Is the Rapture BEFORE or AFTER the Tribulation? End Times REVEALED!

#christianity #revelation #creation #endtimes #rapture #debate #apologetics #origins

Does the Bible teach a rapture (gathering together of the saints) that is before or after the tribulation? The Bible provides a very clear answer to this important question. Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 all plainly teach a rapture that comes after the tribulation.

Matthew 24:29-31
29 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:
30 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.
31 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.

Notice how verse 29 of Matthew 24 states that the sun and moon are darkened after the tribulation of those days (the great tribulation that starts at the Abomination of Desolation). These are the cosmological disturbances that signify the coming of the Lord (the rapture and the start of the Second Coming). Verse 30 cannot be anymore clear. Jesus Christ comes in the clouds to gather together the elect AFTER the tribulation. This verse does not say before. It says AFTER.

Many pre-tribulationists have refused to tap-out based on clear verses such as Matthew 24. They have instead attempted to argue against the plain reading of the text by asserting this is not the rapture but the event where Jesus Christ comes back with His saints (Revelation 19) for the battle of Armageddon. This is false. Revelation 19 happens at roughly 3.5 years after the rapture. This is why you cannot find the trumpet and vial judgments being described anywhere in Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21. These chapters only describe the events associated with the tribulation period. The analogue to these chapters is found in Revelation 6 with the opening of the seals. The tribulation period is also described in Revelation 13. The trumpet and vial judgments (representative of God's eschatological judgment or wrath) are not found in Matthew 24 since Matthew 24 concludes with the rapture (sixth seal rapture).

The rapture is defined (by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4) as the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord IS the rapture. In the same way the First Coming was not a one moment event, neither is the Second Coming. The First Coming comprised the birth of Jesus, His growing up, His Ministry, His death, burial, Resurrection, and Ascension. The First Coming was a series over inter-connected events that concluded with His Ascension. This will be the same thing with the Second Coming. The Second Coming is a large sophisticated event that culminates with the Battle of Armagheddon and the start of His 1000 year Millennial reign. This period comprises the rapture, God's eschatological judgments (the trumpets and vials), and the final battle in Armagheddon (against the false prophet, the Antichrist, and the dragon or Satan).

Proponents of a pre-tribulation rapture are incapable of providing a single verse that teaches the rapture coming before the tribulation. As a matter of fact, 2 Thessalonians 2 teaches a rapture that is distinctly after the tribulation. This is because Paul tells the reader that there are several events that need to take place before the coming of the Lord (which starts the Second Coming).
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Paul makes it clear that there must be a great falling away (a general religious apostasy from Christianity), a the revealing of the man of sin as the Antichrist. The man of sin is revealed as the Antichrist after he receives a deadly wound to his head, the deadly wound is healed, and he steps foot into the temple claiming to be God. He is in fact not God. But he will claim to be God. And people will worship him as God. This event is known as the Abomination of Desolation. And this event does not happen until the middle of the final 7 years end-times period (known as Daniel's 70th Week). This reality disproves the pre-tribulation rapture position. The rapture cannot happen until at least 3.5 years into Daniel's 70th Week.

[StandingForTruthMinistries]

Does the Bible teach a rapture (gathering together of the saints) that is before or after the tribulation? The Bible provides a very clear answer to this important question. Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 all plainly teach a rapture that comes after the tribulation.

Matthew 24:29-31
29 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:
30 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.
31 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.

Notice how verse 29 of Matthew 24 states that the sun and moon are darkened after the tribulation of those days (the great tribulation that starts at the Abomination of Desolation). These are the cosmological disturbances that signify the coming of the Lord (the rapture and the start of the Second Coming). Verse 30 cannot be anymore clear. Jesus Christ comes in the clouds to gather together the elect AFTER the tribulation. This verse does not say before. It says AFTER.

