Who said Rapture?  Did Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, John and Jude say that the church would be raptured out of the tribulation?  They did not! Not one person has even found a single scripture that says we will be Raptured before the Tribulation.  When scripture conflicts with tradition which should we believe?

Those who hold what is called the “Dispensational” interpretation of prophecy teaches that the second coming of Christ will be in two stages: first the rapture, His coming for the saints, and then later His coming with the saints.  The interval between these two events is generally regarded as seven years, (Daniel 9:27).  During this time, according to this view, the Anti-Christ will make a seven year covenant with the Jews in which he will allow them to offer sacrifices in the rebuild temple at Jerusalem.  But then after three and a half years, he will break his covenant and place an idol, (the abomination of desolation), in the holy of holies of the temple.  The Jews will refuse to bow, and a great persecution will result—the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Finally, at the close of the tribulation period, (the end of the age), Christ will return in power and great glory, and then He shall send His angels to gather together His elect.

There is a big difference between the Rapture and the Resurrection.  There are thousands of people who think that the Rapture idea – with driverless cars and crashing airplanes -is nothing but an emotional packed made up story with no Bible basis.  But all Christians agree that there will be a resurrection in the future.  The sensational display of the terror filled tribulation really has nothing to do with when the resurrection will take place.  We are convinced that the Bible teaches that the resurrection will take place at the end of the tribulation, not before it.

There will not be a Rapture before the tribulation; the resurrection will be at the end of Jacob’s trouble.  Let us reason together.  There is no scripture anywhere that proves that the Rapture is first.  The notes in Scofield’s Bible are the biggest offender and have done the most to project the error.  It has had an effect on the preaching of today by many denominations.

Noah was not Raptured out of the floodwater; he went through the waters.  God said;  “When thou passest through the water, they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest thru fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle thee,  (Isaiah 43:2).  Shadrach, Meshach and Abedengo saw the fourth man and went through the fire; they were not Raptured out.  Daniel was not Raptured out of the lion’s den; he went through it, (Daniel 6:16-21). God poured out His wrath in Egypt during the plagues but Israel did not suffer from them.  God had protected His people from the wrath in Egypt, He will also protect His people from the wrath at the end time.  God has established a pattern of providing supernatural protection for His people.  Jerusalem, there is no question about the brutality and complete overthrow of that city in 70 AD.  Why would He change His pattern for the great tribulation?  A mighty supernatural deliverance was wrought by God for protection of all His children in Egypt, (Exodus 12:41-42).

When I bring the sword against a land and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet, but does not take the warning and the sword comes and take his life, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken the warning he would have saved himself.