The Rapture and Tribulation. Which will come first?

The Rapture is surrounded by controversy but in these End Times it is a topic that draws increasing amounts of interest. It cannot be denied that we all know we are in the season as in "The End Times", but we do not know the day or the hour that the Second Coming will take place. The time of the end is drawing near and among those signs of the times would include the rebirth of Israel, which took place in 1948, we are seeing the recent alignment of countries against Israel, we are seeing the escalation of apostasy in the church, there’s a move toward globalism and global socialism, a continued move toward a cashless society and increasing signs of temporary martial law being labelled as "States of Emergency". The worlds moral compass is going haywire and there is confirmation in the natural world and in the Cosmos with Biblical signs that undeniably are saying......... the time is near.

This article is written with the True Believer in mind and not really for the Non Believer, but it makes an interesting read for the Non Believer regardless, but again has to be approached with an open mind. I´m not date fixing, making prophetic predictions or any such things in this article, just really trying to cut through the fog and confusion surrounding this topic and hopefully answer a few questions to make things clearer in these troubling times. There is nothing worse than waiting for something to happen and well......it doesn´t happen.

End of the World - When is Rapture



We are in trying and also deceptive times, if you are a Christian, I mean the real deal. Recently you are probably experiencing things you may not have experienced before. Visions, strange dreams, strange goings on and a general feeling and unease that seems to be increasing on a daily basis. You may be also be experiencing a form of persecution in some shape or form, it could be harassment or victimisation or something similar or general hostility. As the days get darker your light shines that more brightly and will attract unwanted attention, you will find out who your true friends are in these times . I have experienced all of these things increasingly over the past few months, but minus the visions, you may have experienced all.

We as many are aware are in the Jewish Shemitah Year of Jubilee and are approaching the "Feast of Trumpets", these are prophetic and historic times. September and October 2016 look particularly prominent and ominous and everybody is watching closely. You may be hearing stories of people having visions about the Rapture is coming in September, The Rapture is delayed 3 years, The Rapture isn´t coming at all, The Rapture will not be Pre Trib, the Rapture this and the Rapture that and the Rapture the other. Personally I have had no visions regarding the Rapture at all, but feel an increasing uneasiness. A tap on the shoulder from the Lord has prompted this article being brought into existence. This article will dive deeply into this topic. The Rapture is a vitally important one in the Christian faith and ties up very closely with the Great Tribulation which we will just skim in this article. The Tribulation is a massive whole stand alone topic in it´s own right, although intrinsically linked, the Tribulation is too vast to cover here.

A few words from the owner of this website on The Rapture



To understand what the Rapture and the Tribulation are we have to define them.

The Rapture Definition
The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air.

The Tribulation Definition
A period that many theologians say will be a difficult and chaotic period characterised by natural disaster, war, famine, disease, extreme weather and other climate chaos and unprecedented events in the Cosmos with persecution and great suffering after/before the second coming of Jesus Christ. The period of the ACTUAL Tribulation is confirmed 7 times in the Bible and is 3.5 years

Bible Quotes
3 1/2 Times - Rev 12:14, Dan 7:25, Dan 12:7
1260 days - Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6
42 Months - Rev 11:2, Rev 13:5

A word of Warning
First off I´m going to say this, and it´s not something people want to hear. Don´t get too reliant on this Rapture. I mean don´t think it´s not going to happen, but don´t be so reliant on this thing that it has the potential to destroy your faith, if it doesn´t happen at the time you are hoping it´s going to happen, or even if it happens at all. My attitude is when it comes.... it comes, if it doesn´t come it doesn´t come, just always be ready IF it does. Also my attitude is be prepared to go through this coming Tribulation, the same as everybody else but just remember, if you are truly a servant of God.........he will be by your side. The old adage "Put your trust in the Lord" and "The Lord will provide" are very relevant here. With that attitude if the Rapture doesn´t turn up on a certain date mentioned by somebody with a big following on Twitter or You Tube or a website or anywhere else, you have your options covered. If you are receiving dreams and visions yourself and you know otherwise fine, but I´m just warning you, if you are getting your info from the web, there are a lot of fakers out there, ( yes I watch this stuff as well)which just like the big name False Preachers or the False Prophets will lead you to a place but it will not be a Christian one. A little tip with such people, if you are getting confused, the jigsaw pieces just don´t seem to fit and things do not line up with scripture....evacuate! Don´t take my words and choice of videos as Gospel truth either, if something isn´t right, let me know or again.........beat a hasty retreat.

