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THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH (1)

April 19, 2026

The doctrine of the pretribulation rapture of the church traces its Biblical roots to the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. He writes: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and
remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The two verses do not completely explain the event, but this is not uncommon as it relates to any Biblical doctrine. And, while the term rapture does not appear in the Scriptures, this, too, is not uncommon as it relates to other Biblical concepts. And, while the claim is made that the doctrine can only be traced to John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), its headwaters can be seen in both Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome in the early third century CE.

The Greek verb harpazo stands behind the English translation caught up, a verb that expresses the concept of a forceful and decisive removal. A few of the verb’s other New Testament uses can be seen in John 10:28-29; Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; and Revelation 12:5. In each of these cases, the one caught up is passive: he or she is the recipient of someone else’s actions. In the case of Jesus’ words of assurance, the verb is used in a negative sense, that is, “no one will snatch them [us, Christ’s flock!] out of My hand” or “out of the Father’s hand,” either (John 10:28-29). The argument for a sudden rapture can be made on both lexical and contextual grounds.

The primary question, and objection, concerning the rapture is its timing. The dispensational model places the event prior to or at the conclusion of the tribulation period. Whether there is a period of time known as the tribulation is debated: is it a unit of seven years (uppercase “T”) or is all of human history characterized by tribulation (lowercase “t”)? Pre- and posttribulationists argue for the former; Reformed theology argues for the latter. Pre- and posttribulationists are divided over the matter of the rapture’s timing; they are pre- and post- in relation to the tribulation. This writer maintains the best answer is to be found in the pretribulation position.

The rationale for the rapture is Christ’s safekeeping of his church. A further theme found in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is that of a time when God’s wrath will be directed toward the earth, a theme reflected by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Notice, for example, the cry raised at that time: “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand” (Revelation 6:16-17)? Now it is possible that the wrath that Paul refers to is purely eschatological, pointing to the final judgment. John, however, locates the focus of God’s wrath as the earth prior to the final judgment. Both Jesus’ wrath and the Father’s wrath are directed toward earth dwellers, the very circumstance that Paul teaches we will be rescued from (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The outlook for believers is far more hopeful as a result of God’s saving work across history. The rapture is the event by which the church will be protected from the beginning of divine judgment.