1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: 13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The "raising of the dead" (verse 16) is known as the "RESURRECTION," and when the Saints rise up into the air to meet the Lord, or are "caught up," (verse 17) this is known as the "RAPTURE." According to this passage, both of these things happen together simultaneously as one big event! The words "caught up" come from the Latin word "Raptio" from which we get our modern word "Rapture." Well this SAME "RESURRECTION EVENT" is spoken of in verse 5 of Revelation 20:4-6.
Revelation 20:4) 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 worshiped 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. 6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the FIRST RESURRECTION: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Notice that this "FIRST RESURRECTION" (verse 5) comes AFTER these people were BEHEADED by the antiChrist, for refusing to take the "mark of the beast!?" (verse 4) That means that they were obviously STILL HERE during this coming horrendous time, and were not Raptured out beforehand!? If the Rapture and Resurrection occur together simultaneously in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17, then they must also occur together simultaneously HERE in Revelation 20:4-6 at THIS RESURRECTION!? And since Revelation 20:5 says that this is the "FIRST" resurrection, then there could not have been any "pre-tribulational" one before it, right!? Otherwise it would not be the FIRST!?
It ALSO speaks here of a "JUDGMENT OF THE SAINTS" occurring at this Resurrection, in which they are rewarded for remaining "faithful unto death," during the anti-Christ’s persecution. (verse 4) It appears that they are raised from the dead in the Rapture, and then Judged and rewarded by the Lord accordingly!? Well THIS VERY SAME "JUDGMENT EVENT" is spoken of in Revelation 11:15-18, as coming at the blowing of the 7th and LAST TRUMPET of the TRIBULATION PERIOD! This, therefore, places the RAPTURE & RESURRECTION at the BLOWING OF THE 7TH and LAST FINAL TRUMPET OF THE TRIBULATION: (see verse 18 below)
Revelation 11:15) And the SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever. 16) And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, 17) Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned. 18) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, AND THE TIME OF THE DEAD THAT THEY SHOULD BE JUDGED, AND THAT THOU SHOULD GIVE REWARD UNTO THY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS, AND TO THE SAINTS, AND THEM THAT FEAR THY NAME SMALL AND GREAT; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
So by linking these verses all together by the association of the same events involved in each one; we see that this "Rapture / Resurrection / Judgment / and Rewarding of the Saints" comes here at the blowing of the LAST TRUMPET! This is exactly what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15: 51 & 52 - "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP: for the TRUMPET shall sound, AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, and we shall be changed."
You will notice that there is also mention of a TRUMPET being blown in
1 Thessalonians 4: 16 & 17 above. There is also mention of a TRUMPET being blown at the Second Coming of the Lord in Matthew 24. As a matter of fact, these SAME THREE ELEMENTS that are found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17 above: (The Coming of the Lord - A Trumpet being blown - and the Rapture, or "Raising up of the Saints" to meet the Lord in the air) are ALSO found in Matthew 24:29-31, as well, describing what is very obviously this SAME EVENT:
Matthew 24:29) 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 the heavens shall be shaken: 30) 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. 31) And 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.. (A big "meeting" of the Saints with the Lord IN THE AIR!)
Notice also that in Matthew 24, this "Rapture" or "Gathering Together" occurs IMMEDIATELY "AFTER" THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, and not "BEFORE"??? (verse 29) This is all very strong Scriptural evidence AGAINST a "Pre-Tribulational Rapture" of any sort. In fact, it makes this all quite plain, in BLACK & WHITE!?
These verses CANNOT be taken any other way than to mean exactly what they are saying! Most of the verses in the Pre-Tribulational teaching, though, CAN be taken another way, and interpreted to mean that, instead of being Raptured out prematurely, we are merely, "kept" by the Lord and protected RIGHT HERE ON THIS EARTH, until He returns to take us out! This is what Jesus said in John 17: 15, "I pray NOT that Thou shouldest TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD, but that thou should KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL." This event of the "Gathering Together" of the Saints or "Rapture" is even spoken of in the Psalms!
Psalms 50:3) Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.. 4) He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that HE MAY JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. 5) "GATHER MY SAINTS TOGETHER UNTO ME; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
Notice the "Coming of the Lord," (verse 3) and the "Judgment" of the Saints, (verse 4) and the "Gathering Together" of the Saints to meet the Lord?" (verse 5) All are elements in other passages above that occur at this same time. Remember how
1 Thessalonians 4:16 says that the Lord will "descend from heaven with a shout?" Perhaps Psalms 50:4 & 5 tell us WHAT He will "shout" when He returns!? (See this same event also in Daniel 7:9-14)
This same "Rapture" term, "Gathering Together" is ALSO used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and like Revelation 20:4-6, this chapter states very plainly and clearly that the anti-Christ must come FIRST before Jesus comes to "Gather us Together" unto Himself!!! This IS in fact; and I hope you will see, the whole reason that this chapter was even written in the first place; to make this one point!
2 Thessalonians chapter 2:1-13:
1) "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and by OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM." (From this introduction we can see that this chapter is going to deal with that particular "Coming of the Lord" in which we are "gathered together unto Him.") (That would be "the Rapture!")
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." (Someone falsely wrote the Thessalonians and told them they had missed the Rapture, and signed Paul’s name to the letter) (So now Paul tells them not to believe any such false reports, because before Jesus returns to "gather" us unto Himself, the ANTICHRIST MUST COME FIRST and sit in the temple claiming to be God; causing a great falling away from the Christian Faith:)
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; 4) WHO OPPOSITE AND EXALT HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, OR THAT IS WORSHIPED; SO THAT HE AS GOD SITS IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, SHOWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD.
"THAT DAY," according to verse 1, is the day of
Christ’s coming and our subsequent "gathering together unto
Him," or "Rapture!" And these verses make it very clear that,
"THAT DAY"… "SHALL NOT COME," until the anti-Christ, or
"son of perdition" comes FIRST!!!