Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
When Does the Rapture Happen in the End Times?
Note* After learning I was mistaken on some information, I have re-written this article to fit the truth as I know it.
1st article: 12-27-2018
current article: 12-28-2018
When will the rapture happen?
There are several theories on whether the rapture will happen before the tribulation, after it, or in the middle. I didn't care which it was. I just wanted to know the truth.
I read articles in support of each theory and checked out the verses for each. I read articles on why each one is wrong and looked at the verses listed for each of those as well. If I felt a verse needed to be interpreted by looking at other verses and using reason with them, I read on. I did not count those as proof. I don't want anyone's personal interpretation of three verses and pointing out how they seem to mean this or that. I was looking for scriptural clarity.
In the end, I eliminated only one as a possibility. The post-tribulation is simply impossible to happen according to the Bible. At one point I believed I had proven pre-tribulation as impossible as well, but then I learned I was confusing the meaning of a particular phrase in the Bible and when I looked into it and found the correct meaning, the pre-tribulation rapture was again possible.
There are many articles that believe they prove the mid-tribulation as impossible, but I found that they only proved it if the theory of Mid-Tribulation rapture was believed to happen at an exact point. Which is simply ridiculous.
You may be a believer in the post-tribulation rapture and be saying there is no way I have proven it wrong according to the Bible. You are right. I didn't. Others have and I simply had to agree to the proof they laid out. If you will open your mind to learn the truth, no matter what it is, you will find they are right.
Why the post-tribulation is impossible!
The Bible is very clear that the Rapture and the Second Coming are two very separate events.
Rapture verses if you look them up....
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Revelation 14:14-16
Pay special attention to these points....
1) The dead rise first with imperishable bodies and then the living Christians will be changed from perishable to imperishable and meet them in the air with Jesus.
2)It happens in a twinkling of an eye. In one sweep of the sickle. It happens very quick.
3) It is Jesus who swings the sickle and reaps the good harvest. Jesus raptures us.
4) When you read around the verses of the rapture, they never have Jesus coming to the earth.
5) These verses never mention anyone seeing Jesus. Only those who are raptured will see Him when they meet him in the air.
Now the verses pertaining to the second coming....
Luke 21:25-27
Matthew 24:29-31
Revelation 1:7
Now notice the differences in these verses from the other verses...
1) They all speak of great signs at his coming. The sun darkening. The moon not giving off light. The stars falling out of the sky.
2) They mention the powers of the heavens will be shaken and Jesus will come with power and glory.
3) They say that every eye will see him coming.
4) These don't happen in a twinkling of an eye. These happen deliberately with the intentions of everyone seeing what is happening.
5) Most importantly is that Jesus sends his angels to gather the elect.
6) If you read more about them you will find they speak of Jesus coming to do battle and reigning on Earth for a thousand years.
The rapture happens so quickly that nobody sees what happens. They certainly dont see Jesus coming ahead of time. Jesus takes us up himself.
The Second coming has Jesus coming with a grand display and every eye sees Him coming and everyone mourns for it. It doesn't happen very quick. Jesus sends his angels to gather them.
So there is no debating it. These two events are very separate events. Which leads to another question then? Who are the elect that Jesus sends his angels to gather? If Jesus had just raptured every true believer worth going to heaven, who else is left to be called the elect who the angels will gather?
Do you see how this is impossible to work together?
The elect has to be one of two groups of people. Either the Jews who suffered through the Tribulation and have turned to Christ, or the people who after the rapture, realized they had not been right with God or that God really did exist, and turn to Christ because the rapture was the proof they needed. Those people also would have had to suffer through the tribulation and survive to be gathered. Or it could be both groups become the elect. But for either of those to be gathered, the rapture would have to happen first so they could realize their mistaken ways and turn to Christ.
Whoever the elect are, the simple fact is, the post-tribulation rapture is impossible. No twisting of scripture or saying what scriptures "seemed" to say. These are very clear scriptures showing that the rapture and second coming are two different events, then simple logic proving they cannot happen at the same time.
As for the Pre-Tribulation and Mid-Tribulation theories, there simply doesn't seem to be real proof. You might be convinced there is proof because what you found seems to support your belief, but if you truly open your mind and try to interpret it as something else, you likely can. They are evidence, but not proof.
In truth however, it simply doesn't truly matter. As Christians, we need to be ready as if it can happen tonight. Let me put it this way. Think of all of those who you love. All of your friends, siblings, parents, kids, neighbors. Are all of them going to be raptured if it happens tonight? Do you really want them to miss the rapture and end up facing the tribulation? The wrath of God that He will pour out on this world in the last days? Do you want them to have to make a choice between serving the antichrist and death? Because if you are not right with God, then you are not in the right place to lead them to Christ. You are not setting the example. You are not being a good witness to them! We are not in this for ourselves my brothers and sisters in Christ. We must be there for those around us. If we are not right with God, we are a deterrent to them being right with God!
This is not a case where we can wait for special signs and get right with God then. That is pure selfishness even if you think you can do that. Because you will not be allowing for the time it will take to turn others to Christ. To give those we love the best chance possible, we need to show them the love of Christ starting now! Because I would hate to face Jesus and have to tell Him "I didn't care about everyone else. I just waited until the last moment and got myself right."
Get yourself right with God now. Be in a place to lead others to Christ. Be ready in case we need to face a large portion of the Tribulation because there is no guarantee the rapture will be before the antichrist takes control.
If the rapture is tomorrow, are you right with God? If it is in the middle of the tribulation, are you ready to die rather than take the mark of the beast? Are your loved ones ready to do that?
