“For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NET).
As mentioned earlier, this passage references an event that has come to be known as “the rapture of the church.” To understand how the Rapture fits into Biblical history, it helps to examine another future event known as the Tribulation period.
Jesus offered some insight into this time period in chapter twenty-four of Matthew’s gospel. In Matthew 24:21-30, Jesus described the interval that will precede His return as a time of “…great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). (1)
Although there is a great range of opinion regarding certain aspects of the Tribulation, it’s fair to say that many expect the following elements to characterize this period…
- A seven year length of time (2) in which God will bring the current state of human history to a close.
- The appearance of a person known as the Antichrist. (3) This man will unite the entire world under a consolidated (and godless) religious/political system.
- The first half of this seven year period will seem relatively peaceful in certain respects. However, war, environmental devastation, economic catastrophe, widespread death, and cataclysmic destruction will mark the second half. (4) This length of time is sometimes designated as the “Great Tribulation” to distinguish it from the period that immediately precedes it.
- During this time, God will pour out His wrath and execute judgment upon those who have rejected Him in an attitude of rebellion and unbelief.
- The Tribulation period will conclude with a final battle that ends with Jesus’ triumphant return and His subsequent reign for a thousand years (the “Millennial Kingdom”). (5)
Much of the debate surrounding the rapture of the church centers on when it will occur in relation to the Tribulation. We’ll consider the major views regarding the timing of the Rapture next.
(1) See also Mark 13 and Luke 21:5-36.
(2) Based on the prophetic message given to the Old Testament prophet Daniel in Daniel 9:24-27.
(3) See also 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10.
(4) Daniel 9:27.
(5) See Revelation 13-19 for a detailed description of this period.