The 'Rapture' Makes Zero Biblical Sense

The LORD promises to take His people through tribulations, not out of them.

‘Study to show yourself, one approved by God, (as) a workman that has nothing to be ashamed of, because you are rightly dividing the Word of truth’ - II Timothy 2:15.

I realize this post may upset some people.

My father, a proclaimer of the Gospel for over 60 years before his death, once told me:

‘Wade, the most significant opposition you’ll experience in ministry will come from preachers and teachers who think differently than you about what the Bible teaches. Though iron sharpens iron, pride is a dull knife that doesn’t allow any sharpening via debate.’

After 40 years of pastoring, I’ve experienced what my father told me. However…

If you’re a Christian who believes that God ‘raptures His people’ out of a great tribulation coming to this world, I’ll never hesitate to call you a brother or sister in Christ, but I will challenge you regarding your wrong beliefs from the Bible itself.

I’m like the boy who shouts the truth to awaken the people who’re too afraid to tell the truth.

The Bible Doesn’t’ Teach ‘The Rapture'

I’m going to ask you a hypothetical question. I invite you to take it seriously. Pretend I am a new follower of Jesus, and the world is facing some difficult times, and I ask you:

‘What encouragement can you give me during these difficult days?’

If you tell me, ‘Don’t worry! God will take you out of the coming difficult tribulation!’ and you are wrong, then you have done me a horrible disservice as brother in Christ.

You’ve lied to me.

I realize the lie isn’t intentional, but it’s harmful if the Bible doesn’t teach the Rapture.

You’re not helping me.

The LORD Is Sufficient

If you believe in a RAPTURE from a coming tribulation, I ask two simple questions:

1. Where do you prove this from the Bible?

2. Can you support your position with biblical evidence?

There’s NO Rapture Out of Tribulation in the Bible

As a Christian who is not afraid to study the Scripture, you must search the Scriptures for yourself.

There are thousands of Christian scholars of the Bible (prior to the 20th century) who can help you comprehend, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that God cares for His people THROUGH affliction and tribulation and not OUT of them.

There are only TWO Bible passages that seem to teach a RAPTURE out of affliction.

• I Thessalonians 4:13-18

• Daniel 9:24-27

I’ll now show you how the majority of Christians have traditionally interpreted these biblical passages, as well as my own perspective.

The Interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³ ‘Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.’

Read these great Christian scholars’ thoughts on this passage.