1st article: 12-27-2018
current article: 12-28-2018
When will the rapture happen?
There are several theories on whether the rapture will happen before the tribulation, after it, or in the middle. I didn't care which it was. I just wanted to know the truth.
I read articles in support of each theory and checked out the verses for each. I read articles on why each one is wrong and looked at the verses listed for each of those as well. If I felt a verse needed to be interpreted by looking at other verses and using reason with them, I read on. I did not count those as proof. I don't want anyone's personal interpretation of three verses and pointing out how they seem to mean this or that. I was looking for scriptural clarity.
In the end, I eliminated only one as a possibility. The post-tribulation is simply impossible to happen according to the Bible. At one point I believed I had proven pre-tribulation as impossible as well, but then I learned I was confusing the meaning of a particular phrase in the Bible and when I looked into it and found the correct meaning, the pre-tribulation rapture was again possible.
There are many articles that believe they prove the mid-tribulation as impossible, but I found that they only proved it if the theory of Mid-Tribulation rapture was believed to happen at an exact point. Which is simply ridiculous.
You may be a believer in the post-tribulation rapture and be saying there is no way I have proven it wrong according to the Bible. You are right. I didn't. Others have and I simply had to agree to the proof they laid out. If you will open your mind to learn the truth, no matter what it is, you will find they are right.
Why the post-tribulation is impossible!
The Bible is very clear that the Rapture and the Second Coming are two very separate events.
Rapture verses if you look them up....
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Revelation 14:14-16
Pay special attention to these points....
1) The dead rise first with imperishable bodies and then the living Christians will be changed from perishable to imperishable and meet them in the air with Jesus.
2)It happens in a twinkling of an eye. In one sweep of the sickle. It happens very quick.
3) It is Jesus who swings the sickle and reaps the good harvest. Jesus raptures us.
4) When you read around the verses of the rapture, they never have Jesus coming to the earth.
5) These verses never mention anyone seeing Jesus. Only those who are raptured will see Him when they meet him in the air.
Now the verses pertaining to the second coming....
Luke 21:25-27
Matthew 24:29-31
Revelation 1:7
Now notice the differences in these verses from the other verses...
1) They all speak of great signs at his coming. The sun darkening. The moon not giving off light. The stars falling out of the sky.
2) They mention the powers of the heavens will be shaken and Jesus will come with power and glory.
3) They say that every eye will see him coming.
4) These don't happen in a twinkling of an eye. These happen deliberately with the intentions of everyone seeing what is happening.
5) Most importantly is that Jesus sends his angels to gather the elect.
6) If you read more about them you will find they speak of Jesus coming to do battle and reigning on Earth for a thousand years.
The rapture happens so quickly that nobody sees what happens. They certainly dont see Jesus coming ahead of time. Jesus takes us up himself.
The Second coming has Jesus coming with a grand display and every eye sees Him coming and everyone mourns for it. It doesn't happen very quick. Jesus sends his angels to gather them.
So there is no debating it. These two events are very separate events. Which leads to another question then? Who are the elect that Jesus sends his angels to gather? If Jesus had just raptured every true believer worth going to heaven, who else is left to be called the elect who the angels will gather?
Do you see how this is impossible to work together?
The elect has to be one of two groups of people. Either the Jews who suffered through the Tribulation and have turned to Christ, or the people who after the rapture, realized they had not been right with God or that God really did exist, and turn to Christ because the rapture was the proof they needed. Those people also would have had to suffer through the tribulation and survive to be gathered. Or it could be both groups become the elect. But for either of those to be gathered, the rapture would have to happen first so they could realize their mistaken ways and turn to Christ.
Whoever the elect are, the simple fact is, the post-tribulation rapture is impossible. No twisting of scripture or saying what scriptures "seemed" to say. These are very clear scriptures showing that the rapture and second coming are two different events, then simple logic proving they cannot happen at the same time.
As for the Pre-Tribulation and Mid-Tribulation theories, there simply doesn't seem to be real proof. You might be convinced there is proof because what you found seems to support your belief, but if you truly open your mind and try to interpret it as something else, you likely can. They are evidence, but not proof.
In truth however, it simply doesn't truly matter. As Christians, we need to be ready as if it can happen tonight. Let me put it this way. Think of all of those who you love. All of your friends, siblings, parents, kids, neighbors. Are all of them going to be raptured if it happens tonight? Do you really want them to miss the rapture and end up facing the tribulation? The wrath of God that He will pour out on this world in the last days? Do you want them to have to make a choice between serving the antichrist and death? Because if you are not right with God, then you are not in the right place to lead them to Christ. You are not setting the example. You are not being a good witness to them! We are not in this for ourselves my brothers and sisters in Christ. We must be there for those around us. If we are not right with God, we are a deterrent to them being right with God!
This is not a case where we can wait for special signs and get right with God then. That is pure selfishness even if you think you can do that. Because you will not be allowing for the time it will take to turn others to Christ. To give those we love the best chance possible, we need to show them the love of Christ starting now! Because I would hate to face Jesus and have to tell Him "I didn't care about everyone else. I just waited until the last moment and got myself right."
Get yourself right with God now. Be in a place to lead others to Christ. Be ready in case we need to face a large portion of the Tribulation because there is no guarantee the rapture will be before the antichrist takes control.
If the rapture is tomorrow, are you right with God? If it is in the middle of the tribulation, are you ready to die rather than take the mark of the beast? Are your loved ones ready to do that?