Bible Study: Rapture: Before, During OR After Great Tribulation?
Step 1: Pray NOW!
Step. 2: Open your Bible Now
Step.3: Read Website WITH your Bible
Step.4: FAST and Pray More!
UPDATED: May 2009
This is very important! Is there a rapture away into Heaven? Will God take us out of the world to take us to Heaven before the great tribulation or during the tribulation or after the tribulation or what? How many times does Jesus come back? Is there a second coming and a 3rd coming? Will people be given another 7 years to repent and be saved after a rapture? What is the truth?
Throw away everything you have been taught and read the Bible.
I'm going to let YOU read it with your own eyes in the Bible!
2 Thessalonians
2 Thes. 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by (or about) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by (or about) our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 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 cannot be more clear, the son of perdition will be revealed before Christ comes!)
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (Compare Matt. 24:25)
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:(The coming of Christ will destroy the one they call antichrsit!)
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (this lie is either the pre-trib rapture or it is islam! Either way, you don't want to believe either lie.)
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain (survive & remain from the Great Tribulation! Greek word 4035 means to pass thru, to make it thru, to survive!) unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (shall NOT be raptured away before those that are sleeping/dead)
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1 Cor. 15:52 says this trump is the LAST Trump): and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (There is a Resurrection from the Dead associated with this event, just like in 1 Cor. 15 AND just like in Matt. 24 where GOD gathers His People from one end to the other end. If this was to happen BEFORE the tribuation, People would notice opened graves and millions of people missing from their houses and jobs and families and thereby giving everyone on earth 7 more years to repent. That is foolish and dangerous teaching. This is obviously talking about THE 2nd Coming. There is NO 3rd Coming!)
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (with the dead that was resurrected!) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."(This says we will Meet the Lord and that we will be forever with the Lord. This is Truly a taking away into Heaven BUT it is at the Last of the 7 Trumpets in Revelations. It does NOT say that we will be in Heaven forever. It does NOT say that. Read it again. We do meet Him in the air. Then 45 days later, on the 1335th day of Daniel, Christ and His Army, the saints, that is us, will land in Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4 "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives...") And we will be forever with Him on Earth! (Revelation 5:10 "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.") This doctine of Christ coming and going back and forth, up and down is ridicious!)
John 17
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Romans 12
Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Revelation 12
Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (This is Israel. See Joseph's vision in Gen. 37:9-10.)
:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon (the devil), having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven (the fallen angels), and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman (Israel/Mary) which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child (Christ) as soon as it was born.
:5 And she brought forth a man child (Christ), who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.(10 days before Pentecost)
:6 And the woman (Mary and Joseph) fled into the wilderness , where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.(42 months. They indeed was in Egypt 3.5 years!)
:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (This is a Second War in Heaven at the start of the Great Tribulation of the last days)
:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (again)
:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, (42 months of Great Tribulation) from the face of the serpent.
Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood (tsunami) after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (this is an earthquake rupture in the earth)
:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, (those left behind from the second exodus, NOT from a rapture) which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Let's read Matthew 24:
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows (birthpains. NO Rapture Yet!).
9Then shall they deliver you (christians) up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. (NO Rapture or Coming of the LORD Yet!)
10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (not those that leave before it's all over).
14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains (not depart the earth and float into heaven):
17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (as time will be finished, it will be too late to prepare)
19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20But pray ye that your flight (the second exodus) be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (4th Commandment)
21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (this shows the church here in the tribulation!)
22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (again this shows the church HERE in the tribulation!!!)
23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (THIS SAYS NOT TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAS COME YET!!!)
24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the VERY ELECT. (Compare Rev. 13:11 concerning the false prophet who works great miracles! Also, The VERY elect is STILL here! Some people try to say this is talking about Israel, the tribe of Judah. But this is talking about a people who are Spiritually mature enough to not be deceived. Israel is Already deceived! They don't even beleive that Jesus already came and died on the Cross for our sins. So this verse is very clearly talking about the Body of Christ, the Very Elect, The Saints of GOD.)
25Behold, I have told you before.
26Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret (hidden) chambers; believe it not. (HE has NOT Come Yet!)
(Verse 27-28 describes how it WILL BE when HE does arrive in comparison to the claims of the rapture theory seen in vs. 26)
27For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (This does NOT say what most people say it says! It does NOT say that Christ will return as fast as a lightning strike! The thing about lightning is that you can see it before it arrives! You can even see the lightning before you hear the thunder! You can see the storm coming! It is very visible, not secret, not hidden. The storm travels across the sky, from one end under heaven to the other end under heaven. Christ will come from the East. You will SEE Him coming with Power, It won't be secret! This is the true meaning of this verse!)
