The Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation
The following references from the Scriptures confirm that the Church will not go through the coming seven-year Tribulation period.
1) The Tribulation Is Never Spoken Of In Connection With The Church
There are eight main passages of Scripture that speak directly of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:3-29; Mark 13:4-24; Revelation 3:10; 7:14-17; Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Jeremiah 14:8; 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1). We would think that if the Church is to go through the Tribulation that at least one of these passages would say it, but there is not one reference to the Church being in the Tribulation, or having any connection with it! (When we speak of the Church we mean Christians which are the members of Christ’s body—Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:13.) This in itself is significant. It means that those who believe this error have inferred their ideas into Scripture.
In Matthew 24 and Mark 13, the Lord was speaking to His Jewish disciples who are representative of the Jewish remnant of believers that will pass through the Tribulation. This is substantiated by the comments the Lord made to them. He spoke of what they should do when the temple and “the holy place” would be defiled by “the abomination of desolation” (vs. 15). He spoke about the land of “Judea” (vs. 16), about “the Sabbath” day (vs. 20), about “the tribes of Israel” being gathered together (vss. 30-31), and “the fig tree”—a well-known symbol of Israel (vs. 32). He also spoke of “the coming of the Son of Man,” which is a title used in Scripture for the Lord’s dealings with Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth—never the Church. (When His coming for the Church—the Rapture—is mentioned, He is referred to as the Lord, or as the Bridegroom.) All these things indicate that the Lord was not referring to Christians in regard to the Tribulation. Christians do not have to do with a physical temple and holy place to worship in. Nor do they have anything to do with the Sabbath day, etc. These things, quite obviously, apply to the Jews.
Revelation 3:10, speaks about the Tribulation coming upon the world, but not upon the Church. In fact, the Lord says in that passage that He is going to keep the Christians “out” of that “hour of trial!”
In Revelation 7:14, the Tribulation is spoken of in connection with Gentile nations (Rev. 7:9).
In Deuteronomy 4:30-31, the Tribulation is spoken of in connection with Israel (Deut. 4:1).
In Jeremiah 30:4-7, the Tribulation is referred to as “Jacob’s trouble.” It does not say, “The Church’s trouble.” It specifies that these things are concerning Israel and Judah.
In Daniel 12:1, it says, twice, that “the time of trouble” (the Tribulation) will be upon “the children of thy people.” Daniel’s people were Jews.
These references show that the Tribulation has to do with Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth, but not with the Church. The fact that Church is never mentioned in connection with the Tribulation ought to be enough in itself to convince any willing mind that the Church will not be in, or go through, the Tribulation.
Israel and the Church—Two Different Companies
As we proceed, it will become increasingly evident that what is at the bottom of most of the difficulty that people have on this subject stems from not distinguishing between Israel and the Church. This is a very old trouble among Christians that can be traced back to the early centuries of the Church’s history when Judaizing teachers taught that Israel was merged into the Church at Pentecost, and that they are now one and the same company. In their erroneous teaching, the Church is said to be the new Israel that will inherit the earth. It is generally known as “Reformed Theology” or “Covenant Theology” today, even though it had its origins long before the Reformation of the 1500s. This system of teaching does not see the Church’s true nature, calling, and hope as being a special company of believers who belong to heaven. Scripture teaches that the Church will reign with Christ over the earth, as something distinct from Israel and the Gentiles nations who will have a portion of blessing on the earth.
As a result of this erroneous teaching, many have misunderstood God’s purpose to have, not one, but two great companies of redeemed of persons to share Christ’s glory in the day of His public reign (the Millennium). There will be a heavenly company of saints, composed of the “bride” of Christ (the Church) and those known as “the friends of the Bridegroom” (Old Testament saints), and then there will also be an earthly company of people consisting of a remnant of the 12 tribes of “Israel” and the Gentile “nations.”
Presently, God is calling the Church (Christ’s bride and wife) by the gospel of His grace. Those who rest in faith on Christ’s finished work on the cross are sealed with the Holy Spirit and are made part of the Church. This is an entirely new thing in the ways of God. It was not in existence in Old Testament times, or when Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom. When He was on earth, He said, “I will build My Church” (Matt. 16:18). This clearly shows that it was yet a future thing. It did not begin until Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 47; 5:11; 11:15 “beginning”). The word Church (Ecclesia—Greek) means “called out,” and aptly describes what God is presently doing by calling out believers from among both the Jews and the Gentiles. By virtue of the Spirit of God descending into the world on the day of Pentecost and taking up residence in that company of believers, He has united them to Christ in heaven, Who is the Head of the Church (Eph. 5:23). This is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13).
In Ephesians 3:6, Paul explains this new and unique call of God, and shows that it is something that is entirely different from what was spoken of by the Old Testament prophets concerning Israel and the Gentiles. He states three things that characterize this present calling of God by the gospel:
Firstly, he says, “That they who are of the nations should be joint heirs” (J. N. Darby Trans.). Note: he did not say that the nations would be joint heirs, but that “they who are of the nations” would be joint heirs. This refers to a selection of certain elect persons from among the nations who have been chosen to be part of this special heavenly company—the Church (Eph. 1:4-6). The nations that these ones are called out of remain intact and continue on earth today as such, and will do so during the Millennium as well (Rev. 21:24).
