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The post-tribulation rapture
doctrine Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
is the belief in a combined
resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
and gathering of the saints (Post-tribulation believers believe the "rapture" for the event) coming is after the
Great Tribulation In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the time of the end. At Revelation 7:14, "the Great Tri ...
.


Doctrine

The post-tribulation gathering of the saints position believes that there is a resurrection of both dead and living believers in
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
at the end of the age (or the "
end time The end time (also called end times, end of time, end of days, last days, final days, doomsday, or eschaton) refers to: * Eschatology in various religions—beliefs concerning the final events of history or the destiny of humanity End Time, En ...
"). Post-tribulationists believe that Christians will remain on the Earth throughout the 7-year tribulation period which includes the last three and a half years, which some call the "Great Tribulation". The distinguishing feature of the post-tribulation view is that it believes the gathering of the saints will occur after a 7-year tribulation period and not before as in the pre-tribulation view. They also believe that it is a blessing to be beheaded for the testimony of Jesus. This period starts with the appearing of the
abomination of desolation Abomination may refer to: *Abomination (Bible) Abomination () is an English term used to translate the Biblical Hebrew terms shiqquts and , which are derived from , or the terms , or (noun) or (verb). An abomination in English is that whi ...
(
Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
) and ends at the
Battle of Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
(
Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
). Believers in Jesus Christ will be taken up (or raptured) to meet Christ in the air at the
Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
of Christ immediately after the Great Tribulation, just before the
Battle of Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
and then return with him as Christ descends to the Earth, to usher in the Millennium—the 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth. This is usually understood as being in line with historic premillennialism. Evidence for a post-tribulation rapture includes
Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
, which calls the resurrection of tribulation martyrs after the Second Advent in the previous chapter "the first resurrection" in verse 5. The resurrection of believers at the gathering of the saints is "the first resurrection" and therefore the gathering of the saints must be after the Great Tribulation.


