Raptured from Responsibility
In America today, many Christian preachers are assuring their flocks that the church will be raptured into Heaven before God’s earth-shattering end-time judgments take place. Now, I too find the idea of a pre-Tribulation rapture comforting,. 
No terrible persecution for our faith. No personal suffering. No need to try to witness to the unsaved under hellish conditions. No living through the fiery seal, trumpet, or bowl judgments.
Several preachers 100% guarantee it.
According to this theory, all the Christians alive today will just be “Heavenly spectators” when the Tribulation unfolds.
Pass the popcorn.
But what if the preachers are wrong?
With the Rapture Timing is Everything
Jesus’ rapture of His people is clearly taught in the Scriptures (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
But when will the rapture occur?
That’s a tougher question.
Many of us believe we’re living in the last days. That after a series of horrific judgments, Christ will return and set up His Eternal Kingdom.
Some Christians believe Jesus will rapture the church before God’s judgments. Others think the rapture will take place later, either in the middle of the Tribulation or at the end, when Christ comes back to earth the 2nd time to reign.
And what we believe on this issue matters.
Passively Waiting for Rescue
I see a lazy, slightly self-centered attitude about the end-times in the American Christians I know.
Their thinking is,
We’re going to be raptured before God’s wrath falls. We’ll be safe in Heaven when God’s mighty seal, trumpet and bowl judgments strike the Antichrist and all the unbelievers. No need for us to worry about anything.
The leaders who believe in the church’s pre-Tribulation rapture teach it as a 100% fact. But what if these preachers are wrong? Then this teaching will bear very bad fruit.
It has before.
In China decades ago, the pastors preached the pre-tribulation rapture during a time of crisis. They lulled the church to sleep, just when it needed to be on it’s knees, crying out to God the most..
The end result was devastating.
The Chinese Church Leaders’ Mistake
When it became clear that the Chinese communists were winning the civil war, the church leaders soothed the Christians’ jangled nerves. 
Over and over, many pastors preached that Jesus Christ would rapture His church first, before the communists came to power.
He didn’t.
The horrific persecution Mao unleashed devastated the unprepared Christians.
Many didn’t blame the preachers. Instead they felt God had betrayed them. The more immature believers abandoned their faith in Christ.
Now history may be repeating itself.
My Own Belief
Yes, I’m skeptical. Here are three reasons why:
- The Bible teaches that the second coming of Christ occurs at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:11-21). But because of the pre-Tribulation rapture, Jesus comes 3 times. Some preachers say snatching the faithful up into the air doesn’t count because “His feet don’t touch the ground.” Which sounds like a pretty weak argument to me. But even stranded in mid-air, Christ would be visiting the earth 2 1/2 times.
- Secondly, these preachers say, “Christians won’t face God’s wrath.” Yes, I agree. But think back to the 10 plagues of Egypt. God supernaturally protected the Jews from His later judgments against Pharaoh’s people, even though they too lived in the land. (Exodus 8:10-11:10). He can do the same for us too. I believe we will once again see God making a distinction between His people and unbelievers. The persecution against us, however, will be fierce.
- Third, at the darkest time in world history, when Christ’s light would normally shine the brightest, the Lord removes His greatest source of light—us—out of the world. In the battle for souls, Jesus forfeits the game and Satan wins. If our Lord raptures us early, He demonstrates great love for His people—and none at all for the lost. Billions of sinners will burn in Hell, with almost no chance of hearing the life-changing gospel, because we will have all disappeared from the earth—at exactly the wrong time.
A Concluding Thought
My personal belief is that the rapture will occur when Jesus returns the 2nd time, when the Tribulation ends (Mark 13:19-27).
But I could be wrong too.
Our wisest course of action is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
So how does a Christian prepare to go through the Tribulation?
Give me a week to think about it.
All images came from Pixabay.com.
