What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 2

MID-TRIBULATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Mid-Tribulational viewpoint teaches that the Church will be raptured at the end of the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation period. They agree that the Church has escaped the wrath of God, the coming judgment of the Tribulation, through Jesus Christ. However there are several problems with this view of which we will address only a few.

Problems with the Mid-Tribulational Viewpoint
Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the events of the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation are not the wrath of God, only the last 3-1/2 years are the wrath of God. So, accordingly, the Church will go through the first 3-1/2 years because this period is not the wrath of God. However, Revelation 6 is marked by the opening of the seven seals and the coming of the Antichrist, Revelation 6:1-2, “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” Here, with the opening of the seven seals at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period (the first 3-1/2 years), we see the appearance of the Antichrist. He comes on a white horse. When Jesus returns, He will come on a white horse (Revelation 19:11). Here we see the Antichrist coming as a false Christ. He has a bow (a weapon) and a crown is given to him.

The last government of man, the 10 nation confederacy of nations, will surrender their crowns to him, giving their authority to him, Revelation 17:12-13, "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.” He will rule with absolute authority, as a dictator. He will come as a man of peace, but his true intention is to conquer, “…he went out conquering and to conquer.” What follows him is war, famine, death, martyrdom, and cosmic disturbances.

Further, the events of Revelation 6 are described as, “…the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16-17). This is a description of the entire Tribulation period, not just the last 3-1/2 years.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Church is promised tribulation. We must be very careful to make the proper distinctions between the Tribulation and the tribulation promised to the believer.

The Tribulation is referred to in Scripture in a specific sense, such as the seventieth seven of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:20-27), or the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

The tribulation promised to the Church is in the general sense. Jesus spoke of tribulation promised to the Church in a general sense in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Part of being a Christian is suffering to one extent or another for your faith, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution,” (I Timothy 3:1-2). As we study Church history we see that the overwhelming majority of Christians have suffered for their faith. As we read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, we see that history bears out the suffering of tribulation for the faithful believer in Christ. The freedom to exercise and proclaim our faith that the Church enjoys in the United States is unprecedented in Church history.
Even throughout the world today, our brothers and sisters in Christ are not only suffering for their faith, many are imprisoned and dying for their faith in Jesus.

Paul also spoke of tribulation promised to the Church in a general sense in I Thessalonians 3:3-4, “that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.” The tribulation faced by the Church and promised the believer by Jesus comes from the world system controlled by Satan. The Tribulation that will come upon the world originates from heaven and is repeatedly described in Scripture as the wrath of God or the wrath of the Lamb.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Church will be purged through the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation, that we somehow have to suffer in order to be perfected.

We do not need to suffer for our sins, Jesus Himself suffered for our sins, Hebrews 1:3, “…He had by Himself purged our sins.” His dearth on the cross, His blood shed paid the price for our sins. He took death for us and gave us life.

We do not need to suffer through the Tribulation to be purged of our sins. Jude tells us that He (Jesus) will, “…present you faultless before the presence of His glory…” (Jude 24-25). To teach that the Church must be purged through the Tribulation is to denigrate the atoning working of Jesus Christ.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view deny the Imminence of Jesus Christ. The teaching of the imminent return of Jesus Christ is prevalent in the Scriptures. In the parable of the Evil Servant and the Faithful Servant, it is the evil servant that declares, “…My master is delaying his coming…” (Matthew 24:48). And his attitude reflects one who is no longer waiting for his masters imminent return as he begins to eat, and to drink, and to beat his fellow servants.

Jesus Himself warned us to be ready for His return, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” (Matthew 24:44).


Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Rapture will coincide with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the catching up of the Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:3-7, “’And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” Those who teach this view spiritualize this passage, teaching that the Two Witnesses are symbolic of a larger body of witnesses representing the dead and the living (the Church) at the Rapture. They also teach that the great voice of Revelation 11:12, “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them,” is that of I Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The Two Witnesses are treated as symbolic representatives of the Church and not as individuals and that is where they are making their mistake. As the Two Olive Trees, they relate to Israel and not to the Church, Revelation 11:4, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth” (Zechariah 4, The Vision of the Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees).

The voice of I Thessalonians 4 calls both the dead and the living in Christ; yet the Two Witnesses that supposedly represent the Church are killed. If you are going to spiritualize this passage then you must go all the way to state that the entire Church will be dead at the time of the Rapture. However, Paul explicitly declares that at the Rapture the dead in Christ will rise first, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thessalonians 4:17). Clearly Paul taught that at the Rapture there would be living believers caught up to heaven.