THE CASE FOR THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE POSITION FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION

by James Lush
Research Paper submitted to
Dr. Dave Barker,
London Baptist Seminary, February, 1991




INTRODUCTION

Statement of the Problem


As the panorama of God's Word sweeps to it's final conclusion we come to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, a stunning and powerful affirmation of the sovereignty of our mighty and glorious God as he unleashes his judgement and wrath upon a sinful world. The problem that confronts us is whether His beloved church will experience His wrath or whether God in His mercy will somehow supernaturally spare the church from the tribulation period. One of the major problems is the question of the rapture in relation to the book of Revelation. Can a pre-tribulation rapture position be defended entirely from the Book of Revelation?


Statement of the Purpose


It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate briefly those matters that pertain to this problem through textual analysis. There are those who state that if there is a pretribulational rapture of the church it ought to be stated clearly in the Book of Revelation. Although there is much support from the whole of scripture to prove the return of Christ for His church is prior to the tribulation period, it is the attempt of this paper to present scriptural evidence and argument soley from the Book of Revelation to prove that the rapture does indeed occur prior to the tribulation period, a time of woe and distriss in which God will execute His justice throughout the world.


TEXTUAL ANALYSIS


As stated earlier, there is much support throughout the Bible for a pretribulation rapture. There are several solid biblical arguments as found in the Book of Revelation which support the rapture of the church prior to the tribulation period.

Freedom from Divine Wrath


This promise is contained in Revelation 3:10. No verse can completely establish the relationship of the rapture to the tribulation, but this one comes close. Without doubt this is the most debated verse in the rapture argument. There can be no disagreement that the verse promises protection and freedom to the church. Both post-tribulationists and pre-tribulationists agree that this passage is related to the rapture. The question that divides the two sides is the nature of the protection. Post-tribulationiss have argued that the word from which is the translation of the greek preposition ek, means "out of the midst" instead of simply "from". Pentecost (1958: 216) states that when the verb is used with en it means "by guarding to cause one to escape in safey out of." Since the preposition ek is used here it would indicate that the apostle John is promising removal from the sphere of testing, not a preservation through it.

This is further substantiated by the use of the words, "the hour." The Lord will not only guard His church from the testings that are to come upon the earth but will keep them from the very hour itself, when His wrath will be poured out. It is clear that the verse clearly promises that they will be exempt from His wrath at a specific time. Jesus is talking about a well known period of distress and trouble. This was the tribulation period. The promise is a preservation outside of a literal time period. It is this combination of terms that has led pre-tribulationists to argue that the church cannot be in this period. Ryrie (1953: 101) makes this point, "It is impossible to conceive of being in the same location where something is happening and being exempt from the time of the happening."

Also the fact that the church is removed from this period is further supported by the two qualifying phrases, "which is about to come upon the whole earth" and "to test those that dwell upon the earth." The hour of this immense trial is definately universal and not some isolated event (cf. Rev. 2:10). Thus if the wrath of God is falling everywhere, it is extremely difficult to see how preservation could be any other means than through God's supernatural intervention and removal of His church, which we know as the rapture.



The Absence of the Church


While individual passages may be debated and their relative worth and merit weighed in determinging a pre-tribulational or post-tribulational position. The conclusions we draw from them may not always be clear. However there is one conclusion we can draw from scriptural passages from the Book of Revelation. The main problem with the Book of Revelation is that there is no mention of the rapture of the church from Revelation chapter 4 through chapter 18. One would think that a book presenting such impressive detail concerning the events leading up to the second coming of Christ would tell of such a glorious happening for His beloved church. When all is said and done and they have placed their evidence and argument on the scale of reasoning, there is really no way to explain the total absence of any mention of either the universal church or for that matter any local church in a detailed account such as this pertaining to the end times. One can not believe that the Holy Spirit who so omnisciently superintended the writing of his scripture would deliberately or perish the thought, accidentally omit any reference to the church and its glorious rapture.

Some have argued that the absence of any mention of the church in Revelation 4 through 18 is offset by the fact that it does not mention the church as actually being in heaven. This of course hangs on the question as to whether the twenty-four elders represent the church. The argument for this will be discussed later. For now though would it not seem logical that if the church is to be mentioned as actually being in the tribulation, reference to it would be found in these chapters. It is not!

The Church in Heaven


There is some indication that the church is indeed already in heaven. The Book of Revelation makes reference to elders and to those that dwell in heaven and also to the bride that is clothed in white linen. These references seem to imply that the church is already in heaven. How can the church be in heaven before the return of the Lord? By implication we conclude that He has raptured the church before the tribulation.

One of the passages debated in the argument is the significance of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:4 and 5:8-10. There are seveal proofs that the twenty-four elders represent the church age saints.

  1. The crown (gk: stephanos) is for a victor only. This refers to the "overcomer", cf.2:3. Angels are not crowned nor is Israel.

  2. Angels are not judges until the end of the tribulation period. This verse implies that they have already been judged.

  3. They are given white robes - cf. Rev. 3:5; 19:8. Not likey angels but church age saints judges and clothed in His righeousness

  4. The term elder is not usually associated with angels

  5. Relevant and critical evidence is found in the song of the twenty-four elders in 5:9,10. The debated terms are "us" and "we shall reign". Some manuscriptes have "them" and "they shall reign." This definately pertains to the church and the blood washed saints.

  6. Angels are not seated on thrones which speaks of dignity and ascertained authority from Christ.


Pentecost (1958:209) remarks that the above arguments prove, "Since they are seen to be resurrected, in heaven, judged, rewarded, enthroned at the beginning of the 70th week, it is concluded that the church must have been raptured before the 70th week occurs." Another proof that the church is in heaven is found in the following texts, Revelation 13:6; 19:7,8,14. Both these passages give us a picture of heaven before thh Lord returns to earth. In both passages reference is made to those who "dwell in heaven" and to the fact that they are "clothed in whitle linen." This speaks of the righteousness of the saints and to the fact that they are already in heaven prior to the Lord's return as spoken in Revelation 19:11.

The Witness of Jehovah


If the church was never raptured prior to the tribulation period as many would argue, then any individual who is saved is saved to a position into the body of Christ as indicated in various scripture passages, Colossians 1:26-29; 3:11; Ephesians 2:14-22. During the tribulation period the church as to be absent because out of the saved remnant of israel God commissions and seals 144,000 jews, 12,000 from each tribe according to Revelation 7:14. The fact that God is again dealing with Israel and sending them out as emissaries of His saving grace to the nations as opposed to the blood bought children of the church indicates that God is no longer dealing with the church. Therefore we can conclude that the church must no longer be on the earth and has been raptured and taken home to heaven.

The Rapture and the Second Coming


TO BE CONTINUED (apparently didn't finish this paper)