The Rapture (Greek harpazo, meaning to seize, carry off by force, snatch away) is a very real event that has been demonstrated scripturally in times past. (See Enoch, Gen. 5:22-24, Elijah 2 Ki. 2:11) It's clearly written in prophecies that such an event is coming in the very near future. (Matt. 24:31, 1 Th. 4:17, 2 Th. 2:1) However it does not deliver believers from the suffering that is prophesied in the last days.
Let's first define the popularly taught pre-tribulation rapture view. It states that a final 7 year period of history (Daniels 70th prophetic week, Dan. 9:24-27) is coming. The rapture will occur before that week (7 year period) begins, saving believers from the horrors that will be unleashed on the earth. This view defines the final 7 year period as the "Tribulation" (Matt. 24:21, in Greek thlipsis, meaning great crushing pressure) and that the rapture of the saints will take place at the beginning of that final 7 year period. It also applies the biblical term "Day of the Lord" to this 7 year period.
Sounds great for believers, doesn't it? I grew up being taught this view. Jesus might return at any moment. He will take us straight to heaven to be with Him. What could be better? Leave church on Sunday afternoon, have a big lunch, watch some football, and just as you kick back to take a nap, WHOOOSH! You are gone. It does sound great. Except it's not true. The Bible says so.
The first problem with this view is that the Day of the Lord event, which is recorded in numerous locations, speaks of an event that happens in one day. The term in Hebrew for day is yom, meaning a sunset to sunset, 24 hour day. You can read more about what will happen during the Day of the Lord by checking out some of these passages. (Is. 2:10-22, 13:6-9, 24:17-23, 34:2-15, Joel 1:15-20, 2:1-11, 3:9-17, Amos 5:18-20, 8:9-10, Zeph. 1:14-18, Mal. 4:1, Matt. 24:29-31, Luke 21:25-26, Acts 2:19-20, Rev. 6:12-17.) This is an abbreviated list. There are plenty more where these came from. By sheer volume it should be apparent how important this time period is going to be, and how much the Lord wanted His people to be prepared for it's coming.
The second problem lead me to make a bold but Bible backed statement. Jesus Christ isn't coming back today. That's because the Bible says certain prophetic events must occur before His return. And His return is the Rapture. It's at His return that believers will "meet Him in the air" 1 Th. 4:17. So what prophecies must first be fulfilled?
There are three major prophecies that must be fulfilled before the return of Jesus the King and the Rapture. They are:
1) The rebuilding of the Temple (or a temple that can be used to reinstitute the Old Covenants system of animal sacrifices) on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, currently home to the Muslim holy site, The Dome of the Rock. (Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:15) This is necessary because the next prophecy needs the Temple in place for it to be fulfilled.
2) The revealing of the Antichrist in the Temple in Jerusalem. (2 Thes. 2:3-4)
3) The Great Apostasy (falling away, from the Greek apostasia), meaning betrayal, defection from a former alliance, or in this case, many who claimed to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will "fall away" and depart the faith for the "power, signs and lying wonders" (2 Th. 2:9) that will be done by the Antichrist.
These three events must be accomplished before the Lord will return and the rapture will occur. We know from the prophecy in Dan. 9:27 that the Antichrist will reveal himself from the Temple at the halfway mark of the final 7 year period of history. That means that 3 1/2 years of suffering (at least) must occur first. Even after these signs take place, we will only know the general time frame, "the season" of Jesus return, not the day or the hour. And because this is during the Great Tribulation (Great Crushing Pressure), it would appear that Jesus was predicting that few would survive to His coming. He said "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) We would do well to remember that He compared the time of His return to the "days of Noah". (Matt. 24:37) Out of all alive on the earth in Noah's day, only eight escaped alive on the ark.
So to clarify, the rapture is not imminent (it cannot occur at any moment), it is not signless, and therefore it lies somewhere in the near future. In the second part of this article I will explain why believers should not count on the rapture as their hope. Things are about to get very, very bad.