Biblical sources

For additional references, see also the parallel passages from Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:20-28. While the passages in
Luke 21 Luke 21 is the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the observations and predictions of Jesus Christ delivered in the temple in Jerusalem.Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'': a ...
parallels Matthew and Mark, it offers a couple of interesting clarifications. This passage in Luke offers interesting references to some of the major events which are greatly elaborated on in the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
. Reading all three books of the Bible in parallel, it would appear that Luke elaborates on the "abomination of desolation" describing Jerusalem being surrounded by the armies of the world and of Jerusalem's imminent destruction (Luke 21:20). Paul's statement "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16) can be seen as having its fulfillment (according to a literalist reading of the letter of the biblical text) only after the end of the tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19) after
Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
has been bound (Revelation 20:1-3), and at the beginning of the millennial reign, when Another account which lends support to the idea of a post-tribulation rapture is in 2 Peter 3:10-13, where the idea of "
The Day of the Lord "The Day of the Lord" is a biblical term and theme used in both the Hebrew Bible ( ''Yom Yahweh'') and the New Testament (, ''hēmera Kyriou''), as in ''"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the te ...
" coming as a "thief in the night" comes from. This idea of imminence, according to the post-tribulation view, only applies to the wicked and the spiritually unprepared people that are still alive before the return of Christ. Therefore, only God's elect will fully have a clear understanding of the timing of the second coming, and Christ's coming will not catch the believers by surprise, but only those who are spiritually ignorant regarding the truth. In the passage of 2 Peter 3:10-13, Christ's return is equated with the "elements being melted", and "the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up". Two opposing views, pre-tribulationism and mid-tribulationism, see the rapture and the
Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
(or
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, ''
parousia The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messian ...
'') of Christ as separate events; while in post-tribulationism the two events are identical or simultaneous. Another key difference between the pre-, mid-, and post-tribulationism is the number of times that Jesus Christ must return. Although it is not directly referenced, in both the pre- and mid-tribulation raptures, Christ must then return a third time, at the end of the tribulation period. The belief is that God's elect from all ages will be translated from mortal bodies into immortal glorified bodies at the second coming of Christ and that this will be at the end of the age. This event, it is believed, will come at the conclusion of what is termed the 70th week of Daniel, the final seven years of this present age. This view was held by the early Church Fathers and has been held by Christians since that time. The doctrine of the post-tribulation rapture is today held by a growing number of
evangelical Christians Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...
. For post-tribulationists concerned about the recent decline of Christian faith, doctrine, and morals in the western church, an important reason to advance the post-tribulation rapture doctrine relates to the importance of preparation of believers for "witness under trial". Another idea is that following the Great Tribulation, the
False Prophet In religion, a false prophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneou ...
, or the " beast out of the earth" and the
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
or the " beast out of the sea" will be condemned upon Jesus Christ's return, and all those who endured or died for Christ's return will be raptured to heaven and, following the Millennium, Satan will be condemned and the remaining dead believers will be raised and raptured into the new heaven. Post-tribulationists broadly base their doctrine on the complementary concepts that a two-phase pre-tribulation rapture is never mentioned explicitly in the Bible, and that the "whole counsel of Scripture" seems to clearly teach that the resurrection and rapture of the Church will be the result of the visible, physical second coming of Jesus Christ to Earth and that Christians are to look and watch for that event. and both mention the same individuals (Jesus, his angels) and the same events (Jesus coming, the trumpet of God, and the gathering of the elect) in the same order. The latter passage written by the Apostle Paul is seen as being based on the former because of the usage of "by the word of the Lord" in verse 15Editors: G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Carson, and R.T. France. I. Howard Marshall commenting. ''New Bible Commentary''. 21st century Edition. Inter-Varsity Press, p1283, 2004. and that they are talking about the same event, but the first passage is explicitly dated "after the tribulation", and the second is where we get the term ''rapture''. Contrasting opinion maintains that the passages are not talking about the same event despite some similarities because of details that are absent between the two passages and that the rapture event was a "mystery" until it was revealed in First Corinthians which the Thessalonian recipients would have been unaware. Post-tribulationists respond to the opposing views of pre-tribulationists in a variety of ways. Some post-tribulationalists see the rapture and the second coming of Christ as part of one main event. Support for this claim is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 in part because of the way Paul introduces his topic, ''"Now concerning'' the coming of our Lord and our gathering together with him." This was an ancient way of introducing your topic of discussion and later Paul refers back to the two nouns at least twice as "the
Day of the Lord A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two s ...
" or "that day." Thus, "the coming" and "gathering" seem to be two ways of referring to one event, "the day of the Lord." It seems impractical for Paul to go to great lengths describing the coming of the Antichrist (and the falling away) to the Thessalonians in order to calm them down that the day of Christ's reign on earth had not happened yet if they were not going to be there for it as maintained by the pre-tribulational position. He would be more comforting by reminding them that they wouldn't be present for it than to precisely detail his recognition and say "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction". The most common passage used in defending a pre-tribulational position is . This passage alone does not mention where the gathered ones finally end up but that those who are alive will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and always be with the Lord. Rather it mentions the dead rising, Christ's coming, angels, the trumpet of God along with the gathering of the elect and all of these participants are present in , which is clearly a second coming passage even agreed to by pre-tribulationalists. The author, the Apostle Paul says the rapture will occur "at the ''last'' trumpet". To be consistent with this trumpet call must occur after the tribulation. In the same way, mentions the ''first'' resurrection ''after'' the second coming in . By definition, there can be no trumpet call after the last one, and no resurrection before the first. Linguistic support for a one-event second coming are in the words "meet" and "coming" in . The ''meet'' in and in (a second coming parable) refers to the custom of people going out to meet a dignitary as he was approaching their city before he got there, and accompanying or welcoming him back to where they came from. This is also the usage in of those going out to meet Paul as he headed toward them in Rome. Also, the Greek term ''parousia'' has the idea of a grand dignitary making his arrival to a certain location. The rest of the passage supports this grand arrival with his coming being heralded with trumpet, angels, and a surging 'city' of gathered believers going out to meet him. Who more grand than the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming to reign on earth? This passage lends more weight to the post-tribulational position. Another strength for this position is Paul saying when the church would receive rest for its suffering. It would take place at the revealing of Jesus Christ with fire and judgment and at this time those who were afflicting the church at Thessalonica would be repaid for such treatment. No mention is made of a pre-tribulational removal but that rest comes at his coming and so does judgment. A passage much debated regarding the timing of the rapture is , which speaks of the Philadelphian church being "kept from the hour of trial which is about to come upon the whole earth to test those who dwell on the earth." The