We stopped believing in the pre-trib rapture in the ‘80s. WHen you cannot defend a viewpoint without having to lean on commentaries (of men) and say that a certain word in this particular instance means something it rarely means in Scripture at all was just too ridiculous.I’d grown up believing it, too! But I could not defend it when I tried to. We see the pre-trib view as having decimated the power of the church. When you think a Scripture doesn’t pertain to you, you feel you can ignore the consequences of it, but you do at your own peril. Most Americans await a pre-trib rapture that is not coming. Their faith will be sorely tried when they find themselves in the middle of the “week”, when Antichrist reveals himself by desecrating the temple, then they are going to feel betrayed. This is why Paul warned us to study, to show ourselves approved unto God, to be ready for anything.
To speak of any view other than the pre-trib position is to be considered a heretic in most churches. Not so in other countries, though. Unless they have a Bible that has a lot of American commentaries in them. If they just have a native language, straight translation Bible, they tend to believe that the rapture comes at the 6th seal, just before the 7 trumpets and the 7 bowl judgments. We lived overseas for 25.5 years. (In Turkey for 6 years!)
1) “Where is America in Bible prophecy?” (when was the last time a South Korean evangelical asked, “Where is South Korea in Bible prophecy?”
2) “When does the Rapture take place, pre-Trib, mid-Trib, or post-Trib?” (loose paraphrase, “Will I still be here when all hell breaks loose?”)
Never mind that Christians in the Middle East are facing tribulation even today (albeit on a smaller scale than the future Great Tribulation), and beheadings are already taking place...