Page 119 - Bible Doctrine Survey I - Student Textbook (3)

The rapture is the next prophetic event to take place. We do not know when it will happen. The
expectation of Paul was that it could happen at any time.

There are Bible teachers who teach that the rapture will not be before
the tribulation but some other time. Some believe that the rapture will
occur in the middle of the tribulation period called Midtributationism,
and some believe it will occur at the end of the tribulation period.
Their view is called Posttribulationism.

So, which view is correct?

The nature and scope of the Tribulation is an outpouring of the wrath
of God on the whole earth. It is described as God's judgment (Rev. 14:7) and God's punishment (Isa.
24:21-22) to judge people living on earth (Rev. 6:10) and to prepare Israel for her King (Ezek. 36:18-32).

It is inconceivable that the church would be on earth to experience God's wrath. The church is the bride
of Christ, the object of Christ's love, not His wrath (Eph. 5:25).

Ephesians 5:25 (NIV84)25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her

It would be a contradiction of the very relationship of Christ and the church, for the church to go
through the punishments of the Tribulation. We have already seen the specific statements affirming the
church will be kept from the Tribulation found in Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13;
and Revelation 3:10.

John 14:1-3 - The expectation of the rapture is based on the explicit promise of Christ. “I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself.”

Verse 27 talks about a prince that is to come. He is mentioned in Revelation 13 as the Antichrist. This
verse says that he will make a treaty with the Jewish state during this 7 years period, but in the middle
of the 7 years, 3 ½ years, he will break the treaty and come to the temple in Israel and set himself up as
god (c.11:36-38; Matthew 24:15,22; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). The verse ends, “until a complete
destruction.” This is the destruction of the Antichrist by Christ’s own judgments in the last half of the
tribulation and at His coming in judgment at the end which is also mentioned in Matthew 24:27
and Revelation 19:11-16.

Therefore, we should be eagerly waiting and preparing to meet our bridegroom. Philippians 3:20–21,
Titus 2:11–14 (NIV84), Revelation 19:7–8 , 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians
4:18)

The Tribulation Period

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