More on Rapture

Post-tribulation rapture is one position that is presented by some prominent scholars. When I first heard it, I was confused, at best. Maybe even concerned that we had misinterpreted the Scripture. The basis of it is a story about Roman conquerors coming home in triumph. Word was sent on ahead and when they arrived at the city, they camped a short distance outside the walls.

Once the word arrived, the citizens of the city rushed around and cleaned up the city. They also sprayed a deodorant on the piles of refuge to make the city smell more pleasant, or at least not so putrid. Then, when all was ready, the people went out  to meet the victorious soldiers, then everyone marched in triumph back into the city. This was the picture of Jesus' coming that Paul invoked. The interpretation is that when Jesus meets His people they go up to meet Him, then turn around and return to the earth as described in Revelation 19, the triumphal return and reign on the earth. (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10) Therefore, the rapture is after the tribulation.

Is this an accurate description of what will happen? I am having a very difficult time confirming this interpretation anywhere, particularly this story, despite the fact that I have heard it several times. Google any combination of words and you will probably come up as empty as I did.

But ignoring the story itself and its origin, let's examine the theology. A long search of "post-tribulation" topics reveals a large disparity in thought about the rapture and unfortunately a lot of it is spurious. Nearly everyone ignores Daniel, except for one who said Jesus was the "prince to come" in Daniel 9 and all of the 70 weeks were fulfilled in Him around AD 70. (This is ludicrous, but at the risk of having someone claim that it is dismissed because we could not refute it, a second rebuttal will follow. "Jesus the Prince in Daniel 9?")

Now back to the Roman story. Jesus said several times that we will not know when He is coming. The Romans sent a warning to alert the city. Analogy break down number one. Second the people, with the warning, cleaned up for the "visit." Jesus again said "Be ready...." Not "Get ready when I phone ahead." Analogy break down number two.

Killer, I believe: The "turnaround and go back to heaven for Jesus" is a silly idea, they claim. Why would Jesus come part way then go back? How about a second analogy, one that applies what Jesus said in John 14?
     2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
This is not a contrived story. It was actually what happened in Israel during their time. The bridegroom literally went to "his father's house" to make a place for the his new bride and himself. Then he returned to.... Well, let the story tell you itself. Don't want to spill the beans.
     3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (Emphasis added.)

Notice that the bride is not going out to meet the groom and take him back to her house. She is going to HIS house. When the bridegroom called, the waiting bride jumped up and headed out the door to meet him. Analogy killer number three. We are not going to a "nice smelling" refuse pile. We are going to our new home, prepared by the Groom.

Now go back to Revelation 19. Whoo boy! This is gettin' good.
    7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The marriage ceremony is imminent. (That means just about to happen.) And what follows the marriage? Cake and punch! Well, almost...
    9 Then he said to me, "Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'"

A post-trib rapture misses the best part. Who wants to miss the wedding supper? And look what follows the supper. Verse 10 "Then...." Isn't that a timing word? Or same as next? Verse 11
     And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
We know who this Guy is. We just spent seven years Him at the "supper." Aaannnndddd....
    14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

White linen? Look back at verse 7. That's us folks. This is the magnificent appearing and all that stuff. And we are with Him, coming back to finish off the (Daniel) "prince" who is also known as the Beast or anti-Christ. Glory Hallelujah!

Epilog: Many of the post arguments deal with Matthew 24:29-31.
    29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days" (yep, that's the Big T one. Ed.) "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Revelation 19  Ed.) 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

So, crows the post-trib. "After the tribulation." And he is right. But this is not the Rapture of the Church. Here are the inconsistencies: 1) Warning, again. Darkness, falling stars, Sign of Son on Man, all...will mourn. 2) They will see Him coming. Then, 3) He will send His angels to gather...

This is not the 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 rapture, but the preservation of the Tribulation saints who survived. Revelation 7:14 identifies them for us. This is the great multitude in Revelation 7.
    And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

But many of those who believe will be martyred by the anti-Christ. We read of them in Revelation 6:9
    When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

Our question becomes, "How will those who ‘survive' get into the ‘1000 years' of Christ's reign? (Revelation 20) Many were killed, but (20:4) "...they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." The angels in Matthew 24 were responsible for getting the surviving "elect" from the Tribulation to the Millennium. Some will be resurrected and the rest "gathered."

Notice one last thing. Who gathered these (Matthew 24) saints? Angels. The Rapture is Jesus Himself coming for His Church. He is not slighting the living Tribulation saints. He is preserving them while He takes out their enemies. (Revelation 19:21)

One final complaint: This is all so complicated and convoluted. Why? First, it is scattered throughout the Scripture but it correlates every single detail. Second it is worth the study to search it out. ("Search the Scriptures." Jesus John 5:39) And third, it was a progressive revelation to the prophets and apostles, so they could not have given us the Cliff Notes version. But each needed his piece for his time.

The Church was not evident in the Old Testament, so it would have been nonsense to everyone who read it if the story had been complete in Daniel and Ezekiel.  It is now complete.

What a blessing for us to be able to profit from these prophets.