debate centers around the phrase "kept from" which could be taken to mean "physical removal from" (Pre-trib) or "preservation from or in the midst of" (Post-trib). However, the verse denotes that the testing is for "those who dwell on the earth." This is a common phrase referring to unbelievers.Osborne, Grant R. ''Baker Evangelical Commentary of the New Testament: Revelation''. Baker Academics, p 193, 2002. Later in Revelation, on at least 3 occasions, the saints are "sealed" and kept out of harm's way when God pours out specific judgments which only affect his unbelieving enemies. John highlights the idea that Christians are preserved by God through tribulation rather than removed: This passage is one of the most blunt verses, showing that Jesus himself did not want the Christians taken out of the world in order to protect them from evil but had the intention of preservation in the midst of it. This is a place where pre-tribulationism lacks linguistic favor because this verse and are the only places where the exact phrase ''tereo ek'' translated from Greek into ''keep from'' are found and that by the same author, the disciple John. The pretribulational argument that there are 'two phases' to Christ's coming (a rapture and a later second advent) runs into difficulties with , which nearly equates Christ's ascension to heaven with his second coming. Logically, the second coming cannot have two phases if the ascension only had one. This eliminates two phases of his coming with a 7-year interval. Likewise, heaven must "receive" or contain Jesus "until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient time". Most scholars see this "restoration of all things" as the one-thousand year reign of Christ on earth (as prophesied in the Old Testament) which begins just after the second advent. If Christ is to remain in heaven until this coming rule of his according to these verses (see also Hebrews 9:27,28), it would seem the next main prophetic event would be the second coming rather than him coming 7 years prior to get the church, bring them back to heaven, and then leaving heaven for earth again as the pre-tribulational rapture position indicates. Pre-tribulational usage of can also be counterbalanced. In this eschatological scenario, explains what happens to the people that are "taken": the eagles gather together at their eadbodies. Do they eat them? "Taken" may also have the idea of judgment and that is referring to the unmistakable visual nature of the second coming. Even the disciples are warned not to believe reports that Christ has come if they have not seen it "for just as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. Many take the fact that vultures hovering over a dead body is clearly visible from a great distance away to mean that the second coming will be clearly visible and will not be hidden. It seems that can be compared to , which reads that the fowls are invited to a feast—on the flesh of men, small and great, at the Lord's coming. The parable in explains that the unsaved (''tares'') are destroyed ''first'' before the saved (wheat) are addressed. This parable describes what the kingdom of heaven is like and it uses agricultural metaphor to explain that believers and unbelievers will remain together until the harvest. When is the harvest? Well, when Jesus explains the parable. he says the harvest is the "end of the age" in verse 39. At that time he sends his angels to destroy the tares while the wheat (believers) remain and shine forth as the sun in his father's kingdom. This seems to fit better with the rapture and the second coming being one event rather than a time gap of 7 years. , speaks of the "Day of the Lord" and that "On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives" This exactly parallels the angel's statement in , "that as He left so shall He return." Tying this with , we see all the living and dead Christians are gathered to Jesus at that time. Going back to we read, "Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him." This inexorably links the return of Jesus to the glorification and "rapture" of Christians to him. In Jesus says to the faithful at Thyatira, "Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come." In other words, 'hold onto the truth of the Christian faith and its obedience amidst the false teaching of Jezebel and her sins, until My coming again.' Pre-trib commentators agree this could be talking about the second coming of Christ (John MacArthur, Robert L. Thomas). Would Jesus say hold on to the faith until I come again if they were not going to be there when he returned, but would have already been raptured? Expositor's Bible Commentary also makes this assertion. They are to be patient amidst persecution until when? Until the coming (''parousia'') of the Lord. Parousia is well known to mean "presence" and refers to his second coming many times in the New Testament. The farming analogy seems to indicate that the farmer is aware of the coming rains just as the believer is aware of coming end time events. For example, Jesus warned "when you see these things begin to take place nd time signs in the sun, moon, and stars / world chaos straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." This manner of expectancy is objected to on the grounds that it destroys the idea of Christ's rapture of the church being imminent, or able to occur at any moment. But imminent probably doesn't mean 'at any moment' in the New Testament. Many New Testament passages implicitly rule out an "any second" imminency (Matthew 24:45-51...25:5,19;Luke 19:11-27;John 21:18-19...Acts 9:15...). At the very least apostles Peter and Paul could not have believed in this kind of imminency because Peter was told by Jesus what manner of death he was to die and that it would take place many years later. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands
e crucified E, or e, is the fifth Letter (alphabet), letter and the second vowel#Written vowels, vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worl ...
and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Could Peter think the rapture was at any moment with this enduring prediction by Jesus? Also, it was told of Paul that he would bear Christ's name "before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" and that God would "show him how much he is to suffer for My name's sake." Does an any-moment rapture fit with such a massive missionary plan revealed by God for Paul's life which took decades to complete? Jesus encouraged the first disciples and all Christians, to look for certain events which would indicate his coming was "at the doors." This coupled with other passages like , seems to indicate moral watchfulness, waiting in expectancy, and sobriety ("be sober") and that the wrath of that day will overtake those in darkness (unbelievers) like a thief "but you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief." Thus a different concept of imminency emerges. Jesus, speaking chronologically in the Olivet Discourse regarding end time events, goes from the escalation of troubling times beginning in the 1st century and the present age (highlighting the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in A.D. 70) to the time of tribulation and then to his second coming without any mention of a prior removal of the church 7 or 3.5 years before it. One author sees Jesus as advocating a "delay" between the destruction of Jerusalem and his second advent. On the contrary, he states that "immediately after the tribulation of those days…they
he world He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
shall see the son of Man coming…and He shall send His angels, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Therefore, Jesus seems to put the rapture just before his second coming or on his way to earth. The phrase "gathering together" describes the rapture in using the noun form of the same Greek word. Paul says: "we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep." Then he points out that the Lord's coming with angels and the trumpet call will invite those already dead in Christ to rise from the dead before the ones on earth participate in the event. Then Paul states: "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." Some commentators note that because Paul used the plural ''"we"'' when referring to those who "are alive and remain" indicates that Paul believed that he and all believers on earth might witness and be a part of the second coming of Christ from earth. This would indicate that he would be on earth just prior to the coming of the Lord and the rapture. This is also the usage when he speaks of the same event saying: "Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." This passage adds the fact that believers will receive glorified bodies which is missing from the Thessalonian passage]." If believers were raptured before the tribulation then why would Paul use "we" and consider himself with all Christians to possibly be those who would be "alive and remaining
n earth N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
until the coming of the Lord?" They wouldn't be alive and remaining on the earth at His coming in a pre-tribulational scenario but would already be with Jesus in clouds along with the other believers who had died in Christ.