28For wheresoever the carcase (dead physical bodies) is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
(Luke 17:37, Rev. 19:17-18)
(Verse 29 tells you WHEN it will finally occur)
29Immediately 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 the heavens shall be shaken: (6th Seal)
30And 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. (Remember in verse 3, they asked Him what would be the sign of His Coming! Now He gives them the Sign! This Sign occurs after the 6th Seal, actually it will occur at the last trumpet which occurs in the 7th seal. It does NOT occur before verse 9, but that is what the rapture theory teaches!)
31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (7th Seal, 7th Trumpet, 7th vial of 3rd Woe)
1 Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:(at the LAST of the 7 trumpets of Revelations) for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For 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:"
(Some people want to somehow believe that Matt.24's trumpet is a different trumpet from 1 Thes. 4 and 1 Cor. 15!!! It is so very very clear that this is the same trumpet!!! To believe otherwise is nothing but rebellion!)
Matthew 24:32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Who is taken, where do they go? The churches teach the righteous are taken up into heaven. But what does Jesus say?)
41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief (Compare to Rev. 16:15 This comparison is 100% Proof!) would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming (and go back to unrighteous life);
49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Now notice Lukes version: Luke 17:22-37
22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
23And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. (those that say He is in a hidden secret place)
24For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
25But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (they were prewarned, GOD allowed Noah to tell the people but they did not believe, but the people did have pre-warning about the event. It probably ligntning! It probably started with light rain and then picked up into a great storm.
28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (again, the people were pre-warned. None of these things were done in secret nor hidden. It was to be expected and preparation time was allowed.
30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32Remember Lot's wife.
33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34I tell you, in that night there shall be two men (the word "men" is not in the orginal writings in this verse, it is NOT talking about males, but rather people) in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
:37 "And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together."
Revelation 19:17 "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;" 18 "That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."It is very very clear and certain that the wicked are the ones who are taken away and they are taken away by birds and eaten!!! You do NOT want to be taken away.
Who gets taken away in Luke 17:34-37 and Matt. 24:39-44? It is clear that it is the wicked tares.
Who rises in the FIRST Resurrection?
Revelation 20:4-5:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
This is the FIRST Resurrection. There are NO Resurrections of millions of people before this event! Who raises in this resurrection? The Saints! The ones that died for Jesus by Not taking the mark of the beast! They lived during the tribulation right here on earth and died for their stand for Christ!
Myths:
Myth #1: The Bible never mentions the church on earth during the Great Tribulation.
Fact: The Bible DOES!
Daniel 7:25 And he (antichrist) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High...
How can the antichrist wear out the saints if they are in Heaven?
Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Again, How can the antichrist make war with the saints and overcome them if the Saints are in Heaven!
Matt. 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Many people try to say this is only talking to the discipines during Jesus Day on Earth around 2000 years ago. But the context is very clearly END time events. Some people try to say it is only talking to the jews. But why would the jews (who reject Christ) be killed for the NAME of Jesus? It is clearly talking about the same end time Saints of GOD in Rev. 13:7 and Daniel 7:25 who are very clearly on Earth during the Great Tribulation.
Myth #2: Everything has been fulfilled. There is nothing left to be fulfilled. Therefore He can come back tonight.
Fact: There are lots of things that have NOT yet been fulfilled as of the time of this article and this update August 2011. The antichrist has NOT yet been revealed. The antichrist has not yet overcome the Saints. The Holy City Jerusalem is not yet under foot of the Gentiles. And so on. There is still yet many prophecies to be fulfiled before the Coming of the LORD!
Seems pretty clear doesn't it? Yes, it does! VERY CLEAR!!! When you get rid of what man has taught you and go to the Word of God, it gets clear. Praise God!
To see these and other verses explained please click on the two short videos below. You will be blessed!
Additional Video (2 hours, 31 minutes) of Proof against a Rapture (Produced by The Prophecy Club):
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Why does it make a difference?
Some people and ministers say it really doesn't matter and that we shouldn't split hairs over WHEN Christ is going to do something. Well, it DOES matter because one teaching is truth and the other teaching is false, therefore deception therefore a lie from the devil. We should never teach any deception. The rapture theory people use one or two verses, having itching ears, scratching the same single verses over and over again. They have their Hope in going away into Heaven instead of having their Hope in Jesus himself who is able to protect us right here on earth! God did not rapture Noah and his family away into Heaven at the end of that first age. He never takes us out of the storm but rather He carries us THROUGH. We still have work to do!
Suggested Reading:
Rapture Article by the British-Israel Church of God
What does Billy Graham's Wife think?
No Rapture Article at demonbuster.com
UPDATE: The Saints DO get taken up to Heaven. BUT it is NOT before the Great Tribulation and it is NOT in the middle of the Great Tribulation. To Learn WHEN we get taken up, not in the rature, but at the last trumpet and to learn what happens in the following 45 days of Wrath, please click here.

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