Rapture Timing – Simplified.

By Brother John Young 2-16-2024

While there are many nuanced and complicated terminologies and reasonings for when the rapture will occur, most all consistent positions are divided into two types before (pre) or after (post) the tribulation (or no rapture at all) as described in the Book of Revelation. The primary factor that determines which position one takes is determined by what is believed about Israel and the Church. If they believe Israel and the Church are based on separate covenants then when they read the Revelation they must put the rapture BEFORE the tribulation. If they believe the Church takes over, or is part of, Israel’s covenant then they must place the rapture AFTER the tribulation or to reject the consept of rapture altogether and simply maintain a resurrection at the end of the tribulation or millennium. Saints (believers) appear throughout the Book of Revelation and are only saved from tribulation at the return of Christ at the end of the book so many do accept this as a reason to reject a rapture and simply opt for the resurrection.

In the Book of Revelation, churches by name are dealt with at the beginning of the book and Israel by name near the middle to end of the book, yet saints and sinners in general throughout. Those who maintain a separation of covenants (Pre-tribulationist) will simply keep each group separate and see the rapture occurring in the chapters dealing with the churches (chapters 1-5) and will take the book progressively in order. Yet those who do not (post-tribulationist) must make references to Israel’s or saint’s gathering apply also to the church as well (chapters 14 and 20-22). If this separation of covenants is not maintained then the progressive chronology of the Book of revelation itself also cannot be maintained and must be split and overlaid in order to make proper sense (some less constant and unconstrained pre and post adherents will split and overlay the book up to four times to make their given theology work! We will not deal with those here.).

As an example of a truly consistent pre-tribulationist, Pastor Steven Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe Arizona teaches a Post-trib pre-wrath theology were chapters 1-11 of Revelation are chronological then starting at 12-16 is read as taking place with 1-11, before continuing again to 17-22.

(www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/chronology_of_revelation_chart.jpg)

This has the simplifying effect of ensuring Churches, Israel, and Saints, and their terminology, line up with a single rapture and return event, after the tribulation. If it is not done it results in either a pre-tribulation rapture or multi-rapture event depending on the person’s misunderstanding of Church and Israeli covenants. While simplifying and compelling, this popular position, as do most Post-tribulation (and many pre-tribulation) rapture theologies, falls prey to several issues.

1. It must split and break up the chapter order of Revelation in order to work.

2. It must conflate terms (ie. insist, without proving, that one term also means the other).

3. It must overlay the seals, trumpet judgments, and vial judgments.

If one removes these three common abuses of the Book of Revelation, the books own progressive structure takes shape into four distinct stages of events witch tend to also support a pre-tribulation rapture for church body while keeping the church and Israeli covenants intact and consistent with the overall context of scripture in both Old and New testaments. These divisions can be summed up as:

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In summery:

1. Pre-Tribulationist must keep terminology, and the covenants of Church and Israel SEPARATE, and must keep the book of Revelation in progressive order to be consistent with a true pe-rapture theology.

2. Post-Tribulationist must CONFLATE terms and covenants, split up the book order, and overlay the Judgments to remain consistent with a Post-Rapture theology.

3. Many are unable to do either so end up with a hybrid of theologies gleaned from those who have gone before them. Many are also so confused by the rapture concept that they simply allegorize much of Revelation to come up with their position on the rapture or in order to do away with it altogether.

4. The two examples above will most likely be the simplest examples of Pre and Post tribulation raptures that are most consistent with the Book of Revelation. Feel free to examine both to determine which is most consistent with the scriptures in order to come to their theological conclusion.

References: Brother Anderson does a good job in presenting his position and is well worth examination His material can be found here: https://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/page9.html

My work on this topic is ongoing. What I have can be found here: https://johnyoungblogs.blogspot.com or here: https://www.facebook.com/BaptistChristians or here: www.youtube.com/@BaptistChristians

Revelation: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPBnTVkjTpCJl70DpxmR1R5OXjRQbTe4j