Let's get started:
1.There are no passages in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that say the Church will go through the Tribulation Period.
This argument is so bad, it's pretty much grade-school level. The word "Trinity" never appears in scripture, but when you look at what the Bible has to say about God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus, the doctrine of the trinity is the only thing that makes sense of what the scriptures teach (please read The Trinity: Biblical or Unbiblical? and Debunking Steve Anderson About the Contradictions Between The NIV and KJV to see how the doctrine of the Trinity is biblical). Also, Jesus never said the exact words "I am God; worship me", but everyone who studies the Gospels knows that Jesus said and did things that only God can do, and he was worshiped by many people, never once rebuking them for it. In the same way, the Old and New Testaments do not have to specifically say that the church will go through the tribulation period in order to be teaching the concept.
2.The Tribulation Period is called the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” [The time of unbelieving Israel’s Trouble], but it is never called the time of the Church’s Trouble (Jer. 30:7).
At the time that Jeremiah 30 was written, Israel was about to be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. When you look at the context of Jeremiah 30, it becomes clear that this chapter is not talking about the Tribulation, but about the time when Israel will be rescued from their captivity in Babylon. While this passage may have parallels with the Day of the Lord (which is not the same thing as the Tribulation) , this passage cannot possibly be talking specifically about the Tribulation.
3. Gabriel told Daniel, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Daniel’s people are the Jews] and upon thy holy city” [The Holy City is Jerusalem] (Dan. 9:24). There is no mention of the Church.
The argument being put forth is that since the church isn't mentioned by name in Daniel 9:20-27, the church must therefore be raptured out before the 70th week of Daniel occurs. This is a silly claim to make because prior to Jesus ascending to heaven after he rose from the dead, the Church didn't exist. Therefore, you wouldn't expect to find the Church in the Old Testament.
If you're going to make this argument to support the pre-trib rapture position, then either you're incredibly gullible, or you're being incredibly deceptive in order to get people to accept your position.
4.The Church had no part in the first sixty-nine weeks and it will have no part in the seventieth week [the Tribulation Period] (Dan. 9:24).
Much like point #3, this is a weak argument to make because the church didn't exist prior to Jesus, which makes finding them mentioned by name in the Old Testament as participants of the Tribulation a foolish thing to expect. You have to be either gullible or deceptive to make this argument.
5.In the Book of Revelation, the Rapture occurs at Rev. 4:1 which is before the Tribulation Period described in Rev. 6:1-19:21. In the sequence of events, the Rapture is before the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments.
The Revelation 4:1 argument is one of the most popular arguments that pre-trib rapture believers make to support their case, and it's a lousy one. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 (which is the clearest, most detailed description of the Rapture), you have all believers who have ever lived and are living at that time having their physical bodies ascend up to the clouds, and they will all physically go to heaven with Jesus. According to Revelation 4:2, everything that occurs from Revelation 4:1-22:5 is part of a vision that John had. In other words, in Revelation 4:1, you have a single individual having a vision; this is clearly not the rapture described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3.
Also worth noting is the classic mistake of assuming that the Day of the Lord is part of the Tribulation. The Bible teaches that tribulation is part of the life of a follower of Jesus and it brings God glory when we endure tribulation because of our submission to God, but we are not subject to God's wrath.
If all of scripture tells us that enduring tribulation for our faith in Jesus brings God glory, then why would we get a free pass and not have to experience the greatest tribulation in history that will come when the Anti-Christ is head of the one-world government and religion?
6.The Church is mentioned more than twenty times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but the Church is never mentioned in the description of the Tribulation Period between Rev. 4:1 and Rev. 19:1.
This is also a stupid argument; in Revelation 1:17-3:22, Jesus is speaking the whole time; according to Revelation 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:7, and 3:14, Jesus is instructing John to write those letters to each of the churches in the province of Asia. Revelation 4:1 tells us that after Jesus had John write down these letters, John proceeded to have a vision whose details are recorded in Revelation 4:1-22:5.
Much like I pointed out in points 1-4, the Bible doesn't specifically have to say that the church will go through the Tribulation; it only matters if the concept is taught. Also, as I pointed out in point 5, why would we get a pass on the biggest tribulation in history if enduring tribulation is what brings God glory?
7.The Tribulation Period is called a Day of Wrath in the Bible (Zeph 1:15), but the Bible says, “God hath not appointed us [the Church] to wrath” (I Thess. 5:9).
