TRUTH SEEKER MINISTRIES

Truth Seeker Ministries

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RAPTURE ?

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
is NOT in the Bible

Many sincere Christians believe a popular doctrine called the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. They believe that Jesus Christ will return to remove Christians from the face of the Earth before the prophesied Great Tribulation begins. Then return again at a later time to set up his kingdom. This scenario has been popularized by the "Left Behind" books and movies.

There is in fact not a single verse anywhere in the Bible that says that the Rapture will be before the Tribulation. There is not a single verse that says the Second Coming of Christ will be in two parts.

People are reading something INTO the Bible that isn't really there. We should never embrace a doctrine that is not explicitly stated in Scripture.

One of the most basic principles of Bible interpretation is to never accept a doctrine unless you have at least two verses to back it up. This principle was stated by Christ (Mat 18:16) and is repeated twice elsewhere in the Bible (Deut 19:15, 2 Cor 13:1). But with the very popular Pre-Trib Rapture, we don't have any verses, and we are told that we don't need any.

In fact, it is very clear in Matthew 24:29-31 that Jesus will return AFTER the Tribulation to gather the elect. This is referred to again in Mark 13:24-27 (two witnesses of scripture). There is NO mention of any other Rapture, or Gathering before this one.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days... He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mat 24:29,31)

Take notice that we are gathered from the "Four Winds", which means we will be gathered in the "AIR". This corresponds to Paul's description of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. This passage also mentions an angel, a trumpet, and Jesus coming down from Heaven. These elements tie the two verses together.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess 4:16-17)

This verse is obviously not describing a "Secret Rapture" as the Pre-trib teachers call it. This verse is describing a very noisey and dramatic event.

There is a perfect parallel between the events of Matthew 24:29-31 and the events in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. We are told by pre-tribbers that the two descriptions are so different that they must be two completely different events, but that is not the case. They are simply two different descriptions of one event, one adding details that the other doesn't mention. Jesus is focusing on His return from Heaven, and Paul is focusing on Christians rising up to meet Him. The differences that pre-trib teachers perceive are based on unfounded assumptions, not on the facts that we are actually given in the passages. There is nothing contradictory or mutually exclusive between these two scriptures.

It is commonly taught that the word "elect" in Matthew 24:31 is not referring to Christians, but to end-time Jews. In the context of the New Testament, the word "elect" almost always refers to the Church. Why would the word be referring to just Jews in this one passage?

Romans 11:7 makes it perfectly clear that the "elect" is referring to the Church and not specifically Israel: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it"

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The Apostle Paul tells us that the Rapture, and the Resurrection of the dead in Christ, will happen at the Last Trumpet call. If it's the LAST one, then there cannot be another one after it.

1 Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Matthew 24:29-31 is a description of the Second Coming of Christ, which Pre-tribbers say is seven years after the Rapture. If the LAST Trumpet was blown at the Rapture, how can there be a trumpet being blown at the Second Coming seven years later?

Matthew 24:29,31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days... He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

The only way this can make any sense is if the Trumpet in Matthew 24 is the same Trumpet mentioned in 1st Corinthians 15, which means that the Last Trumpet call and the Rapture have to happen after the Great Tribulation.

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As far as I'm concerned, the following passage is proof positive that the Rapture is after the Tribulation.

Revelation 20:4-5 clearly states that the saints martyred in the Great Tribulation will be in the First Resurrection. The Rapture occurs immediately after the Resurrection. This means that the Rapture has to be after the Tribulation.

["4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."]

Let's examine this passage:

The end of verse (5) states that this is the First Resurrection. Remember 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, the Rapture (of the living) is immediately AFTER the First Resurrection. "The dead in Christ will rise FIRST" (1 Thess 4:16).
We know this is set after the Great Tribulation because verse (4) states that the martyred saints did not worship the Beast, his image or receive his mark. This could only happen after the Antichrist comes to power.
The First Resurrection is after the Tribulation. The Rapture is after the First Resurrection, therefore the Rapture has to be after the Tribulation.
If it’s the First Resurrection there can not be one before it!
Just to emphasize the timing, the beginning of verse (5) it states that the second resurrection is a thousand years later. NOT SEVEN YEARS LATER for people that were "left behind". Very clearly, the RAPTURE (the First Resurrection) happens after the Great Tribulation.

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These verses mentioned above (1 Corinthians 15:52, Revelation 20:4-5) make a Pre-tribulation Rapture impossible. It would require there to be another Trumpet call AFTER the LAST one and another Resurrection BEFORE the FIRST one. God is not a God of confusion. We must read the Bible for what it says and not read into it what we want it to say.

No one ever preached about a Pre-Tribulation Rapture prior to the 1830s. The Early Church Fathers taught that the Church would be on the earth during the reign of the Antichrist and be persecuted by him.

The Pre-Trib Rapture has become very popular in the church probably due to fear and wishful thinking. It is so popular among teachers and authors that many Christians aren't even aware that there is any other interpretation!

I believe that the Pre-Trib Rapture is a satanic deception that will make most Christians unprepared for the coming persecution (Matthew 24:9, 24:22, 2 Timothy 3:12).

It has been taught that the "saints" in this passage are "left behind" Jews, but in the New Testament the word "saints" almost always refers to the Church. In his epistles, the Apostle Paul addresses the Gentile Churches as "the Saints" (2 Cor 1:1, Eph 1:1, Phil 1:1, 4:22, Col 1:2), why would the word mean anything different in the Book of Revelation?

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This doesn't sound like very good news, but Jesus promised us "I am with you always, even till the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Remember the story of the three young men in the furnace of fire (Daniel 3). They were IN THE FIRE, and the Son of God was IN THE FIRE WITH THEM!

