Does the Bible teach a pre-tribulation rapture?

Answer 1

That would depend upon whom you ask. Dispensationalist, for example would say yes while other Christians would say definitely no. But in either case, some people have made a fortune teaching this 'doctrine of men' to many - just consider the 'Left Behind' series.

The 'rapture' idea truly began in the 19th Century though there is an example believers of this theory point to in the 4th Century preaching of a believer. But for argument sake, lets say this all began with a person named John Nelson Darby and pushed forward by a person named CI Scofield (see link below). This states that there will be 2 returns of Jesus - one quiet and only for the elect of His Church, and the other a worldwide news event that will end the period of global distress before mankind obliviates himself. You may read the Scripture backwards and forwards and never find verses to support this view.

The Bible, speaking to the Philadelphian Church in Revelation 3 tells how He promises to keep them safe for the soon approaching events. It does not say He is taking them to Heaven but taking them to a 'place of safety.' And not the whole Church as Revelation 12 reiterates (a woman is symbolic of a Church):

Revelation 12:13-17New King James Version (NKJV) The Woman Persecuted13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the maleChild. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Bible makes it clear that the coming Tribulation is the time of Satan's wrath - the three 'Woes' upon mankind ending with the single return of Christ at the 7th trumpet and the final 7 Vials of God's Wrath (short, probably just 9 days which represents the time between the Feast of Trumpets or Christ's return and the Day of Atonement when Satan is banished for a 1,000 years or the Jubilee period).

Answer:

No.

What has come to be known, as Jesus calls it; "Great Tribulation" [the most distressful time in world history just before Jesus returns]... is described by Jesus in Matthew 24:9-28.

In the middle of His description of it, He says: "...for then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION [affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble - Strong's Definitions], such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be [again]. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but FOR THE ELECT's SAKE those days shall be shortened." (Matt.24:21-22)

If, according to one popular "rapture" theory, God's elect are safely taken to heaven before the Great Tribulation... there would be absolutely no reason to be concerned about His elect dying with the rest of the world during this time. He says "it'sBECAUSE of them" [on the dying earth] that the Tribulation will be shortened.

He further describes how God will "shorten" those days -- by causing a cloud-covering darkness to come over the earth [verse 29] -- just before He returns [verses 30-31].

"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..." (Matt.24:29-30).

Jesus states, in clear chronological order, that He gathers His elect AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

This chronology is further revealed in seals; 5 & 6 of Revelation chapter 6.

Seal 6 is obviously the identical description Jesus gives in Matthew 24:29... that FOLLOWS IMMEDIATELY on the heels of the Great Tribulation [which, therefore, has to be "seal 5"].

Revelation's description of seal 5 [the Great Tribulation] reads:

"...I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held [these are the martyred saints of God]: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not Judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev.6:9-10)

The question rings out by God's people [since the beginning of man's existence and on through the Great Tribulation] -- how long will the persecution of God's church go on?

"And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season [a little while longer], until their fellowservants [still living on earth during the Great Tribulation] also and their brethren, THAT SHOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, should be fulfilled." (verse 11)

Jesus' own Words.

The Great Tribulation is the FINAL TIME of highly distressful global persecution and martyrdom against His church... His elect... His "called-out-ones."

Take note of Jesus' description of how the Great Tribulation begins:

"All these [the first four seals; the four horsemen of Revelation: false religion, war, famine, pestilence, disease, earthquakes] ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS [woes, distress, tribulation, birth pains]" (Matt.24:8) The frequency and intensity of "these things" [seals 1 thru 4] will bring on the end time Great Tribulation [seal 5]... which Jesus says begins this way (Matt.24:9):

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and SHALL KILL YOU: and ye shall be HATED OF ALL NATIONS for MY NAME's SAKE...".

That hardly sounds like God's church is safely wafted up to heaven in a "pre-trib rapture," as some men try to convince their flocks. Such deceptive words of false comfort and "escapism" just isn't in Jesus' description of the end time events on earth for His church.

Neither Jesus, nor His written Word, the Bible, teach it.