Many pre-tribulationists have refused to tap-out based on clear verses such as Matthew 24. They have instead attempted to argue against the plain reading of the text by asserting this is not the rapture but the event where Jesus Christ comes back with His saints (Revelation 19) for the battle of Armageddon. This is false. Revelation 19 happens roughly 3.5 years after the rapture. This is why you cannot find the trumpet and vial judgments being described anywhere in Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21. These chapters only describe the events associated with the tribulation period. The analogue to these chapters is found in Revelation 6 with the opening of the seals. The tribulation period is also described in Revelation 13 (with the mark of the beast, the one world beast system, and the one world religion). The trumpet and vial judgments (representative of God's eschatological judgment or wrath) are not found in Matthew 24 since Matthew 24 concludes with the rapture (sixth seal rapture). If you want to read about God's eschatological wrath period, you must go to the book of Revelation (which literally means "to be revealed").

The rapture is defined (by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4) as the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord IS the rapture. In the same way the First Coming was not a one moment event, neither is the Second Coming. The First Coming comprised the birth of Jesus, His growing up, His Ministry, His death, burial, Resurrection, and Ascension. The First Coming was a series of inter-connected events that concluded with His Ascension. This will be the same thing with the Second Coming. The Second Coming is a large sophisticated event that culminates with the Battle of Armageddon and the start of His 1000 year Millennial reign. This period comprises the rapture, God's eschatological judgments (the trumpets and vials), and the final battle in Armageddon (against the false prophet, the Antichrist, and the dragon or Satan). The rapture sees the elect caught up in the clouds with Jesus Christ. The battle in Armageddon has the saints coming back with Jesus. And believers will be in a glorified state. But the rapture has believers gathered together FOR glorification (final sanctification). There are many major differences between 1 Thessalonians 4 (the rapture) and the culmination of Christ's Second Coming (Revelation 19).

Proponents of a pre-tribulation rapture are incapable of providing a single verse that teaches the rapture coming before the tribulation. As a matter of fact, 2 Thessalonians 2 teaches a rapture that is distinctly after the tribulation. This is because Paul tells the reader that there are several events that need to take place before the coming of the Lord (which starts the Second Coming).
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Paul makes it clear that there must be a great falling away (a general religious apostasy from Christianity), and the revealing of the man of sin as the Antichrist. The man of sin is revealed as the Antichrist after he receives a deadly wound to his head, the deadly wound is healed, and he steps foot into the temple claiming to be God. He is in fact not God. But he will claim to be God. And people will worship him as God. This event is known as the Abomination of Desolation. And this event does not happen until the middle of the final 7 years end-times period (known as Daniel's 70th Week). This reality disproves the pre-tribulation rapture position. The rapture cannot happen until at least 3.5 years into Daniel's 70th Week.

[KarenWahlenberg-pvxz]

Great job Donny pointing out the obvious for those who refuse to accept it.. ❤ blessing brother

[robusc]

Christ THROUGH Paul taught you/I are saved ONLY by placing our faith/trust/belief in the death/burial/resurrection of Christ.
1 Cor 15:1-4, Eph 2:8-9, Gal 2:16, Rom 3:24-28, Rom 4:5 - only by faith - NOT of works/keeping commandments etc.
Now ONLY disbelief stops you from being saved.
In the 7 year tribulation, ONLY faith is not enough, you are lost/not saved if you take the 'mark of the beast'
How can there NOT BE a pretrib if works are needed in the trib ?

[hallwest]

We ! Believing CHRISTIANS will be raptured before the tribulation CHRIST comes at the end

[OurSavior-xryc]

I'm very glad that your position that's exactly right. And all eyes shall see him all will hear him. The dead and Christ shall rise first. Then those are live and Christ will meet them in the air. It is no secret rapture and we will definitely go through all of the trials and tribulations. First, just like Daniel and the fiery furnace, Daniel and the lions Dan. The israelites with the plagues and so forth. There are numerous examples throughout the Bible. And the apostles who didn't escape all their torture and death. But they stood for Christ etc et cetera, and the rapture. Is gonna be real. We will be caught up. But it is not secret and it is not before any tribulation Amen.

[Britton]

Simple my friend, there’s more than one rapture.

How many saints in the OT get raptured? Two: Enoch and Elijah.