God will give us the Grace we need to endure whatever is coming.

In fact, Daniel tells us that during the End-Times, "The people that know their God will be strong and do exploits" (Dan 11:32). I believe this will also be the time of the "Latter Rain" prophecy (Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:2-3, James 5:7), the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Even if you disagree with my conclusions, why place your faith in a potentially dangerous doctrine that cannot be specifically found in the Bible. Put your faith in the protective power of God.

God bless you, Rick Mascioli

What do we do now?

Whenever people begin to read the Bible for themselves they soon discover that many of their cherished doctrines are not really found in the Bible. When it dawns on people that the Pre-Trib Rapture may be one of those doctrines many of them are filled with fear. The realization that Christians will be here on earth during the time of the Tribulation can be over whelming. But fear doesn't come from God; it is a tactic of the Enemy.

I am constantly being asked if there is anything we can do now to prepare ourselves for the coming Tribulation, and should we prepare?

Jesus gives us a parable in Matthew 25:1-13 about ten virgins, five were wise and five were foolish. These virgins represent Christians, only Christians would be considered pure enough to be represented as virgins in the sight of God, and only Christians are waiting for the "bridegroom", Jesus. It doesn't say that the foolish virgins weren't ready for the arrival of the bridegroom; they weren't ready for the DARKNESS prior to his arrival. The foolish virgins did not expect to still be waiting during the "darkness" and did not bother to obtain oil for their lamps, the wise ones did. The "darkness" in this parable seems to represent persecution or maybe even deception, both of which are described as happening during the Tribulation (Rev 13:7, Rev 13:10, Mat 24:9, 24:24, 2 Thess 2:9-12).

During the night someone shouts that the bridegroom is coming and the foolish virgins are told to go buy oil for their lamps. They go for oil and they do not return in time to meet the bridegroom. The "oil" has always been a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure that is a valid interpretation here, because we know that you cannot "buy" the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9-24), but in this story the foolish virgins are told to "buy" the oil. Whatever the meaning of the word "oil", the foolish virgins apparently didn't have the fortitude to endure the persecution, or the discernment to withstand the deception. Either way they did not enter in to the wedding feast.

If we are not suposed to prepare in some way, why did Jesus give us so many warnings about that time?

I think it comes down to three aspects of preparation; mental, physical and most importantly, Spiritual.

Spiritual preparation is simple. Make sure that you are genuinely saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ. Visit our God's Plan page for a breakdown of God's plan of Salvation. Jesus will not leave us alone. He promised "I am with you always, even till the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
Spend time with the Lord in Prayer and Bible study. "The safest sheep are the ones at the shepherd's feet."
You can mentally prepare by learning as much as you can about the subject. You should accept the truth and ignore any non-biblical doctrines, no matter how comforting they may be. Even the revered Corrie Ten Boom referred to Pre-Trib Teachers as "false teachers" for giving people false hope.

Are you prepared to give your life for your faith? That thought shouldn't fill us with fear if we really believe what we say we believe. Read "Foxe's Book of Martyrs". This is one of the most difficult books to read because everybody in it dies. But it is the most inspiring book I ever read, next to the Bible itself.

The most controversial aspect of preparation is physical preparation. But, in this age of terrorism and natural disasters I think it is something to consider. Noah prepared for the flood. Joseph prepared for the famine. Proverbs 22:3 says "A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished". Scripture tells us to provide for our families, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:8). Our survival is ultimately in the hands of God, but does that mean that I can quit my job and just lay around all day? No, of course not. We have to do our part and be responsible as much as we are able and God will do the rest.
There seems to be a precedent in Scripture for people to flee and/or hide during a time of trouble (Zephaniah 2:3, Isaiah 26:20, Mark 13:14, Matthew 24:15-20 [Luke 21:36, keep in mind that "escape" means "flee" in the Greek] Revelation 12:6, 14, 17). Jesus told His disciples "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another..." (Matthew 10:23).
Revelation 13:17 tells us that we will not be able to buy or sell if we refuse to take the "Mark of the Beast". Revelation 14:9-11 tells us that everyone that takes the "Mark" will be damned that includes professing "Christians" as well as anyone else. You've probably been told that Christians can't loose their salvation, but there are plenty of Scriptures that indicate otherwise. Do not take the "Mark" no matter what.

If the weather man told you that a huge snow storm was coming, you probably wouldn't hesitate to run out and stock up on supplies. Even if you thought he was wrong, you'd probably buy some stuff just to be on the safe side. Why should this situation be any different? It might be a good idea to stock up on bottled water and non-perishable foods. You might want to invest in some camping equipment or have a bug-out-bag on hand in case you have to flee and forage for food. I recommend that your bag contain a pocket Bible and some kind of survival guide. If I only had one Bible I would take my "Easy Reading KJV" or my Pocket Sized NKJV. I also recommend the "SAS Survival Guide". Each of these will fit in a pocket or backpack. [We have no affiliation with any of these sites, the links are for your convenience]

I don't think we should get too caught up with physical preparation. Remember the Y2K fiasco? It is important that we don't put our faith in our preparations; our faith should rest in God alone. Our preparations should be a result of our faith in God. Our salvation and our safety are ultimately in God's hands. Remember the words of Jesus, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-34). As long as we are walking with the Lord, watching for the signs of His return and listening for His voice, He will be with us and guide our every step.
There needs to be a balance between our faith in God's protective power and our own personal responsibility. We need to prepare ourselves as much as possible, but we need to keep our focus on Jesus Christ.