This special calling of God by the gospel is not the bringing of the Gentile nations to Jehovah en masse, as announced in the Old Testament, whereby they would have a place in the Messiah’s Kingdom under Israel (Zech. 2:11; 8:22-23; Isa. 11:10; 14:1; 56:3-7; 60:1-5; Psa. 22:27; 47:9; 72:10-11). That which the Old Testament speaks of is an outward conversion of the Gentile nations that will take place in the future when Christ sets up His Millennial Kingdom. They will join allegiance to Israel’s God out of fear of judgment; there will not necessarily be a work of faith in their hearts (Psa. 18:44-47; 66:1-3; 68:28-31; Isa. 60:14), although very many will be real (Rev. 7:9-10). This present special calling of God must not be confused with the call to the Gentiles that is to come in the future.
Certain statements in the book of the Acts confirm this unique call of God that’s going on today. Luke, the writer of the book, says that when Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem, they stopped at certain places to tell the saints of the good news of “the conversion of those of the nations” (Acts 15:3–J. N. Darby Trans.). Note again: it is not the conversion of the Gentiles, but a conversion “of those of” the Gentiles. He mentions it again in verse 14 of the same chapter, stating that in the gospel, God was (and is today) visiting the Gentiles to “take out of them a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). And, it’s mentioned again in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. The Lord said to him, “Taking thee out from among the people [Israel] and the nations ... ” (Acts 26:17–J. N. Darby Trans.). This shows that when Paul was saved, he was taken out of his former position as an Israelite and put into an entirely new creation of God as a member of the body of Christ (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). He was then sent to preach the gospel to those among the nations, that through believing in Christ, they too could be brought into this new heavenly thing.
As mentioned, Jews and Gentiles, as distinct entities, still remain on earth today while the gospel call goes out, but now, as a result of this present call of God, there is a third entity—“the Church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). Hence, in this present dispensation of grace, God is calling believing Jews and Gentiles out of their former positions and bringing them into something new—the Church. As stated earlier, the meaning of the word Church is, “called out ones.” It very aptly expresses this special call by the gospel today.
“Reformed” or “Covenant” theologians will mistakenly use certain verses in the book of the Acts to prove that these two calls are one and the same. But a closer look at those references shows that they are not a fulfilment of those Old Testament passages, but are simply quoted to show that God has always had in mind His purpose to bless the Gentiles.
Secondly, Ephesians 3:6 says that believers from among the Gentiles today are made part of a “joint body” of believers composed of those who were once Jews and those who were once Gentiles. The mystery of Christ and the Church reveals that Jews and Gentiles who believe the gospel are formed into one living organism (a joint body) and that they share an equal footing and a common blessing in this new creation of God (Eph. 2:14-16). This “one body in Christ,” (Rom. 12:5) is an entirely new thing of God’s making and is not found in the Old Testament. The Old Testament Scriptures do not speak of believing Jews and Gentiles sharing a common blessing and privilege as joined together in the nearest possible union. Furthermore, Scripture announces that Christ will reign over Israel and the over the Gentile nations (Psa. 93:1; Isa. 32:1), but it never says that He will reign over the Church, which is His body.
Thirdly, Paul says that this company of select Jews and Gentiles are “joint partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus.” This promise has no connection with the promises made to the Patriarchs in Old Testament times. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given during their lifetimes, but this promise of “eternal life” was made “before the ages of time” (Titus 1:2). “Eternal life” is distinctly a New Testament blessing involving a conscious relationship with the Father and the Son (John 17:3), and having the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 4:14). Old Testament saints did not know of the relationship of the Father and the Son in the Godhead, and only looked forward to living forever on earth under a reigning Messiah (Psa. 8:1-9, etc.), nor did they have the indwelling of the Spirit. Eternal life was first seen when Christ came into the world and manifested it; prior to that, it was “with the Father” in heaven (1 John 1:2).
Hence, we see from these three things that the present call of God is not a spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies (as Covenant theologians will tell us), but something altogether different. The present heavenly call does not in any way interfere with God’s future plan to bless Israel and the Gentiles on earth under the reign of Christ. The conversion of the Gentiles will take place in a coming day, but a conversion of those out of the Gentiles is happening today by the gospel call. When reading the Scriptures, it is important not to confuse these distinct calls of God. The faithful “workman” will “rightly divide the Word of truth” and make this distinction in Bible teaching (2 Tim. 2:15).
2) The Church is not the Subject of Prophecy
The fact is that prophecy, properly speaking, does not have to do with the Church, but with Christ and His dealings with Israel and the Gentile nations that will pass through the Tribulation and into the Millennial Kingdom. Daniel’s seventy weeks (Dan. 9:24-27) clearly show that events concerning Israel, and prophecy, have come to a stop at the end of the 69th week when the Jews “cut off” their Messiah in death. There are still seven years (the 70th week) to be fulfilled in prophecy regarding Israel, which will not be fulfilled until God takes up with them again in a future day. We are now in the “due time” of God’s grace (1 Tim. 2:6) when God is calling believers out of both the Jews and the Gentiles to be a heavenly people for Himself (Acts 15:14). Prophecy regarding the Tribulation does not have to do with this present time. It is a misunderstanding of the prophetic Scriptures to try to correlate events happening today—when the Church is still on earth—with events foretold in prophecy, supposing that they are being fulfilled now.
