Jack Hibbs: Why There Must be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of The Church

Is the rapture before, during, or after the Tribulation? In this message, Pastor Jack Hibbs surveys the three major views—pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib—and walks through key Scriptures to explain why he believes the Bible teaches a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. With passages like 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15, John 14, Revelation 3, and 2 Thessalonians 2, Pastor Jack examines imminence, God’s wrath, and our “blessed hope,” and shows how this view shapes how we live ready and share the gospel today.

Why There Must be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of The Church

Well, church, I’m going to ask you to open your Bibles this morning to 1 Thessalonians 4. I’ll begin reading out loud in the New King James Version, beginning at verse 13. If you don’t have a New King James Version, look at the screens—it’ll be up there. You’ll pick it up in verse 14 (the even numbers), and we’ll read down to verse 18.

(Reads 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, alternating verses with the congregation.)

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Prayer

Father, we ask that as we go through this new year—kicking it off—that everything we do as a church, everything we embark upon—every vision, every effort, our spending, our prayer, our activities—would always be viewed and energized with a sense of urgency that You could come for us at any time.

We pray that, as a body of believers, our motive would be to be busy about our Father’s business, always looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. With that as our fuel, may we affect an unbelieving culture around us. May we reach out to those who are hurting. May we go to the ends of the earth. May we bless until we see You face-to-face. We pray in Jesus’ name, and all God’s people said, Amen.

Intro & Context

You can be seated. Church, today in our Get Ready series, the title of our message (part two of the last two weeks) is: “Why There Must Be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.” That’s a strong statement, right?

This topic is greatly debated—and the debate won’t end with this service. It will be talked about until we go up—and on the way up, we’ll explain to those who didn’t believe He was coming soon that Jesus would have us be ready.

Recently, we had a special gathering with Jan Markell one Wednesday night. We sat down and talked together, and it was tremendous. If you missed it, it’s on our YouTube channel—over 238,000 views so far. Also, last Sunday, we started part one of this message. We were talking about the Antichrist—who he is and what he’s about. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish with first service, but I did with second and third. If you want to hear the finish, you can listen online. First service is always an experiment anyway!

1) The Rapture Is a Biblical Doctrine

Every Christian tradition for 2,000 years has not debated whether there is a rapture; they’ve debated when the rapture occurs. Don’t let anyone tell you, text you, or tweet you that the rapture isn’t in the Bible. The doctrine is there. The question is timing.

“Pastor Jack, the word rapture isn’t in the Bible!”
You’re correct—if you have an English Bible.
In a Latin Bible, it is (rapturo).
In Greek, the word is harpazō—“caught up.”

It means to be snatched away—seized, extracted by force. The concept appears in all New Testament languages.

Foundational Passages

• Titus 2:13 — “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
  The rapture is called our Blessed Hope; believers are commanded to be looking with anticipation.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:10 — We are to be a people “waiting for His Son from heaven… even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
  Note: “Wrath to come” is not hell (we’re already saved from that); it’s God’s eschatological wrath on a Christ-rejecting world during the Tribulation.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 — “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air… Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
  Paul says we, not “they”—because the rapture is imminent for every generation.

Jesus Introduces the Rapture

• John 14:1–3 — “I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
  Jesus receives us to the Father’s house. If you deny a pre-trib rapture, explain how the church gets into heaven (Revelation 4–5) before returning with Him (Revelation 19).

The Revelation Roadmap

• Revelation 1:19 — The book’s divine outline: what you have seen (ch. 1), what is (ch. 2–3; the churches), and what will take place after this (ch. 4–22).
• Revelation 4:1 — “After these things (meta tauta)… a door standing open in heaven… a voice like a trumpet… ‘Come up here.’”
  From Revelation 4 onward, the church is seen in heaven, not on earth, until Revelation 19 when she returns with Christ.

2) Why Must the Rapture Be Pre-Trib?

A. Jesus Welcomes the Church to Heaven

John 14:1–3 is explicit: He receives us to Himself at the Father’s house. That is not the second coming to earth.

B. The Holy Spirit’s Work with the Church Is Consummated

• Jude 24–25 — He will present us faultless before His glory with exceeding joy.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 — We will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

C. The Restrainer Must Step Aside Before the Antichrist Is Revealed

• 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 — The “He who restrains” (the Holy Spirit through the church) steps aside; then the lawless one is revealed. God is omnipresent; the Spirit doesn’t leave the earth—He ceases restraining through the church as He translates the Bride.

D. Jesus’ Promise to Keep the Faithful from the Global Hour of Trial

• Revelation 3:10 (to Philadelphia) — “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
  This is not personal trials (James 1); it’s a global, time-bound hour of testing—the Tribulation.

3) What Purpose Does the Rapture Serve?

• Exhortation — Every generation is to live watchful and ready (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–6).
• Consummation — Finalizes our salvation experience (Hebrews 9:28; 1 Thessalonians 2:19).
• Deliverance — “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation…” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Thread through 1 Thessalonians:

• 1:10 — Delivered from the wrath to come.
• 2:19 — Our joy at His coming.
• 3:13 — He comes with all His saints.
• 4:17 — We are caught up to meet Him in the air.
• 5:9 — Not appointed to wrath.

Enoch (Genesis 5:24) foreshadows harpazō—“Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him.” Maranatha has always been the church’s cry.

• Luke 21:36 — “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  Our worthiness is Christ’s righteousness imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

4) Characteristics of the Rapture

• It is immediate and transformative (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).
• It separates believers from unbelievers (Matthew 24 parallels; 1 Thessalonians 4).

What About Those Left Behind?

• 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12 — Those who refused to love the truth when they had the chance will face strong delusion to believe the lie.
  Post-rapture salvation occurs among those who had not previously rejected the gospel—through the ministry of the 144,000 (Revelation 7), the two witnesses (Revelation 11), and even an angel proclaiming the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6).

5) How Close Are We?

No one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36). The rapture is imminent—no prophesied events must precede it. The second coming, however, has many prerequisites and a known timeline once the 7-year covenant is confirmed (Daniel 9:27).

Living in Light of the Rapture

• 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 — We are sons of light, not of darkness. Watch, be sober, put on faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
• We don’t retire from kingdom work—we remain faithful until the trumpet or until we go home.

6) Rapture vs. Second Coming — Key Differences

• Rapture: Christ appears in the air for His church (John 14; 1 Thessalonians 4).
  Second Coming: Christ returns to earth with His church (Revelation 19).
• Rapture: Believers are caught up and taken to the Father’s house (John 14).
  Second Coming: Believers return to earth and reign with Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 20).
• Rapture: No earthly judgment follows immediately; it’s a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
  Second Coming: Christ judges the nations (Matthew 25; Revelation 19).
• Rapture: Imminent—no signs required.
  Second Coming: Numerous signs precede it; it occurs after the 7-year Tribulation.
• Rapture: Involves believers only; a time of joy.
  Second Coming: Affects all humanity; a time of war and wrath.
• Rapture: Satan is not bound.
  Second Coming: Satan is bound 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).
• Rapture: “Only those looking for Him” see Him (Hebrews 9:28).
  Second Coming: “Every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7).

Closing Exhortation

People say, “It’s too controversial.” Friend, the gospel is controversial. Don’t let anyone rob you of your joy and hope. We live not for retirement, but for His appearing. Keep one eye on the path before you and one eye up. God reserves the right to interrupt any regularly scheduled program to execute His will.

Father, thank You for Your truth and Your Word. Thank You that, just as You said, there would be mockers in the last days. When we hear them today, we get excited—it makes us look up all the more.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.