The Truth of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture (1) — David Guzik

The Rapture in God's Prophetic Plan

We're taking a few weeks out on Wednesday nights, and we're considering topics having to do with prophecy, with God's unfolding plan of the ages in the church, and tonight we're going to talk about something that's popularly known as the rapture of the church.

Last week we spoke about the 70th week of Daniel and how that sets really a background and a foundation for understanding God's prophetic plan, but now we want to consider this great event that is popularly known as the rapture of the church.

The Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4

I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We're going to begin at verse 13. Now you should know that the word rapture is nowhere found in the Bible, or at least in the Bible version that you have in front of you here this evening.

But the idea of the rapture is expressed very clearly in 1 Thessalonians 4. Again, we're beginning here at verse 13, where Paul says, 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.

Paul here is speaking to the Thessalonian Christians. He was among the Thessalonians just for a few weeks, but in the few weeks that he was there, he thought it was very important to teach them about prophecy and about the coming of the Lord.

So when Paul taught the Thessalonians about these things, they got excited. They got excited about the idea of Jesus's soon return. Well, as they got excited about that idea, it ran into some difficulty for them when some of their Christian friends passed on when they died and they worried about it.

They thought, you know, here we are expectantly waiting the return of Jesus. We're so excited about his return. And here these dear believers have passed away and they don't get to be here when Jesus is when Jesus returned.

I suppose they're at a disadvantage. They miss out on this great event. Paul wants the Thessalonians to understand that those who die before the return of Christ don't miss out on the glory of the resurrection, nor do they miss out on returning with Christ in glory.

And that's his whole point there in verse 15. 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.

Verse 16, 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. In other words, there will be a resurrection of the dead and those who have passed on before will share in it as well.

When Jesus comes, we're also told here that he'll come personally. The Lord himself will descend and come with a shout. It's great to understand that the ancient Greek word that's used here for shout with the same word used for a ship's master to command his rowers or a commander speaking to his soldiers.

There's the ring of authority. There's the ring of urgency in this word shout. By the way, it says that he'll come with the voice of an archangel. Francis doesn't mean that the Lord himself is an archangel.

The only person described as an archangel in the Bible is an angelic being known as Michael. You'll find that in Jude chapter one, of course, is only one chapter to the book of Jude. But Jude, verse nine, what Paul means that Jesus will come with the voice of an archangel is that when Jesus comes, he'll come in the company of prominent angels and he'll come with a trumpet sounding as well.

Did you notice that there in verse 16 with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God now in the Old Testament, trumpets were used for different purposes. Sometimes trumpets were used for sound to sound the alarm for war.

They would throw the enemies of God into a panic and that the trumpet would be the bugle call, so to speak, for battle. At other times, trumpets were used to assemble God's people. And that's the idea of this trumpet here, is that a trumpet that's used to assemble together the people of God.

And then we see here that in this great assembling together, the dead in Christ rise first. This brings up a big question. What is the status of the dead in Christ right now? Do they have resurrection bodies or not?

And in some ways, this is a very difficult question to answer. Some people have the idea that those who have gone before us in the Lord are in heaven right now, but they're in some sort of disembodied state.

And on the day of the rapture, that's when they will receive the resurrection body. Other people have the idea that perhaps they receive the resurrection body right away. And there's a third group that perhaps believes that they receive sort of a temporary body that lasts them until they receive the resurrection body.

These things are sort of difficult to understand. But one thing that we do know for sure is that the dead in Christ. Are not lying in the grave in some kind of soul sleep or suspended animation. No, that's not the case at all.

Paul made it very clear that to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord. You'll find that in 2nd Corinthians, chapter five, verse eight. So either the present dead in Christ are with the Lord in a spiritual body awaiting their final resurrection body, or it's very possible that because of the nature of timeless eternity, they've received their resurrection bodies already because they live in the internal now.

In your regard, all that is sort of secondary to the point where we want to consider, which really is revealed to us in verse 17, where we read, 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. Let me read that to you again, just because it's such a remarkable statement. Then we who are alive, in other words, those believers who are alive remaining on the earth until this time that Paul speaks of, we will be caught up together with them, with the believers who have gone before and we're going to meet the Lord in the air and then we'll always be with the Lord.

That simple phrase, there are two words caught up is where we get our English word rapture. The idea behind the Greek words translated caught up there means to seize or to carry something off by force.

It's the notion of a sudden swoop and of a force that can't be resisted. And then we're going to be caught up and then we're going to meet the Lord in the air. That's a beautiful term in the ancient Greek language that that phrase to me, it was used as a technical term to describe the official welcoming of honored guests.

