In this study, we examine the "heart" of the pre-trib position:

• Jesus will come to rapture his church before the tribulation;
• His (pre-trib) coming will be "secret" or go unnoticed by the non-believers;
• The Church will not go through persecution during the tribulation because they are raptured into Heaven;
• The church must be raptured into heaven because the word "church" isn't mentioned during the tribulation in Revelation.

Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and Peace to you from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more. and the love everyone is of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. they will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and of the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who believed. This includes you because of our testimony to you.

                                                                

2nd Thessalonians 1:1-10, NIV

As we look further God will:

Repay trouble those who troubled  the church

AND

Give relief to those who are troubled and to Paul, Silas and Timothy.

THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN

The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing (or flaming) fire.

As we look at the above, when will this happen? The Thessalonians will be relieved of their afflictions when the Lord Jesus is Revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels In Flaming Fire.

After examining the above scripture, does this sound like a pre-trib coming? Do these scriptures indicate this will go unnoticed? Is Jesus revealed "in blazing fire" before the tribulation? Are the ones who are persecuting the church repaid before the tribulation? In summary, does this look like a "secret" pre-trib coming?
 

This study goes further in the Book of Revelation:
 

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire...

Revelation 19:11-12a, NIV

This study goes further in Matthew:

But immediately after the tribulation of those days (great tribulation, v. 21),THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE UP ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will morn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power of great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER  His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Matthew 24:29-31, NASB

This was the same church that Paul wrote to that they will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus at the Coming of the Lord. According to the pre-tribbers, this meant that they will be raptured into heaven before the tribulation (We will examine this position in the article "With A Shout.").
 

 If God is to give relief to the church after the tribulation, then they must remain on earth through that time.  Therefore, there cannot be a "pre-trib rapture," and the church will suffer persecution through the tribulation.

Many pre-tribbers believe the church will be  raptured out before the tribulation because the word "church" isn't mentioned during the tribulation in Revelation. Is this the right conclusion? Are there any books of the bible that show  the church will go through the tribulation? As we've just seen, Paul addressed the Church at Thessalonica and he said they will be relieved of their persecution after the tribulation (and this position will be examined more in other articles).

"...Prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed."

                                                                                    First Peter 1:13 NIV

          First Peter 1:13 NIV

A note to the believers in the pre-tribulation rapture: 2nd Thessalonians chapter one shows that the church will be relieved of their afflictions after the tribulation.

 So far, I haven't heard any comments about this chapter from any pre-tribulationalist. I am ready to hear your response. I'm also eager to hear from post-tribulationalist!
 
 

You Can E-Mail me at jerry@tribulationcentral.com 
 

Your response is welcome!
 

It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this when the Son of Man is revealed.