SEMESTER 6
193 – The Great Tribulation and the Rapture of the Saints
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: THEOLOGY VI LESSON # 93
ESCHATOLOGY – THE KINGDOM OF GOD – THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS
Read: I Thes. 4:13-18
INTRODUCTION:
1. Among all eschatological issues none is more controversial than the rapture.
2. That there shall be a Great Tribulation and a rapture is agreed to by most Christians (even some who deny the millennium).
3. The issue lies in the details of them and their relationship to Christ’s return.
i. Will the rapture be secret or obvious?
ii. Will it precede, divide or follow the tribulation?
iii. Will all saints be taken, or just the faithful?
4. Let it be said that the broad discussion is a good indication of the difficulty.
5. In this lesson we shall at least begin this discussion.
I. THEORIES OF THE RAPTURE AS IT RELATES TO THE TRIBULATION
1. The pre-tribulation theory (rapture before the tribulation).
2. The indefinite theory (sometime during last half). (pre-wrath)
3. The mid-tribulation theory (after the first half or 3 and one-half years).
4. The post-tribulation theory (that Christians are caught up to meet the Lord as He returns in a single phase).
5. The split-tribulationists attribute their position to Scriptures such as Revelation 3:3-4 combined with logic.
6. There are many variations even within and among these, and time has changed them.
7. The very existence of this variation among true Bible believers ought to make us careful and charitable.
III: This is very different from one disagreeing about the virgin birth.
II. A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THESE THEORIES
Certainly, time would not allow all the reasons for all of them being held.
1. The pre-tribulationist feels he sees prophecy of a glorious deliverance from this wrath, in types, in prophetic revelation and in direct Bible statement.
2. The indefinite (pre-wrath) theory is in keeping with the above, but holds a different time element, disagreeing with the Revelation 4:1 theory.
3. The mid-tribulationist theory is that the prophecy of the trumpets, compared with the last trump (I Cor. 15:52), and other tribulation events indicate a rapture just before the last three and one-half years.
4. The post-tribulationist feels that there are good biblical reasons to think the saints should and shall go through the tribulation period, and that interpretation to the contrary is spurious. Perhaps their position is more negative than positive.
III. UNWISE SPECULATION AROUND THE PRE-TRIBULATION THEORY
I hold this position and will attempt to establish it, but there are errors.
1. The unwise implication, that by virtue of faith and repentance, we deserve to escape this horror.
2. The escapist philosophies and statements which advocate poor economical conduct.
3. The careless and speculative applications of current events to tribulation events for the sake of sensationalism.
III: By the numbers on credit cards, or the membership in the world market, or new antichrist.
4. The constant, immediate and wild projections which have the “wolf, wolf” effect.
III: By “I have been in the millennium for 7 years.” (Hear on tape.)
4. The dogmatic placement of every issue of our day concerning Israel.
Conclusion: No Christian is hurt by being prepared to live into, or through the Great Tribulation, though I do not think they will.
What is your faith sufficient for?