Thomas Ice: The Rapture Conspiracy

Unlock a clear, biblical case for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture with host Gary Stearman and scholar Dr. Thomas (Tommy) Ice. They trace the Rapture from John 14:1–3 (Upper Room Discourse) to 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and unpack 2 Thessalonians 2—including the meaning of “the departure” (apostasia), the Restrainer, and why the Church’s Blessed Hope is distinct from the Second Coming.

What you’ll learn:

• Why the Rapture isn’t taught in Matthew 24–25 (Olivet Discourse)
• How Jesus first introduces the Rapture in John 14:1–3
• Paul’s detailed teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (“caught up” / harpazō)
• A plain-English walkthrough of 2 Thessalonians 2 (the departure, Day of the Lord, Antichrist, Restrainer)
• Early translation history of apostasia as “departure” and why it matters
• Why verse-by-verse, literal interpretation consistently supports a pre-trib view
• How the Rapture comforts believers: “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Key Scriptures: John 14:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–7; Acts 21:21; Revelation 19; Matthew 24–25.

If you’re longing for clarity—and comfort—about the end times, this conversation will strengthen your confidence in the Blessed Hope and motivate Gospel urgency.

#Rapture #PreTribulationRapture #BibleProphecy #BlessedHope #1Thessalonians4 #2Thessalonians2 #John14 #ProphecyWatchers #ThomasIce #GaryStearman

The Rapture Conspiracy

Prophecy Watchers – The Rapture of the Church

Host: Gary Stearman | Guest: Dr. Thomas Ice (“Tommy”)

Gary Stearman:
Stick with us—today we’re going to talk about my favorite subject.

And my favorite subject just happens to be the Rapture of the Church. With us is a gentleman who has studied it beyond anything you can imagine: Dr. Thomas Ice. Everybody calls you “Tommy,” right?

Thomas Ice:
I’ve never grown up.

Gary:
The thing I’ve noticed about you is that you love to defend the Rapture of the Church. You love to take people into depths of study and understanding where they haven’t gone before—because that is our Blessed Hope.

Thomas:
It is. It’s tremendous hope.

Gary:
There’s a lot of argument today about the Rapture—as there always has been—but for me it’s a certainty. It is my Blessed Hope. What can I say? Let’s go from there.

Thomas:
The Rapture is not in Matthew 24—or Matthew 25. A recent book rebuking pre-tribulationalism spent two-thirds of its pages arguing from Matthew 24–25—the Olivet Discourse, given about three days before Christ died. The night before He died is the Upper Room Discourse, recorded only in John 13–16 (and chapter 17 as part of that). Once Judas leaves the room about two-thirds through John 13, everything Christ mentions is brand-new Church Age truth. He is introducing Church Age truth, which is then expanded upon—especially by Paul—in the New Testament epistles.

When you realize that John 14:1–3 is where Christ introduces the Rapture—that’s the first mention. It is something new. The Second Coming is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament and expanded in Matthew 24–25.

Paul’s first epistle was Galatians, written around the Jerusalem Council, defending justification by faith (expanded in Romans). The next two epistles were 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Paul spent about 14–17 years after his conversion before writing his epistles. In 2 Corinthians he talks about being taken up into heaven—we think he’s referencing the Rapture as it was revealed to him by Christ in a heavenly vision.

He explains the doctrine of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4—specifically 4:13–18. The key is verse 15: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” What does that mean? Isn’t all Scripture the Word of the Lord? Yes—but here he indicates he received this by direct revelation. “By the word of the Lord” means: He told me.

He continues: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord…” (note: there are multiple terms used to describe the Rapture, not just one) “…shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.” Then: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” “In Christ” indicates Church Age believers—hence we believe the Rapture takes Church Age believers (from Pentecost in Acts 2 to the Rapture). Other believers throughout history are resurrected at the Second Coming, except those in the Millennium, who are resurrected then. So Scripture requires at least three corporate resurrections.

Gary:
I just want to interject: for me, the Rapture is my Blessed Hope. I’m thinking of thousands watching right now who want to believe the same but haven’t been taught—or have been told the Rapture won’t happen until far in the future, or that it’s too complicated. Many belief systems try to dilute the Blessed Hope. For me, I’m still looking for it—even as we’re sitting here.

Thomas:
We did a program showing that, by and large, the Rapture wasn’t widely taught in church history—and there are reasons. Roman Catholicism dominated; premillennialism was declared a heresy in the late fifth century in one of the creeds (called chiliasm). For about 1,100 years, no one publicly claimed premillennialism—you’d be condemned.

As premillennialism is (to me) even clearer than pre-tribulationalism, some began writing about it around the Reformation. It surged in the 1600s—most Puritans were premillennial. Postmillennialism rose in the 1700s. But here and there—back to the third century—you find writers teaching some form of a pre-tribulational Rapture. We cataloged 35 examples from the 200s up to before Darby (1830). Academics hadn’t been keen to disclose these, but more is coming to light.

