When Jesus Shall Be Revealed

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.
We begin by reading the second letter to the Thessalonians chapter one:
 
 

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his  mighty angels, In flaming fire taking  vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

                                                                

2nd Thessalonians 1:1-10

In this part of scripture who did Paul address this letter to?
Paul was addressing this letter to the Thessalonian church. He  gave thanks to God because their faith and love was growing exceedingly. He also boasted about their perseverance and faith in all the trials and persecutions. And through this the church will be counted worthy of the kingdom.

 

As we look further God will:

    recompense trouble those who troubled  the church
AND
    Give relief to those who are troubled (give rest) and to Paul, Silas and Timothy.
WHEN
    The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in  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:
 

 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire,

Revelation 19:11-12a

According to the Pre-tribbers,  Jesus  will be seen by everyone at His post-trib coming! And in the above verse John described the post tribulation scene: Jesus with his eyes as a flame of fire!

And as we've seen in the above verses, these things happen when Jesus will be revealed from heaven "in blazing fire," clearly an indication this is after the tribulation.

  

This study goes further in Matthew:

 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days (the Great Tribulation)  shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:29-31

Jesus stated in Matthew  that after the tribulation, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will see the Son of Man coming.
For further thought, There are many who believe that a Christian can fall from grace, and can loose their salvation. Are the Thessalonians going through the tribulation because they have fallen away from the faith, and Paul, too? Remember,  Paul commended them for their increasing love and faith. They were persevering through persecution. They didn't fall away from the faith!
 

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."1).

 

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).

 

 

"...Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end F3 for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ..."

 

 First Peter 1:13

           

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!
 

 

 

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed

          Luke 17:28-30

Footnotes

1- www.tribulationcentral.com/shout.html
 

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