Once again, they are asserting that the Day of the Lord is part of the Tribulation when the Bible clearly teaches that they are not the the same thing. As you will see in the video at the end of this article, the Day of the Lord is kick-started by the Rapture, and that only happens after the Tribulation.
8.The Tribulation Period is called a Day of Wrath in the Bible (Zeph. 1:15), but the Bible says, Jesus has “delivered us from the wrath to come” [delivered the Church from the Tribulation Period] (I Thess. 1:10).
Just read my response to point 7.
9.The Tribulation Period is called the Day of the Lord in the Bible (Zeph. 1:14). The Bible says, “the day of the Lord [the Tribulation Period] so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they [the unbelievers] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them [upon the unbelievers], as travail upon a woman with child; and they [the unbelievers] shall not escape” (I Thess. 5:2-3). It clearly teaches that the Tribulation Period will come upon lunbelievers, but it does not include believers.
See point 7 again
10.Concerning the Rapture, the Bible says, “Comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:18). There’s no comfort in the teaching that the Church will go through part or all of the Tribulation Period.
this point is the real heart of the matter for people that cling to the pre-trib rapture position; the idea that they don't have to experience the greatest tribulation in history tickles their ears, and they will embrace it even though all of scripture teaches that believers will endure tribulation at some point because it brings glory to God when we endure tribulation for his sake, and there is not one promise anywhere in scripture that believers won't have to endure tribulation.
In one sense, this point is right because our sinful flesh doesn't like the idea of enduring tribulation for the sake of the Lord. On the other hand, it's very comforting to know that the Lord told us in advance that we're going to have to endure the greatest tribulation in history, and that he's giving us an opportunity to get ready for it.
11.Jesus told the Church at Philadelphia, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [the Tribulation Period], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). God promised to keep the obedient Church members out of the Tribulation Period.
see point 7 to understand what's wrong with this point.
12.According to the Bible, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven before Jesus comes back to fight the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period (Rev. 19:7-21). This means the Church will go to heaven [be Raptured] for the marriage of the Lamb before the Second Coming.
I actually don't disagree with this point; the problem I have with it is that it supports the post-trib, pre-wrath position just as much as it supposedly supports the pre-trib position. It doesn't prove anything.
13.The end of the age will be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). Noah and his family were removed from the earth [got on the ark] before the flood. Some believe this means that the Church will be removed from the earth before the judgment of God [Raptured before the Tribulation Period] (Gen. 7:23).
I don't really disagree much with this point; the problem I have with it is that it once again teaches that the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are the same thing when according to the scriptures, they clearly aren't. See point 7.
14.The end of the age will be like the days of Lot (Luke 17:28). Lot and his family were removed from Sodom before the judgment of God [before the fire and brimstone fell] (Gen. 19:16). Some believe this means that the Church will be removed from the earth before the judgment of God [Raptured before the Tribulation Period].
See point 7.
15.Jesus was talking about the Tribulation Period when He said, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass” (Luke 21:36). It seems unreasonable to believe Jesus would tell the Church to pray for something He is unwilling to grant.
When you read Luke 21 in it's entirety, and you compare it to Matthew 24 (as well as the scriptures presented in my video at the end of the article), it becomes clear that Jesus is referring to the Day of the Lord in Luke 21:36, not the Tribulation.
16.The Bible says, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (II Thess. 2:7-8). The most common interpretation of this is that the Antichrist can’t be revealed until the Restrainer [who most commentators say is both the Holy Spirit and the Church] is removed. If the Restrainer is the Church only, this means the Church will be removed before the Antichrist is revealed [that’s the Pre-Trib. Rapture]. If the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit only so that the Holy Spirit is removed without the Church, this means believers will cease to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit. It also means the Church will be left behind to go through the worst time the earth has ever seen [the Tribulation Period] without the help of the Holy Spirit. This would contradict the teaching of Jesus when He said, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). And, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
When you read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, you will realize that people had forged a letter in Paul's name that declared that the rapture had already happened, and that they were now in the Day of the Lord. Paul was simply reminding his readers that neither event had happened yet. Also, as you will see in the video at the bottom of this post, Paul clearly taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 that the rapture is the event that would kickstart the Day of the Lord, and you will see that the Day of the Lord occurs after that Tribulation.
