9 reasons the rapture will come before the tribulation

9 Reasons the Rapture Will Come Before the Tribulation I will tell you now that I have not changed my mind on the timing of the rapture at all. I will give you 9 irrefutable reasons why I believe the rapture comes before the seven year Tribulation.

1.

The rapture is imminent, it could happen at any moment, it means God has not told us the day or hour of his return for his bride. The Bible states the rapture is a day that no man can know while Christ’s second coming on the Mt. of Olives is a day foretold to the very day! Revelation 12:6 specifies the coming of Christ is 1,260 days after the breaking of the peace treaty that the anti-Christ makes with Israel.

The 1,260 days begin when the Antichrist enters the temple and declares himself to be Christ. (Matthew 24:15-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:4). This event will take place at the middle of the seven year tribulation (Daniel 9:27).

2.

The rapture is the “blessed hope.” Titus 2:13 “Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

What is blessed is that Christ comes and delivers us from the Tribulation to come upon the world. Praise God he will “catch his bride away” BEFORE the trouble starts.

3.

The Lord has not appointed his Church or bride to wrath. The tribulation is the wrath of God upon this world as well as God dealing with Israel. God has not appointed the saved, his bride, to wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:1) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

(John 5:24) “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believes on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall NOT come into condemnation (wrath); but is passed from death unto life.

(Revelation 4:1) “Because though has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

4.

There is no mention of the Church (the bride) after Revelation Chapter 4. The seven Churches are mentioned in Revelation Chapters 2 & 3. The rapture takes place followed by the seven years of the tribulation.

(Revelation 4:1) “After this I looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as if it were a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither and I will shew these things which must be hereafter.�

The reason the Church is not mentioned again until the end of Revelation is because all believers have been taken up into heaven at the rapture! The true Church is gone!

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6.

The removal of the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit of God, who indwells all believers is gone from the earth along with the Church. The Antichrist comes on the scene as the first horseman at the BEGINNING of the seven year tribulation after the true Church is gone.

The old testament types of the rapture or catching away.

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Enoch, who walked with God, was removed from God’s wrath BEFORE the floods came in Noah’s day.

Lot was delivered from Sodom BEFORE the fire fell.

Noah was lifted up above the floodwaters on the ark.

Irrefutable proof is the 24 Elders in the book of revelation, from Rev. 4:4 to 19:4, they are mentioned 12 times. These Elders represent all believers in heaven after the rapture. Just look at the characteristics of the Elders and it is plain to see: The crowns they cast at the lord’s feet, their praise of God, their clothing, etc. As soon as the trumpet sounds in Chapter 4:1 of Rev., all believers are assembled in heaven represented by the 24 Elders.

Irrefutable proof is the contrast between the rapture of the true Church and the second coming of Christ.

The rapture is : the “coming for us” (John 14:1-4 + 1 Thess. 4:14-17) while the 2nd coming is “coming with us” (Rev. 19:14 + Jude 1:14). The rapture is “as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2), the 2nd coming is “every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:7), The rapture is

“Christ meets us in the clouds” (1 Thess. 4: 16-17), the 2nd coming is, “he is coming on a white horse,” (Rev. 19:11). The rapture is “imminent” (1 Thess.5:46 – Luke 12:40), the 2nd coming is “at end of 7 years” (2 Thess. 2:3-8).

9.

The true Church cannot be overcome by Satan, but the tribulation saints shall be.

Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church: and the gates of hell shall NOT prevail against it.”

Rev. 13:7 “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him (Satan) over all kindreds, tongues and nations.”

Conclusion The next great event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture.

This is how it will go down from where we are now:

*Placement of the true Church in Revelation *Removal of restraining power (Holy Spirit) *Exempt from God’s wrath *Twenty four Elders in heaven *Rapture contrasted with the 2nd coming *The imminent return of Christ *The blessed hope