And this great passage in front of us is the basis of the New Testament doctrine of the rapture, the catching away of believers to be with Jesus. Now, the word rapture is not in your English version in First Thessalonians four seventeen.

Neither is it in the ancient Greek version. It's not the ancient Greek word rapture. The word rapture comes from the Latin Vulgate, which was the main translation of the Bible used in the Christian world for some thousand years.

The Latin Vulgate translates that phrase caught up with the Latin word rapturous and we get our English word rapture from that Latin word rapturous. And so when we're talking about the rapture, we're talking about the the catching away being caught up.

If you want to call it the great catching away instead of the rapture, you're free to do so. It doesn't really matter. It's the idea that's important here, not so much the specific word that we apply to it.

But friends, when you think about this idea, when you think about the fact that this statement that Paul made under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about what a dramatic, indeed, what a fantastic idea it is.

He speaks of Christian flying upward, being caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. It's amazing to think about. That one day Christians will just be walking the earth, it'll be a day like any other day to them.

And they'll hear a trumpet sound and they will be seized up from this earth to meet the Lord God in heaven. Friends, that's the rapture of the church. And and might I say that if we just think about it rationally for a moment, this is such a wild doctrine that we wouldn't believe it unless the Bible told it to us.

I wouldn't believe it unless the Bible clearly stated it in many ways. It's easier to believe Jesus coming back to the earth and reigning in triumph and glory, of course, than it is to think about us being spirited away.

I mean, transported, elevated, levitated, so to speak, off of this earth to meet the Lord in the air. But it's exactly what the scriptures teach here, there's really not much controversy about the idea that that we're going to be caught up because this is what the Bible so clearly teaches.

And it seems fantastic to us, friends, it's not any more fantastic than the idea that the Lord God in heaven added humanity to his deity, came as a baby, lived among men, did miracles, that he died on a cross, that he rose from the dead, that he lived in us.

This is just the kind of fantastic miracle that we would expect from a miracle working Lord. But make no mistake about it, Paul's language here is so straightforward, it's so free from figurative speech that there's no missing his intent.

You can just hone right on in on the fact that Paul means that there will come a day when Christians on this earth will be caught up, seized up, taken away by force, if you will, to meet the Lord Jesus in the air.

And if you notice what he says so wonderfully in verse 17, he says, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. The manner in which Jesus will gather us to himself is impressive by just taking us and grabbing us and taking us to heaven.

But friends, the main point of this is that whatever the state of the Christian is, whether dead or alive at the Lord's coming, that when the Lord comes for them, they will always be with the Lord. That is the great reward of heaven, of course, to be with Jesus and to know that death can't break our unity with Jesus.

Death can't even break our unity with other Christians will be with them as well. And one last thing before we move on to another idea, verse 18 says that therefore comfort one another with these words.

You see, Paul tells them that this idea of the rapture should be a comfort to Christians. It is not escapism at all to look at the rapture as a comfort. To look at this great catching away as something that we can be confident in and find a sense of security and hope and trust before the Lord, and he says that we should comfort one another with these words.

See, friends, the truth of the return of Jesus for his people and the eternal union of Jesus and his people, it's to be a source of great comfort for Christians, and it's not escapism to say, hang in there one day, we'll all be with Jesus and all of this will be over.

That's not escapism. That's the essence of faith for those who don't who don't belong to this world. But rather who who live with their hearts and their minds in eternity. Now, the fact of the rapture is not in great dispute among Christians today, but the timing of the rapture is a matter of great dispute among Christians today.

Four Views of the Rapture's Timing

You know, in the 15 minutes that I've already spoken to you here this evening, I've just pretty much laid out for you the fact of the rapture from First Thessalonians, chapter four. And as I said, that's not a matter of great controversy in the church today.

Nevertheless, the idea of when the rapture will occur is of great interest and it's a great debate, especially it has relevance to this question. When will the rapture of the church happen in relation to the 70th week of Daniel?

Again, we know that the 70th week of Daniel still remains for the fulfillment of God's plan of the ages and that when the 70th week of Daniel, when this last seven year period ends, we know as well that human history as we know it will end and Jesus Christ will bring in his kingdom with everlasting righteousness and power and glory.

Now, when does the rapture happen in relation to that 70th week? There are four basic viewpoints on this matter. First of all, there are those who believe that the rapture of the church happens immediately before the 70th week of Daniel begins.

