Rapture Views

When discussing the end times and rapture timing, some Christians jokingly claim to be pan-millennialists. They chuckle as they say, “I believe it will all pan out in the end.” Others joke that their rapture beliefs are built on postmodern philosophy. They laughingly suggest that those who hold to a pre-tribulation rapture view will be caught up before the Tribulation begins, while mid-tribulation rapture proponents will go up during the Tribulation, and the poor post-tribulation rapture believers will have to wait to see Jesus after the Tribulation. The joke becomes, whatever they believe is what will happen to them.
This joking attitude reveals how little some Christians think about the rapture and how unimportant they consider its timing. Frankly, they think studying the rapture’s timing is an utter waste of time. They argue that attention is better spent elsewhere.
While rapture timing is not as important as core doctrines like the deity of Christ, it is still an important issue because various views of the rapture’s timing will change how Christians live out their faith and how the church ministers to the world.
This ministry holds a pre-tribulation rapture view, not merely to maintain a certain theological perspective or to please a certain group of people, but based on the consistent and accurate understanding of Scripture.
Consider four ways rapture timing will change a Christian’s life.
Changes Practical Priorities
Those who hold to a mid- or post-tribulation rapture view teach that Christians will go through part or all of the Tribulation before the rapture occurs.
If this is correct, Christians ought to focus on gathering supplies such as food, medical supplies, tools, batteries, toiletries, fuel, paper products and weapons. Churches that teach this doctrine should build bunkers and offer protection for people’s safety as the unstoppable Tribulation storm nears.
By the end of the Tribulation, billions of people will die. Yes, billions. It is estimated that it will be at least 20 times the death toll of World War II. That is a conservative estimate. The number could be more than 50 times higher than the estimated 70-85 million people who died during World War II.
Shouldn’t churches focus on survival if that kind of destruction is coming upon Earth, and the church will be here through it? Based on research, it is hard to find any effort underway by mid- or post-tribulation proponents to prepare for the Tribulation.
Certainly, it is wise to be prepared for the unknown. Natural disasters, pandemics and terrorist attacks can occur with no warning. There is wisdom in being prepared for hazardous scenarios. But there is a massive difference in being ready for an extended power outage versus being prepared for years-long devastation like the world has not seen since Noah’s flood.
Doesn’t it seem unwise for mid- and post-tribulation proponents not to prepare for the Tribulation right now? Why are they not developing massive efforts to protect their people in light of the signs of the times?
Since the pre-tribulation proponents believe the church will be raptured before the Tribulation begins, they are not focused on surviving it. Instead, they are focused on getting the Gospel to the ends of the Earth before the rapture. To be fair, mid- and post-tribulation proponents also care deeply about souls and spreading the Gospel. However, these views necessitate a shift in practical priorities as the end times approach.
Changes Mission Motivation
If the church enters the Tribulation, its mission will shift to survival. This will cause the church to develop an inward focus. The church’s central mission will be keeping its church family safe during the Tribulation storm.
Imagine the scenario. The Tribulation is escalating as God’s judgments impact Earth in the form of war, famine, hunger and disease (Rev. 6). Two new families show up at the church property where believers have gathered with their families and belongings. They need shelter, medical attention, food, clean water and protection. They ask the church leaders if they can move in with them. What are the chances the church will welcome these strangers? What will the attitude be when supplies start running low and more families show up? Survival will cause the church to insulate itself from the world during the Tribulation.
This would be further compounded when the Antichrist rolls out his mark of the beast system, fueled by demonic worship, as Revelation 13 describes. This evil empire would force the church out of society and into hiding. At this point in the Tribulation, could the mission shift even more? Instead of trying to keep strangers out, will the church have difficulty keeping its members in when they are cut off from the economy? Will some defect to the beast empire?
When the beast system emerges, the church must be a completely self-sustaining community with its own utilities, food, healthcare and protection. How many churches are ready for that kind of scenario today? Very few.
Should churches start preparing to survive the Tribulation? Pre-tribulation proponents would answer, “No.” The church’s mission is the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). This is a mission on the advance, not in retreat. It is a call to make disciples of all nations, not to isolate and insulate itself from the world. The pre-tribulation rapture view maintains this critical mission focus until the rapture occurs.