3) The Outline of the Book of Revelation Shows the Church Will not be on Earth During the Tribulation
By having a simple outline of the book of Revelation we learn several points that clearly show that the Church will not be on earth when the Tribulation judgments are poured out.
There are three general divisions to the book given in chapter 1:19:
• “The things which thou hast seen”—refers to what the Apostle John saw in chapter 1.
• “The things which are”—refers to chapters 2 and 3, which contain the Lord’s addresses to the seven churches, being a moral history of the professing Church on earth from just after the apostles’ time to its last days.
• “The things which shall be hereafter”—refers to chapters 4 to 22, wherein the Tribulation is described. This third division is called “hereafter” (Rev. 4:1) because it deals with things which will take place after the Church has finished its history on earth.
It is instructive to see that after chapters 2 and 3, a door in heaven opens and John is called “up hither” (Rev. 4:1). This is a little picture of the Church being called away to heaven after it has finished its course on earth, by the coming of the Lord (the Rapture). From chapter 4 to the end of the book, the Church is no longer seen on earth as in chapters 1-3. When the Tribulation judgments are poured out in chapters 6 to 19, the Church is not once mentioned!
Also, those who will be martyred for their faithfulness during the Tribulation indicate by the character of their prayers that they are not Christians (Rev. 6:9-10). Firstly, the way in which they address God, as “Sovereign Ruler,” shows that they cannot be Christians. Christians do not address God in that way; they speak to God as their Father (Eph. 1:2; Col. 1:2). Secondly, they pray for vengeance on the earth-dwellers who have persecuted them. This is right and proper for a Jew (i.e. imprecatory Psalms), but it is surely not the attitude of a Christian. A Christian blesses those that curse him and prays for them who despitefully use him (Luke 6:27-28), but he does not invoke judgment upon his persecutors (Rom. 12:19-21).
In chapter 7, we are told who will come out of the Tribulation in the end—the elect of Israel (vss. 1-8) and a great multitude of Gentiles (vss. 9-17). But there is no mention of Christians! They do not come out of the Tribulation because they do not go into the Tribulation. As mentioned already, they are called up to heaven before it begins.
Notice also, that when the Church is seen on the earth (in chapters 2 and 3), the expression, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches,” is repeated many times. But after the Church is seen as taken out (Rev. 4:1), when the Tribulation is going on, the expression is somewhat altered. It says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 13:9). The phrase, “what the Spirit saith to the churches” is purposely dropped! The obvious reason for this is that the Church is considered as already taken out of the world and the Spirit is no longer addressing it.
Then finally, in chapter 19:11-21 at the end of the Tribulation, we see the Church as part of the armies of heaven (the heavenly saints) coming out of heaven with the Lord in His war judgments. For them to be able to come out of heaven with the Lord (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14, etc.) they would have had to be taken up earlier. The only thing that correlates with this is the Rapture which—as we have shown—will take place before the Tribulation begins.
Besides, if all the believing saints are taken up to be with the Lord at the end of the Tribulation, as some people believe, then who would be left to populate the millennial earth? With the wicked sent away into everlasting punishment, the earth would be left empty of people! (The saints caught up to be with the Lord in the air will not come back to live on earth—they will reign over the earth in “the high places”—Dan. 7:22, 27; 2 Cor. 5:1.)
4) The Church’s Deliverance is Different From Israel’s
In Revelation 3:10, the Church is promised that it will be saved “out” of the coming hour of trial. The next verse (11) shows how—”Behold I come quickly.”—this is the Rapture. But note: no such promise is made to Israel. Israel is spoken of as being saved “in” the time of trouble (Jer. 14:8). God will graciously preserve a godly remnant of them through the Tribulation.
5) The Church Has Been Promised Deliverance From the Coming Wrath
Christians are told to “await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus, our Deliverer from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:9-10). There is “wrath” coming upon this world; it’s the judgment that will fall during the Tribulation. This “wrath” is mentioned 10 times in the book of Revelation. Chapter 6:16, 17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15. Notice, all references are after chapters 2 and 3, which depict the time of the Church being on earth. This shows that the Church will be gone when the Tribulation judgments are poured out. The Lord Jesus will deliver them from it before the wrath falls (Rom. 5:9).
6) God Has not Appointed the Church to Wrath
First Thessalonians 5:9-10 says, “God hath not appointed us to wrath (the coming judgment), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The aspect of salvation, in this verse, is not the eternal salvation of the soul; that, Christians have already. There is, however, another aspect of salvation in the Bible that is a future thing. For instance, the Word of God says, “For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:11; Rom. 5:9; 8:23-25; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5). This aspect of salvation is the salvation of our bodies, when the Lord comes and takes us out of this world. “We await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour: Who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory, according to the working of the power which He has even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:51-56).
The verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells us that the Church has been appointed to obtain this salvation, and not the wrath that is to come on the world.
7) The Shout is Before the Proclamation of Peace and Safety
The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Thessalonians, clearly puts the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-18) as happening before the time of the Tribulation, when “peace and safety” will be promised by the Beast and the Antichrist through the false protection of the newly revived the revived Roman Empire (1 Thess. 5:1-3).
Furthermore, a closer look at the passage will show that those who are “caught up” at the Rapture (in chapter 4) are addressed as a different class of persons than those who are promised “peace and safety” in the Tribulation (in chapter 5). This is indicated by the change from the first person plural, to the third person plural. The words change from “we” and “us” when referring to those caught up at the Rapture, and to “they” and “them” when referring to those who are promised false peace and safety in the Tribulation. This change is not by accident; the Spirit of God is indicating two different classes of persons. The raptured saints—the Church (1 Thess. 4:15-18), and those who will be left behind to enter the Tribulation.
Paul, being a Christian, put himself among those who might be on earth when the Lord comes (the Rapture), saying, “we” (1 Thess. 4:17). It is significant that he did not refer to himself among those who would be on earth during the time when “peace and safety” will be promised by the Beast. This, of course, is because he did not see himself as being among those who will experience the Tribulation.
8) The Catching Away is Before the Falling Away
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul again puts “the coming of our Lord and our gathering together unto Him” (the Rapture), as happening before the rise of the Antichrist and the great “falling away” that will occur in the Great Tribulation. The order is simple. First there is the catching away of the Church (vs. 1), then there is the falling away of professing Christendom after the “man of sin”—Antichrist (vss. 3-4).
The Thessalonian believers were passing through persecutions for their faith in Christ (2 Thess. 1:4-5). False teachers had come in among them (vs. 2), teaching that “the day of the Lord” and the judgment connected with it was at hand. This teaching troubled them—they thought that they had to go through the horrors of the Tribulation. Paul wrote this second epistle to expose the evil teaching. He taught them that “the day of the Lord” could not come upon them because two things have to happen first; the revealing of “the man of sin” (Antichrist) and then the great falling away of merely professing believers after him.
Some people have the idea that “the day of the Lord” is the Rapture. There is, however, no Scripture to support this idea. “The day of the Lord” is a day of judgment that will begin at Christ’s appearing at the end of the Tribulation. At that time, the Lord will publicly intervene upon the ways of man by asserting His universal power and dominion over both the heavens and the earth. “The day of the Lord” will continue for the entire duration of the 1000 year reign of Christ; at which time (the very end of the day of the Lord) the heavens and the earth will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:8-10).
9) The Spirit of God Must First be Gone
Second Thessalonians 2:6-12, shows this same order from another perspective. It says, “The mystery of lawlessness already works; only there is He who restrains now until He be gone, and then the lawless one shall be revealed.” These verses show that the course of evil in this world today is being restrained from reaching its culmination by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit on earth. When the Spirit is “gone” from the earth, at the Rapture, then, and only then, will “the lawless one” (Antichrist) arise to lead many away. Again, the order is simple. There is first a taking away (vs. 7) of the Spirit at the Rapture, then a leading away of many by the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation.
Some may ask the question: “How do we know when the Spirit will be taken out of the way and be gone?” It is evident by the following three Scriptures that it is at the Rapture:
Firstly, the Lord promised His disciples on the night of His betrayal that when the Spirit of God came to take up his abode in the Church, it would be forever (John 14:16-17). When the Church is called out of this world at the Rapture, the Spirit of God will go also, because the Lord said He (the Spirit) would never leave them.
Secondly, in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, when the Church is viewed as on earth, the Spirit is seen speaking to the churches over and over again. But after the close of chapter 3, when the Church is no longer viewed on earth, the Spirit is not mentioned again until chapters 14:13 and 22:17, which refer to a time after the Tribulation.
Thirdly, in Genesis 24, a bride (a type of the Church) is sought for Isaac (a type of Christ) by the servant (a type of the Spirit of God). Once the bride was secured by the servant, he took her all the way home to Isaac who was waiting for her. As the servant went home with the bride, so will the Holy Spirit go home to heaven with the Church when the Lord comes for us.
This does not mean the Spirit of God will cease to work on earth after the Rapture. He will continue to work on earth from heaven, as He did in Old Testament times, by quickening souls, etc. These three passages show that when the Church is called out of this world at the Rapture, the Spirit will no longer be resident in the earth.
10) Christ’s Coming For His Saints Occurs Before the End-time Events Happen
First Corinthians 15:23-24 says, “Christ the first-fruits, afterward they which are Christ’s at His coming, then cometh the end.” Notice the order. Christ is raised first, followed by those who are His at His coming (which happens at the Rapture—1 Thess. 4:15-18); then comes “the end.” The “end” refers, in a general way, to all end-time events—including, of course, the Tribulation and the Millennium which follow it (Matt. 13:39; 24:3-14; Dan. 11:40; 12:4, 8, 9, 13). What could be clearer? The Lord’s people are taken to heaven before “the end” comes.
