PROOFS OF THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE MADE SIMPLE

PROOFS OF THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE MADE SIMPLE

By DR. JIM ELLIS, ThD., PhD.

504 BLANKSTON DRIVE

BOGALUSA, LOUISIANA 70427

E-Mail: bblpchr@aol.com

Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

The disciples asked three questions:

1. When shall these things be?

2. What shall be the sign of thy

coming?

3. What shall be the sign of the

end of the world?

In Strong’s the colon (:) indicates the following are the ways the Greek word is translated in the King James Bible. This is the best way to determine the definition of a Bible word. In this case it is : --age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end). Therefore; the word "world" does not refer to the physical world, but to the age or dispensation. The Bible is a dispensational book and must be understand as such.

The Bible gives us instructions as to how to interpret it. In First Corinthians 10:32 we are told the proper division of the Bible:

Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

In other words — the three classes of people to whom and for whom the Bible is written are the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church. It is incorrect to apply what is written to or for the Jews to the Gentiles or to the church. That works the other way around also.

The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, reminds us:

II Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Promises of the

Second Coming

John 14:1 Let not your heart betroubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 1: 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Foundation of

Prophecy — Daniel

Daniel 9:24-27 -- 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Seventy weeks equals seven times seventy equals 490 prophetic years. One week is seven days. Seventy times seven equals 490. God gives Daniel the prophetic schedule. The total time is 490 years in verse 24. Notice God says "thy people" to Daniel. This refers to the Jews. And He says "thy holy city," which is Jerusalem.

In verse 25 God gives the schedule of events.

"…from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

The time schedule begins with Cyrus when he gives the commandment to Ezra, and then with Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to rebuild the City. The time period given in verse 25 is 483 years with seven years lacking. This seven years is the seven year Tribulation Period. God’s time clock stopped when the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and it will start up again at the Rapture.

The next verse, verse 26, seems to be a contradiction in that it comes up short by 49 years — 62 times 7 = 434 years. It is not a contradiction or error. From the time the degree came down from Cyrus and Artaxerxes until the job was finished was 49 years. One verse calculates it from the time the decree is given and the other verse calculates it from the time it is finished, which was historically 49 years. There are no contradictions in the King James Bible.

But important information is revealed in verse 26.

"…the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

"The people of the prince that shall come" identifies the Antichrist as being associated with the Roman Empire since the people that destroyed the city and the sanctuary were the army of Roman General Titus in 70 A.D. as a matter of history. Of course, the "prince that shall come" is the Antichrist.

The next verse is very important in Bible Prophecy.

The antecedent of the pronoun "he" is "the prince that shall come." He shall confirm the covenant for one week, which is seven prophetic years. The "midst" of the week is half way or three and one half years.

Therefore, the Tribulation is divided into two 3 ½ year periods. A Biblical year is composed of 360 days, not 365, and a Biblical month is 30 days. Therefore a Biblical 3 ½ year period is composed of 1260 days. When the Bible refers to times, time and a half, it means 2 years, plus one year, plus half a year.

Daniel 12: 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Revelation 12: 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

It all boils down to 3 ½ years or 1260 days. These refer to the second half of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist sits upon the throne in the rebuilt Solomon’s Temple.

The Order Of Prophecy

Of The Last Days

1. The Return of The Jews To Their Own Land

Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

2. The Rapture of The Church Age Saints

I Thessalonians 4: 16 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:

17 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.

3. The Tribulation

7 years, made up of two 3 1/2 year –periods. The first half is known as the Tribulation, in general; the second half is known as The Great Tribulation.

Matthew 24: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

4. The Rapture of the Tribulation Saints -- at the close of The Great Tribulation.

Revelation 20: 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.

5. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1: 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

John 14: 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 1: 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

6. The Thousand year Reign of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 9: 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

7. The Great White Throne

Judgment

Revelation 20: 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

8. Eternity

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Now that we have made a distinction in the events of Bible Prophecy, or Eschatology, if you prefer, we go back to the Rapture of the church age saints:

I Thessalonians 4: 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 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:

17 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.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I Corinthians 15: 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

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.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Much is made of the phrase, "at the last trump." This is the only place in the Bible where we find those words. There are those who teach that the "Church" is going through the second half of the second half of the Tribulation, based on these words —"the last trump." They refer to it as The Pre -Wrath Rapture. The problem with that is that Daniel 9:27, along with Second Thessalonians 2 shoots it down.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

It is quite clear that the Antichrist makes a covenant for one week or seven years; and then, in the midst of the week, breaks that covenant. The half way point would be 3 ½ years. It is also apparent that the Antichrist will move his headquarters from Rome to Jerusalem at the midway point of the Tribulation.

Second Thessalonians, chapter 2 is very instructional:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Notice the words, "for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first." What day? The Tribulation, of course. But an interesting thing is found here. One of the greatest Bible Teachers that I have known, Dr. Bruce Lackey, taught us something about the phrase "falling away first." The Greek word, of course, is the Greek for "apostacy."

