Concerning End Times
Eschatology: The Rapture
Concerning the rapture, there are two things of which we are certain.
1. Jesus will return to rapture the church. 1 Thess. 4:13-18
2. The timing of the rapture is imminent but unknown. Thess. 5:1-11; Mark 13:32-33
7 Reasons to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture
1. The truth of both Matthew 16:18 and Revelation 13:5-7.
· The point: Assuming Jesus is truthful and He is, then how shall the gates of hell prevail and the beast conquer the church?
2. The location of John 14:1-3 and Rev. 20:1-4
· The point: If the church is not raptured before the tribulation and is raptured when He returns, when will we go to the place that He has prepared for us?
3. The distinction between Rev. 16:1 and Romans 5:9
· The point: If the wrath of God was poured out on Christ on the cross and poured out again on the church if it is indeed present in the tribulation, doesn’t that lessen the work of Christ on the cross?
4. The precedence of 2 Peter 2:5-9.
· The point: God is consistent and without shifting show, right? Why would He show us this example of the salvation of the righteous from the wrath of God if He was going to break consistency?
5. The Promises of Rev. 3:10 and 1 Thess. 5:9
· The point: Why would an all-loving God lie to His church?
6. The purposes of Jer. 30:7 and 2 Thess. 2:7-8
· The Point: If the church is present during the tribulation, why would He only ever refer to it as a time for the Israelites? And if we are there, why would He leave us after promising to be with us always?
7. The comfort of 1 Thess 4:18 and Titus 2:11-13
· The Point: What is so encouraging about looking forward to the tribulation? What kind of blessed hope looks for the tribulation to happen so we can get to the 2nd coming of Christ.