17.Isaiah wrote that God said, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain” (Isa. 26:19-21). Notice, that the dead rise first [that’s the Rapture], next God’s people are summoned to enter into His chambers for a short while until the indignation [a name of the Tribulation Period] is past. God will raise the dead and summon His people because He intends to punish the inhabitants of the earth [send the Tribulation Period].
When you go to the beginning of Isaiah 26, you will realize that the entire chapter is a song that will be sung by the land of Judah during the Day of the Lord. In other words, this is yet another instance where the Tribulation is confused with the Day of the Lord.
18.Malachi wrote that God said, “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not” (Malachi 3:17-18). Pre-Tribulation teachers believe God is saying He will come for His Church [the Rapture] and then He will return with His Church [the Second Coming] to judge between the righteous and wicked.
The "day" being referred to is the Day of the Lord, which as I show in the video at the end of the post takes place AFTER the Tribulation. Therefore, the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are not the same thing.
19.In the Rapture, Jesus comes for His Church (I Thess. 4:16-17; John 14:3). When He comes at the end of the Tribulation Period, He will come with His Church (I Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:14).
I actually agree with this point, but once again, you need to refer to point 7 to see what's wrong with it.
20.Concerning the Second Coming, Jesus said, “But of the day and the hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matt. 24:36). But if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, some will know the day because it will be seven years from the signing of the seven-year covenant. Some will know the day because it will be 1260 days from the day the Antichrist defiles the Temple (Rev. 12:6).
this point is supposed to be an objection to the post-trib, pre-wrath position, but it fails. The reason that it fails is because even though some people will know the day once they reach certain points in the seven-year period, NOBODY knows when the seven-year period actually starts. It also fails because it doesn't take into account the fact that most believers are not looking for the signs that Jesus and scripture told us to look for, so they won't know the day or hour anyway.
21.Concerning the Antichrist, many scholars believe the Bible teaches he won’t be revealed until after the Church is gone (II Thess. 2:6-8), but if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, some will know who he is because he will sign the seven-year covenant (Dan. 9:24-27), he will head up the world government (Rev. 13:1-10), he will try to force multitudes to worship him, and to receive his mark, receive his name or his number (Rev. 13:15-17). Many of those who are here and being forced to worship him and take his name or die will know who he is.
I am just at a loss; Don't these pre-trib people realize that if the church goes through the tribulation, they'll be the ones who know exactly what is happening while it is going on, and people will be looking to them for the answers because the Church will have them? I can't even begin to tell you how exciting it will be in those days to be able to look scared unbelievers in the eye and point out to them that the man in charge of the New World Order is the anti-Christ, and how exciting it will be to accurately tell them what he's going to do next because you have God's Word telling you what he's going to do.
22.The Antichrist is not suppose to be revealed until after the Church is gone (II Thess. 2:6-8), but if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will put a statue of himself in the rebuilt Temple (Dan. 11:31; Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:15).
See point 21
23.If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will head up the world government and receive a deadly wound to his head that will be healed (Rev. 13:3). Some think he will be raised from the dead or at least fake the resurrection.
See point 21
24.If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will head up the world government and be supported by the head of the world religion called the False Prophet (Rev. 13:11-18).
See point 21
25.If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he’s the one that will kill the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:7).
Once again, see point 21
26.Many people don’t think the Church will go through the Tribulation Period because of verses of Scripture that say things like, “The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked he will destroy” (Psa. 145:18-20). Many believe God will preserve the Church from the Tribulation Period or keep the Church out of the Tribulation Period, not destroy the Church in the Tribulation Period.
See the YouTube video at the end of this article to understand what the problem with this is.
27.There are verses of Scripture that say things like, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it” (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19). Some believe people have to throw away verses of Scripture to believe the Church will go through the Tribulation Period.
Seriously?! Watch the video at the end of this post, and look at what I've said in this post: I don't throw out scriptures in order to believe that the Church will go through the Tribulation period that comes before the Day of the Lord; in fact, I find that when I present the scriptures I use in the video at the end of the post to people to support my position, they tend to ignore what I present and go on continuing to believe the lie of the pre-trib rapture. If anything, you have to throw out scripture to believe that the rapture WON'T occur after the Tribulation and before the Day of the Lord.
28.In the seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus said, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” seven times (Rev. 2:7,11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). When we get to the Tribulation Period, Jesus said, “If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 13:9). He left out, “what the Spirit saith unto the churches” because there are no churches on earth to go through the Tribulation Period. The Church will be in heaven.
