Are There Two Raptures?

Q

I just heard today on a bible prophecy show I was watching that there would be a second rapture of lukewarm Christians that didn’t make it in the pre trib rapture, that would take place 3 1/2 years into the tribulation. Can this be ?

A

There’s no Scriptural support for a 2nd rapture in the middle of Daniel’s 70th Week. Having such a thing would require the Lord to change His clearly stated position that membership in the Church is based solely on our belief that Jesus died for our sins and rose again (Romans 10:9). It would mean that only those who had somehow earned the right to go in a pre-trib rapture would be taken, which is a violation of the doctrine of Grace.

It would also mean that God would permit part of the Church to remain on Earth during a time when His focus will be on re-establishing His Old Testament relationship with Israel. Both Paul (Romans 11:25) and James (Acts 15:13-18) indicate this will not be the case.

Finally, in the two clearest passages on the rapture, 1 Cor. 15:51-53 and 1 Thes. 4:16-17, there’s no indication of any division of believers at the time of the rapture. In 1 Cor. 15:51 Paul said we will not all sleep(die) but we will all be changed. And in 1 Thes. 4:17 he said after the dead rise we who are still alive and are left will be caught up.

Both these verses indicate 100% participation of believers in a single event. Dividing the Church into two groups, one of which will be taken prior to the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week while the the other has to wait until the middle, requires reading something into the Scripture that isn’t there.