Page 46 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

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THE HISTORICAL AND HERMENEUTICAL
BASIS OF PRETRIBULATIONISM

The pretribulational interpretation regards the coming of
the Lord and the translation of the church as preceding im­
mediately the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of a final
seven-year period before the Second Advent. Based on a literal
interpretation of Daniel’s prophecy, it is held that there has
been no fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 in history and that therefore
it prophesies a future period, familiarly called “the Tribula­
tion.” The seven years of Daniel, bringing to a close the pro­
gram of Israel prior to the Second Advent, will, therefore, be
fulfilled between the translation of the church and the second
advent of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. At
the translation, before the seven years, Christ will return
to meet the church in the air; at the Second Advent, after
the seven years, it is held that Christ will return with
His church from heaven to establish His millennial reign
on earth. This general teaching is widely held by premillenar-
ians who are in substantial agreement on the main points
of the teaching.
This view is opposed, however, by posttribulationalists
and midtribulationalists among premillenarians and by prac­
tically all amillenarians and postmillenarians. The pretribula-
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