There are people who believe that the rapture of the church happens right in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. There are people who believe that the rapture happens at the very end of the 70th week of Daniel and then that there's a fourth group, sort of a new group, that believes that the rapture of the church will happen sometime in the second half of the 70th week of Daniel.

Now, these four views are popularly called pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post tribulation, and then the fourth view is known by the term the pre-wrath rapture. And the reason why they call this is because Jesus, in speaking about the 70th week of Daniel, called it a time of great tribulation.

And so, therefore, the 70th week of Daniel is often referred to just in common Christian vocabulary as the great tribulation. Now, you should know that the real tribulation part of the great tribulation will actually happen at the end part of that 70th week of that seven year period.

It's the last half of the 70th week that is often known as this time of great calamity on the earth. Nevertheless, just in common Christian speaking, many people refer to this entire 70 year period, or excuse me, seven year period, as the great tribulation.

And so here's the question. When does the rapture happen? Does it happen at the beginning of the seven year period and then it happens pre-tribulation? Does it happen in the middle of the seven year period?

And that would be called the mid-tribulation perspective. Or does it happen at the end of the seven year period? And that's called the post-tribulation perspective. Well, I'm going to be talking to you about this on the remainder of our time this evening and then also next week.

But let me spell it out to you. Tonight, I'm going to speak to you about why I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, because without hesitation, that's what I believe. Next week, I'm going to talk to you about the other perspectives of the rapture and why I believe them to be incorrect.

And I'll also share with you why they believe that the pre-tribulation rapture teaching is incorrect. And I think that's going to be an exciting study for us next week. But tonight, we also have something very exciting in front of us.

A Charitable In-House Debate

Understanding scripturally why I or you, I believe as well, should believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. Now, let me start off by saying that I don't think that this is a matter of Christian fellowship.

I don't think somebody should be excommunicated. I don't think someone should be considered not a Christian if they don't believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. This is an in-house debate. This is a matter that Christians of good conscience and good integrity and good intellect can disagree on.

Nevertheless, let me say this. I believe very strongly in the teaching of the pre-tribulation rapture and I believe it not because I've heard other people teach it and I just happen to agree with them.

I believe it because I've exhaustively searched the scriptures and I believe that this is what the Bible teaches. And I believe that those who teach something different are incorrect. I don't believe they're evil.

I don't believe they're stupid. I don't believe they're dishonest, but I do believe that they're incorrect. And might I say that since this is what I believe, what the Bible teaches, I don't want somebody else at our church to teach something differently.

Now, please understand, if you come to Calvary Chapel of Simi Valley and if you believe in the post-tribulation rapture or the mid-tribulation rapture or the the pre-wrath rapture, you're welcome to come here.

I have no desire to push you outside of our church or to make you feel unwelcome. I just don't want you to teach your perspective to other people in the church because that can be divisive. Then we have the matter of the pastor teaching one thing, people in the church teaching something else entirely and not something that's just another slant, but something that directly contradicts this.

And then we have a whole mess with that. So please understand, I'm not here to dictate to your conscience to tell you what you should believe or what you shouldn't believe. I do think that, as Paul says, let all things be done decently and in order, that there be no divisions among us.

I would ask that if you disagree with me on this, well, God bless you. But nonetheless, I ask that you keep your opinions to yourself and not try to persuade other people in our church family to your opinion.

And I'm glad that you're here if you disagree with me, because I think if you stick with me tonight and especially if you stick with me next week, I think I might just be able to change your mind. I think I might be able to show you from the scriptures very clearly why we could and should believe in the pre-tribulation rapture.

And tonight I'm going to give you several reasons why I believe that. So matter of fact, I'm going to give you four reasons why I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. Here's the first reason I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture because the scriptures do not contradict themselves.

Reason One: Scripture Does Not Contradict Itself

Let me say that again, I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture because I believe very strongly that the scriptures do not contradict themselves. And I believe when you take a look at all the passages that have to do with the second coming of Jesus, you have to understand that there must be two distinct phases of Jesus's second coming, one to receive his people and one coming to consummate the judgment of those who reject and rebel against him.

And I think when you look at the scriptures, you have to say that these phases of Jesus's coming must be separated by some appreciable period of time. If they're not, then I believe you have to honestly say that the scriptures contradict themselves.

Let me give you some examples of this. You take a look in the Bible and you will find that some of the references to Jesus's return will describe world conditions that you might call business as usual.

Matthew, chapter 24, beginning at verse 37, says this. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away.