11) There Are no Instructions For Christians In the Tribulation
In Matthew 24:16-26 and Mark 13:14-18, in regard to the Tribulation days, those who are told to flee are clearly Jews, and not Christians. If Christians are to pass through the Great Tribulation, then why are there no instructions given to them as to how they should prepare for it, and how they should conduct themselves in it, as the Lord gave the believing Jews? The obvious reason is that there will be no Christians in the Tribulation.
It is true that thousands will turn to God in faith during that time (Rev. 7:9), but they are not Christians. The multitude of Gentiles who will come into blessing then, will be born again and will have a place in Christ’s Kingdom on earth (Rev. 7:10-17). Christians, on the other hand, will have been called away from the earth by the Lord to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
12) The Fact That the Gospel of the Grace of God Will not be Preached in the Tribulation Shows the Rapture Will Have Taken Place
“The gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that is preached today and “the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23;
24:14) that will be preached during the Tribulation period are entirely different. They are two distinct gospels preached for two distinct purposes. The gospel of the grace of God calls people out for heaven: the gospel of the kingdom calls people for blessing on earth. The gospel that is going out today holds out a heavenly hope, calling, and destiny for those who believe (Col. 1:5; 1 Peter 1:4; Phil. 3:20; 2 Cor. 5:1-2; Heb. 3:1); whereas the gospel of the kingdom preached in the Tribulation, holds out an earthly blessing under the reign of Christ in the Millennium (Matt. 24:14; Psa. 96).
The gospel of the kingdom announces the good news that the kingdom promised in the Old Testament (2 Sam. 7:16; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:9-27) is about to be set up, and that those who receive the King in faith will have a part in its earthly blessing. It was first preached by John the Baptist at the time of the Lord’s first coming (Matt. 3:1-2). The Lord and His disciples also preached it (Matt. 4:23; 10:7). Their preaching was to call the nation to repentance so that it would be in a state to receive the King, and had they received Him, He would have established the kingdom as promised by the Old Testament Prophets. But sadly, Israel rejected their King, and thereby forfeited the opportunity of having the kingdom set up in all of its power and display. When Israel rejected their King, the gospel of the kingdom was no longer announced because the kingdom was no longer being offered to them. God, instead, has sent out the gospel of His grace to the Gentile world to call out of them a people for His name (Acts 13:44-48; 15:14; Rom. 11:11). This gospel is still being preached today. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached again by the Jewish remnant after the Church has been called away to heaven. At that time, God will pick up His dealings with Israel where He left off almost 2000 years ago. Israel will be saved in a coming day (that is, a remnant from among them—Rom. 9:6-8; 11:26-27), and the kingdom will be brought in by power (Rev. 11:15).
The point we need to see in this, is that there is no mention of the gospel of God’s grace being preached during the Tribulation—only the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14). The obvious reason is because this gospel calls out believers to be part of the Church, and since the Church will not be on earth during the Tribulation, it will not be announced.
God will not send out two different gospels at the same time. It would be confusion, and it would be confounding the heavenly calling with the earthly calling along with their respective hopes and destinies. Understanding this point shows us that it’s impossible to have the Church and the believing Jewish remnant on earth during the Tribulation period at the same time. If, during the Tribulation, the gospel of God’s grace called believers out of the Jews and Gentiles and placed them in the Church, each time a Jew believed the gospel he would be taken out of his Jewish position and made part of the Church (Rom. 11:5; Gal. 6:16—“the Israel of God”), then there would never be a believing Jewish remnant! A careful consideration of this fact proves that the Church and the Jewish remnant couldn’t be on earth at the same time.
OLD TESTAMENT TYPES THAT CONFIRM THE CHURCH WILL NOT GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION
There are many Old Testament types which confirm the fact that the Church will not go through the Tribulation. To teach otherwise, destroys the truth that the Spirit of God intends to convey in these beautiful pictures.
13) Enoch And Noah (Genesis 5:21-9:17)
Enoch is a well-known type of the Church. He walked in fellowship with God and warned the world of coming judgment (Jude 14-15), and then he was taken to heaven. Enoch had the distinction among the Patriarchs of not seeing death; he was translated to heaven alive (Heb. 11:5). The thing to see here is that Enoch was translated to heaven before the flood of God’s judgment came upon the earth. The flood is a foreshadow of the judgment that will come on the world during the Tribulation (2 Peter 3:3-10; Luke 17:26-27). Noah and his family passed through the flood in the ark; they are a picture of the spared Jewish remnant that will be preserved by God in the Tribulation.
14) Abraham and Lot (Genesis 18-19)
Abraham, dwelling on the mountain in fellowship with the Lord, is a picture of the heavenly minded Christian living in communion with God. Lot, absorbed in the things of Sodom, is a picture of the earthly minded Christian living for the interests of this world. God was about to pour out judgment upon Sodom, but He would not do it until Lot was first taken out of it. The angel said to Lot: “Haste thee, escape thither, for I cannot do anything till thou be come hither” (Gen. 19:22). Likewise, judgment is coming upon this world. It is going to happen in the coming Tribulation period, but God will not allow one stroke of it to fall until He has first taken every Christian out of it, regardless of how worldly they may be living—as Lot sadly illustrates (2 Peter 2:7-8).