Popular Rapture Films
Films are cashing in on this Rapture with the most recent being “The Remaining,” released Sep 2014, and “Left Behind,” which was released just afterwards in October 2014. just remember who are they are made by!



Current Events
The current events taking place around the globe are paving the way for an event to take place. The emergence of a New World Order (see 2030 Agenda) is now under way and is building in intensity and urgency and the extreme weather, natural disasters and the appearance of cracks in our modern day society and the early stages of martial law starting to appear are warnings signs and milder versions of what is to come. This is ushering in a new period where the world is rapidly heading towards a state of Great Tribulation and the acceleration of global events are the early warning signs of something much worse around the corner and signals the coming of the Anti Christ. You could say what we are witnessing are the birth pangs

Why is there so much debate about the Rapture in Christian Circles.
As you can imagine, IF the Rapture is coming, the time it comes in relation to the Tribulation, has a huge bearing on how much time a Christian will be spending suffering during that Tribulation period. The Tribulation is not something any mortal would want to experience, so obviously the shorter the better, if at all. If the Rapture comes before or just at the beginning, then a Christian will be effectively air lifted out and spared having to experience the extreme adversity, suffering and misery that such an event would throw at them. If the Rapture comes at the end of the Tribulation, then Christians would be experiencing exactly the same as people of other faiths and non believers during those times. Obviously not a desirable situation. So the time of the arrival of the Rapture is one that is fiercely debated but in reality no one really knows when the rapture is coming or even whether it is coming at all, but the scripture according to each Pre, Mid and Post have their fans. The Pre Argument seems to be the strongest and obviously the most favourable but read on for convincing arguments otherwise.

Rapture Might be Like This!



What is the purpose of the Tribulation?
As demonstrated many times in the Bible including Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah and The Great Flood in the times of Noah, there have been destructive periods in the Bible where the world has seen God´s wrath, but these events have always happened for a reason. Babylon was punishment for Arrogance, Sodom and Gomorrah was punishment for Pride and the Sin of Homosexuality and The Great Flood in the times of Noah was in effect a system reboot of the planet to eradicate mankind who had become totally corrupted and start again afresh. Tribulation has appeared many times throughout the Bible on a personal basis and The Book of Job is a good introduction into this and a recommended read.

In this modern age, we have reached a time where mankind has become corrupted again and the Tribulation this time is designed not as a reboot for the world to start from scratch, but to separate the wheat from the chaff, to separate true believers from the rest and prove as a reminder (just like Sodom and Gomorrah) that sin comes at a terrible price. Only those who are "Saved" are spared the misery of the Tribulation either by being Raptured before the event or being protected during the event and Raptured half way through or at the end.

Strangely enough the Word Rapture does not appear in the Bible but is clearly referenced in the following 4 Bible verses, one is clearly pre tribulation on it´s own, 3 are more leaning towards Mid or Post depending on how you view the last Trumpet

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 This is the infamous Pre Tribulation Rapture Bible Quote. Asleep means Dead. This Bible quote has NO TIME MENTIONED, does not mention whether the Rapture is Pre, Mid or Post Tribulation

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.

Matthew 24:29-31 TIME MENTIONED VERY CLEARLY After the tribulation

29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 TIME MENTIONED CLEARLY The last trumpet.

50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51. Behold, I shew 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.

Revelation 20:4-6 TIME MENTIONED CLEARLY After the Tribulation. Chapter 20 is aftermath after The Tribulation.

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.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

It´s part of the Christian Faith to face Tribulation
The Bible is packed with names that had to face severe adversity including Moses and the Exodus, Samson, John, Paul, David v Goliath, Noah and the infamous Job, and not forgetting God´s only begotten son.... Jesus. They were NOT airlifted out before their respective tribulations, they had a job to do and had to go through those Tribulations and guess what....God was by their side..always. If you are a True Christian you will know the good side is Joy, Peace and Humbleness, Wisdom and Understanding along with certain gifts, amongst other things, but with it comes pain, suffering and persecution. It has been like that throughout history. It goes with the Territory of being a Christian, think Jesus on the Cross. An airlift out via the Rapture before the Tribulation starts, I just don´t think fits in with the scheme of things or God´s plan, everybody is going to suffer through those times including Christians. I hope I´m wrong on this and as we delve deeper we will see what is revealed and that I am hopefully proven wrong.

