{"id":20193,"date":"2026-07-18T06:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/?p=20193"},"modified":"2026-07-18T08:17:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:17:40","slug":"the-bible-never-says-the-rapture-is-pre-trib","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/the-bible-never-says-the-rapture-is-pre-trib\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bible Never Says the Rapture Is Pre-Trib\u2026\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Bible Never Says the Rapture Is Pre-Trib\u2026\u2026<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"By Steven J. Hogan<\/p>

~ A Saturday Morning Post #373 ~

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In 1970, Hal Lindsey came out with his best-seller,\u00a0The Late Great Planet Earth, a book that focused on the rapture of the church, that Jesus would soon return to take all Christians home to heaven. In February of 1972, I was born again<\/a><\/em>, I became a child of God<\/em><\/a>, and I immediately got involved with a church, one that was excitedly teaching about the rapture (1 Th. 4:17). The belief of Hal Lindsey and many evangelicals, including my church, was the pre-tribulation view, that the rapture would occur at the start of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week, before tribulation and great tribulation.

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Over 20 years later, in the early 1990\u2019s, I learned that the pre-trib view is error. The truth is the pre-wrath position, that Christians are on earth during the rule of the Antichrist and go through great tribulation, but are rescued before the day-of-the-Lord\u2019s wrath during the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0half of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week. At that time, my convictions did not come so much from books, but by extensive study of the Book, of God\u2019s word. By God\u2019s grace, my love, study, and discovery of prophetic truth has continued for over 30 years.\u00a0\u201cBe diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.\u201d<\/em>\u00a02 Tim. 2:15

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Now that I am retired from my work as a pastor, my focus is studying and writing on the end-times, Christ\u2019s coming, and the kingdom ages. I am convinced of the nearness of Christ\u2019s coming, and the need to have an accurate understanding of the future God has planned for us. But most Christians do not know what God clearly tells us in His word. And He does not want us to be in error, but to have a good grasp of prophetic truth, and to be awake and alert to how it is now being fulfilled in the world around us.\u00a0\u201cDo this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep, for salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Rom. 13:11-12

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The main theme in my recent posts is that the rapture is not pre-trib, that it does not occur before tribulation and great tribulation, but is pre-wrath, is before God\u2019s wrath is poured out on this earth. What I have heard over the years is pre-trib believers say things that are not true, that are not based on God\u2019s word. My purpose today is to point out these errors, and then state the truth. 1 Tim. 4:6

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* The Bible never says the rapture is pre-trib,<\/strong>\u00a0before tribulation or great tribulation,\u00a0but that it is pre-wrath, that it is before God\u2019s wrath is poured out on the earth. Matt. 24:9-31; Rev. 7:9-14, Rev. 8-9
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0a believer does not go through tribulation and great tribulation,\u00a0but that these are normal experiences during his life on earth. Ps. 34:19, Jn. 16:33, Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:35, 2 Cor. 4:17
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0tribulation or great tribulation is God\u2019s wrath and that believers escape it,\u00a0but that it is Satan\u2019s wrath and they experience it. Matt. 24:9-14, 21-22; 2 Th. 1:4-7; Rev. 12:10-12

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0Christians are not on earth when the Antichrist is here,\u00a0but that they are here, and that they will be greatly persecuted by this devilish man. Matt. 24:9-22; 2 Th. 2:1-5; Rev. 12:12, 17; Rev. 13:7
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the rapture is separate from the coming of Christ, that it does not happen at this time,\u00a0but that it occurs at His coming. Matt. 24:29-31, 1 Th. 4.15, 17; 2 Th. 2:1
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0tribulation and great tribulation happen during the entire 7 years of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week,\u00a0but that they occur during the 1st<\/sup>\u00a0half and part of the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0half of that week. Then this age comes to an end and Christians are raptured. Matt. 24:9-31; 2 Th. 1:4-9; Rev. 6:9-11, 7:9-14

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0Christians do not undergo end-times\u2019 birth pains, the seals,\u00a0but that they are on earth when they occur, and that some go through them. Matt. 24:3-14, Rev. 6:1-11
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0that birth pains, the seals, are the day-of-the-Lord\u2019s wrath,\u00a0but that the trumpet and bowl judgments are His wrath. Rev. 6:1-11, Rev. 6:12-17, Rev. 8-9, Rev. 16
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the seals, trumpets, and bowls all happen at the same time,\u00a0but that they are chronological, they happen one after the other. Seals \u2013 Rev. 6-8:1, trumpets \u2013 Rev. 8-9, bowls \u2013 Rev. 16

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0believers are raptured at the start of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week,\u00a0but that they are raptured sometime during the last 3\u00bd years of this 7-year week. Matt. 24:9-31, 2 Th. 2:4-9, Rev. 6:9 \u2013 Rev. 7:14
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0Christians are raptured before birth pains, great tribulation, and Christ\u2019s coming,\u00a0but that they are raptured after birth pains, after great tribulation, and at His coming. Matt. 24:6, 13, 31, 37-41; 2 Th. 1:4-10, 2:1-4; Rev. 6:9-17, 7:14
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the rapture happens at the time referred to in Rev. 4:1-2, that Christians\u00a0\u201ccome up here\u201d<\/em>,\u00a0but it is John\u00a0\u201cin the Spirit\u201d<\/em>\u00a0who comes up to heaven. Matt. 24:29-31, Rev. 7:9-14