From about 1900 to ~1980, almost all fundamentalists who took the Bible literally believed in the pre-trib Rapture. There’s been a decline among laypeople, but most who teach verse-by-verse remain pre-trib. If you only do topical messages, you can make anything fit; but expositional teaching forces Scripture to harmonize. (Think of Lewis Sperry Chafer and systematic theology—though systematic methods blossomed in the early 1800s via Irish theologians—another story.) Coordinating all Scripture shows Christ introduces the Rapture, and Paul—apostle to the Gentiles—expands it.

Paul says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…”—that Greek word is harpazō (“caught up”). I didn’t invent “Rapture.” In Europe, scholars from many lands conversed in Latin; the Latin term for harpazō is rapio. That’s how “Rapture” entered common use. Check commentaries—liberal or conservative, pre-trib or post-trib—scholars use “Rapture” because it’s the long-standing Latin theological term. So when people say, “Rapture isn’t in the Bible,” we point to the concept in 1 Thessalonians 4:17—“caught up.”

“Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” In fact, every chapter of 1 Thessalonians mentions the Rapture.

Now, 2 Thessalonians—written 6–9 months later—addresses a false epistle circulating that they were already in the Tribulation. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1: “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…” Because of the Granville Sharp rule in Greek grammar, that construction links both terms to the same event—what we popularly call the Rapture. The phrase “our gathering together to Him” (Greek: episynagōgē) emphasizes the assembling.

He continues: don’t be quickly shaken “either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us…that the Day of the Lord has come.” Day of the Lord is one of about 22 terms for what we call the Tribulation (it’s broader, but it includes it). They feared they were in it. Paul says, don’t be deceived.

“It will not come unless the apostasia comes first.” The Greek noun is apostasia. Historically, English versions coined “apostasy” (1600s). But apostasia’s core meaning is departure (used abstractly of a departure from truth, or physically of a departure). In Acts 21:21, it clearly means departure from the Mosaic Law (“to depart from Moses”), but even there “depart” makes sense with the qualifier.

Look at the translation tradition: Jerome’s Vulgate renders it discessio (“departure”). Early English: Wycliffe (“departing”), Tyndale (1526, “departure”), Coverdale (1535, “departure”), Cranmer (1539, “departure”), the Great Bible (1540, “departure”), early Geneva Bible (1559–1560, “departing/departure”). I have a 1560 Geneva facsimile: “that day shall not come, except there come a departing first.” Later, the Rheims (1582)—the first Catholic English NT—rendered it revolt, likely to target Protestants as “revolters.” The Beza Bible (1583) and Geneva 1608 kept “departure.” The KJV (1611) introduced “falling away,” and even created the English loanword “apostasy” in broader usage—akin to how they transliterated baptizō as “baptize” instead of translating “immerse.”

Also, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, the Greek has the article: “the” departure—pointing to a specific, known event. Paul doesn’t qualify “from the faith,” etc., implying his readers understood it—fitting the Rapture context he’s been teaching them.

Gary:
I’m looking at my KJV—it says “a falling away first,” not the falling away.

Thomas:
Right—the Greek includes the article (the departure). And in 1–2 Thessalonians, Paul doesn’t correct doctrinal apostasy (that comes later in 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Jude). Here, he’s assuring them they’re not in the Day of the Lord because two things haven’t happened: (1) the departure (Rapture), and (2) the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) hasn’t been revealed.

“Do you not remember that while I was with you, I was telling you these things?” (2 Thessalonians 2:5). Teachers repeat truth so it sticks—Paul did, too.

He adds: “You know what restrains him now…for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7). Almost all pre-trib teachers see v.7 as a reference to the Rapture, fitting the literary inclusio in the passage: he begins with the Rapture (“departure”), speaks of Tribulation details (Antichrist), then returns to the Rapture (the Restrainer’s removal), reinforcing the flow. He closes: “Stand firm and hold to the traditions…whether by word or by letter from us” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)—addressing those false teachings.

Properly understood, this passage clearly teaches the departure = Rapture, not doctrinal apostasy.

Gary:
All of this fills me with a desire to see the Gospel go out. We have a little while left—we don’t know how long—but millions need to hear this.

Thomas:
In the last 150 years, the Gospel has gone where it never had. Even conflicts (like the Gulf War) may have contributed to Gospel access in some Islamic regions. Some of the fastest-growing areas of Christianity are in Islamic contexts—people are preaching the Gospel there.

Gary:
You want to join this study? We’ve produced resources like Charting the Bible Chronologically (Hindson/Ice), and the Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible—thorough tools that teach the view we’ve explained. (We also include bonus programs: The Falling Away with Dr. Andy Woods; Defending the Rapture with Dr. Thomas Ice and me; The Mystery of the Rapture, and more.) It’s our Rapture Conspiracy Package (details at prophecywatchers.com).

You and I will continue this discussion in another program—so hang in there and stay with us. We’re talking about the Blessed Hope—and it’s a wonderful thing.

Thomas:
Absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait.

Gary:
I’m Gary Stearman. Hey—you keep watching… we are.

Announcer:
Thanks for joining us on Prophecy Watchers. You can find us on the web at prophecywatchers.com.