Lecture for Lecture for 26 June: 26 June:

Rapture of the Rapture of the ChurchChurch

The Rapture of the Church comes The Rapture of the Church comes from a Premillennial view of the from a Premillennial view of the

ParousiaParousia/Second Coming of /Second Coming of the Messiah/ King/ the Messiah/ King/ Lord Jesus Christ Lord Jesus Christ (vs. Postmillennial (vs. Postmillennial

or Amillennial) or Amillennial)

Rapture of the Church

Rapture is taken from Latin words meaning “rapid” & “we shall be caught up”, & is used to represent the concept of the resurrection/catching up of the Church (Body of Christ).

It is represented by the Greek word harpazo in 1 Thess 4:17, and allasso (to change the form or nature of a thing) in 1 Cor 15:51-2, at sometime during the Parousia (all the events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus)

But the question remains: When during the 7-year Tribulation Period (Daniel’s 70th week)—Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulation— does the Rapture take place?

PretribulationalismPretribulationalism = o End of the Church Age, o Immediately before the antichrist appears and the 7-year

Tribulation Period starts—o Separate and distinct from Second Coming o 2 separate purposes—see Hindson’s chart below

Pretribulationalism (continued)

Related scriptures that support a Pretribulational Rapture include:

o the foreshadowing of the Rapture in Ps 7:6-7, Joel 2:28-32, & Zeph 2:1-3;

o the raptures of Enoch (Gen 5:21-24), Elijah (2 Kgs 2:10-12), and Jesus Himself (Acts 1:9-11);

o Luke 21:36; John 14:2-3; Rom 8:22-24; 1 Cor 15:20-26; Phil 1:6; 3:20-21; 1 Thess 5; 2 Thess 1:7 – 2:17; Titus 2:11-13; Heb 9:28; Jas 5:7-8; 2 Pet 3; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 20-23; & Rev 4:1; 12:5

The following Early Church Fathers and Writings seem to support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture: oThe Shepherd of Hermas 4.1-2; oThe Didache 16.3-8, n.14, n.16, n.17; o Irenaeus’ Against Heresies 5.5.1; 29.1; 30.4; 31.2; 32.1; oVictorinus’ Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.14; 15.1; oClement of Rome’s First Epistle to the Corinthians 23, 24, 34, 35; oPolycarp’s The Epistle to the Philippians 2, 5, 6;oThe Epistle of Barnabas 4, 16, 21; oTertullian’s A Treatise on the Soul 50; oCyprian’s Treatises of Cyprian 7.21, 22, 23, 25; oChrysostom’s Homilies on Ephesians 3 & Homilies on 1st

Thessalonians 8/2nd Thessalonians John Nelson Darby’s Dispensationalism (ca. 1830) further refined

Pretribulationalism

Pretribulationalism (continued)

Midtribulationalism

Occurs halfway thru Tribulation (3 ½ years),

before Antichrist creates the Abomination of

Desolation in the 3rd Temple (Dan 9:27),

the Great Tribulation starts and the wrath of God

is poured out (Rev 11)—in conjunction with the 7th

seal of Revelation 8:1 and Matt 24-25

Posttribulationalism

In conjunction with:

o the Resurrection of the Just

o Judgment Seat of Christ

o Battle of Armageddon

o And the Second Coming

Matt 24; Mark 13; Luke 21 & Rev 11:15-18; 1 Cor 5; Luke 14:14

Therefore, the Rapture of 1 Thess 4-5 is just an amplification of

Jesus’ words in the Apocalyptic Discourse about the Second

Coming, and not a separate/distinct event

Posttribulationalism (continued)

The following Early Church Fathers/Writings

seem to support the Post-tribulation position:

o Hippolytus’ Treatise on Christ and Antichrist

60, 61, 64, 66;

o Cyril’s The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.19

Partial Rapture Theory

Only those “watching/waiting”(prepared) will be raptured

(10 virgins of Matt 25)

See Hindson’s Chart (Rapture vs. Return) following slide

Revisit Post-tribulational View in conjunction with Postmillennialism

After the Rapture of the Church: On earth:

o Antichrist is revealed o 7-Year Tribulation begins

While in heaveno The Church undergoes the Judgment Seat of Christ

(Rom 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:9-15; 2 Cor 5:10)o And the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:7-9)

Contrast between the Rapture and the Return Contrast between the Rapture and the Return

Rapture Return

1. Christ comes for His own (John 1. Christ comes with His own (1 Thess. 14:3. 1 Thess. 14:17; 2 Thess. 2:1) 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:14)

2. He comes in the air 2. He comes to the earth (Zech. 14:4; (1 Thess. 4:17) Acts 1:11)

3. He claims His bride 3. He comes with His bride (Rev. (1 Thess. 4:16-17) 19:6-14)

4. Removal of believers 4. Manifestation of Christ (1 Thess. 4:17) (Mal. 4:2)

5. Only His own see Him 5. Every eye shall see Him (1 Thess. 4:13-18) (Rev. 1:7)

6. Tribulation begins 6. Millennial kingdom begins (2 Thess. 1:6-9) (Rev. 20:1-7)

7. Saved are delivered from wrath 7. Unsaved experience the wrath of God (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9) (Rev. 6:12-17)

8. No signs precede the rapture 8. Signs precede the second coming (1 Thess. 5:1-3) (Luke 21:11, 15)

For next time:

Read Geisler, pp. 1213-1246,1282-1300; Study for devotion:

Luke 16:19-31; 23:42-46; 2 Cor 12:1-4; Rev 6:9-11

Bring Eschatological/Exegetical Paper to turn in at beginning of class