15) Leah and Rachel (Genesis 28-30)
Jacob, sent forth by his father, is a picture of God the Father sending His Son the Lord Jesus Christ into this world (1 John 4:14). Jacob went out from his father’s house for two reasons: firstly, on account of sin (Gen. 27), and also to secure a bride for himself (Gen. 28:15). When Jacob came into the far country, he saw Rachel in the field (who is a type of Israel), and desired to have her for his wife. In love for her, Jacob agreed to purchase her through his own personal toil. This is a figure of the work and toil the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross in order that He might have Israel in a relationship with Himself on the ground of redemption.
When it came time for Jacob to receive Rachel, her father Laban treacherously deceived him so that he did not get her. He was given Leah instead. Leah is a type of the Church. God allowed this to happen to Jacob so that we might have this marvellous foreshadow of His ways with Israel and the Church. It tells the story of God’s dispensational ways; when the Lord came (His first coming), it was for Israel whom He loved, but when they were not brought in to Him (Isa. 49:4-5) God gave the Church to Him instead so that He might have a bride. After Jacob was given Leah, he later received Rachel. This points to the time when the fullness of the Gentiles will be brought in and the calling of the Church will be complete (Acts 15:14; Rom. 11:25). God will bring Israel to the Lord so that He may have her as His earthly bride (Hos. 2:6-17; Isa. 62:4-5).
Jacob had two brides: Leah (typical of the Church) was received first, even though he made his advances toward Rachel (typical of Israel) first. While Leah’s womb was open and fruitful in bearing children, Rachel’s womb was barren (Gen. 29:31). This answers to the present day. While the Church is bearing fruit for God, Israel has been barren (Isa. 54:1; Hos. 3:4; Matt. 21:19-21).
The point to see in this is that Leah had all seven (a number that signifies completion) of her children before Rachel began to travail to bring forth her children (Gen. 30:22; 35:16). Rachel’s travail is a picture of Israel’s future trial in the Tribulation (Isa. 66:7-8; Jer. 30:6-7; Mic. 4:9-10; 5:3; 1 Thess. 5:3). What marvellous accuracy there is in these types! (Psa. 119:161) This shows that the Church will finish its course and testimony of fruit bearing in this world, before Israel (the Jews really) passes into their time of travail during the Tribulation.
16) Joseph and Asenath (Genesis 37-50)
Joseph (or Zaphnath-paaneah, meaning “Saviour of the world”—J. N. Darby Trans. footnote in Gen. 41:45) is another well-known type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was rejected by his brethren, who are typical of the Jewish nation (Gen. 37), and carried abroad among the Gentiles (Gen. 39-41). After he was carried into Egypt among the Gentiles, there was a period of blessing in that land, followed by a time of famine. The time of blessing answers to the present dispensation of grace. The time of famine answers to the coming Tribulation period. It is interesting to note that while Joseph was estranged from his brethren (typical of the Jews) he received a Gentile bride, Asenath (Gen. 41:45). He got her in the time of plenty before the famine! She is a type of the Church. She was brought into his house to share his royal place on the throne of Egypt before the time of famine began. This again, points to the fact that the Church will be brought home to the glory before the time of Tribulation. During the time of famine Joseph worked to restore his brethren to himself (Gen. 42-45). So Christ will also deal with Israel during the Tribulation to restore them to Himself. First, the ten brothers of Joseph (typical of the Jewish remnant) who were guilty of rejecting him were restored to him (Gen. 45:1-15); then, the whole family was brought in and re-united with him (Gen. 46). They are a type of the tribes of Israel that will be restored to the Lord after the Jews are restored to Him (Matt. 24:30-31).
17) Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 1-12)
Moses is another type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was God’s appointed deliverer for the children of Israel who were under the tyrannical bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt (Ex. 3:10; Acts 7:35). Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, is a type of Satan, the god and prince of this world. Moses yearned for his people and longed that they might be delivered. When he came to them, he slew one of their Egyptian oppressors, thus showing his desire to vanquish their enemy and deliver them from their bondage. But his efforts were all misunderstood by his brethren, who said, “Who made thee a ruler and judge over us?” (Acts 7:35; Ex. 2:14) Consequently, they rejected him. This is typical of the Jews rejecting the Lord at His first coming. In essence, they said the same thing: “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14; John 1:11).
Being rejected, Moses fled from his people into the land of Midian (Ex. 2:11—4:19). During the time of this estrangement from his brethren he received a Gentile wife, Zipporah (Ex. 2:21). She is another type of the Church. Zipporah bore Moses a son and they named him Gershom, which means, “A stranger here.” This speaks of the character that the Church should have in this world as a pilgrim and stranger (1 Peter 2:11).