Opposing doctrines

Opposing doctrines include: * '' Pretribulationists'' believe that all Christians then alive will be taken bodily up to Heaven (called the
rapture The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
) before the tribulation begins. They often quote
2 Thessalonians 2 The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, with Timothy as a co-author. Modern biblical scholarship is divided on whether the epistle was ...
:6-7 to support the idea that the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn as a stabilizing influence on secular society (Matt 5.13) through the removal of the Church. Those who become converts after the rapture will, like the Old Testament saints, not be indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the same sense as Christians are said to be today. They will live through (or perish during) the tribulation. After the tribulation, Christ will return. This relatively new doctrine has become the most widely accepted eschatological doctrine in the United States during the past century. It is commonly taught in the vast majority of evangelical churches to the exclusion of all others. However, John Walvoord, former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, the primary pre-tribulational seminary, admitted, "It osttribulationismis embraced by Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic; it is followed by many protestant conservatives as well as modern liberals. Posttribulationism, as far as the church as a whole is concerned, is the majority view." It is the most popular view worldwide but it is not popular in the United States. (See
Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a system that was formalized in its entirety by John Nelson Darby. Dispensationalism maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or "dispensations" in which God acts with humanity in different ways. Dispensationali ...
for additional information about the origins and development of pre-tribulation rapture theology.) * '' Midtribulationists'' believe that the rapture of the faithful will occur halfway through the tribulation, after it begins, and will endure the phase of the tribulation which tests their faith, but that they will be removed before the last half occurs, because that -year period is manifestly dominated by the wrath of God falling on those who reject him, Supporters of this view often cite 1 Thessalonians 5.9, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." * ''
Prewrath The rapture is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurrected believers, will rise "in the c ...
'' is the belief the rapture will occur before the wrath of God is poured out on creation sometime after the middle of the tribulation. This belief is separate from midtribulation but is many times lumped in with it.


