J.D. Farag: Why the Rapture of the Church Has To Happen Before the Seven Year Tribulation Pt 1

In this Prophecy Update, Pastor J.D. Farag begins Part 1 of a new series explaining why the rapture of the church must take place before the seven-year Tribulation. Drawing from Scripture, he unpacks the revelation God has given to us and lays a solid foundation for understanding the timing of the rapture and the hope it brings.

Why the Rapture of the Church Has To Happen Before the Seven Year Tribulation Part 1

We set aside a little time to look at what the Bible says about the last days. We believe we are living in the last days, and the world in which we live matches the world the Bible describes. If you’ve been following events with the Syria uprising and the U.S. downgrade, you’re probably thinking about Isaiah 17, Revelation 13, and maybe Revelation 6.

Some of you are looking at me going, “Huh?” Let me fill in some blanks:

• Isaiah 17:1 contains a prophecy concerning Syria—that Damascus will become a heap of ruins. Some believe this explains their conspicuous absence from the Ezekiel 38 prophecy; they are not present in that alliance of nations attacking Israel.
• Now, take that in concert with what happened late Friday evening: Standard & Poor’s, one of the three major rating agencies, downgraded the U.S. credit rating from its prized AAA to AA+. This is huge, historic, and prophetic.

If you’ve attended for any length of time, you know what this means: the U.S. dollar has been in the way of a one-world, cashless economic system under the control of the Antichrist. When the Antichrist is revealed, he will control the world by means of a one-world government, a one-world economy, and a one-world religion.

It’s not just the United States. Economically, the whole world is going down the toilet—sorry for the graphic description, but it fits. This must happen in order for the end to come. It paves the way for that one-world economic system described in Revelation 13 with the U.S. dollar out of the way.

There’s also a prophecy in Revelation 6 describing a day’s wages for a loaf of bread (very loosely paraphrased—found in the “JDV”). The idea is global hyperinflation, where currency—prior to a cashless system—becomes nearly worthless. It’s like pushing a wheelbarrow stacked with hundred-dollar bills, and the wheelbarrow is worth more than the cash, and it takes all that money just to buy a loaf of bread.

Most of these prophecies—except possibly Isaiah 17—take place during the Tribulation. If you’re here this morning and you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, born again of the Spirit of God, you aren’t going to be here for that. Be encouraged. If you came to church fearful, remember what Paul wrote to Timothy: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Don’t freak out. Don’t be like the pagans who run around worried about what to eat, wear, or drink—or what to do Monday morning when the markets open. If your treasure is here, I can promise you on the authority of Jesus’ words that moth and rust will destroy and thief (or government) will steal—so yes, you should be worried. Conversely, if your treasures are in heaven, no worries.

If you’re prone to worry (spoken by a recovering “worry-aholic”), I want to give you two passages for your quiet time:

1. Matthew 6:19–34 - also the best investment advice you can have in a time of global uncertainty.
2. Philippians 4:6–8 - the “three-in-one deal”:
   • Thank God for anything,
   • Pray about everything,
   • and you’ll worry about nothing.
     Then the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Verse 8 lists what to think on. We get “stinkin’ thinkin’,” and we need a “check-up from the neck up.” Take every thought captive to Christ. Is this thought compatible with God’s promises to me? God has promised to provide for me—I don’t have to worry about what I’ll eat, drink, wear, or do. If I seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be added.

Notice: think → thank. “Thank” is derived from “think.” When I think on God’s goodness, I thank Him.

“Pastor, you don’t understand—I don’t know if I’ll have a job next week. I don’t know if I’ll have a house.” God will take care of you. Any minute spent worrying is a minute wasted.

This isn’t our full prophecy update today; I just wanted to mention this. Today, because last week we began an introduction to a mini-series on why the rapture of the church must happen before the seven-year Tribulation, we’ll start Part 1 of our study on the pre-tribulation rapture—and why it’s vital to know why we believe what we believe. We need the why behind the what.

Before we jump into the Word, I need to clarify and qualify something so I’m not misunderstood about why I’m doing this series:

It is not my intention to convince anyone to believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. I have neither the time nor the interest to engage in endless, worthless debates with those looking for an argument instead of an answer. If you’re watching on TV, YouTube, or Facebook and your mind is already made up, then in the spirit of brotherly love, agree to disagree agreeably. Be spiritually mature in your responses.

My posture, especially with a touchy topic like the rapture, is to let the Holy Spirit reveal the truth. That’s His job, not mine. I’ve learned the hard way: you cannot talk anyone into the kingdom of God—if you can talk them into it, someone else can talk them out of it. I’ve never argued someone into the kingdom. It is the Spirit of God who leads us into truth—including the pre-trib rapture.