The point we need to see in this is that Moses received his Gentile wife before the ten plagues began to fall upon Egypt, which are a type of the Tribulation judgments that will fall on this world. After many years God sent Moses back to the children of Israel who were still struggling under their Gentile oppressors (a type of “the times of the Gentiles”—Luke 21:24; Ex. 3:10; 4:19). Moses returned to the land of Egypt and began to show himself to his brethren who had once rejected him. This is a foreshadow of the Lord resuming His dealings with the nation of Israel after He has taken the Church to heaven. When Moses returned to his brethren in Egypt, God began to pour out judgment upon that land in the way of the ten plagues (Ex. 7-12:36). God miraculously preserved Israel in the midst of all the judgments, which became signs of confirmation to them that God was working on their behalf (Psa. 78:43; Psa. 105:27; Ex. 7:3; 8:22-23). This speaks of how God will preserve a remnant of Israel during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:1-8). But where was Zipporah all the while the judgments were falling on Egypt? She was not in the land! Moses had sent her back to the land of Midian before the judgments fell (Ex. 18:1-2). She did not appear on the scene until after all the judgments had fallen on Egypt and the children of Israel were delivered. Likewise, the Church will not appear publicly until the Tribulation is over, when the Lord comes to display His bride to a wondering world (2 Thess. 1:10).
18) The Judgment of Jericho (Joshua 2-6)
The sentence of judgment was pronounced on Jericho and the people of Canaan (Ex. 23:27). Before judgment fell upon that city, God provided a way of shelter under “the line of scarlet” for those who had faith (Josh. 2). This typically foretells the story of the judgment that is about to fall on this guilty and doomed world. God in mercy has provided a shelter for all who believe the gospel—under the blood of Christ. In chapter 6, the judgment fell on Jericho as warned. But before it took place, Joshua first brought the wilderness journey of the children of Israel to a close by bringing them into their promised land. It is significant that the chapters dealing with Israel being brought into the land of Canaan (Josh. 3-4) come before the judgment fell on Jericho (Josh. 6). Before judgment falls on this world, the Lord Jesus Christ, like Joshua, will bring the Church’s long wilderness journey in this world to an end by calling them to their heavenly Canaan. It is remarkable that Jericho’s judgment happened at harvest time (Josh. 3:15). The judgment of this world is also called a harvest (Matt. 13:39-42; Rev. 14:15-20; Joel 3:9-16).
Three Scriptures Wrongly Used to Support the Error That the Church Will Go Through the Tribulation
In an effort to be a help to any who may still have difficulty on this point, we have selected the three main Scriptures that have been erroneously used to teach that the Church will go through the Tribulation. In each of these passages our desire is to show, with the Lord’s help, how the error has occurred and what the true meaning of the passage is. Most of the confusion on this point has arisen from Christians not carefully and prayerfully reading the Scriptures.
1) 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3
“Be not shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” This Scripture has been taken to mean that the day the Lord comes for His Church (the Rapture) will not take place until the Antichrist and the falling away during the Great Tribulation has occurred. Since the Antichrist arises in the Tribulation, and “the day of the Lord” happens after that, then the Church will have to be in the Tribulation.
The error here, is assuming that “the day of the Lord” is the Rapture. Scripture says that the day of the Lord begins at the Appearing of Christ, but not the Rapture. It says, “Before the great and gloriously appearing day of the Lord come” (Acts 2:20). There are about 20 references to “the day of the Lord” in the Word of God. Some of them refer to its commencement at the Appearing of Christ (2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thess. 5:2, etc.). Others are a warning of it being “at hand,” signalled by the attack of the King of the North, which will take place just prior to its commencement (Joel 1:15; 2:11; Zeph. 1:7-20; Zech. 14:1-2, etc.). But there are no Scriptures that say that the catching away of the saints occurs at “the day of the Lord.” If our objectors insist that the Lord does take the Church to heaven at the day of the Lord, then let them give us the Scripture that says so. Such assumptions come from not carefully searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15).
“The day of the Lord” is a day of judgment that begins at the Appearing of Christ (2 Peter 3:4, 8-10); it does not begin at the Rapture. “The day of the Lord” is the time when Christ will publicly intervene in the ways of man on earth asserting His universal power and authority in judgment. It will extend for 1000 years (2 Peter 3:8-10), which will be the Millennium. The Lord will not publicly assert His rights in the earth by intervening in judgment at the Rapture; He will take the Church to heaven and then let the world go on with its evil, at which time the western world will receive the Antichrist. The Rapture is never looked at as a day of judgment for this world, but rather, as a time when the Bridegroom and the bride are joyfully united.
Understanding these simple and basic things about “the day of the Lord,” we can see at once that Paul was not even speaking about the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3. He was showing the Thessalonians that “the day of the Lord,” and its attending judgments, could not be presently upon them because the Antichrist’s rise and the great falling away of professing Christendom had to happen first.
Sad to say, there are people who are still propounding the same error that was bothering the Thessalonians. They are upsetting Christians by telling them that they must prepare for the Tribulation because the Church is going to go through it. And, ironically, they are using the same three methods (in principle) to propound their error as the false teachers were doing in Paul’s day!
• First, “by spirit” (vs. 2)—the false teachers claimed they had received it through a spiritual revelation given to them from the Lord.
• Secondly, “by Word” (vs. 2)—the false teachers were misapplying Old Testament Scriptures to support their erroneous teaching.
• Then lastly, “by letter as from us” (vs. 2)—they actually had gone so far as to produce an epistle with their erroneous ideas in it, and claimed it was from Paul.