So also will the coming of the son of man be. Two men will be in the field. One will be taken in the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken in the other left. Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

Did you notice world conditions at the coming of Jesus that are described for us there in Matthew, chapter 24, beginning at verse 37, eating and drinking and giving in marriage as it was in the days of Noah friends before the rain started coming down at the deluge that encompassed the earth in the days of Noah until the time that the rains came out, it was business as usual.

People were being married, people were being given in marriage, people were eating and drinking and life was going on. It was just life as usual until the rain started coming down. And Jesus says this is exactly how it's going to be at his coming.

They didn't know that the flood was coming. It came completely unexpectedly, with no dramatic change in world conditions beforehand. But listen, what Jesus says about is coming in another place in Matthew, chapter 24, he says, for then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world at those time.

No, nor shall ever be in Revelation, chapter six. It describes some of this calamity right before the return of Jesus. It says, and then the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

Friends, when the rocks are falling and kings are hiding in caves, I'm not talking about Bin Laden hiding in a cave and talking about the kings of the earth and everybody terrified. Friends, that's not a business as usual world.

So here's my question for you, which will it be? Will Jesus return to this earth when the world is running business as usual, when men are eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, will he return to that kind of earth or will he return to an earth that is seeing incredible calamity, what you might call hell on earth?

Well, for me, two distinct phases of Jesus's coming separated by some period of time explains this seemingly contradictory description of conditions. Is Jesus going to come to a world that's business as usual or is he going to come to a world that's filled with calamity?

The answer is yes, he's going to do both. He's going to come for his church to a world that's running business as usual. And then seven years later, when he returns in glory, he will come to a world that has seen unspeakable calamity.

The Bible also describes for us different approaches to Jesus's coming to the earth. In other words, some places were told that he comes to meet his people in the air. We just read about that in First Thessalonians chapter four, where it says that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. It couldn't be more clear. In this coming of the Lord, believers are taken up from the earth and they meet Jesus in the air.

But then again, we read in Revelation chapter 19 that John saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness. He judges and makes war and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean followed him on white horses.

Now, out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations. Then he treads the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of almighty God. You see, this is a coming in triumph to the earth.

Quite a difference there. One of them, Jesus, stays in the air and receives the saints that come to him. The other one, Jesus, comes to the earth, which is it? Did the scriptures contradict themselves?

I think not. I think one coming of Jesus, he will come in the air to meet his church and he will never set foot on planet earth at the rapture. But then some seven years later, at the end of Daniel's 70th week, Jesus will come with power and glory to the earth as the conquering Lord that he is.

Then again, not only are different approaches of Jesus to the earth described, but we also have description of different positions of the people of God. In other words, do we meet the Lord in the air or do we come with him as an army avenging God's righteous judgment?

Again, that first Thessalonians passage, it says,. Then we who are in a lot who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Isn't that clear? We are caught up from heaven.

We meet Jesus in the air to me, we're caught up from the earth. I misspoke there. We're caught up from the earth and we meet Jesus in the air. But in Revelation chapter 19, it says that the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses when Jesus returned in triumph.

So which is it? Is it that the people of God go up to meet Jesus in the air or is it that they come with him in power, in great triumph and glory? Well, the answer is that, yes, both of them are true.

You see, there are, though, you should know, there are some who speculated that the rapture will really be the start of the start of a big U-turn in the sky that we're going to go up and meet Jesus in the air, but then immediately turn around and accompany him on his return.

I don't agree with that at all. From other passage scripture, I think we can safely say that these two distinct phases of the return of Christ must be separated by some appreciable time. So we have different world conditions, different approaches of Jesus, different positions of the people of God.

We also have different scenarios regarding the predictability of the date of Jesus's return. Here's my question for you. Will Jesus return at a time that is unknowable to any human or will Jesus return at an exactly knowable date based on the midpoint of the last seven year period?

But in Matthew, chapter 24, verse 36, Jesus says,. But of that day and hour, no one knows. No, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. See, friends, isn't that clear? Jesus is telling us that nobody knows when he's going to return.

Nobody. Nobody knows the day. Nobody knows the hour. Now, by the way, you should know that some people have used this verse as a complete discouragement of the study of biblical prophecy. They say, listen, we shouldn't be looking into the things of prophecy of the things of the return of Jesus.

After all, no man knows the day of the hour. Well, that's true. But friends, Jesus said that we should be aware of the times and the seasons that we live in. And I can say with absolute certainty that no one does know the day or the hour that is just plain unknowable.

Friends, we can also say with great certainty that we can know the times and the seasons. And as we look around, we can have great reason to believe that Jesus is coming soon. But that's a subject for another Wednesday night.

