Will The Church
Go Through The
Tribulation?
By Grant Phillips
The Church
will not go through
the Tribulation.
There is a distinct
difference between
the Rapture and the
Second Coming. Some
may disagree with
me, and that is
perfectly okay.
Whether you and I,
do or do not agree
about the
Rapture, it will
have no effect on
our salvation in
Jesus Christ.
However, for those
who disagree, I
strongly believe
that rather than my
being sorely
disappointed, you
will be pleasantly
surprised.
There are many
differences in these
two events as shown
here:
·
Rapture: Jesus comes
FOR His Church.
·
2nd
Coming: Jesus comes
back WITH His
Church.
·
Rapture: Jesus waits
in the air for His
Church.
·
2nd
Coming: Jesus comes
to the earth.
·
Rapture: Church
removed and
unbelievers left
behind.
·
2nd
Coming: Unbelievers
removed but
Tribulation saints
left behind.
·
Rapture: He comes to
present His bride to
the Father.
·
2nd
Coming: He comes to
judge and set up His
kingdom.
·
Rapture: The
marriage of the Lamb
in Heaven follows
the Rapture.
·
2nd
Coming: The marriage
is followed by war
on earth.
·
Rapture: It happens
in the twinkling of
an eye.
·
2nd
Coming: Will be a
steady view of His
return.
·
Rapture: Only the
Church will see Him.
·
2nd
Coming: Every eye
will see Him.
·
Rapture: Jesus
descends with a
shout.
·
2nd
Coming: No shout is
mentioned.
·
Rapture: A
resurrection takes
place.
·
2nd
Coming: No
resurrection is
mentioned.
·
Rapture: It can
happen at any time.
·
2nd
Coming: Can only
happen at the end of
the Tribulation.
·
Rapture: Angels are
not sent. Jesus
comes Himself.
·
2nd
Coming: Angels are
sent to gather
people for judgment.
·
Rapture: Earthly
bodies are changed
to Heavenly bodies.
·
2nd
Coming: The Church
returns with
Heavenly bodies.
·
Rapture: Jesus does
not return on a
white horse.
·
2nd
Coming: Jesus does
return on a white
horse.
·
Rapture: Jesus’
return is for His
Church (His bride).
·
2nd
Coming: Jesus
returns for redeemed
Israel and
Tribulation saints.
·
Rapture: It is a
message of hope and
comfort.
·
2nd
Coming: It is a
message of judgment.
I’m sure this is not
an exhaustive
listing, but with it
we can see that the
Rapture and the
Second Coming are
not one and the
same.
The seven year
period of
Tribulation on earth
will be a time of
God’s wrath on earth
like never before.
He will judge the
nations and through
this self-same
judgment bring
Israel back in faith
believing. “For
the great day of his
wrath is come; and
who shall be able to
stand?”
(Revelation 6:17)
But concerning His
bride, the Church,
He says, “And
to wait for his Son
from heaven, whom he
raised from the
dead, even Jesus,
which delivered us
from the wrath to
come.” (1
Thessalonians 1:10)
He promised again in
Revelation 3:10, “Because
thou hast kept the
word of my patience,
I also will keep
thee from the hour
of temptation, which
shall come upon all
the world, to try
them that dwell upon
the earth.”
(Revelation 3:10)
Also, some see
Revelation chapter
four verse one as a
clear reference to
the Church being
raptured. On the
other hand, some do
not, even though
they believe in the
Rapture. Personally,
it is very clear to
me that this passage
is most definitely
referring to the
Church being taken
up to Heaven via the
Rapture. This verse
is shown below in
four reliable
English
translations.
“After
this I looked, and,
behold, a door was
opened in heaven:
and the first voice
which I heard was as
it were of a trumpet
talking with me;
which said, Come up
hither, and I will
shew thee things
which must be
hereafter.”
(KJV)
“After
these things I
looked, and behold,
a door standing open
in heaven. And the
first voice which I
heard was like a
trumpet speaking
with me, saying,
"Come up here, and I
will show you things
which must take
place
after this."
