The Rapture, Tribulation and Remaining Prophecies

This page covers 1) the Rapture timing within the Tribulation, 2) the Tribulation timing within “history”, and 3) the key prophecies never yet fulfilled.

Before we dive in, there are two important things to understand and one other consideration.

  • God gives us limited details about these topics.  That is because we would focus too much on them and not enough what He has asked us to do – focus on the two greatest commandments.
  • A reminder that this life on earth is a blink-of-an-eye in our eternal lives and has a specific purpose.  God is putting this time on earth in the context of all of eternity both past and present.  And Revelation is just the last chapter of the full story told in Genesis through Revelation.  What happens in Revelation seems “big” to us, but it is a single piece of the full story to Him.
  • Another note:  We had the time period before the Law from Adam to Moses.  Then we had the time of the Law from Moses to Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost.  We are now in the Church Age from Jesus to His return which happens with the Tribulation.  Finally, after the Tribulation, the Millenium.  Note that in each period, they were unclear about what was coming next.  One thing has been visible in each period so far – we have shown that we rebel in all these different period frameworks.  It would not be surprising if the same happens in the Millenium when Satan is bound considering the battle the Bible tells will happen at the end of the Millenium.  One of the key lessons of this world is that we need to trust God because our ways create a mess in any scenario.  Only those that have accepted that will be in Heaven which will make it a place full of wholesome relationships between us, God and the others there!!!

Rapture Summary:
Most people believe in pre-trib because “someone I trust says so”.  Most don’t want to look at the scriptures themselves which makes sense if you are missing a key point (described below) because it seems so difficult how to place “all those passages into a timeline.  After personally having a pre-trib rapture position for decades, because that is what all the big teachers were teaching, a challenge to actually look at the scriptures surprisingly showed how clear is the real answer.  Here are the most clear passages “with timelines” which provides a fairly convincing conclusion:

  • Matthew 24 (see v9, 13, 29-31) clearly indicates a timeline with Christ’s return at the end, not the beginning.
  • Revelation chapters 5-22 (see 20:4-5), is basically a timeline and has the “first resurrection” after Tribulation events described in all the prior chapters.
  • Note how both of these passages are written to the Christian community and indicates it will go through the tribulation and that may even include death.

Some key points to understand:

  • There are some very clear opinions from some very solid people that differ from each other.  Some theologians with high respect take the pre-trib position.
  • It is clear that God didn’t intend to make some details about the Rapture and Tribulation too clear (e.g. most of Revelation’s seals, trumpets, scrolls and bowls).  That might be because people tend to focus too much on such things and neglect what He has asked us to do now – live out the two greatest commandments.
  • Key point:  A big cause of timeline differences is that many (most?) passages on the topic are “stand alone” descriptions of specific events without context tying them to a full timeline.  It is when people try to link these “stand along” passages together in a timeline that things get fuzzy.  That is why passages with timelines like Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 5-22 are important.

Other things to understand:

  • Pre-trib proponents seem to lean strongly of some verses indicating God’s people will be spared from “Divine Wrath” (or other great wrath).
    • But, in most verses, these wraths of God seem to be about the punishment of sin in general – likely at the Judgement Throne (e.g. John 3:36, Rev 14:10, Rom 2:5-8).  Reminder, the Church has gone through many types of tribulation since the first century including being fed to lions, lit up as candles and many other forms of martyrdom.  Mass execution of Christians is not rare in many parts of the world today.  The wrath described in these passages does not seem notably more harsh…  A better explanation of God’s wrath would be what happens after a person dies.  Hell is truly the great wrath.
    • Also, they tend to attribute passages that point to the saints going through the persecution to be only about Israel and people that accept Jesus during the Tribulation, but there is no actual clear scriptural support for that.
  • Historically, God has often let His people go through the wrath of this world, but provided them the strength to endure it.  These stories can be seen in how martyrs and those experiencing persecution have told of their experiences.  Reminder that their hope is our hope – eternity in Heaven.  This world is a blink-of-an-eye in our eternal lives where we are see what happens when we get to run things our ways instead of His.

Key verses on Rapture / Tribulation timeline:

  • There are more verses that provide some partial descriptions of the Rapture or Tribulation.  But they are not “key verses” for purposes here if they don’t have info that clearly help with where they fit in the timeline.  That lack of clarity leads to varied interpretations on timelines — specifically pre-trib vs. post-trib rapture.
  • Matthew 24:9 / Mark 13:20  Jesus is talking to the disciples when He talks about them going through tribulation.
  • Isaiah 26:20-21 God tells “my people” to hide during His “punishment of the earth”
  • Daniel 7:21-25 (esp. v21,25) “war prevailed over the saints” and “…shall wear out the saints”
  • 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 The last trumpet is near the end of the Trib
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Again, noted to be tied to a trumpet (but less clear since not “last trumpet”)
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:2-9 v9 is used by pre-Trib to indicate that believers are spared from the Trib.  But the context (v2-8) would indicate being there, but being prepared.
  • Revelation 9:3-6 Believers are present in this harsh time, but spared from the pain that God is executing.
  • Revelation 13:7 Believers in battle with evil ones
  • Revelation 13:16-17 talks about the Mark of the Beast.
  • Revelation 14:11 indicates those that take the mark will received torment.
  • Revelation 17:6 The prostitute holds a cup full of Jesus’ martyrs blood
  • Revelation 20:4-5 As noted above, clearly indicates believers being persecuted.  Again, nothing indicates this only applies to Israel — especially since Revelation is a letter to the churches (Rev 1:1)

There is a book titled “Three Views of the Rapture” that is a good reference book.  It starts with a history section on the pre-trib position really taking off at a conference in 1878.  It then has 3 primary sections.  Each section has a proponent of their position (pre-, mid-, post-) lay out their reasoning and then the other two providing counter thoughts.  The editor is Stanley N. Gundry.

When in “history” (past, present, future) is the Tribulation:

  • Approximately 2,000 years from Adam (pre-Law) to Moses (The Law)
  • Approximately 2,000 years from Moses to Jesus establishing the Church (grace fulfills The Law) at Resurrection and Pentecost via the Spirit
  • It will be approximately 2,000 years from Resurrection/Pentecost (“The Church” began) to the first half of 2030’s.  “IF” that brings the end of the Church age, it would be time for the Rapture / Tribulation.  It would also be the beginning of the Millenium.  It seems that the transition from the Church age to the Millenium would likely be marked by the return of Christ just like it started when He left.  Of course 2,000 years for the Church age could be completely wrong, but it would fit very nicely with other things 🙂
  • Final 1,000 years of earth is the Millenium according to Revelation.
  • Note:  See our science and the Bible page to see how “time dilation” is explained via Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and how that can support the Earth/Universe being both old and young at the same time.

Key prophecies not yet fulfilled since beginning of Church Age:

  • Mark of the Beast:  Cannot buy or sell without the Mark (Revelation 13:17). Mostly implemented in China today and needs to spread elsewhere (Israel+), but not necessarily everywhere.  Christians are told not to take the Mark Revelation 14:11) because it gives authority to the Antichrist.  The two main components are 1) government is able to track spending (e.g. bank and credit card accounts), and 2) personal spending is a component of a social score system.
  • Temple rituals restarted (because the Antichrist stop stops them – Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15):  Temple rituals stopped in 70AD and have never restarted.  Note that the Temple was a tent from Moses until Solomon.  So, it could be again.
  • Knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4):  Knowledge has been increasing at an increasing rate in the last couple hundred years, but nothing compared to AI.  AI is expected to be sentient in less than 10 years — some say quite a bit less…