Why do you believe the Church will be “raptured” before the Tribulation begins?
| By: Zola Levitt; ©1996 |
| Bible Prophecy Questions Answered by Leading Christian Scholars. |
Why do you believe the Church will be “raptured” before the Tribulation begins?
Zola Levitt: You know, it’s a surprise. If we agree that it’s a surprise—as the Lord said, “lightning across the sky, in the twinkling of an eye,” things that are extremely sudden—by logic, it can’t come in the middle of the Tribulation. It would be preceded by events of such global cataclysm, no one could miss them. We’re watching peace covenants being made with Israel now and they’re on the front page every day. Imagine one to be made for seven years by some major power who guarantees with a ten nation confederacy and its military and re-institutes temple worship. We would be howling in the streets if we were here!
There’s no instructions in Revelation from chapter 4 to 19 for the Church and this is the most serious omission we can imagine. There’s not a breath, not a verse. I think it’s because we’re simply not here.
I participate in a Bible study group where we’re now reading Revelation. We have questions about whether or not there will be any Christians left on earth after the Rapture, and whether or not unbelievers who are left behind will have the opportunity to accept Christ during the Tribulation period. Any help with clarifying these issues would be most appreciated!