Extra-Biblical Evidence for the Pre-Trib Rapture

Unsealed.org ^ | 4/1/15 | Gary

[amessenger4god]

We have addressed the accusation before that the pre-trib rapture theory was invented by a Scottish girl named Margaret MacDonald in the early 19th century.  This is now widely known to be factually incorrect and in fact there are numerous references to a pre-trib rapture in late 18th century American writing, as well as contemporary (at that time) Catholic writings such as Manuel Lacunza's The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty.

Additionally, Chuck Missler has brought to light a writing from "Ephraem the Syrian" (b. 306; d. 373 AD) where this early Church deacon wrote in unequivocal language the following:

"For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."

Now it has been charged that the above quote was not written by Ephraem himself, but a later writer possibly posing as Ephraem (called Pseudo-Ephraem).  This is possible, even likely, but is almost irrelevant as the writing was not made any later that 627 AD.  This means that the pre-tribulational rapture was positively taught no later than the early 7th century.

Other even more ancient writings have recently come to light as well.  Including from Cyprian:

"We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible... And do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an earlier departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent... Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world, and restores us to paradise and the kingdom."

Cyprian died in 258 AD, so his above treatise had to have been written even before that year.  But far more amazing than Cyprian's quote, is Iranaeus' Against Heresies.  Iranaeus was only once removed from John himself (John likely being the very person who wrote down the Book of Revelation).  In Book 5, chapter 29, Iranaeus wrote:

"And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, There shall [then] be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.  [Matthew 24:21] For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption. [1 Corinthians 15]"

Even in the context of the larger chapter, the very next thing that occurs in Iranaeus' timeline after the Church is "suddenly caught up" is the revelation of the antichrist.

All these references aside, the rapture itself is plainly taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  This verse alone proves that there will be a rapture event (unless, without justification, you want to interpret this verse symbolically).

And the timing of the rapture as pre-tribulational may be unequivocally taught in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 if apostasia is translated "departure".

In any case, while only time will tell and God alone knows how things will pan out, there are numerous reasons to confidently hold to a belief in the pre-trib rapture, not least of which is that Biblical scholars pretty much unanimously agree that the early church, both before and for awhile after 70 AD, believed almost universally in the imminent coming of Christ... an event that would come suddenly.

[AlienandStranger]

That’s the point: Christians are raptured BEFORE the tribulation. When these things happen, we’re already gone.

[cuban leaf]

We’re in complete agreement. This part is interesting to me: People used to ask me all the time if Obama was the antichrist (actually, they meant “the beast”). I would tell them that either he is the incompetent he appears to be, in which case he will go down hard, or he is the beast and God will be the one to take him down.

Hence my tag line. They both end the same way for the US and the world.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

The woman is Israel, read it in context.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

This is laughable compared to what the real tribulation will be.

[StoneWall Brigade]

End Times Ping

[Roman_War_Criminal]

“Pretrib is just an excuse to escape persecution - especially for Americans who believe they are the only Christians that matter in the world and the world revolves around them.”

You lie!

John 14:3
1 Thess, 4:16-18
1 Cor. 15:51-53
Matthew 25:13

Prove me wrong with scriptures! All else is projection.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Really? The “Church” flees for that amount of time?

The Church is gone by Revelation 5. Those who flee to the wilderness is Israel. When Jesus is talking about fleeing to the mountains, he’s not talking to Christians or the Church—it’s Israel who he’s talking to.

[NorthstarMom]

I used to be firmly in the pre-trib rapture camp. Now, not so much. The necessity of 3 comings for pre-trip rapture to be true is a problem. Our pastor explains it “a second coming in two parts”, I think it is a rather silly stretch.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Exactly....Christians need to understand that God is about to burn this whole house down and He will remove all of His children from the house before it burns.

He did it with Noah, He did it with Lot, and He’ll do it again with whoever is Sealed By Him when He decides to send Jesus for us.