When you get into what is called "The Rapture of the Church" to fulfil the Second Coming and the time of the Millenial, with the Church being a body of believers, you will realise there are three distinct camps on when the Rapture will take place with a fourth camp also adding another point of view. Christians either believe that the Rapture will happen Pre Tribulation, Mid Tribulation or Post Tribulation with the fourth believing there will be no Rapture at all......just Tribulation.

The key to all of this is the Bible Verse Daniel 9:25 ( a whole separate article) and the Seventy Weeks with the last week being assumed to be the last 7 years of the world. The beginning is marked as where the Anti Christ signs the Peace Treaty with Israel and the End is when the Anti Christ and The Beast experience their last days. The Bible states that the length of the Tribulation will be 3.5 years and begins when the Anti Christ reaches the peak of his power and becomes the leader of the One World Government. Hence why many believe within the 7 year period of the Anti Christ on this earth, the Rapture will happen when the Anti Christ becomes supreme World Leader which is at the exact mid point of this 7 year period and this is when the Tribulation will begin for 3.5 years. Those who have taken the Mark (Christian Believers or Non Believers) will be left and those who have not taken the Mark as in True Christian Believers will be Raptured, hence the Pre Tribulation view point if the whole 7 year period as Stated in the Book of Daniel is classed as part of the Tribulation.

Pre or Post Tribulation Rapture
So who is right? Will the Rapture (if it happens) be Pre Tribulation, Mid Tribulation or Post Tribulation. A look at some views from various Bible scholars and other general people from You Tube that come up with an intelligent and valid point for whether the Rapture is Pre, Mid or Post Trib with some backing up with the word where appropriate.

1. The Pre Tribulation Camp

Dr. David Reagan talks to Dr. Ron Rhodes about several Bible Prophecy events, including the Rapture of the Church. Video 2010




A Watchman Report - The Rapture Controversy Aug 5 2016




2. The Post Tribulation Camp


Beyond Today -- Is the Rapture Real? and Proof the Rapture is Post Tribulation?




SUMMARY
Most people will be aware that when things are going well in their lives they do not need God, but in times of trouble people start turning to God in those times of crisis. This period in the worlds history will be that time. There is a war going on that most people are unaware of between angels of light and darkness in the spiritual realm and a way is being paved for something sinister that eventually will run the world, but it is part of God´s plan before the Second Coming. It´s in the scripture. The Tribulation as mentioned in the Book of Revelation is not something that anybody would want to be around for and the Rapture is the perfect answer to get airlifted out before the Tribulation starts.

There are cases for both pre and post rapture scenarios but after reading this article you really have to form your own opinion. Many videos were watched to arrive at these final ones. Both Pre and Post rapture are equally convincing but you just have to decide for yourself which camp you are in. The possibility of no rapture has not been mentioned in this article because it is so clearly stated in scripture, but again it is something to mentally take on board. All the big names in the Bible went through some form of Tribulation in their lives and us here now will be no exception. These will be testing times and your faith will be tested to the extreme also. It has to be that way.

My personal view is, yes I do believe in the Rapture and yes we are very close to the start of The Tribulation. My attitude though is to be mentally prepared for "No Rapture" unless nearer the time you hear otherwise, that way your faith remains rock solid. If you are in daily prayer you will know when it´s time. BUT be Rapture ready and be ready for it to come at any time, make sure you are "Right with God" and that your "House is in Order". Remember though if it does not happen Pre Tribulation, if you are a True Believer and have faith you are equipped to go through the Tribulation and have a powerful ally that will "show you the way" and "will provide".

On a final note, there are is so much noise out there about Christianity especially End Times with people talking on TV, You Tube, on websites, just everywhere, do what I do and just turn it all off for a couple of hours and just listen to the Spirit and read The Word, pray and you will find your answers.


Bible Quotes:

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Revelation 16:15
Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.


Matthew 24:21-22
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.
22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

1 Samuel 26:24
And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:


Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Romans 5:3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 12:12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

1 Thessalonians 3:4
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.


Revelation 2:10
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.


Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.