The Pre-Trib Rapture Heresy

Many if not most American theologians and preachers have now accepted the new doctrine of the secret pre-tribulation rapture of the church. It preaches well, and it’s what most people want to hear, anyway. Nobody wants to be told they might have to go through the great tribulation of Revelation 6 through 11. And there are even a few Scriptures which seem to back it up.

Unfortunately, it also introduces some major contradictions in Scripture, not the least of which is Jesus’ own words. “…then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor indeed ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short… But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet [the Last Trump of Rev 10 & 11 – see 1 Cor 15:52], and they will gather together His elect [the first resurrection - Rev 20:4-6] from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (Matt 24:21-31, excerpts)

That Jesus is talking about the rapture of the church (rather than some later coming for the Jews) is confirmed by that “great trumpet.” “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. [This is clearly the rapture of the church.] For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor 15:51-52) Under no conceivable stretch can you have two “last” trumpets, unless you have a god who gets easily confused.

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