Why I Still Believe in a Pretribulation Rapture

When will the rapture happen?

Christians have debated that question for generations. Some believe the church will go through the Tribulation. Others believe Christ will gather His church before it begins.

I believe the best reading of Scripture supports a pretribulation rapture—but not because there is one verse that simply says, “Jesus will rapture the church seven years before His second coming.” There isn't.

Instead, I believe the case comes from putting several passages together.

Paul writes:

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:9

That statement comes immediately after Paul's description of believers being caught up to meet Christ in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Earlier, Paul says believers are waiting for Jesus, who “delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Jesus gives another important promise in Revelation 3:10:

“I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world.”

The promise is not simply protection from judgment. Jesus speaks of being kept from the hour of worldwide testing.

There is also the expectation of Christ's return throughout the New Testament. Christians are repeatedly told to wait for Christ (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10). The emphasis is not on waiting for the Antichrist, the abomination of desolation, or the judgments of the Tribulation. Our expectation is Jesus Christ Himself.

Finally, Daniel's seventieth week specifically concerns Daniel's people and Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24–27), while Romans 11:25–26 teaches that God still has a future purpose for Israel. This fits naturally with the Tribulation being a period in which God's prophetic attention turns again in a particular way toward Israel before Christ establishes His kingdom.

Does any one of these passages prove the pretribulation rapture by itself?

I don't believe it does.

But taken together, I believe they form a strong biblical case: Christ will gather His church to Himself before the coming period of divine judgment, and then He will return in glory to establish His kingdom.

Our hope, however, isn't ultimately in getting every detail of the prophetic timeline right.

Our hope is a Person.

“And so we will always be with the Lord.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:17

Whether we're discussing pretrib, midtrib, or posttrib, that is the truth Christians should never lose sight of:

Jesus is coming again.

And His people should be ready.