In all four gospels, Jesus personally taught the rapture will occur before the tribulation. Of course, anything taught by Jesus agrees completely with the remainder of the Bible. Any doctrine taught by Him produces NO contradiction in scripture.
Ephesians 2:19-20 tells us the church is founded upon the Apostles. We know Jesus instructed His disciples about the church, even to the point of how to handle discipline within it. Matthew 16:17-18 and 18:17. As a result, they were aware they would be involved in the founding of the church, so it was logical and reasonable they had questions about the return of Jesus and about the end of the church age.
In Matt. 24:3, Jesus was asked three things by His disciples. First, ‘When will these things be?’ Notice, they asked about plural things. What multiple things were they referencing? The next sentence tells us: 'What is the sign of your coming (one thing) AND of the end of the age (second thing)?" Reading the text of chapters 24 and 25 makes very clear the questions asked by the disciples placed the conversation in the context of end time events. After all, Jesus doesn't come again in power and great glory until after the tribulation. However, in Luke 21:9, Jesus also tells us the end does not come at once, which means it comes at different times. These seemingly opposite statements agree with the two things asked by His disciples, the signs signaling His coming AND the sign of the end of the church age. Jesus answered His disciples’ questions in the order in which they were asked.
First question: ‘When will these things be?” In Matthew 24:4-8, Jesus describes the general activities taking place upon the earth; the birth pains, or beginning, of end time events. Also, in Luke 21:28, Jesus states “when these things BEGIN to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” In other words, Jesus was telling us He is coming to redeem/deliver us when the birth pains BEGIN.
Second question: Next, in Matt. 24:9-34, Jesus described His second coming AFTER the SPECIFIC signs of THE Tribulation (24:29). He will return to earth in a very public display of great power and glory with armies in tow. Zech. 14:1-5, and Rev. 19:11-21 confirm Jesus was speaking about the second coming in this answer. Here are the parallel passages in the other gospels where Jesus also describes His second coming as occurring after specific visible signs: Mark 13:3-30, Luke 17: 17:24, Luke 21:7-27, 29-32, John 5:25-29 and John 6:40.
It is interesting to note that Revelation 11:3 and 13:5 tell us THE Tribulation is exactly 2,520 days long. So, once it begins, the tribulation can last no fewer, or no longer, than 2,520 days. John 5:25 & 28 tell us there is a specific hour at which Jesus will return. Daniel 9:27 tells us this hour will be known once the covenant between the man of sin and the many is confirmed. So, once the tribulation begins, the DAY and HOUR of the second coming will be KNOWN.
Third question: Next, in Matt. 24:36-25:30, Jesus answered the final question asked by His disciples in this passage, ‘What is the (sign) of the end of the age?’ The first thing Jesus says in verse 36 is that NO ONE KNOWS the day or hour of His appearance. Because the day and hour of the second coming will be known, this means Jesus must be referencing a separate event. He can’t come a single time at both a known and unknown day and hour. So, in this passage, Jesus described the rapture, His sudden appearance without ANY specific visible signs. The rapture must happen BEFORE THE Tribulation because the tribulation is nothing BUT specific signs which will mark the passage of time. At this unexpected, unwarned of appearance, Jesus will simply show up and separate the wicked servants from the faithful servants. This is also spoken of in 1 Peter 4:17-19. These are the parallel passages in the other gospels in which Jesus taught He will appear withOUT specific visible signs: Mark 13:32-37, Luke 12:35-46, 17:20-23 and 17:26-37, Luke 21: 28, 33-36, John 14:1-4, John 5:24 and John 6:39.
While Jesus never used the word ‘rapture’ in His answer to the question about the end of the age, the same event without specific visible signs is described by Paul. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 tells us Jesus is accompanied, not preceded, by the shout of an archangel AND the trump of God. Please note, these signs are not visible, but audible only.
The Greek language uses the word 'harpazo' to describe this event, while the common word ‘rapture’ originated in the Latin Bible as the word ‘rapturo.’ The word ‘rapture’ does not appear in the English Bible because it’s unreasonable to expect Latin words to appear in an English translation. It is a matter of convenience that we call this event the rapture. In the English Bible, the words rapturo or harpazo are translated as ‘caught up.' This event without specific visible signs is the one at which we will be caught up into the clouds to a meeting with Jesus. So, while Jesus never named the event where He appears without specific warnings, Paul did name it, and Jesus’ description of the event, given in answer to His disciples’ third question, completely agrees with that of Paul. The event without specific visible warnings is the rapture, the ‘catching up’ of those who trust Jesus for salvation; the event which happens BEFORE the tribulation begins.
Many people mistakenly believe the rapture doctrine originated outside the Bible with either the Jesuits, Margaret McDonald or John Darby. The information in this article demonstrates Jesus personally taught the rapture as part of His COMPLETE doctrine of end time events, the second coming separate from the rapture. This proves the event known as the rapture did NOT originate outside the Bible, but with Jesus Himself.
Finally, we can use Jesus’ instructions regarding these two events to rightly divide all end time scriptures. If any end time verse contains even one specific visible sign, such as lightning, or seeing Jesus coming on the clouds, it’s a reference to the second coming of Jesus. If NO specific visible signs are mentioned, the verse references the rapture. When you follow Jesus’ instructions, end time scriptures nicely separate into two different events: the rapture BEFORE the tribulation because it occurs without ANY specific visible signs, (Matt. 24:36-25:30) AND the second coming AFTER the tribulation and its numerous SPECIFIC visible signs. (Matthew 24:29).
Some content taken from The Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, Sr. Copyright © 1985. Used by permission of Hendrickson Rose Publishing Group, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2021 on Commentary by Angie Williams All rights reserved.
All definitions taken from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D. © 1990 by Thomas Nelson Publishers