Let's continue on with the thinking that we know that very clearly, Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 24, verse 36, that no one knows the day or the hour. But I want you to consider this passage from Daniel, chapter 12, verse 11.

Listen carefully. It says, and from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Friends, that figures out to be three and a half years.

And do you understand what the Bible is telling you right there? It says that from the time that the abomination of desolation set up, by the way, we're told in the scriptures that that marks the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week.

In other words, we have this final seven year period. And right in the middle of that final 77 year period will be this ultimate desecration of the Lord's temple in Jerusalem will be the setting up of an idolatrous image of the Antichrist himself in the Holy of Holies.

That will mark the abomination of desolation and the exact midpoint of Daniel's 70th week. And Daniel says, when that happens, you can start marking your calendar. Because one thousand two hundred and ninety days later, Jesus Christ is going to return in glory.

You understand that, friends? Did you grab hold of that and really think through this? This means that for those who are on the earth during the Great Tribulation and when they see the abomination of desolation set up, they can literally start marking days off their calendar and they can know exactly when Jesus Christ will return to the earth.

By the way, I think that this will be common knowledge on the earth in those days. I think that that's one of the reasons why the armies of the earth gather together in the area of Israel at what's commonly called the Battle of Armageddon at the very end of Daniel's 70th week.

They do it in a foolish, misguided attempt to keep Jesus Christ off of the earth. Well, friends, as as you might guess, that's that's going nowhere. They're not going to keep Jesus Christ off the earth, but what I want you to see is some passages scripture tell us that no one will know when Jesus will return.

Other passages of scripture tell us that you can start marking off the days and from a certain event. So which is it? Well, because I believe that the scriptures do not contradict themselves, I think we must say that there are two distinct phases of Jesus's coming, each separated by some period of time.

So, again, I don't believe that the scriptures contradict themselves. And we have different world conditions for the return of Christ described. We have different approaches of Jesus to the earth described.

We have different positions of the people of God described. We have different scenarios regarding the predictability of the date of Jesus's return described for us. You get the picture here. These two different scenarios can only fit together if there are two distinct phases to the return of Jesus Christ, each separated by an appreciable period of time.

Reason Two: The Purpose of the Great Tribulation

So that's the first reason why I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, because I believe that the scriptures do not contradict themselves. Secondly, I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture because I believe I understand what the purpose of the great tribulation is.

When Jesus spoke of the great tribulation, he described it in terms like this, listen to Luke, chapter 21, verse 22, in that passage, he was speaking prophetically both of the soon judgment of Jerusalem and of the ultimate tribulation.

Jesus used this foreboding description of what it will be like. Listen carefully. He said, For these are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Remember the kind of time that we're talking about, you remember the passage I read you from Matthew, chapter 24, verse 21, where Jesus said, For then there will be great tribulation.

Such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time. No, nor ever shall be. You understand that, my friend, I want you to think about it. That there have been periods of time in human history when there has been great and horrific suffering on this earth.

Have many of you seen the movie Schindler's List? What a amazing description, what an amazing film about the agony and the horror of the Holocaust. Friends, Jesus said that the great tribulation will be worse.

Or if you go further back in history, in Europe, perhaps during the days of the Black Death, there was a period of several years where up to one quarter of the population of Europe died. Millions and millions of people dead because of the plague, as bad as that was, Jesus said the great tribulation would be worse.

Do you get the feeling here? Do you get the understanding that this will be an absolutely horrific time because we're not just talking about a time when armies do their things or the police do their things or or man does horrible things?

Man, we're talking about divine judgment being poured out upon these earth and the book of Revelation describes it with incredible vividness as it describes the seven seals and the seven bowls and the seven trumpets.

Describes great torment from demonic creatures set loose on the earth. It describes judgments that are universal by their very character, such as one third of all vegetation being destroyed, one third of all the creatures in the sea destroyed.

It describes a massive pollution of the oceans. It describes a third of all fresh waters on the earth being polluted. It describes one third of the day and night being plunged into absolute darkness. My friends, why why would God pour out such calamity upon the earth?

Because as Luke 21, 22 says, these are the days of vengeance. This is the time of God taking vengeance upon a Christ rejecting world. Now, if the purpose of the great tribulation is to pour out God's wrath on this earth before Jesus comes to reign and triumph.

Then why does God need his people on this earth during that time? Why would God make his people targets of that wrath? Now, some people will object. They will say, now, wait a minute here, Pastor. We know that the Bible teaches us that there will be Christians on the earth during the great tribulation.