Enoch was a Gentile not under the Law and got raptured prior to God’s first worldwide judgment on mankind (Noah’s Flood). He is a type of the rapture of the Church before the Tribulation.

Elijah was a Jew living under the Law who got raptured after being persecuted by Ahab (type of the Antichrist) and Jezebel (type of Mystery Babylon from Rev 17). He is a type of the Jews who get raptured at the end of the Tribulation.

Jesus’s earthly ministry was to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24); therefore, he is addressing the rapture that the Jews will have at the end of the Tribulation in Matt 24.

Paul, on the other hand, is “minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles” (Rom 15:16); therefore, 1 Cor 15 and 1 Thess 4 are to the Church, which is primarily composed of Gentiles. Those passages are a reference to the rapture of the Church, which is before the Tribulation.

[CommonsenseLife]

Yep. It will be after the great tribulation of those days just as Jesus said in Matt 24. Not before or the middle, but Immediately after Matt 24:29!

[nzbrotrev]

The Post tribulation view, can not explain why there are No people left to enter alive into the Millennium, after the second coming.
Pre trib CAN .

[thebuff]

Matthew is not pre- tribulation, its second coming! When Jesus returns, it's talking about Revelation 19... Jesus returning to set up his 1, 000 yr reign!

[athanatos]

And how is the Antichrist warring against the saints that keep the commandments and testimony of Jesus per Revelation if they are raptured up already?….

[Jesusexplains]

OF COURSE WE CAN know the “day and the HOUR”. That’s what Revelation reveals. While it is true that when Jesus was on earth, he said that he didn’t know “the day and the HOUR”. Scripture proves that Jesus already know “the day” - the “last day” of the great tribulation. (Jn6:39, 40, 44, 54 Dan9:27 Matt24:29-31 etc KJV) but he didn’t know “the HOUR”. Now, as Jesus cannot do anything without him first revealing it to his servants the prophets (Amos3:7 KJV). Therefore, the Rapture cannot happen until Jesus reveals “the HOUR” - and that hour is three and a half day (84 hours) from when the two witnesses are killed, because they must take part in the Rapture because Jesus promised times in a row that he shall raise ALL believers “on the last day” (Jn6:39, 40, 44, 54 KJV) and that includes the two witnesses. (Rev11:7-12 is the Rapture)

[huskerdu]

Knowledge of truth is the primary safeguard against deception. The elect must know, and they must learn to test and prove the spirits until they do know what is of God and what is of Satan. The words of the Master, Take heed, I have told you, plainly imply that personal knowledge of danger is part of the Lord's way of guarding His own. Those who blindly rely upon the keeping power of God without seeking to understand how to escape deception, when forewarned to take heed by the Lord, will surely find themselves entrapped by the subtle foe.

It's so important to get revelation from the scriptures and not man, or the traditions of man!

There is only 1 Second coming of Jesus Christ!
Jesus only teaches 2 resurrections!
One resurrection of the righteous and 1 resurrection of the unrighteous.
John 5:28-29
Blessed is he who takes place in the 1st resurrection!
If there is only 1 resurrection of the righteous when does it have to take place for ALL the saints to be included?
Can't be 7 years before the tribulation.
It has to be at the end for ALL the saints to receive a new glorified body.
Please seek the Lord in His Holy Word and His Spirit shall lead into all truth. 1 John 2:27!
God Bless!

[scottr]

It's Jesus gathering His newest elect, the ones that came to Christ in the tribulation. It's quite simple. I don't understand how people don't get this. It's 7 years, they heard the gospel and the rapture and shazam!!!, it came true! They had no choice, they were going to believe now. They squeaked out of death and were faithful and the Lord gathered them. Rev 7 :14 They came out of great tribulation.

[elvinmah]

Pre and pist trib. There's two raptures

[followerofyeshua]

Thank you for doing Gods work by exposing pre-trib rapture for the annoying heteredoxy it is, brother.

[KCam]

Donny I need an endless loop of you doing Eschatology brother. 😂 Lol

Good stuff brother....btw I'll mark the calendar for Sept 23, 2030 at 6pm. 😂