The King James translators had a real insight in translating it. We automatically assume that it only refers to the "falling away of the church in the last days." But when some of the first American astronauts went into space we heard their communication with Houston, making a statement, "we are falling away."

They meant they were "falling away" from the earth’s gravitational pull. Isn’t that what will happen in the Rapture? If that is what this verse refers to, in addition to the apostacy in the last days, it is telling us that the " falling away" or the Rapture, will occur before the Tribulation.

The fact is that in the trumpet judgments of Revelation, the last trump is sounded for the Rapture of the Tribulation Saints. Revelation 11 deals with the two witnesses, Moses and Elijah. After they had accomplished their work, they are raptured out with the other tribulation Saints.

Rev. 11: 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Only three times in the Bible is the phrase "come up hither" found: Proverbs 25:7; Revelation 4:1; and Revelation 11:12. Proverbs 25: 7 seems to be possibly prophetic:

Proverbs 25: 7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

What will happen when the

Rapture occurs?

I Corinthians 15: 35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

I John 3: 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

What Kind of Body Did Jesus Have After His Resurrection?

John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Let’s look at Luke’s parallel account of Jesus’ resurrection body — after His glorification

Luke 24: 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

I Corinthians 15: 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

In the Book of Revelation there are four distinct and separate trips through the Tribulation.

Chapters 5 & 6 --The Seven Seals

Chapters 8-11 –The Seven Trumpets

Chapters 12-14 –The Antichrist

Chapters 16 – The Vial Judgments

The Proofs Of The

Pre-Tribulation Rapture:

The Seven Churches in Revelation 2 & 3. These represent seven distinct periods in Church History. Then, in the first verse in Chapter 4, is the Rapture of the Church represented by the calling out of John, and projecting him forward into the Tribulation. Note, the last church period is the Laodicean Period — the period just prior to the Rapture.

The distinction between the Rapture of the Church Age Saints and the Rapture of the Tribulation Saints.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

This passage is often confused to be the Rapture of the Church. It is not! It is very clear that this is the Rapture of the Tribulation Saints. The issues here include beheading, the beast, the mark of the beast, worshipping the beast. None of these are issues in this church age. They will be when the Antichrist comes on the scene.

Furthermore, we must consider the chronology of the events of prophecy. We must go to Daniel 9:24-27 to unravel the proper order.

Daniel 9: 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

The key to this is verse 26, where it refers to "the people . . . that shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." This is a matter of history; in 70 A.D. Roman General Titus came into the City of Jerusalem and did just that, identifying the "prince that shall come" with the Roman Empire. Thus we have to conclude that the Antichrist will have his headquarters in Rome for the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. The further proof is found in Revelation 11 concerning the two witnesses.

Revelation 11: 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

In verse two there is the reference to "the holy city" as the location, which is Jerusalem. In verse 8 the reference tells us, "the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified," clearly identifying it as Jerusalem.

The clincher is found in verses 11-15:

11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Immediately after the command "come up hither," is given to the two witnesses (Moses and Elijah), there is the beginning of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Thousand Year Reign of Christ-- "there was a great earthquake," and "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever."

This further establishes the proper order of the events of Bible Prophecy. The Antichrist will have his headquarters in Rome for the first 3 ½ years of the seven year Tribulation and in Jerusalem the second 3 1/2 year period. This also establishes that Revelation 20:4 is the Rapture of the Tribulation Saints, not the Rapture of the Church.

The Clincher and summary

We have established the fact of the time elements established by Scripture. Daniel 9:24-27 establishes the Tribulation being seven years, divided into two-- three and one half year segments. It is also clear that the Antichrist will break his covenant at the midway point.

It is then that he goes to the rebuilt temple and causes the oblation and sacrifice to cease. In Revelation Eleven we have the two witnesses (Moses and Elijah) prophesying during the last half of the tribulation. It is clear there that they are doing their work in the City of Jerusalem where the Antichrist will be ruling during that time.

It is significant that the seventh (last) trumpet will be blown for the rapture of the two witnesses, along with the tribulation saints of Revelation 20. That leaves no room for a "Pre-Wrath Rapture" at the last trumpet. The term "last trumpet" found in First Corinthians fifteen has to refer to the trumpet sounded for the rapture of the tribulation saints, not the rapture of the church age saints.

In I Thessalonians 5, the English Grammar proves the Pre-Tribulation Rapture:

5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The keys to the English Grammar is the use of the pronouns.

The pronouns are in the first, second, and third person cases.

"Brethren, you, ye, yourselves," are in the second person case —they are the good guys. The "us" is in the first person plural case, and also is one of the good guys. The "they, and them" are the contrasting ones.

The Apostle says to the brethren, ye’s, you’s, yourselves, us.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

To the unsaved he says:

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

Those verses teach that the saved will not incur the wrath of God during the Tribulation.

This has been a study in the Pre-Trib Rapture. I have tried to lay out the issues by using Scripture void of humanistic or logical thought. Colossians 2:8 warns us:

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Someone has appropriately reminded us, "Never mind what the Scripture means — if you believe what it says, you will have no problem understanding what it means." Amen! ·