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The Kingdom of Israel
John Shepard
April 8, 2002
Problems with the Post-tribulation Rapture
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The post-tribulation rapture of the church is a popular rapture viewpoint but it has problems. This page describes some of these problems in summary form.
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The Kingdom of Israel
Summary
The problems with the post-tribulation (post-trib) rapture fall into the following general categories:
- Who inhabits the millennial kingdom?
- What initiates the great tribulation?
- Contradictions with the prophecies of Daniel.
- The Bible doesn't really support the rapture in its clearest sense.
- The rapture is a part of premillennialism which also has problems. Read problems with premillennialism
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Problems with the Post-tribulation Rapture
The post-tribulational (post-trib) rapture scenario is within the premillennial end-time viewpoint.
- Since premillennialism is founded on the idea that the church age ends at the beginning of the great tribulation (when the 70th seven of Daniel begins), this means that there would no longer be a church in the great tribulation and that God is dealing with Israel again. So what of the believers? Since they aren't raptured until the end of the great tribulation are they still the body of Christ with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
- There is no one left to inhabit the millennial kingdom — they have all just been raptured. Several explanations are given:
(1) The millennium is populated by the people who become believers immediately after the rapture, presumably because they suddenly become believers as a result of witnessing the rapture. But we should remember that the Christians who survive the great tribulation do so by hiding to avoid being killed. The rapture would therefore go by mostly unnoticed. There is also very little time after the rapture before Christ comes and kills all unbelievers. The post-rapture conversion would therefore have to be very sudden.
(2) The millennium is populated by the 144,000 Israelites who are sealed during the great tribulation. But why aren't they raptured since they are believers? One possibility is that God doesn't rapture those who become believers during the great tribulation. Another possibility is that Israelites aren't raptured — only gentiles. A third possibility is that everyone is raptured except the 144,000. But it would be unfair of God to rapture only certain believers and not the others. It is also generally taught that "all" believers are raptured not just those who are Israelites or who become believers before the great tribulation begins. - There are only a few people left who survive the great tribulation and who become believers after the rapture. Why would God build the millennial kingdom from so few?
- There is no remarkable event involving the church that ushers in the great tribulation.
- The rapture only makes sense in the context of premillennialism. There are problems with the premillennial scenario which invalidate all rapture scenarios.
- The Biblical passages that are presented as evidence for the rapture are better interpreted as referring to the general resurrection immediately before the white throne judgment.
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© Copyright 2007 by John Shepard
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