The pretribulational view of the rapture, also known as pretribulationism, is the belief that Christian believers will be raptured (taken up to meet Christ) before the tribulation period begins. This view holds that the rapture is imminent and could occur at any moment. Here are some of the key strengths and weaknesses of pretribulationism:
Strengths
- It claims to take a literal interpretation of Bible passages about the timing of the rapture, such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which speaks of believers being “caught up” to meet Christ.
- It allows for the rapture to be imminent, in that no prophesied events have to take place before it occurs. This fits with verses suggesting Christ could return at any time (Matthew 24:36).
- It keeps the rapture and the Second Coming as distinct events, rather than merging them into one event as some other views do.
- It simply makes sense to some that God would protect believers from experiencing his wrath poured out during the tribulation.
- Some believe it fits better with a dispensationalist view distinguishing God’s plan for Israel and for the church.
- Some claim it was the dominant view of the early church until Augustine’s amillennialism gained acceptance.
- It became popular among evangelical churches throughout the 20th century.
Weaknesses
- The word “rapture” itself does not occur in scripture, although it is based on the concept of being “caught up” from 1 Thessalonians 4.
- Passages about the return of Christ make no clear distinction between a separate rapture event and the Second Coming (Matthew 24:36-44).
- Pretribulationism relies heavily on inferences rather than explicit biblical statements.
- Believers are promised tribulation in this life, so it could be seen as unbiblical for them to be spared from the eschatological Tribulation (John 16:33; Romans 5:3).
- The early church does not appear to have taught the pretribulational view or distinguished the rapture from Christ’s Second Coming.
- The peaceful pretribulational rapture differs from Christ’s descriptions of his return being accompanied by catastrophes (Matthew 24:29-30).
- It could conflict with the clear hope of Christ’s imminent return by putting at least seven years between the rapture and the Second Coming.
History of the Pretribulational View
While some claim examples of pretribulational teaching in earlier centuries, most agree it coalesced in the 19th century:
- In 1830, a charismatic Bible study led by Margaret MacDonald proclaimed a pre-trib rapture vision, which influenced John Nelson Darby, popularizer of dispensationalism.
- The pretrib view was promoted by the Plymouth Brethren and spread to America through prophecy conferences and Scofield’s Reference Bible.
- By 1930, it was the predominant rapture view among conservative evangelicals and grew more popular through the 20th century and books like Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth.
- Many leading evangelicals still affirm pretribulationism today, though some have abandoned it in favor of alternate positions.
Pre-tribulational Rapture Passages
While the word “rapture” is not in Scripture, supporters argue several passages allude to a pretrib rapture:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – This mention of Christ descending from heaven, the dead in Christ rising first, and believers being “caught up” is taken as a key rapture text.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – Being exempt from God’s wrath is interpreted as deliverance from the tribulation.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – The mystery of the “last trumpet” and the sudden change of living believers hints at a rapture event.
- Revelation 3:10 – The promise to keep the church from the “hour of trial” is deemed as protection from the tribulation.
- John 14:1-4 – Jesus preparing a place for believers and returning to take them there fits pretribulationism.
Critiques of the Pretribulational View
Here are some key critiques made by those opposing pretribulationism:
- It relies too heavily on controversial inferences rather than clear biblical statements.
- No early church father distinguished the rapture from the Second Coming as pretribulationism does.
- Pretribulationism’s sudden, any-moment rapture conflicts with the signs and catastrophes Christ said accompany his return.
- Paul includes those “who are alive” along with the dead in Christ in the rapture (1 Thess 4:15-17), not indicating a separate earlier event.
- Scripture indicates true believers will experience persecution and tribulation, not escape it (Romans 5:3, Matthew 24:21-22).
- The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15 occurs after tribulation in the chronology of Revelation 11:15-18.
- Revelation 20:4-6 shows martyrs of the tribulation are resurrected later, not raptured before it.
Comparison with Other Views
The main alternative views regarding the timing of the rapture include:
- Midtribulationism – The rapture occurs halfway through the seven-year tribulation period.
- Posttribulationism – The rapture happens at the end of the tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’s Second Coming.
- Prewrath – The rapture occurs after the midpoint but before God’s wrath is poured out at the very end.
- Partial rapture – Only faithful believers are raptured before the tribulation; unfaithful Christians go through it.
While pretribulationists argue only their view maintains an imminent expectation for Christ’s coming, opponents cite other positions as more faithful interpretations of key Bible passages.
Timing of the Tribulation
Pretribulationism holds to a futurist view of Revelation and end times prophecy. This means it sees the tribulation as a future seven-year period preceding Christ’s Second Coming, rather than an ongoing or past event. Key aspects of this tribulation outlook include:
- The Antichrist will make a seven-year covenant with Israel, allowing them to rebuild the temple (Daniel 9:27).
- The second half of the tribulation will see unprecedented persecution as the Antichrist demands worship (Revelation 13).
- God’s judgments on the earth will include seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath (Revelation 6-18).
- At the end, Christ will return to defeat evil and establish his millennial kingdom (Revelation 19-20).
Pretribulationists say believers in the church age will be raptured before this seven-year tribulation begins. Critics argue this futurist perspective relies too heavily on a questionable chronology.
Key Figures and Proponents
Some important promoters of the pretribulational rapture view over the years have included:
- John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) – Systematized pretribulationism and promoted it through the Plymouth Brethren movement.
- C.I. Scofield (1843-1921) – Reference Bible spread pretribulationism in America.
- Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871-1952) – Founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, influenced many evangelical leaders.
- Charles Ryrie – Author of the Ryrie Study Bible and dispensational theologian.
- Hal Lindsey – His Late Great Planet Earth (1970) boosted pretribulationism’s popularity.
- Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins – Left Behind book series dramatized the pretrib view.
- John MacArthur and Charles Swindoll – Mega-church pastors continuing to promote pretribulationism today.
Implications for Believers
For adherents, the pretribulational view carries important implications:
- Comfort in expecting deliverance from end times wrath and persecution.
- A sense of urgency to share the Gospel before the rapture.
- Motivation for holy living in view of Christ’s imminent return.
- Challenges in explaining troubles experienced by modern believers.
- Risk of wrongly predicting dates for the rapture and tribulation.
- Debates with believers holding alternate rapture positions.
Overall, the pretrib view generates excitement but also debate among evangelicals. Understanding the key biblical arguments can help believers intelligently examine this prominent perspective.