(NKJV)
“After
this I looked, and
behold, a door
standing open in
heaven! And the
first voice, which I
had heard speaking
to me like a
trumpet, said, "Come
up here, and I will
show you what must
take place
after this."
(ESV)
“After
these things I
looked, and behold,
a door
standing
open in heaven, and
the first voice
which I had heard,
like
the sound
of a trumpet
speaking with me,
said, "Come up here,
and I will show you
what must take place
after these
things." (NASB)
Note that in every
instance verse one
begins with the word
“after” and ends the
same. In chapter one
of Revelation we see
Jesus revealed
(revelation) in His
glory. In chapters
two and three Jesus
is speaking to the
church. He then
transfers the
Apostle John to
Heaven in chapter
four verse one to
continue the
prophecy. In chapter
one, we see the
eternal “I Am.” In
chapters two and
three, we see the
present day and age
of the church
period. Then
beginning at chapter
four, verse one He
immediately takes us
past the church age
to the future.
If I go to see a
play and there are
three acts to the
play, I will see one
act after the other,
not all three at
once. Neither do
they overlap in any
way. If I attend a
concert, I will
listen to one song
after the other, not
all at one time.
Neither do they
overlap in any way.
Neither do the
church age and the
Tribulation period
co-exist or overlap
in any way. One
follows the other.
As in a play, Act 1
comes BEFORE Act 2.
Act 2 comes AFTER
Act 1 and BEFORE Act
3. Act 3 comes AFTER
Act 2. The Apostle
John is shown the
church age, and then
he is raptured up to
Heaven to see what
follows the end of
the church age. To
me, you just can’t
get any clearer than
that. After means
after.
Some say that the
word “Rapture” is
not in the Bible.
That is true, and
neither are the
words “Bible” or
“Trinity” found in
the Bible, but they
are just as true as
the Rapture.
The word “Rapture”
is derived from the
Latin translation of
“caught up” in
1 Thessalonians
4:17, “Then
we which are alive
and remain shall be
caught up
together with them
in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we
ever be with the
Lord.” The Latin
translation uses the
word “rapturo,” and
this is where the
word “rapture” is
derived. The Greek
word is “harpazo,”
and it means:
1.
To seize, carry off
by force
2.
To seize on, claim
for one’s self
eagerly
3.
To snatch out or
away
A few other verses
where “harpazo” is
used are:
Acts 8:39, “And
when they were come
up out of the water,
the Spirit of the
Lord
caught away
Philip, that the
eunuch saw him no
more: and he went on
his way rejoicing.”
Acts 23:10, “And
when there arose a
great dissension,
the chief captain,
fearing lest Paul
should have been
pulled in pieces of
them, commanded the
soldiers to go down,
and to take him
by force from
among them, and to
bring him into the
castle.”
2 Corinthians
12:2-4, “I
knew a man in Christ
above fourteen years
ago, (whether in the
body, I cannot tell;
or whether out of
the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;)
such an one
caught up to the
third heaven.”
So there is no doubt
that Jesus will come
in the clouds and
eagerly claim His
bride the Church for
Himself, by seizing
her and snatching
her away by force to
Heaven at the end of
the church age. The
next act will be the
Tribulation,
AFTER the
Rapture.
The Tribulation
period is a time of
intense judgment by
God. What groom
would beat the
living daylights out
of his bride and
then say, “Okay, now
let’s go get
married.” It ain’t
going to happen.
Some say that the
Church has suffered
persecution down
through the years,
so why would she not
suffer during the
Tribulation? The
reason is quite
simple.
“Persecution” has
come from evil men
who carry out the
deeds of their
father, the Devil.
Judgment comes from
God. The
Tribulation, as I
have already stated,
is not persecution.
It is judgment. God
is not going to
judge those who He
has already promised
will be protected
from His wrath to
come. (See verses
above.) Conclusion;
the Church will not
go through any part
whatsoever of the
Tribulation. She
will be raptured
(LT-rapturo),
snatched up
(GK-harpazo), BEFORE
the Tribulation, and
the Tribulation will
commence AFTER the
Rapture.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
My articles are
posted at
“Pre-Rapture
Commentary”
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
and many are also
posted at “Rapture
Ready”
http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