Jesus said (John 14:16–17): “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” And in John 16:13–15: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth… and tell you what is yet to come…”

Now I’ll make a statement that may sound sensational: Satan hates the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture. Scripture speaks of doctrines of demons. Demonic doctrines are present today, and Satan hates this doctrine because he hates the Bride—that’s you. God loves you; Satan hates you—and he especially hates this truth.

I’m doing this series to equip you for what I believe lies ahead: increasing opposition, ridicule, and mocking—often from professing Christians who hold different views. My job is to equip the saints. If you give a man a fish, you feed him once; if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. I want to teach you to give every person an answer for the hope within you. The one who has this Blessed Hope purifies himself and stays ready, so that when the Master comes, he is found faithful.

If you’re not sure about the pre-trib rapture, that’s okay. Many of you have come from churches where this doctrine—let alone the pre-trib view—is new. Be encouraged: from Scripture, you can know the why behind the what, and why it has to be pre-trib. It’s not “I hope it’s pre-trib, but I’m preparing for the worst.” That’s not biblical.

Last week I listed seven reasons why the rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ has to happen before the seven-year Tribulation. Here they are again briefly (an acronym from RAPTURE):

• R — Revelation to us
• A — Effect upon us
• P — Purity of us
• T — Trumpets for us
• U — Uniformity with us
• R — Responsibility on us
• E — Encouragement from us

Today we’ll do the first: the Revelation to us (Part 1).

Please turn to Revelation 1:19. Background: The Apostle John (c. A.D. 95) has been banished to the island of Patmos—not like the Hawaiian Islands. It’s a dry, barren prison island where people were sent to die. Church history suggests he survived being thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. When that didn’t kill him—apparently God wasn’t through—he was exiled. Patmos lies about 50 miles off the coast of modern-day Turkey (Asia Minor), where several churches had been planted.

On Patmos, John receives this revelation from the Lord:

Revelation 1:19 — “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later.”

In other words, John is to write past, present, and future.

Now jump to Revelation 4:1:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’”

Notice: the verse starts and ends with “after this/after these things” (meta tauta). As Pastor Chuck Smith wrote in Calvary Chapel Distinctives (in the longest chapter—on the rapture): when John finishes the messages to the churches (ch. 2–3), he introduces a new section with the Greek meta tauta—“after these things”—used also in 1:19.

After what things? After the things of chapters 2–3—the things of the church.

Let me simplify: Everything from Revelation 4:1 forward is future. Today we are living in Revelation 3. The last drop is about to drip; when it does, it’s Revelation 4:1.

What’s so significant about 4:1? Revelation includes a unique divine outline (1:19) and a unique promised blessing for those who read, hear, and keep it (1:3). Satan keeps Christians from studying Revelation because he wants to rob you of that blessing.

In the divine outline:

• “What you have seen” — Past: Jesus crucified, buried, resurrected (ch. 1).
• “What is” — Present: Church history (ch. 2–3; seven letters to seven churches—real churches in real cities, and also prophetic of church epochs). I’d suggest four of those types are present today.
• “What will take place after this” — Future: after the church age. Revelation 4:1: “Come up here.” John is caught up (harpazō), at the sound of a trumpet, and from there (ch. 4–5) describes from heaven what will take place after these things.

Revelation 6–19 covers the seven-year Tribulation.

Note: In Revelation 1–3, the church is mentioned 19 times. From Revelation 4:1 through 19, the church is not mentioned. Why? Because the church is not present during the Tribulation. The rapture (4–5), then Tribulation (6–19). The purpose of the Tribulation is the salvation of the Jewish nation. We are already saved and not destined for wrath; God poured His wrath on Jesus in our place.

Revelation 20 — the Millennium (1,000-year reign on earth). The earth will be like it was pre-Fall—amazing. Satan is bound for 1,000 years.
Revelation 21–22 — New heavens and new earth.

One more layer: the seven feasts of the LORD align prophetically with Revelation’s outline:

• Passover/Unleavened Bread/Firstfruits — Christ crucified, buried, resurrected (Rev 1).
• Pentecost — Birth/age of the Church (Rev 2–3).
• Trumpets — Rapture (Rev 4–5).
• Day of Atonement — Israel’s national repentance at the Second Coming (end of Rev 19). (Rapture: Jesus comes for us; Second Coming: Jesus comes with us.)
• Tabernacles — Millennium and God dwelling with us (Rev 20–22).

Therefore: The rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ must happen before the seven-year Tribulation because of the Revelation to us. The church is prominent before 4:1 and absent in 6–19. Six more reasons remain—we’ll continue, Lord willing.

Would you pray with me?

Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word—Your Word of truth. Take what we’ve seen and had revealed to us and bless it to our hearts. Build it into our lives so we can give every person an answer for the hope within us. We ask it in Jesus’ name, amen and amen.