the distinction between law and grace.

Great Doctrinal DifficultiesDenies the distinction between Israel and the church.MUST place a portion of the church in the JUDGMENT of the Tribulation.Denies the imminency of the rapture for all believers.

The Midtribulation Rapture

Adherents to this view believe that the church will be raptured at the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation period.

The Midtribulation Rapture

Another view similar to this view is know as the Pre-Wrath Rapture. This view is only a slightly modified version of the Midtribulation Rapture view.

Midtribulation Rapture Viewed

Tribulation Period

Taken out after 3 ½ Years of

Trib.

What Passages do they use?

2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Their thinking is that the church is promised tribulation and must therefore, go through the first 3 ½ years of that period.

Many members of the church have been persecuted and they were not in the Tribulation Period!

What Passages do they use?

1 Cor. 15:52 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.

They believe the trump of

the angel and Christ

are the same .Again no distinction is made between

Israel and the church. Corinth, a local church, was told of a coming time when all the believers would be “changed.”

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…. “Thanks be to God which giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Great Doctrinal Difficulties!

Denial of the Imminence of the rapture.Equate persecutions and the Tribulation period.Denial of the church as a mystery.

Great Doctrinal Difficulties!

Denial of the Seal and Trumpets in Revelation as judgments from God.Denial that the Tribulation is a continuation of Daniel’s 70th week. Thus, only 3 ½ years in length rather than 7.

Great Doctrinal Difficulties!

Denial of the uniqueness of the two witnesses. Believe that they represent the dead and living at the rapture.Confusion of the difference between Israel and the church.

The Posttribulation RaptureIts proponents believe that

the church will endure Daniel’s 70th week and will be raptured at the end of the Great Tribulation.

They believe that the rapture and the second coming of Christ are the same thing.

The Posttribulation View

Most posttribulationalists teach that events of the Tribulation are not to be taken literally or futuristically, for the church has always undergone tribulation since its inception and is in the Tribulation now.

The Posttribulation ViewOthers teach that the church will go through the Tribulation but are unclear on the sequence and literalness of the events leading up to Christ’s Coming.They mix literal and allegorical interpretations of the Scripture.

The Posttribulation Viewed

Tribulation Period

Rapture at the end of the Trib.

A widely held view.

Why do they hold this view?The Historical Argument

They teach that the pretribulation view is new (only in the last century) and not the position of the Apostles.This is an argument of silence.A literal study of Scriptures disproves this view.

Why do they hold this view?The Imminency Argument

They do not believe in the imminency of Christ’s return.Reasoning that Peter’s death, Paul’s imprisonment, and other historical events make imminency impossible.They fail to see that the very men they mention taught the imminent return of Christ.

Why do they hold this view?The Interpretation ArgumentThey do not hold to a literal interpretation of Scripture.They make no distinctions between the church and Israel. The duty of the church is to usher in the Kingdom of God with social programs.

The Pretribulation Rapture

This view is widely held by Christians.We believe the church will be removed from the earth before the seven-year Tribulation of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan 9:24-27).

The Pretribulation Viewed

Tribulation Period

“To meet the Lord in the

air…”

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The Rapture is imminent.It could occur at any moment.

James said, “the coming of the Lord draweth near (is at hand)….behold, the judge standeth before the door” (Jas. 5:8-9).

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The Rapture is imminent.Paul taught, “that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep” (1 Thess 4:15).

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The Rapture and the Second Advent are Separate Events.The rapture is in the air to meet the Lord and go back to Heaven.The Second Coming is with Christ to come back to the earth.

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

A division of time must exist between the Rapture and the

Second Coming.Believers are in their prepared places (John 14: 1-3).The Bema Seat Judgment (2 Cor. 5:10).The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The church will NOT experience any form of God’s wrath.

Paul said, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath” (1 Thes 5:9) for Jesus has, “delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thes 1:10).

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The church will NOT experience any form of God’s wrath.

Two Greek words for “wrath.”1. Thumos, “turbulent

commotion,” as when a person loses his temper.

2. Orge, “anger, indignation, vengeance.”

Orge is ALWAYS the word used for God’s “wrath.”

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The church will NOT experience any form of God’s wrath.

To the church, John said God would “keep thee from the hour of temptation (testing), which shall come upon all the world” (Rev 3:10).

This promise is much broader than just to the church at Philadelphia because it refers to a specific period of testing, or tribulation, that will afflict the whole world.

To be protected from (“out of,” not “in”) this time, the church must be removed from the earth prior to it.

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The Church and Israel are NOT identical.

The church and Israel have two separate programs.This is indicated by Daniel 9: 24-27, a key passage giving an overview of the Tribulation.

What do Pretribulation Rapturists Believe?

The church is NEVER mentioned or eluded to in ANY passage dealing with the Tribulation.

This fact is clearly evident in Revelation chapters 6-19 where Israel and the nations are mentioned, but the church is conspicuously absent.

Get Ready Before It’s Too

Late!

The Rapture,El Rapto