Those who teach this erroneous doctrine today often claim that they have received it through some special revelation from God, and they are also trying to use the Scriptures to support it, and are even taking Paul’s ministry (such as this passage) and teaching that Paul taught that the Church must go through the Tribulation.
Another reason why this interpretation is in error is that it destroys the imminence of the Lord’s coming. The Lord’s coming (the Rapture) is always presented in Scripture as something that could take place at any moment. Those who think the Church must go through the Tribulation decry the idea that He could come at any moment because they think it is direct violation of their interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 which says that the Antichrist has to arise first. However, Paul and the other apostles laboured to put the nearness of the Lord’s coming before the Church so that it would be its present hope. Paul said, “Our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21). He also said, “For yet a very little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). And, “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:11-12). And again, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). In this last verse, Paul put himself among the number of those who were looking for the Lord to come, saying, “We.” See also 1 Corinthians 15:51-52—“We.” It was something he hoped for even back in those early days of the Church. James too, said, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7). Peter said, “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7). John said, “Little children, it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). This shows that the apostles ministered in such a way as to set the Lord’s coming before the saints as an imminent thing.
To teach that certain events must take place before the Lord will come, such as, the rise of Antichrist and the Tribulation horrors, would be a direct contradiction to the teaching of the apostles, and it also destroys the imminence of the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
The sad effect of taking the “blessed hope” away from the Church is to cause it to settle down in this world. This is just what has happened, to a large extent. It is, essentially, saying that “my Lord delayeth His coming” (Matt. 24:48). For this very reason, the Lord never told us when He would return. But He did say, “Surely, I come quickly” (Rev. 22:20).
2) Revelation 11:15
Another Scripture adduced to prove that the Church must pass through the Tribulation is Revelation 11:15. “The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.” This verse shows us that when the seventh and last trumpet is blown at the end of the Great Tribulation, the Lord will come (His Appearing) and take possession of the kingdoms of this world through judgment. It has been supposed that this is “the last trump” spoken of at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52), and therefore, the Church will be on earth to pass through that hour of trial described in Revelation 6-11, which precedes the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15. It is taught that the Church will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, just as the Lord comes out of heaven to judge the world.
This interpretation is very problematic, because the Word of God teaches us that a number of things must happen between the time the Church is taken to heaven and when the Lord comes back out of heaven to judge the world—as Revelation 11:15 shows. It would be impossible for all those things to happen in that short moment of time (“the twinkling of an eye”—1 Cor. 15:52) that this interpretation allows. After taking His people to the Father’s house above (John 14:2-3) at the Rapture, the Lord will have them sit down at His table where He will serve them heavenly happiness and joy unspeakable (Luke 12:37). Then, the judgment seat of Christ will be set and the believers’ lives will pass into review and be rewarded accordingly (2 Cor. 5:10, etc.). The saints will also have a time of praising God and the Lord Jesus Christ around the throne in heaven; at that time they will cast their crowns at His feet in humble adoration of Him (Rev. 4-5). Then, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven, which will be followed by the marriage supper with the many guests of heaven (the friends of the Bridegroom) attending it (Rev. 19:7-8). These things all must take place after the Lord takes His people to heaven at the Rapture, and before He returns at His Appearing. How could all these things happen if the saints are taken up in the air and then immediately brought back down again with the Lord at His Appearing?
3) Matthew 24:29-31
Another Scripture that is used is Matthew 24:29-31. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds.” It is thought that the coming of the Lord, in this passage, refers to the Rapture, and consequently, people fix the time of the Rapture as being “immediately after the tribulation.” They conclude that the Church will, therefore, go through the Tribulation.
However, “the trumpet” sounded here is not the trump of God that will take place at the Rapture, but that spoken of in Isaiah 27:13; Psalm 81:3, etc., calling the ten tribes of Israel back into their land. Moreover, the “elect,” here, are not the Church, but the elect of Israel (Matt. 24:24; Isa. 45:4; 65:9; Rev. 7:1-8; Rom. 11:28, etc.).
At the bottom of this misunderstanding is the confusing of the Rapture with the Appearing. Some of the main differences are:
• The coming of the Son of Man is never referred to as the Rapture; it is always the Appearing of Christ.
• The Rapture is the Lord’s coming for His own (John 14:3); whereas, the coming of the Son of Man is the Lord’s coming with His own at His Appearing (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14).
• The Rapture is a mystery not made known until New Testament times (John 14:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:15-18); but the coming of the Son of man is something that was well-known by the Old Testament saints because the prophets spoke of it (Dan. 7:13-14).
• The Son of man is a title that the Lord takes when He comes to judge the world. At the Rapture the Lord does not come to judge the world, but to take His bride to heaven.
• At the Rapture, the Lord does not send His angels to gather His saints (the bride); He comes to take her Himself (1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 2:1).
The Partial Rapture Idea
Some Christians believe that there will be a partial Rapture. This is absurd and not necessary for us to comment on. Could we imagine the Lord taking only part of His bride to heaven? What would He do in heaven with half a bride? How could the marriage of the Lamb take place with only half the bride present? Anyway, what Scripture is there for it?
Let us “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).