Seminar in Theological Research Methods

1



Lecture for 26 June Rapture of the Church

• The Rapture of the Church comes from a
  Premillennial view of the Parousia/Second Coming
  of the Messiah/ King/
  Lord Jesus Christ
  (vs.
  Postmillennial
  or Amillennial)

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Rapture of the Church

• Rapture is taken from Latin words meaning rapid
  we shall be caught
  up, is used to represent the concept of the
  resurrection/catching up of the Church (Body of
  Christ).
• It is represented by the Greek word harpazo in
  1 Thess 417, and allasso (to
  change the form or nature of a thing) in 1 Cor
  1551-2, at sometime during the Parousia (all the
  events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus)

3

• But the question remains
  When
  during the 7-year Tribulation Period
  (Daniels 70th week)Pre-, Mid-,
  or Post-Tribulation does the Rapture
  take place?
• Pretribulationalism
• End of the Church Age,
• Immediately before the antichrist appears and the
  7-year Tribulation Period starts
• Separate and distinct from Second Coming
• 2 separate purposessee Hindsons chart below

4

• Pretribulationalism (continued)
• Related scriptures that support a
  Pretribulational Rapture include
• the foreshadowing of the Rapture in Ps 76-7,
  Joel 228-32, Zeph 21-3
• the raptures of Enoch (Gen 521-24), Elijah (2
  Kgs 210-12), and Jesus Himself (Acts 19-11)
• Luke 2136 John 142-3 Rom 822-24 1 Cor
  1520-26 Phil 16 320-21 1 Thess 5 2 Thess
  17 217 Titus 211-13 Heb 928 Jas 57-8 2
  Pet 3 1 John 228 32 Jude 20-23 Rev 41
  125

5

• Pretribulationalism (continued)

• The following Early Church Fathers and Writings
  seem to support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
• The Shepherd of Hermas 4.1-2
• The Didache 16.3-8, n.14, n.16, n.17
• Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.5.1 29.1 30.4
  31.2 32.1
• Victorinus Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.14
  15.1
• Clement of Romes First Epistle to the
  Corinthians 23, 24, 34, 35
• Polycarps The Epistle to the Philippians 2, 5,
  6
• The Epistle of Barnabas 4, 16, 21
• Tertullians A Treatise on the Soul 50
• Cyprians Treatises of Cyprian 7.21, 22, 23, 25
• Chrysostoms Homilies on Ephesians 3 Homilies
  on 1st Thessalonians 8/2nd Thessalonians
• John Nelson Darbys Dispensationalism (ca. 1830)
  further refined Pretribulationalism

6

• Midtribulationalism
• Occurs halfway thru Tribulation (3 ½ years),
  before Antichrist creates the Abomination of
  Desolation in the 3rd Temple (Dan 927),
  the Great
  Tribulation starts and the wrath of God is poured
  out (Rev 11)in conjunction with the 7th seal of
  Revelation 81 and Matt 24-25

7

• Posttribulationalism
• In conjunction with
• the Resurrection of the Just
• Judgment Seat of Christ
• Battle of Armageddon
• And the Second Coming
• Matt 24 Mark 13 Luke 21 Rev 1115-18 1 Cor
  5 Luke 1414
• Therefore, the Rapture of 1 Thess 4-5 is just an
  amplification of Jesus words in the Apocalyptic
  Discourse about the Second Coming, and not a
  separate/distinct event

8

• Posttribulationalism (continued)
• The following Early Church Fathers/Writings
  seem to
  support the Post-tribulation position
• Hippolytus Treatise on Christ and Antichrist
  
  60, 61, 64, 66
• Cyrils The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril
  15.19

• Partial Rapture Theory
• Only those watching/waiting(prepared) will be
  raptured (10 virgins of Matt
  25)

9

• See Hindsons Chart (Rapture vs. Return)
  following slide
• Revisit Post-tribulational View in conjunction
  with Postmillennialism
• After the Rapture of the Church
• On earth
• Antichrist is revealed
• 7-Year Tribulation begins
• While in heaven
• The Church undergoes the Judgment Seat of Christ
  (Rom 1410-12 1 Cor 39-15 2
  Cor 510)
• And the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 197-9)

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Contrast between the Rapture and the Return
Rapture Return 1. Christ comes for His
own (John 1. Christ comes with His own (1
Thess. 143. 1 Thess. 1417 2 Thess. 21)
313 Jude 14 Rev. 1914) 2. He comes in the
air 2. He comes to the earth (Zech. 144 (1
Thess. 417) Acts 111) 3. He claims His
bride 3. He comes with His bride (Rev. (1
Thess. 416-17) 196-14) 4. Removal of
believers 4. Manifestation of Christ (1
Thess. 417) (Mal. 42) 5. Only His own see
Him 5. Every eye shall see Him (1 Thess.
413-18) (Rev. 17) 6. Tribulation begins
6. Millennial kingdom begins (2 Thess.
16-9) (Rev. 201-7) 7. Saved are delivered
from wrath 7. Unsaved experience the wrath of
God (1 Thess. 110 59) (Rev. 612-17) 8.
No signs precede the rapture 8. Signs precede
the second coming (1 Thess. 51-3) (Luke
2111, 15)
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• For next time
• Read Geisler, pp. 1213-1246,1282-1300
• Study for devotion
• Luke 1619-31 2342-46
• 2 Cor 121-4
• Rev 69-11
• Bring Eschatological/Exegetical Paper
  to turn in at
  beginning of class