Page 246 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture in the Book of Revelation
Because of the great diversity of approaches to the Book
of Revelation, it is difficult to debate its relevance to the doc­
trine of the Rapture without assuming an exposition of the
entire hook, which is beyond the scope of this study. If, how­
ever, consideration be given to those who interpret the book
from the premillennial standpoint and adopt the view that
from chapters 4 to 18 the Book of Revelation is dealing with
events that arc still future and related to the years im­
mediately preceding the second coming of Christ, then a dis­
cussion of the various passages has some force.
Revelation 2:25
While the rapture of the church is not the subject of the
Book of Revelation, there are references that pretribulationists
can construe as referring to the Rapture. The exhortation to
the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:25 could be interpreted
as a reference to the Rapture: “Only hold on to what you have
until I come.” The passage in Revelation 3:3 is less clear and
may not refer to either the Rapture or the Second Coming.
Revelation 3:10-11
A clear reference to the Rapture is found in Revelation
3:10-11. “Since you have kept my commandment to endure
patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is
going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on
the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so
that no one will take your crown.” Both posttribulationists
and pretribulationists consider this passage as relating to the
Rapture.
Pretribulationists have rightly regarded this passage as
coinciding with the concept that Christ is coming for the
church before the Tribulation and will take the church out of
the world and hence remove the church before this period of
human history described as the Great Tribulation. Post-
tribulationists, of course, have countered in an attempt to

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