Posttribulation Rapture

Definition

Posttribulationists assert that the Rapture will occur at the close of the Tribulation so that the Church will be on earth during the entire Tribulation. “The church of Christ will not be removed from the earth until the advent of Christ at the very end of the present age: the Rapture and the Appearing take place at the same crisis; hence Christians of that generation will be exposed to the final affliction under Antichrist.”

Biblical Supports

The third group of dispensational Premillennialists is those who believe on the post-tribulation rapture. The understanding of this belief is different from those who hold to pretribulation and midtribulation rapture. It is interesting to note that the posttriublation rapture also uses the same passage as pretribulation and midtribulation rapture to support their belief. Again they are different in their interpretation of the text. One of the most common used by the advocates of these three views is Revelation 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” The main emphasis for the posttribulationists is the clause “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” The word “from” in the sentence is the work ejk in Greek which is usually understand “from” or “out of.” However the posttribulationists argue that this word can means “through.” Thus when this word used in the sentence of Revelation 3: 10 the meaning is totally different, “I also will keep thee through the hour of temptation.” A careful study given to the entire book of Revelation shows that during the Great Tribulation there will be many believers killed and martyred because of their faith (Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4). This shows that the believers are not keep through the Great Tribulation.

Based on the above presupposition, the posttribulationists develop the understanding that the church will go through the seven years of Great Tribulation but the Lord will keep them through. They believe that the Rapture and the Second Coming (Revelation) are referring to the same single event. However the main problem with this view is that it does not differentiate between the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ together with His saints to usher the beginning of the millennium kingdom.

They fail to understand that though the word the Lord’s coming “parousia” characterise both the rapture and the second coming. The word itself does not give any description whether the rapture and the second coming will be one event or separate events. In other words the vocabulary which is being used does not prove either pretribulation or posttribulation. However to the posttribulationists, the rapture and the second coming of Christ are considered as one event. The separation of believers and the unbelievers only occurs for a short while; it is only when the believers are caught up to the air to meet Jesus and immediately come back together to this earth. The next event is followed by a judgment to separate the sheep (believers) from the goats (unbelievers). Thus the posttribulationists would find it hard to harmonise their belief to what the Lord Jesus said in John 14:1-3 in which Jesus promised that when He comes He would bring us, believers to His Father’s house in heaven.

If the rapture would occur at the end of the Great Tribulation, then it is correct to conclude that the rapture and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ would not be imminent. The reason is because the chronological order of events during the Great Tribulation as written in the Bible would be identified by those who live at that time. The promise of Jesus Christ that He would come as a thief in the night would not be fit to the teaching of the posttribulationists (Matthew 24:36-39, 42-44, 50; 25:13; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:40).

When the Bible lists all the various kinds of events during the Great Tribulation, it is hard to understand that the church will survive during that time (Revelation 4-19). The posttribulationists argue that the wrath of God upon the earth will be cut short “for the sake of the elect” (Matthew 24:22). But this verse does not show any proof concerning the entire church of the Lord Jesus Christ. What this verse says is concerning those new believers who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation but the Church has been already raptured to heaven.

Just like the midtribulationists, the posttribulationists also believe that the rapture will take place only if, firstly the apostasy of the church has taken place; secondly, the revelation of the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist comes; and thirdly the removal of the restraint against lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 3:8). This fact is often used to attack those who hold to pretribulation rapture view, but the pretribulatinists understand that the rapture does not begin at the Day of the Lord but rather rapture at the beginning of the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel. By that time the Antichrist will reveal himself and his true nature to those who are in this world, and they will follow him because at a sudden he can make peace in the region of Middle East. But the covenant treaty with Israel can only last for a short time for in the middle of the seven years of Great Tribulation he will break the treaty with Israel.