See also

;Events and ideas *
1 Maccabees The First Book of Maccabees, also known as First Maccabees (written in shorthand as 1 Maccabees or 1 Macc.), is a book written in Hebrew by an anonymousRappaport, U., ''47. 1 Maccabees'' in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)The Oxford Bible Comme ...
*
Daniel 8 Daniel 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel. It tells of Daniel's vision of a two-horned ram destroyed by a one-horned goat, followed by the history of the "little horn", which is Daniel's code-word for the Greek king Antiochus IV Epip ...
*
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes (; grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανής, ''Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs'', "God Manifest"; c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his deat ...
*
Apocalyptic literature Apocalyptic literature is a genre of prophetical writing that developed in post- Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians. '' Apocalypse'' ( grc, , }) is a Greek word meaning "revelation", "an unveiling or unf ...
*
Apologetics Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
*
Bible prophecy Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy comprises the passages of the Bible that are claimed to reflect communications from God to humans through prophets. Jews and Christians usually consider the biblical prophets to have received revelations from G ...
*
Biblical inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible "is without error or fault in all its teaching"; or, at least, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact". Some equate inerrancy with biblical i ...
*
Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly "an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon", it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology (a ...
*
Daniel's final vision Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in the Book of Daniel make up Daniel's final vision, describing a series of conflicts between the unnamed "King of the North" and "King of the South" leading to the " time of the end", when Israel will be vindicated and th ...
*
Daniel 8 Daniel 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel. It tells of Daniel's vision of a two-horned ram destroyed by a one-horned goat, followed by the history of the "little horn", which is Daniel's code-word for the Greek king Antiochus IV Epip ...
*
Day-year principle The year principle, year principle or year-for-a-day principle is a method of interpretation of Bible prophecy in which the word ''day'' in prophecy is considered to be symbolic of a ''year'' of actual time. It was the method used by most of the ...
*
Exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...
*
Futurism (Christian eschatology) Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets portions of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context. By comparison, other Christ ...
*
Internal consistency of the Bible Disputes regarding the internal consistency and textual integrity of the Bible have a long history. Classic texts that discuss questions of inconsistency from a critical secular perspective include the ''Tractatus Theologico-Politicus'' by Baruch ...
*
Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE) The siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Jud ...
*
Two witnesses In the Book of Revelation, the two witnesses (, ''duo martyron'') are two prophets who are mentioned in Revelation 11:1-14. Christian eschatology interprets this as two people, two groups of people, or two concepts. Some believe they are Enoch and ...
*
Whore of Babylon Babylon the Great, commonly known as the Whore of Babylon, refers to both a symbolic female figure and place of evil mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. Her full title is stated in Revelation 17 (verse 5) as "Mystery, Babylon the Gr ...
;People * Steven Anderson (pastor) - Producer of the 2012 Post-Tribulational film ''After the Tribulation'' *
Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
, ''
The City of God ''On the City of God Against the Pagans'' ( la, De civitate Dei contra paganos), often called ''The City of God'', is a book of Christian philosophy written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century AD. The book was in response ...
'', Chapter 23. *
Barnabas Barnabas (; arc, ܒܪܢܒܐ; grc, Βαρνάβας), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christian, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Name ...
, '' The Epistle of Barnabas'', chapter 4 * Mike Bickle (charismatic) *
James Montgomery Boice James Montgomery Boice (July 7, 1938 – June 15, 2000) was an American Reformed Christian theologian, Bible teacher, author, and speaker known for his writing on the authority of Scripture and the defence of Biblical inerrancy. He was also th ...
(Former Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA.) *
Gordon Clark Gordon Haddon Clark (August 31, 1902 – April 9, 1985) was an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian. He was a leading figure associated with presuppositional apologetics and was chairman of the Philosophy Department at Butler Univer ...
(Christian Philosopher and Theologian.) *
William Lane Craig William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American analytic philosopher, Christian apologist, author and Wesleyan theologian who upholds the view of Molinism and neo-Apollinarianism. He is Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist Univ ...
(Christian apologist and theologian) * Caecilius Cyprianus (Bishop of Carthage; Post-tribulationist) reatise 7.2*
Didache The ''Didache'' (; ), also known as The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations (Διδαχὴ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), is a brief anonymous early Christian tr ...
