We come back to the discussion regarding the pretribulation rapture. Personally this study has been helpful to me because it exposes my own theological foundations and is helping me define why I believe in a pretribulation rapture.
Second, it has softened the degree to which I pound the pulpit against other views. As I study the rapture, I am continuously exposed to issues relating to timing and / or a lack of solid evidence (each view is built on inference). My convictions regarding the timing of the rapture have softened in regard to being dismissive of other views and yet continue to remind me the big deal in eschatology is the future hope for Israel (that includes ALL the nations!), the Millennial Kingdom, and the New Heavens and Earth! Those are important and can be taught with conviction.Christ is returning. Until this stated time, we preach the Gospel because men and women need the good news.
Finally, this study provides hope to me because convictions about the end times make me realize one truth: Christ wins—justice and righteousness will reign supreme on the earth again some day and I long to live under a “government” lead by a righteous man who loves people.
Parts 1-3 deal with bad arguments regarding the pretribulation rapture. The idea behind exposing bad arguments is not to denigrate those who hold the position, but to challenge us to think through and propose good arguments for our positions. The first part exposes a common argument from silence in regards to what Revelation does not say regarding the rapture. The second part, Ken analyzes John 14 and teaches the real meaning behind the text. In the third part, Shawn evaluates Revelation exposing misinterpretations of the pre-trib position and prohibiting a Post-trib position.
Part 4 seeks to analyze 1 Thessalonians and what Paul communicates regarding the rapture. First, the doctrine of the rapture is without dispute. The fuzziness of the issue is in the timing of events.
The reality of the rapture is clearly articulated. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 teaches,
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then (ἔπειτα) [1] we who are alive and remain will be caught up (ἁρπαγησόμεθα) [2] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
The text teaches a rapture but does not contain explicit time indicators. Yet we can be sure of an event where Jesus will meet his people in the air so that they are always with the Lord.
So where in 1 Thessalonians does one find the argument for the pretriublation rapture? 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 seems to provide a clue to the timing. In the context, Paul is speaking about “the times” and “epochs.” He is speaking about the great eschatological events in God’s history. He reminds them “The day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2). He reminds them what the time will be like and who will be in it (5:3-6). He reminds the believers to stay sober and be alert.
Here is the key assertion from the pretribulation view – the church will not be present during the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord can refer to three events: the week of tribulation, the judgment from God, and judgment in general. The common meaning among all three uses is judgment. The Tribulation period is a seven-year time of judgment also mentioned as a time of wrath.
Paul tells the church,
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. (1 Thess. 5:9-10).
Paul seems to be talking about the seven-year tribulation (aka the wrath) in this context.
One could argue harmonizing the trumpets would be the best way to indicate what “epoch” or part of the tribulation is in discussion. But the trumpets are not as concrete an event as the tribulation period. It is possible (and plausible) for multiple trumpets throughout the Tribulation period to signify different events—the trumpet for the pretribulation rapture, trumpets during the seventh seal, and trumpet for Christ’s return (Matt 25:31). Trumpets seem to announce a change in event more than be a historical marker. Because the time of wrath seems to be the “epoch” in discussion, it seems most plausible Paul is encouraging the church by telling them “God has not destined us for wrath” (1 Thess. 5:9). Therefore, the pretribulation position is the most likely considering the evidence presented.
[1] indicating “next in order of time”
[2] meaning “be snatched up”
Shepherd The Sheep 
(Greetings, Shepherd…I ran into the following unusual article while on the net.)
PRETRIB RAPTURE SECRETS
How can the “rapture” be “imminent”? Acts 3:21 says that Jesus “must” stay in heaven (He’s now there with the Father) “until the times of restitution of all things” which includes, says Scofield, “the restoration of the theocracy under David’s Son” which obviously can’t begin before or during Antichrist’s reign. (“The Rapture Question,” by the long time No. 1 pretrib authority John Walvoord, didn’t dare to even list, in its scripture index, the too-hot-to-handle Acts 3:21!) Since Jesus can’t even leave heaven before the tribulation ends (Acts 2:34,35 echo this), the rapture therefore can’t take place before the end of the trib! (The same Acts verses were also too hot for John Darby – the so-called “father of dispensationalism” – to list in the scripture index in his “Letters”!)
