Arguments For Different Rapture Positions

Mid-Tribulation Rapture

Partial-Tribulation Rapture

Post-Tribulation Rapture

1. The church is raptured when the two witnesses hear "a loud voice from heaven saying to them ‘Come up here.’ And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them (Re.11:12)." The 2 witnesses represent the Old and New Testaments (Ro.11:13-25). The distinctive mission of the church, witnessing concerning Christ, ceases with the rapture of the 2 witnesses.

1. Only the saints who are accounted worthy will be raptured before God’s wrath is poured out. Those who have not been counted faithful will remain on the earth to endure the Tribulation (He.3:6; 6:6,14; 9:281Ti.3:15; Ro.11:22).

Pre-Wrath Rapture

1. Preservation from God’s wrath is a supernatural protection like Israel was protected from the plagues while still living in Egypt (Exodus; Re.3:10, See Re.9:4 -sealed ones protected).

The word "testing" (Gr. peipasmou¾) is the same as in James 1:2, 12; 1Pe.4:7, 12-13; 2Pe.2:9. In these passages we are to endure the trials. We are not removed from them, but are given strength through them. If Re.3:10 intended the idea of removal, the preposition (Gr. apo, away from a thing) should have been used instead of (Gr. ek, out of). ? If the church is not here during the tribulation period, why is the promises of (Re.3:11-12)?

1. The rescue of the elect will occur the day that Christ is revealed (Lu.17:26-30).

2. The last trump of Paul (1Co.15:51-52) and the 7^th trumpet of Revelation (11:15-19) are the same since they both announce a resurrection.

2. Mt.24: Christ addresses His disciples (NOT unbelieving Israel) and uses the personal pronoun "you" (v.4,6,9,15,20,23,25,26,33) throughout this passage. It is these same disciples that built the church and suffered and died for Him.

2. Matthew 13, the parable of the wheat and tares, refers to the church during the Tribulation period who is on earth till "the end of the age" (v.39).

3. The Day of the Lord or Great Tribulation is only in the second half of Daniel’s 70^th week.

3. The "elect" of Mt.24:22 clearly are in the 70^th week of Daniel. "Elect" always refers to the church. If this passage refers to Israel, it would be the only passage in Scripture that does so. This is not Israel because they do not come to know the Lord until after the 70^th week (Da.9:24; Ro.11:25-26; Re.10:7). If these are "Tribulation saints", how do they differ from "church saints"?

3. There is little distinction between the rapture and the second coming, especially concerning time.

4. The seven seal and trumpets fulfill the church age before the rapture. John eats the "little book" (Re..10:1-2,9-10) which symbolizes the close of the Jewish age. At this point John is no longer an onlooker but participates in the coming scenes.

4. Because of the intensity of the "Great Tribulation" those days will be "cut short" for the sake of the "elect" (Mt.24:21-22). The 70^th week is NOT shortened, but the rule and persecution of Antichrist is by Jesus Himself.

4. There are saints on the earth during the 70^th week of Daniel (Mt.24:22).

5. The seals are not the judgment or wrath of God, but are "the beginning of sorrows" (Mt.24:3-12) which precede the Day of the Lord, i.e., the Great Tribulation period.

5. There is a distinction between Israel and the church. But this distinction does not mean that there cannot be an overlap.

5. Mt.24:29-31 says "immediately after the tribulation" the sign of the Son of Man will appear…and He will send His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. After the tribulation, the sign of the Son of Man appears, the trumpet sounds, and the rapture occurs.

6. Revelation 11:18 seems to indicate that God’s wrath is about to begin. This would show that the preceding seals and trumpets were NOT events of God’s wrath.

6. The church has been promised to be kept from the hour of trouble (Re.3:10; 1Th.1:10). This hour begins the second-half of the 70^th week.

6. Revelation chapter 4 does NOT describe any rapture at all.

7. 2Th.2:5-12 The Restrainer [Holy Spirit] is restraining (v.7) the lawless one [antichrist] (v.8). Then the lawless one will be revealed around the middle of the 70^th week. So the Holy Spirit, including the church, will be on the earth until around the middle of the 70^th Week.

7. Passages such as James 5:7-8, Revelation 14:14-20, and Re.19:15 describe a dual harvest that occurs together. That is, the rapture and second coming are in essence one event.

8. The dead are not at a disadvantage for they will be resurrected first (1Th.4:13-18). This includes both the Old and New Testaments saints together.

9. The "end of the age" (Mt.24:3) is the same as the "harvest" (Mt.13:39). At this time the "righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Mt.13:43). The great commission indicates that the church will be in the world till the end of the age (Mt.28:19-20; See also 1Co.1:7-8; He.3:6,14; 6:11; Re.2:26).

(1) The idea of the church-rapture coinciding with the translation of the 2 Jewish witnesses misses the distinction between the Church and Israel. (2) Both of these passages do announce a resurrection: 1Co.15 the rapture of the church, and Re.11 the resurrection of the two witnesses. They are 2 different events altogether. (3) The second half of the 70^th week is where the wrath of God begins. But to say that this means that the church will go into the 70^th week misunderstands the distinction of the church and Israel. (5) This may be true, but does not mean the church will continue on the earth all the way to this point.

(1) This position misunderstands the unity of the body of Christ (i.e., the church, see 1 Co.12).

(3) Tribulation saints and church saints differ in that tribulation saints are not members of the body (church) of Christ. The "elect" are simply believers –Jews or Gentiles. The word "elect" is used no different than it is now during the church age.