Jack Hibbs: The Rapture: Pre-Tribulation, When will Christ Return?

Wondering when Christ will return—and how the Rapture fits in? In this message, Pastor Jack Hibbs unpacks the biblical case for a pre-tribulation Rapture, why it matters, and how believers can live ready with confidence in God’s promises.

What you’ll learn

• Pre-, mid-, and post-trib views—key differences & why timing matters

• Jesus’ promise of deliverance (Revelation 3:10) and the blessed hope (Titus 2:13)

• Core passages: John 14:1–3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, 2 Thessalonians 2

• How to discern teaching by Scripture—not personalities

• Practical ways to prepare your heart and walk faithfully today

Scripture references
John 14:1–3 • 1 Thess 4:13–18 • 1 Cor 15:51–52 • Rev 3:10 • 2 Thess 2 • Col 3:1–4 • Matt 24

The Rapture: Pre-Tribulation, When will Christ Return?

The believer today—right now, as we record this podcast—should be looking for the coming of Jesus Christ. We’re living in days that so closely reflect what the end times speak about. How close are we? The Rapture could happen today. Some of you may disagree because of preconceived, “pre-loaded” theological persuasions a denomination or a particular view may have given you. I’m simply saying: let’s let the Bible stack upon the Bible.

Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast—with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture today. If this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then please leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us, that’s like saying “Amen” or “Yes,” and it helps others find and listen.

Now open your hearts to what God’s Word has to say. Here is Jack Hibbs.

Well, hey everybody—welcome back to our study. We put out a request for questions and received some great ones. By far, the biggest topic you asked about is the Rapture: “Can you clear up the different views?” That will take more than one or two podcasts, so let’s dive right in.

There are various views of the Rapture of the Church. I’m not going to re-unpack where the word is found and why—it’s in our last episode—but let’s start this installment with the mechanics of the Rapture: not only the promise of it in Scripture, but what it will be like and where it’s placed in God’s timeline. That will launch us into the next few podcasts.

The Rapture is a New Testament doctrine revealed as a mystery—mysterion. Consider Revelation 3:10. Jesus said to the church at Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, 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.” We touched on that last time, but it’s important. There is an “hour”—a defined period—that will engulf the entire earth. Jesus promises a group will be kept from it. That’s in the text. I believe He’s alluding to the Rapture, and it matters that He says it to the Church of Philadelphia in the letters to the seven churches.

That dovetails with John 14:1–3, where Jesus Himself introduces the doctrine: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” We have a promise of deliverance from a global hour and a promise that Jesus will remove His people to the Father’s house.

Now look at Revelation 4:1. John writes, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’” Whatever unfolds next cannot happen until John’s vantage point is in heaven. From that moment forward, his reporting on earth’s events is from heaven. Assemble these: Revelation 3:10; John 14:1–3; Revelation 4:1–11. From Revelation 4:1 onward, the Church is not seen on earth during the judgments. The Church does not meet the Antichrist. The seven-year tribulation is triggered by a covenant (Daniel 9:24–27).

I want to focus on the pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine. Even in the Olivet Discourse, speaking primarily to Israel and tribulation believers (Luke 21; Matthew 24–25), Jesus inserts a clear exhortation in Luke 21:34–36: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down… and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” In the midst of tribulation warnings, Jesus includes an escape to stand before Him—harmonizing with John 14.

Titus 2:13 tells us to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” We’re looking for Jesus Christ—not the Antichrist. Yes, we’re seeing trends toward global government, religion, and digital currency; technologies like subcutaneous devices and health passports. These are indicative of the end times, but they don’t change the command: be watching for Christ.

Remember: 1 Thessalonians addresses the Rapture; 2 Thessalonians addresses events surrounding the Second Coming. The Rapture precedes the Second Coming. The First Coming culminated at the Cross and Resurrection; the Rapture is imminent for the Church; the Second Coming is Christ’s physical return to Israel to establish His Kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 1:10: “Wait for His Son from heaven… Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” The “wrath to come” is not hell; it is God’s wrath poured out on earth during the tribulation. It begins with deception—peace and prosperity under the Antichrist—then escalates into catastrophic judgment. All seven years are God’s wrath.

1 Thessalonians 2:19: “What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”

1 Thessalonians 3:13: “So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints‘” When Jesus comes to gather His Church, He brings with Him those who have died in Christ—their bodies are raised, and then we who are alive are caught up.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18: “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep… For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus… 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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The pre-trib view takes the text at face value and in full.

Some object, “God will shelter the Church through wrath.” Scripture doesn’t say that. Tribulation saints (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 6–13) are overcome and martyred for their faith. Others say, “Like Noah, we’ll go through the tribulation.” That picture better fits Israel’s remnant preserved during the tribulation, not the Church. The Church is absent from the seven-year period on earth for good reason.

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 reminds us that if our earthly tent is destroyed, we have a building from God—our glorified body. We groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly habitation. While we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; the Rapture completes our redemption with transformed, glorified bodies.

Don’t base your position on dreams or personalities. Base it on Scripture. The prophets allude to it (e.g., Isaiah 26:19–21), and the New Testament declares it. For 2,000 years, it’s been on the calendar.

We’re out of time for today. Next time, we’ll look at the mid-tribulation (pre-wrath) and post-tribulation views: why people hold them, the Scriptures they cite, and the practical dangers of any view that effectively says, “My Master delays His coming.”

In the meantime, be watching. Keep your lamp burning. Engage the culture with truth and love. Occupy until He comes. Because I believe Jesus could return today, we plan and work faithfully today—that takes discipline and hope.