(speaks of Jesus gathering the elect after the Tribulation) *
Ephrem the Syrian Ephrem the Syrian ( syc, ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ, Mār ʾAp̄rêm Sūryāyā, ; grc-koi, Ἐφραὶμ ὁ Σῦρος, Efrém o Sýros; la, Ephraem Syrus; am, ቅዱስ ኤፍሬም ሶርያዊ; ), also known as Saint Ephrem, Saint ...
(Post-tribulationist) *
John Gill John Gill may refer to: Sports *John Gill (cricketer) (1854–1888), New Zealand cricketer *John Gill (coach) (1898–1997), American football coach *John Gill (footballer, born 1903), English professional footballer *John Gill (American football) ...
(Held the view that the Church was not raptured out in any event prior the tribulation) *
Wayne Grudem Wayne A. Grudem (born 1948) is a New Testament scholar turned theologian, seminary professor, and author. He co-founded the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and served as the general editor of the ''ESV Study Bible''. Life Grudem was bo ...
(well known Christian theologian, author, and professor) * Hermas,
The Shepherd of Hermas ''The Shepherd of Hermas'' ( el, Ποιμὴν τοῦ Ἑρμᾶ, ''Poimēn tou Herma''; la, Pastor Hermae), sometimes just called ''The Shepherd'', is a Christian literary work of the late first half of the second century, considered a valuab ...
*
Thomas Ice Thomas Ice is an American theologian and author of books on biblical prophecy. Education and career Ice received his BA from Howard Payne University in 1975, his masters in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1981, and a PhD from Tynda ...
21st century American theologian and chair of the Pre-Trib Research Center based at
Liberty University Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
*
Greg Koukl Gregory Koukl (born June 10, 1950) is a Christian apologist and radio talk show host. He is the founder of the Christian apologetics organization Stand to Reason. He is married to Steese Koukl and lives near Hermosa Beach, California. Education ...
(Evangelical Radio Host, Apologist, Author and Speaker for Stand to Reason) * Hippolytus (Writer of the early Christian Church; Speaks of the Antichrist's reign and persecution of the Church ) *
Irenaeus Irenaeus (; grc-gre, Εἰρηναῖος ''Eirēnaios''; c. 130 – c. 202 AD) was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the dev ...
(Post-tribulationist; Disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John the apostle) *
Justin Martyr Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...
(Christian apologist and post-tribulationist) *
George Eldon Ladd George Eldon Ladd (July 31, 1911 – October 5, 1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, known in Christian eschatology for his promotion of inaugura ...
(Baptist minister and Theologian. Taught at Fuller Theological Seminary.) *
Walter Ralston Martin Walter Ralston Martin (September 10, 1928 – June 26, 1989) was an American Baptist Christian minister and author who founded the Christian Research Institute in 1960 as a parachurch ministry specializing as a clearing-house of information ...
(20th Century American Apologist, Minister, Author, and Founder of Christian Research Institute) *
Albert Mohler Richard Albert Mohler Jr. (born October 19, 1959) is an American evangelical theologian, the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and host of the podcast ''The Briefing'', where he daily analyzes ...
(Post-tribulationist, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) *
George Müller George Müller (born Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller, 27 September 1805 – 10 March 1898) was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren mov ...
(19th Century Christian evangelist and orphanage coordinator) *
Benjamin Wills Newton Benjamin Wills Newton (12 December 1807 – 26 June 1899) was an English evangelist, author of Christian books, and leader of a Plymouth church. His congregation and others around Plymouth became known as the Plymouth Brethren. Newton was a frien ...
(Evangelist, leader in the Plymouth Brethren, theological rival to John Nelson Darby.) * John Piper (Evangelical Calvinist, Pastor, Author) Article listed below. *
John Charles Ryle John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. Life He was the eldest son of John Ryle, private banker, of Park House, Macclesfield, M.P. for Maccles ...
(19th Century Anglican bishop and theologian) *
Charles Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...
(Christian English Baptist Preacher. Known as the "Prince of Preachers".) *
Samuel Prideaux Tregelles Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (30 January 1813 – 24 April 1875) was an English biblical scholar, lexicographer, Christian Hebraist, textual critic, and theologian. Life Tregelles was born at Wodehouse Place, Falmouth, of Quaker parents, but h ...
(19th Century Bible scholar) *
Tertullian Tertullian (; la, Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus; 155 AD – 220 AD) was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of L ...
(Father of the Latin Church; Post-tribulationist) *
Victorinus Marcus Piavonius VictorinusSome of the inscriptions record his name as M. Piavvonius Victorinus, as does the first release of coins from the Colonia mint. A mosaic from Augusta Treverorum (Trier) lists him as Piaonius. was emperor in the Gallic ...
(third or fourth century; Book of Revelation first commentary writer) *
John Walvoord John F. Walvoord (May 1, 1910 – December 20, 2002) was a Christian theologian, pastor, and president of Dallas Theological Seminary from 1952 to 1986. He was the author of over 30 books, focusing primarily on eschatology and theology including ' ...
20th Century American theologian, author, and 2nd President of
Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theology, theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as cont ...