There’s a big difference between persecution and His wrath & judgement. His children won’t suffer the latter, we have been suffering the former since the beginning of time.

[SkyDancer]

People back when thought that Hitler was either the anti-Christ or the Beast and they weren’t far off. I tell my friends to watch Israel.

[SkyDancer]

One friend actually told me that when Yeshua comes for His church that it’s not really the Second Coming because He hadn’t touched down on Earth so that doesn’t count.

[Star Traveler]

I don’t believe the Bible calls it the Second Coming. What I see is that the Bible describes Jesus taking the Christians (alive and dead) up to be with him in Heaven.

And then it describes Jesus as setting up His Kingdom, over all the nations on earth.

It’s as simple as two descriptions for two different things that Jesus is doing. You don’t even have to invoke the human language of “Second Coming” — just the Bible’s language of “what Jesus does” — no more and no less ... :-) ...

[Star Traveler]

Well ... I might think so, but apparently others don’t ... :-) ...

[Boogieman]

“This means that the pre-tribulational rapture was positively taught no later than the early 7th century.”

It still flatly contradicts the Bible, so it doesn’t really matter. You can find heretical writings just as old as the oldest NT manuscripts, but they are still heretical.

[Boogieman]

So who are the living believers that are transformed at the same time as the dead Christians at the 1st resurrection, if they have all been raptured 3.5 years before?

[GraceG]

Nations rise, nations fall. Nothing to see here.

I think corrupt countries actually LIKE to make people belive in a pre-trib rapture.

That way the decent people are tricked into thinking that Jesus is gonna beam them up to heaven like scotty on star trek.

This makes the good people more complacent so that evil can run amok more unchecked.

[cuban leaf]

So who are the living believers that are transformed at the same time as the dead Christians at the 1st resurrection, if they have all been raptured 3.5 years before?

---

You are applying pre-trib and mid-trib concepts in a mishmash.

i.e. in mid-trib. They were not raptured 3.5 years before. They are raptured “in the middle”. Hence the name “mid-trib”. But it’s not really the middle. It is after 3.5 years of tribulation (I see it as “the wrath of satan”) but before the 3.5 years of “wrath of God”.

But again, it’s only my opinion. There is not “answer sheet” at the end of the bible for bible prophesy.

[Boogieman]

“You are applying pre-trib and mid-trib concepts in a mishmash.”

No, I don’t believe in either. I am challenging you to reconcile your doctrine with what the Bible actually says.

“i.e. in mid-trib. They were not raptured 3.5 years before. They are raptured “in the middle”. Hence the name “mid-trib”. But it’s not really the middle. It is after 3.5 years of tribulation (I see it as “the wrath of satan”) but before the 3.5 years of “wrath of God”.”

Yes, that may be your opinion, but the Bible says that the living and dead believers are all transformed at the same time, when Christ returns, and Revelation tells us Christ returns at the end of the tribulation. So, if the “rapture” happens midway through the tribulation, who are these living believers that the Bible tells us are transformed at the first resurrection when Christ returns?

[Boogieman]

“Exactly....Christians need to understand that God is about to burn this whole house down and He will remove all of His children from the house before it burns.”

It simply isn’t true that God is going to destroy everything, at least, not until long after the tribulation. There is an intervening period of 1000 years from the end of the tribulation until the old heaven and earth pass away, and in the meantime, the Bible tells us that people and nations (and plants and animals) are all living on the earth, not destroyed in flames.

Even though God pours his wrath out on the Earth, not everyone and everything is destroyed, and the people who teach that are lying in order to promote their false doctrine.

[SkyDancer]

Then what would you call it when the Bible speaks of the coming of Yeshua? When Yeshua comes back to claim His church and they meet him in the air, Yeshua keeps coming to Earth. He doesn’t go back with them then return yet again. The Bible speaks only of two instances when Yeshua is on Earth; first time as the Suffering Messiah, the second time as the Conquering Messiah.