The Bible And The Rapture

Q

Does the Bible say that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation, or could the Rapture occur after the start of the Tribulation?

A

I believe 1 Thes. 1:10 tells us the rapture will occur before the end times judgments begin. Others would disagree, so it’s good to know everything the Bible says about the End Times, from both Old and New Testament perspectives. That way you don’t have to pin all your hopes on one or two verses.

When you see the whole picture it becomes clear that the theological differences between the Lord’s relationships with Israel and the Church are so great there really isn’t any way for the two to co-exist during the last 7 years. Therefore I think the rapture has to occur before the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week. We have to remember that the Church Age didn’t replace the age of the Law. Rather, the Church Age interrupted the Age of Law seven years short of its scheduled duration. Those seven years must be completed and for that to happen the church has to be gone.