This is just a lousy argument! As I pointed out already in point 6, everything in Revelation 2 and 3 is Jesus dictating to John what he wants written in letters to each of the churches in the province of Asia; it only makes sense that the phrase "what the Spirit saith unto the churches" would be included in that section.
Also, as I pointed out in point 6, everything that occurs in Revelation 4:1-22:5 is part of a single vision that John had AFTER Jesus had finished dictating to John what he wanted to say in those letters to those churches in the province of Asia. I wouldn't expect Jesus to single out the Church at that point. Not only that, but when you read a red-letter Bible like mine, you will find that Revelation 13:9 is not in red ink, meaning that those aren't direct words from Jesus. Since there are no quotation marks around the sentence, we can only assume that those are the words of John, the author of Revelation.
This argument does not prove that the Church will be raptured out before the Tribulation begins.
29.When the Rapture happens the Church goes up to meet Jesus in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18), but at the end of the Tribulation Period the Church will come down to the earth with Jesus to witness what He does at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:14-21).
How many times can you confuse the Tribulation with the Day of the Lord in one article?!
30.The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is more consistent with God’s grace, love, mercy, compassion, etc. The Mid and Post-Tribulation Rapture is more consistent with God’s wrath.
Seriously?! On page 162 of my book Another Inconvenient Truth, I wrote the following:
"According
to the pre-trib rapture theory, there will be no signs that the
rapture is coming; we'll all just be going about our normal,
every-day lives when all the Christians on the planet will just
magically disappear: Cars and planes will be crashing all around us,
there will be screaming and fires, and everyone will have to piece
together what just happened while the Anti-Christ and the one-world
government and religion come together at once, just before the seals
are opened. God is given no glory, and one could rightfully question
why God didn't give anybody any signs that the rapture was about to
happen; on top of that, as William Frederick rightly pointed out,
that would mean that the persecution of the followers of Jesus
described in the fifth seal was done by God as a wrathful judgment,
which contradicts all the scripture that tells us that we're not
appointed to God's wrath as followers of Jesus."
How is it graceful, loving, merciful, or compassionate of God to not give any warnings or signs that the rapture is about to happen when throughout the entire scripture, he gives people warnings and signs that important things are about to happen?! It seems that the God of the pre-trib rapture theory is lacking in those qualities compared to the God of the Bible.
31.If the Rapture takes place at the end of the Tribulation Period, and all the wicked are removed from the earth at that time (Matt. 13:24-30, 47-50; 25:41), no one will be left to re-populate the earth during the Millennium. If all of the saved are Raptured and all the lost are removed from the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period, no one will be left to re-populate the earth.
Seriously?! how many times are these guys going to confuse the Tribulation with the Day of the Lord?
32.The Antichrist will prevail against the saints during the Tribulation Period, but the gates of hell won’t prevail against the Church (Rev. 13:7; Matt. 16:18). Therefore, the Church won’t go through the Tribulation Period.
Oh wow. I can't believe that poor reasoning like this even exists. Just because the Anti-Christ will kill many believers during his brief reign on the Earth doesn't mean that he's prevailing against the church; Jesus specifically promises in Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20 that he's going to come back and rapture the Church before the Anti-Christ wipes out every last believer. Because Jesus is going to do that, the gates of Hell will not overcome the Church.
33.The twenty-four elders [representatives of the Church] will be in heaven before the seven-sealed scroll is broken (Rev. 4:4; 6:1-17).
There is not one passage in all of scripture that clearly shows that the 24 elders are representatives of the Church; this assertion by the author of the article is dependent on the reader/listener not questioning them on how they got to that conclusion.
34.Jesus was talking about the Tribulation Period when He said, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass” (Luke 21:36). He didn’t say, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to endure some or all of these things that shall come to pass.”
This is at least the 14th time that the author of this article has confused the Tribulation with the Day of the Lord. This only confirms what I wrote in Another Inconvenient Truth.
35.There are no signs of the Rapture, but if the Rapture takes place during the Tribulation Period, it would have to be after the seven-year covenant is signed by the Antichrist, and perhaps after several other things depending upon what a person believes about Mid-Trib, Post-Trib, etc.
See point 30
36. Jesus said, “When these things [the signs] begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). He didn’t say, “After all these things have happened your redemption draweth nigh.” He said, “When these things begin to come to pass it’s close.”
Ok, this is at least the 15th time that the author is confusing the Tribulation with the Day of the Lord.
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