Notes


References

* William Arnold III, Post-Tribulation Rapture, 7. History of Pre- and Post Tribulationism * Koukl, Greg.
The Rap on the Rapture
': 1996. * Martin, D. Michael. The New American Commentary; 1,2 Thessalonians, p. 154,155. Broadman and Holman Publishers, vol. 33, 2002. * Osborne, Grant R. Baker Evangelical Commentary of the New Testament: Revelation. Baker Academics, 2002. * Piper, John.
Definition and Observations Concerning The Second Coming
' August 30, 1987. * MacArthur Jr., John F. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Revelation.
Moody Press Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have i ...
, Chicago, 1999. * MacArthur Jr., John F. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James. Moody Press, Chicago, 1998. *Thomas, Robert L. An Exegetical Commentary: Revelation 1–7, Moody Press, Chicago, 1992. *Johnson, Alan F. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Editor
Frank E. Gaebelein Frank Ely Gaebelein (March 31, 1899 – January 19, 1983) was an American evangelical educator, author, and editor who was the founding headmaster of The Stony Brook School in Long Island, New York. He is the author of more than twenty books, a ...
. The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, volume 12, 1981. *Harrison, Everett F. The New Testament and Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Moody Press, 1971. *G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Carson, and R.T. France. New Bible Commentary. 21st century Edition. Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England, 2004. *MacArthur Jr., John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Word Bibles, Nashville, London, Vancouver, Melbourne, 1997. *Carson, D.A. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Editor Frank E. Gaebelein. Regency Reference Library, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, volume 8, 1984. *MacArthur Jr., John F.
Why Every Calvinist Should be a Premillennialist - Part 1
', 2007. *Vincent, Marvin.

'


