Page 258 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture in the Book of Revelation
passage has any bearing at ail on the eschatological order of
events, it is evidence against the posttribulational view. While
the force of this passage on the argument between pre-
tribulationists and posttribulationists may be debated, the
important point is that it offers no evidence at all for the
posttribulational view, and writers like Gundry are reduced to
calling the interpretation “wooden” rather than offering solid
evidence for the posttribulational viewpoint.
Omission of the Rapture in the Second Coming
of Christ in Revelation 19:11-20:6
Prcmillenarians find in the revelation of the second com­
ing of Christ, beginning in Revelation 19:11, an ordered se­
quence of events describing the major aspects of the second
coming of Christ and its results.13 First, the descent from
heaven of Christ accompanied by the saints and angels is
pictured in Revelation 19:11-16. It is noteworthy that there is
not a word about translation or resurrection in connection
with this event. Second, immediately following His coming to
the earth, the armies gathered in the world-wide conflict arc
destroyed. Third, the beast and the false prophet are captured
and cast into the lake of fire.
In chapter 20 this sequence of events is followed, fourth,
with the binding of Satan, and then, fifth, as a climax to the
preceding events and the introduction to the Millennium it­
self, the tribulation saints are resurrected. Inasmuch as the
preceding events arc chronologically and causally linked, it
would seem that the order of events is strictly chronological.
One of the most damaging portions of Scripture on the
posttribulational Rapture is the fact that the resurrection
mentioned in Revelation 20:4-5 occurs, not at the time of the
second coming of Christ, but probably some days thereafter.
In this account the resurrection is limited to those who died in
the Tribulation, an obvious support for the contention that the
rest of the righteous dead have been raised earlier at the time
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