Many pastors claim “If it’s new, it’s not true”, while teaching a ridiculous non-Biblical pre-trib rapture, which was unheard of prior to 1827.
Oct 15, 2025
The Bible mentions the rapture in two places, and in both mentions, it is clearly post-tribulation.
The key to understanding this is in understanding when The Resurrection is.
Revelations 20: 5 indicates that “the dead in Christ” will rise AFTER the Tribulation. Now let’s look at the two passages which reference the rapture:
”16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [d]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” — 1 Thessalonians: 4.
Do you see the problem with a pre-Tribulation rapture? It clearly says “the dead in Christ will rise first, indicating that the rapture will happen AFTER The Resurrection, making a pre-trib rapture impossible!
Now let’s look at 1 Cor. 15:
”51 Behold, I am telling you a [w]mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [x]imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this [y]perishable must put on [z]the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” — 1 Corinthians.
Again, notice the temporal sequence: 1. The last trumpet sounds, 2. The dead are raised (into glorified, imperishable bodies). 3. Then, believers who are still physically alive “will be changed” (into glorified, imperishable bodies). It’s like a resurrection for those who are still alive!
There’s another verse earlier in 1 Corinthians 15 which I consider supportive of this timeline understanding:
”22 For as in Adam all die, so also in [i]Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,” — 1 Corinthians 15.
”Christ’s coming” is very clearly post-Tribulation (see Revelations 19 to the end), so if believers are made alive “after that”, then again, The Rapture is very clearly post-Tribulation.
So where did this “pre-Trib rapture” nonsense get started? A pastor named John Darby published this idea in a book in 1827, and once somebody plugged it into The Scofield Reference Bible, many folks began mistakenly treating it as a scriptural idea. Here’s a brief recap of that history by Dr. William Lane Craig: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/podcasts/defenders-podcast-series-1/s1-the-doctrine-of-the-last-things/the-doctrine-of-the-last-things-part-2
I think it unfortunately has lots of appeal to many, because it implies that Christians will be spared from experiencing The Tribulation. It’s important to remember, however, that God can “shield” His people from suffering during The Tribulation, if He so desires (some scriptures seem to suggest that He will do that, but they aren’t crystal-clear).
If it turns out that He has reasons for allowing us to experience some misery during The Tribulation, then so be it. If that’s the case, we just need to keep in mind: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” — Romans 8: 18.
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