9 Reasons Why There Must Be a Pretribulational Rapture
The Blessed Hope Before the Wrath to Come
1. Promised Deliverance from Wrath
“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
The Tribulation is the day of God’s wrath (Revelation 6:17), yet believers are explicitly exempt.
2. The Church is Absent After Revelation 3
From Revelation 4 onward, the Church is not mentioned. Israel becomes the central focus again—just as Daniel’s 70th Week demands (Daniel 9:24-27).
3. The Doctrine of Imminency
Christ could return at any moment. No signs must precede the Rapture (Titus 2:13), unlike the Second Coming, which follows specific events.
4. The Restrainer Must Be Removed
Only when “he who now restrains” is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7) can the Antichrist be revealed. The Church, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is that restraining force.
5. Encouragement, Not Fear
“Encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). A post-tribulation rapture offers dread, not hope. The Pretrib view alone provides true comfort.
6. A Distinction Between Israel and the Church
God is not done with Israel (Romans 11:25-29). The Tribulation is “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), not the Church’s.
7. The Blessed Hope is Before the Day of the Lord
Paul teaches believers to look for Christ (Titus 2:13), not the Antichrist. If we had to go through the Tribulation, that would be reversed.
8. The Bema Seat Happens in Heaven
The judgment of believers’ works (2 Corinthians 5:10) must occur before the marriage supper (Revelation 19:7-8). That means the Church is already in heaven before Christ returns to earth.
9. Types and Patterns Show Pretrib Deliverance
Enoch was taken before the flood. Lot was removed before judgment fell. Rahab was spared before Jericho fell. The righteous are consistently delivered before wrath.
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“Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world…”
—Revelation 3:10