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the rapture occurs before the events of Matt 24:4-31, and that Christ\u2019s coming is separate from the rapture and is only for believers who are saved during Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week.\u00a0But rather, the believers who are saved before Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week along with those who are saved during this week and who are still alive at His coming, will be raptured during the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0half of this week. Matt. 24:3, 13, 14, 27, 29-31, 40, 41
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0144,000 Jewish believers are preaching the gospel during the 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week of Daniel,\u00a0but that Christians are preaching the gospel to the nations until the end, until the rapture. Matt. 24:13-14, 28:19-20; Rev. 7:4-8, 14:6
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0there is a secret rapture, one in which Christ is not visible when He comes to earth,\u00a0but that His coming is seen by the entire world, and that saints are on earth and suddenly are gone. Matt 24:27, 30-31, 40-41; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 1:7

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0we should focus on the\u00a0\u201crapture\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Latin\u00a0\u201craptus\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Greek\u201charpazo\u201d<\/em>, 1 Th. 4:17), when talking about Christ\u2019s return,\u00a0but on the\u00a0\u201ccoming of Christ.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Matt. 24:3, 27, 37; 1 Th. 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Th. 2:1, 8; Jms. 5:7, 8; 1 Jn. 2:28). Other key words are the\u00a0\u201cappearing\u201d<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0\u201crevealing\u201d<\/em>\u00a0of Christ, and the verbs\u00a0\u201ccome\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0\u201ccoming.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Matt. 24:30, Jn. 14:2, Heb. 10:37, Rev. 1:7-8
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the rapture is imminent, that no signs or prophesied events will occur before it happens,\u00a0but just the opposite is stated, that many signs and events must occur before the rapture. Matt. 24:4-30, Rev. 6:1-17, 2 Thess. 2:1-5
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the rapture is imminent, that it can take place at any time, even today, tomorrow, or this coming month. Yes, it is happening soon,\u00a0but only after certain prophesied events take place. For example, the rapture occurs after the revealing of the Antichrist, after Christians go through great tribulation, and after the sign of the end of the age and the sign of Christ\u2019s coming. Matt. 24:4-31, 2 Th. 2:1-9

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* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0we cannot know the general time, the season of Christ\u2019s return to rapture the church,\u00a0but rather that we can know the general time, and that specific prophesied events must take place before Christ\u2019s coming and the rapture. Matt. 24:32-34, 1 Th. 5:1-5, Heb. 10:25
* The Bible never says<\/strong>\u00a0the church is not found after Rev. 4, for Rev. 22:16 says, \u201cI Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to these things for the churches\u201d\u00a0<\/em>but that the church does exist after this time. Many verses in Rev. 6-14 are about believers, and is it not true that the church is made up of believers? Rev. 6:9-11, 7:9-17, Rev. 11:14, 12:10-11, 12:17, 13:7, 14:12-13

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We have looked at 2 different positions with regards to the rapture of the church: the pre-trib position, that the rapture occurs at the start of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week, before tribulation and great tribulation, and the pre-wrath position, that it occurs during the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0half of Dan. 70th<\/sup>\u00a0week, after great tribulation and before God\u2019s wrath. Now it is impossible for both of these positions to be true at the same time. One is right and the other is wrong.

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On 20 different points, I have presented the Biblical evidence, and God\u2019s word overwhelmingly supports the pre-wrath position. But the pre-trib view is not based on God\u2019s word, but on opinion, conjecture, and supposition. Those holding to this view are trying to force round pegs into square holes, and they just don\u2019t fit. If you believe in the pre-trib view, I would encourage you to go over the verses I listed above, and read my recent, more detailed posts on this subject: 365, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372.

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What a great time to be alive! Jesus is returning soon to rapture the church, glorify believers, and gather them to Himself. Might God continue to instruct and encourage you with His prophetic word \u2013 then you will be prepared for Christ\u2019s coming, and be excited about His coming, and be living and suffering for Him, and be able to share these truths with others.\u00a0

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\u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(2 Tim. 3:26-27).\u201cFor yet in
a very little while, He who is coming, will come, and will not delay\u201d<\/em>\u00a0
(Heb. 11:37).\u00a0\u201cAmen. Come Lord Jesus.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Rev. 22:20

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P.S. One reason I am writing this post is because I do not want end-times’ believers to be surprised when they find out that the Antichrist is here and ruling the earth and persecuting Christians. What I have written is sound doctrine, and Christians, pastors, and our children and grandchildren must know these things! Here are two other articles that relate to this: “Why Study the Subject of Prophecy?” <\/em><\/a>and “Matthew 24 – the Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible”. <\/em><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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