Why I Always Believe Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Why I Always Believe A Pre-Tribulation Rapture ?
“There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered.”
Daniel 12:1
The “Rapture” is the next major biblical event that is about to take place in the world. Since the time of the Apostles, it is always believed as imminent or can happen at any moment. The passage I Thessalonians 4 :15- 17 reveals this endtime phenomenon. This has always been the “blessed hope” of every true believer in Christ.
The word “Rapture” is not found in the Holy Scripture but this word is synonymous to the word “caught up” found in I Thessalonians 4:17; "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. The word "Rapture" originated from the Latin translation "Rapturo" and the Greek translation is "Harpazo." I Corinthians also 15:51-52 supports this concept of “Rapture.”
“Listen, I tell you a mystery : We will not all asleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.”
At the turn of the twentieth century, many professing Christians shifted away from the “Pre-Tribulation Rapture “ position to “Post-Tribulation” stand.
As for me, I am firmly settled for a “Pre-Tribulation Rapture.” In this write-up, I present my arguments. I always believe that the “Tribulation period” is a period of God’s judgment for all those who rejected the Gospel of the Lord JesusChrist and for all those who professed Christianity yet remain living in disobedience. As the word “Tribulation” implies, this is synonymous to judgment. The church, the body of Christ, consists of all those who put their faith in Christ finished work on the cross, is always referred as the “Bride of Christ” in the Bible. This is clearly illustrated in the book of Ephesians chapter 5:25-30. This passage depicts the relationship between Christ and the church and relates it to a husband and wife love relationship. The Church is the beloved Bride of Christ. This Bride is to be redeemed and delivered from judgment. If you are a groom, will you allow your bride to suffer tribulation, how much more Christ will allow His Bride to experience tribulation. The Lord JesusChrist gave His very own life for His Bride. He paid the redemption of His beloved Bride with His very own precious blood that they will be able to escape the judgment and wrath of God. Will Christ allow His beloved Bride to experience Tribulation with the rest of the world.
As it is written in Matthew 24: 37; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” This passage implies that the Great Tribulation is compared to the Great Flood during Noah’s time. The Flood during Noah days is God’s judgment to that wicked generation at that time. In order to escape judgment, Noah was asked by God to build a very huge ark. So Noah and his household were able to escape the judgment of God through the Ark. In our modern time, about more than five thousand years later, we can escape the judgment and wrath of God through His Son, our Lord JesusChrist. Noah’s ark is a symbol for Christ. Noah and his family entered the ark and had escaped the flood, the symbol of God’s judgment to the wicked world. In our time, Jesus is the only way to escape the judgment and wrath of God which will be poured out during the Great Tribulation. We have to put our faith on His finished work at Mt Calvary. We have to accept that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God. This sacrifice is perfect, complete and sufficient as it is written in Hebrews 10:10, " And by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of JesusChrist once for all." It implies that there are no other sacrifices needed for our redemption. After accepting this truth, we also, have to surrender our life to the Lordship of JesusChrist. He should be the Lord in all areas of our life. If He is not a hundred percent Lord in our life, He is not Lord at all.
It is about time to accept the Gospel of Christ, to acknowledge that He is the only Savior and Lord of your life. It is about time to make a great 180-degree turn from darkness to light, from a sinful, worldly and self-centered life to a life totally yielded to Christ for we might be running out of time. Eternity is too long, to reject Christ.