Will the Tribulation Come After the Rapture?

by Terry Wane Benton

Be careful not to assume that what you hear about the tribulation and the rapture is grounded in sound biblical exegesis. Reading into the Scriptures and twisting the Scriptures can mean destruction to you and others (II Peter 3:16). So, make sure you are not following someone blindly into the ditch. What often happens is that texts have been mishandled and forced into a doctrine far removed from the original context.

The modern teaching of the “tribulation” and “the rapture” are classic examples of biblical abuse and distortion. Add hype, fear, and imagination; the combination means the error can spread like cancer.

The “tribulation” was before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, and Jesus described it in Matthew 24:3-35. That context is about the temple in Jerusalem being destroyed in that very generation. The tribulation was the hard times leading to that destruction in AD.66-70. To take it out of that generation, that event, and that context and apply it to things happening now is a misuse of the Scriptures. There is no prophecy about a period of tribulation that marks out anything in our day. But, despite the context of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, people today are looking at wars, earthquakes, and tribulations and applying those scriptures to modern events.

Incidentally, this misuse was done in every unsettling period. Misguided religious preachers looked at the events of WWI, WWII, the Gulf War, etc., and told people in those days that we were in “the great tribulation” or that we were about to enter it, and every time, they were wrong. They misused scripture that applied to the first-century destruction of Jerusalem and deceived themselves and others about modern events being foretold.

There is no “rapture” except being “caught up” when Jesus comes for His people at the end (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). There is no schedule of events to let you know when the final day of the Lord will catch His people away. The text says it will be at some unexpected time, “like a thief in the night.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-ff). So, in answer to the question, the tribulation Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 already happened by AD 70, and the “caught up” of I Thessalonians 4:13-18 will have no precursor signs to warn us.

The doctrine of the rapture is false. It says there will be a secret snatching away of some while events go onward on the earth. This text says the coming will be heard and seen and lends no credence to the idea of raptured folk coming back here after seven years. When Jesus comes and takes His people home, we will “ever be with the Lord,” and the earth will be burned up (II Peter 3:7-12). There is no snatching away and then coming back here. So, don’t get caught up in the hype of misused scriptures.

The Lord will return and deliver those in His kingdom to the Father in heaven. No signs allow you to wait to get ready at the last moment. Get ready now because there will be no second chances. You must be wise with your time now. Either you know Jesus is worth getting ready for now, or death will catch you unprepared, or the coming of the Lord will catch you on the wrong side, the rejected side, which will not be good for you and those you influenced to be like-minded. Today is the accepted time to prepare to be on the winning team of the wise disciples of Jesus Christ.