Further reading

;Relevant verses * (Resurrection of the righteous dead in connection with the rapture) * * (Prophet Ezekiel about the resurrection) * (Jesus about the resurrection-rapture) * ("First Resurrection" taking place after the Tribulation) ;Other Biblical sources *
Luke 17 Luke 17 is the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the teachings of Jesus Christ and the healing of ten lepers. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradi ...
*
Matthew 24 Matthew 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It commences the Olivet Discourse or "Little Apocalypse" spoken by Jesus Christ, also described as the Eschatological Discourse, which ...
*
John 14 John 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It continues Jesus' discussions with His disciples in anticipation of His death and records the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.Halley, Henry H. ...
* Acts 2 and Acts 3 * Peter 1 *
1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus. The first eleven verses contain the earliest account o ...
* 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Thessalonians 5 * 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 2 * Titus 2:13 * Revelation 14:14-20 and Revelation 20:1-6 ;Books * Anderberg, Roy W., ''Post Tribulation Rapture'' Wheatmark Publishing, 2008, * Alnor, William M., ''Soothsayers of the Second Advent.'' Fleming H. Revell, 1989. * Barnhouse, Donald Grey, ''Revelation - An Expositional Commentary.'' Zondervan, 1971. * Boston, Robert, ''Close Encounters with the Religious Right.'' Prometheus Books, 2000. * Brog, David, ''Standing With Israel.'' Front Line, A Strang Company, 2006. * Clarkson, Frederick, ''Eternal Hostility.'' Common Courage Press, 1997. * Coombes, R. A., ''America, The Babylon - America's Destiny Foretold in Biblical Prophecy'' A Real Book, 1998. * Culver, Robert Duncan, ''Daniel and the Latter Days''. Fleming H. Revell Company, 1954. * Dyer, Charles H., ''The Rise of Babylon.'' Moody Publishers, 2003. * Feinberg, Charles L., ''Millennialism - Two Major Views''. Moody Press, 1980. * Graves, Joel C., ''Gathering Over Jerusalem.'' Xulon Press, 2003. * Hitchcock, Mark, ''Is America in Bible Prophecy?.'' Multnomah Publishers, 2002. * Hunt, Dave, ''A Cup of Trembling - Jerusalem and Bible Prophecy.'' Harvest House Publishers, 1995. * Ironside, Harry A., ''Revelation.'' Loizeaux Brothers, 1982. * Jeffrey, Grant R., ''Armageddon - Appointment with Destiny.'' Bantam Books, 1990. * Juster, Dan; Intrater, Keith, ''Israel, the Church and the Last Days.'' Destiny Image Publishers, 1991. * Ladd, George Eldon, ''"A Commentary on the Revelation of John".'' William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972. * Lalonde, Peter & Patti, ''"Left Behind".'' Harvest House Publishers, 1995. * LaSor, William Sanford, ''"The Truth About Armageddon".'' Harper & Row, 1982. * Lindsey, Hal, ''"Planet Earth - 2000 A.D."'' Western Front, Ltd., 1994. * Linker, Damon, ''"The Theocons".'' Doubleday, 2006. * Moesta, Louis, "''The Crucible and the Crown''". WordFire Press, October 1999. * Paterson, Stella, ''"Calling Forth The Remnant By Way of the Cross".'' Preparing The Way Publishers, 2006. * Pentecost, J. Dwight, ''"Things To Come".'' Dunham Publishing Company, 1962. * Perry, Richard H., ''"Of the Last Days: Listen, I Tell You a Mystery".'' Essence Publishing (Canada), July 2003. * Pink, Arthur W., ''"The Antichrist".'' Kregel Publications, 1988. * Rausch, David A., ''"Zionism Within Early American Fundamentalism 1878-1918 - A Convergence of Two Traditions".'' The Edwin Mellen Press, 1979. * Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, ''"Dispensationalism Today".'' Moody Press, 1965. * Reese, Alexander, ''" The Approaching Advent Of Christ".' 'Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1937 ot dated; British Library dates as 1937Reprint:Grand Rapids International Publications,1975. * Shearer, S. R. (Steve), ''"The Beginning of the End".'' End of the Age Ministries, 1985. * Spargimino, Larry, ''"The Anti-Prophets - The Challenge of Preterism".'' Hearthstone Publishing, 2000. * Sutton, William Josiah, ''"Ancient Prophecies About the Dragon, The Beast, and the False Prophet".'' The Institute of Religious Knowledge, 1999. * Sutton, William Josiah, ''"The Antichrist 666".'' Teach Services, Inc., 1995. * Walvoord, John F., ''"Every Prophecy of the Bible".'' Chariot Victory Publishing, 1999. * Walvoord, John F., ''"The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook". '' Victor Books, 1977. * White, E. G., ''"America in Prophecy".'' Inspiration Books East, Inc., 1888. * Woodrow, Ralph, ''"His Truth is Marching On -Advanced Studies on Prophecy in the Light of History".'' Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Assn., Inc., 1996 Edition. * Woods, Dennis James, "''Unlocking the Door: A Key to Biblical Prophecy''". Vital Issues Press, June 1994. * Ybarra, Adolfo Ricardo, "''Las Bases de la Fe Postribulacional - The Basis of the Post-tribulational Faith''". http://www.docstoc.com/docs/91582190/Las-Bases-de-la-Fe-Postribulacional---Adolfo-Ricardo-Ybarra


External links

*
9 Reasons We Can Be Confident Christians Won’t Be Raptured Before the Tribulation
by Justin Taylor (with extensive quotes from John Piper and
Benjamin L. Merkle Benjamin Lee Merkle (born 1971) is an American New Testament scholar. He is Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Merkle studied at Kuyper College, Westminster Seminary California, and Souther ...
*
What Must Happen Before the Day of the Lord
by John Piper {{Doomsday Christian eschatology Rapture