Changes Church Budgets
Mid- and post-tribulation church leaders should think differently than pre-tribulation church leaders about how they allocate church funds. This aspect is rarely discussed, but highly indicative of how people practice what they preach.
Jesus often used money as an illustration in His parables because what people value is reflected in how they handle their money.
Each church’s budget reflects its theology and beliefs. Shouldn’t a church budget change accordingly if it thinks it will go through the Tribulation? Shouldn’t they allocate resources to purchase supplies for the Tribulation before the shelves are bare and the banks are empty? Are they preparing a place for their members to be safe and secure? Will they need to move their church families to an alternate location? Are any mid- or post-tribulation church leaders discussing these topics?
At some point, mid- and post-tribulation church leaders will have to answer the tough question, “Are we polishing brass on a sinking ship?” Items unnecessary for survival will need to be cut, perhaps sooner rather than later.
For example, how much money should the church invest in music if that money could help people survive the coming Tribulation? When should the kids’ and youth ministry be cut? When should Christian camps close or repurpose their properties for the Tribulation? When should the money used for podcasts, videos, livestreams and worship services be used to establish Tribulation communication protocols and networks?
Many evangelical churches give a percentage of their budget to missions. But that will be a thing of the past during the Tribulation, especially under the mark of the beast economy. Pastoral staff will be needed during this crisis, but how will they be paid, especially if people cannot give? Are mid- and post-tribulation pastoral staff preparing for job loss? Are they preparing their congregations for a collapsed economy and global layoffs?
With a focus on survival, much of the church’s expenditures will radically transform. When the Antichrist transforms the economy, any money the church has saved will be useless, and church budgets will no longer be needed.
However, churches that proclaim the pre-tribulation rapture must keep investing in eternity by advancing the Gospel in their local communities and worldwide. The church must seize this moment and get God’s Word out as far as possible right here, right now. The church does not need to fear the future. Rather, it marches forward by faith until the rapture.
Notice how radically different this mindset is from the mid- and post-tribulation? This impacts the ministry of every local church.
Changes the Blessed Hope
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Do thoughts of surviving the Tribulation bring a sense of hope? If the mid- and post-tribulation views are correct, the church will shrink and shrivel through the Tribulation. It seems the church will reach its lowest point worldwide. Mass funerals will be a daily occurrence as church members die during the end-times terrors. Is that hopeful anticipation? Not in the slightest.
The Tribulation begins when the Antichrist confirms a peace treaty, a covenant, with many (Dan. 9:27). If the mid- or post-tribulation views are correct, the church would know it has to survive a few more years before the rapture occurs, depending on which rapture view is held.
However, verses like Titus 2:13 tell the church to be ready for its blessed hope, which is Jesus’ appearing (see also Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 5:6). It seems the mid- and post-tribulation views necessitate a readiness for the Tribulation, whereas the pre-tribulation view seeks rapture readiness. The mid- and post-tribulation proponents are looking for the Antichrist’s covenant, while the pre-tribulation proponents are listening for Jesus’ call.
Commenting on one of the key New Testament passages on Jesus’ deity, Colossians 1:15-20, Jonathan Brentner writes in Invitation to a Lavish Feast:
“Our belief that the Rapture can happen at any moment exalts Jesus as the object of our hope. More than that, it signifies to the world that He must be the One in charge of all that happens next. And that’s exactly what the book of Revelation tells us. For not only is He the Head of the Church, but He’s also the One who will ultimately judge the world, destroy the kingdom of the beast, return in great glory, and establish His thousand-year reign over the nations of the Earth. Isn’t that the heart of what it means for Jesus to be preeminent in all things? The descriptions of His grandeur and dazzling power all through the last book of the Bible stretch the imagination to its limit.”
The pre-tribulation rapture view makes Christ the central focus of the end times and elevates His preeminence over all. It seeks to glorify God above all. It creates authentic praise to God as the believers’ hearts swell with grateful anticipation for what comes next. It propels the church to reach the world with the urgent and important Gospel message.
The rapture’s timing truly makes a difference.