Paul explains the “times and the seasons” (I Thess. 5:1) of the catching up (I Thess. 4:17) as the “day of the Lord” (5:2) which FOLLOWS the posttrib sun/moon darkening (Matt. 24:29; Acts 2:20) WHEN “sudden destruction” (5:3) of the wicked occurs! The “rest” for “all them that believe” is tied to such destruction in II Thess. 1:6-10! (If the wicked are destroyed before or during the trib, who’d be left alive to serve the Antichrist?) Paul also ties the change-into-immortality “rapture” (I Cor. 15:52) to the posttrib end of “death” (15:54). (Will death be ended before or during the trib? Of course not! And vs. 54 is also tied to Isa. 25:8 which is Israel’s posttrib resurrection!)
Many are unaware that before 1830 all Christians had always viewed I Thess. 4’s “catching up” as an integral part of the final second coming to earth. In 1830 this “rapture” was stretched forward and turned into a separate coming of Christ. To further strengthen their novel view, which the mass of evangelical scholars rejected throughout the 1800s, pretrib teachers in the early 1900s began to stretch forward the “day of the Lord” (what Darby and Scofield never dared to do) and hook it up with their already-stretched-forward “rapture.” Many leading evangelical scholars still weren’t convinced of pretrib, so pretrib teachers then began teaching that the “falling away” of II Thess. 2:3 is really a pretrib rapture (the same as saying that the “rapture” in 2:3 must happen before the “rapture” [“gathering”] in 2:1 can happen – the height of desperation!).
Other Google articles on the 182-year-old pretrib rapture view include “Pretrib Rapture Politics,” “Pretrib Rapture Scholar Wannabes,” “Famous Rapture Watchers,” “Pretrib Rapture Diehards,” “X-Raying Margaret,” “Edward Irving is Unnerving,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Walvoord Melts Ice,” “Wily Jeffrey,” “The Rapture Index (Mad Theology),” “America’s Pretrib Rapture Traffickers,” “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism,” “Scholars Weigh My Research,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Thieves’ Marketing,” “Pretrib Rapture Secrecy,” “Deceiving and Being Deceived,” “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” and “Christ’s return is NOT imminent!” – all by the author of the bestselling book “The Rapture Plot” (see Armageddon Books).
Interesting article Johnny, I guess I wonder why this article / argument would be impactful?
I see a few problems, methodologically, with this argument. Both Acts, 1 Thess, and any passage deserves to stand alone and what that text teaches must be incorporated into the systematic view. Acts is not a trump card. To say Acts 3:21 was intentionally left out of a systematic teaching reveals more the critic’s presuppositions then it does argue what the text actually says. In other words, here the author is giving more authority to one verse in another book then to Paul’s words in 1 Thess. Because Scripture is God-breathed both texts have equal authority.
Second, the paragraph, “Paul explains the “times and the seasons” (I Thess. 5:1) of the catching up (I Thess. 4:17) as the “day of the Lord” (5:2) . . . which is Israel’s posttrib resurrection!)” has problems and assumes the critic has rightfully proposed the time line in his/her quote. Again, he / she has not dealt with and been faithful to the context of 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5. Each passage must stand alone. The critic must first prove he or she is accurate with the timeline before making a claim that denounces the view. The author assumes he/she has rightfully recreated the time line. But if my proposed view of 1 Thess is right, then the critics timeline needs to be reconstructed because he/she has not accurately interpreted to the Word.
Third, it doesn’t matter what people thought before or after 1830. It only matter’s what the Bible says. We can use church history as a guideline, but the Bible has the authority.
Hope that help, godspeed!
I agree, a lot of this debate reveals presuppositions because it requires a good knowledge of end times timeline, events, and broad knowledge of eschatological texts. Then add to the equation any-trib position is built on inference, it becomes a game of whose presuppositions seem to be most faithful to all the evidence.
Being aware of this, means I must always be willing to challenge foundational thoughts and how I think. When I find myself assuming something, I need to ask, “What gives me the ability to assume XYZ?”
But, we must ALWAYS yield to the text!! Hopefully my views and assertions are faithful to what the text says and I don’t explain away obvious issues to adhere to my presuppositions!