Anyone who tells you the rapture is not a salvation issue does not adequately understand end time doctrine. Let me explain.....
First, the terms pretrib, prewrath, mid or posttrib are simply words assigned by man to rapture timings solely for the ease of communication. For this reason, I want to state in such a manner which leaves NO doubt, that whether one agrees with any other person is irrelevant. What matters is whether one agrees with Jesus and what He taught about the rapture.
As is explained in detail on other pages of this site, Jesus clearly taught He is coming before the tribulation. So, if one disagrees with Jesus, the question becomes, ‘How is it possible to confess salvation (safety, rescue in Romans 10:10 4991) in Jesus while simultaneously disavowing what Jesus taught about WHEN He is coming to get us?”
Where does scripture give us permission to disagree with any doctrine taught by Jesus? Jesus taught it is not possible to withhold forgiveness and still be forgiven. Matt. 6:14-15. So, if one disagrees with Jesus’ doctrine on forgiveness, living a life withholding forgiveness from others, can they be forgiven and inherit the kingdom of heaven? Of course not. It is not possible to disagree with Jesus and still be saved by Him.
The rapture doctrine taught by Jesus is no different. 1 Peter 1:7-9 clearly teaches the rapture IS a salvation issue. We obtain (receive, carry off as is from harm 2865) the end (limit, conclusion 5056) of our faith, the salvation (safety, rescue 4991) of our souls, at the revelation (disclosure, appearing, manifestation 602) of Jesus. Those who leave with Jesus at the rapture are set for eternity. They receive the salvation of their souls at that time, and nothing will ever change that.
However, those who are NOT permitted to leave with Him at the rapture do NOT obtain the end/conclusion of their faith, the salvation/rescue/safety of their souls.
This doesn’t apply only to lost people. The numerous warnings made by Jesus about ignoring what He taught, and about what will happen at the rapture, are made to BELIEVERS, NOT the UNredeemed! In Matt. 24:48-51, Jesus shows up unannounced finding ALL of His servants at work; some are faithful and are feeding the other servants. Some are wicked, telling themselves the Master delays His coming, so they beat the faithful servants and eat and drink with drunkards. It is the WICKED SERVANTS who are thrown in with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The SERVANTS thrown in with the hypocrites are people who BELONG to the Master; these are NOT UNREDEEMED people Jesus is speaking about. Here are scriptures which warn BELIEVERS about ignoring what Jesus taught: John 12:48 and 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 5:10, Hebrews 3:12, Colossians 2:8. These passages tell us what happens to those who disregard what Jesus taught. The scriptures which follow are those in which Jesus warned BELIEVERS about the consequences of ignoring Him: Matthew 8:11-13, 22:10-14, 24:48-51, 25:30 and Luke 13:24-30 and Matthew 7:21-23.
I list this scripture separately because of its importance. Matthew 10:32-33: “Then everyone who shall confess (to assent 3670, an expression of approval or agreement) Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in Heaven. But whoever may deny (to CONTRADICT 720) Me before men, I also will deny/CONTRADICT him before My Father in Heaven.”
Do you really think someone who contradicts Jesus will inherit the kingdom of God? Bear in mind, God’s Spirit within you will NOT save you. Matt. 7:21-23 speaks to this. The people rejected by Jesus in this passage had the Holy Spirit. How do I know? They were doing mighty works, giving Jesus credit for them. The Holy Spirit did not die to save you. The Holy Spirit was not resurrected from the dead after bleeding to death on your behalf. The Holy Spirit is NOT the criterion for salvation; FAITH IN JESUS is the criterion for salvation.
Matt. 7:21-23 also tells us works will not save us. How do I know? Because the people rejected by Jesus cried out to Him on the basis of works, yet He rejected them because works are not the criterion for salvation. He rejected them because they did not do the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? 1 John 5:10: “The one believing (to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to Christ 4100) in the Son of God has the witness (evidence, testimony 3141) in himself. The one NOT believing God has made Him a liar because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.”
In other words, if one is truly entrusting their spiritual well-being to Christ, they have the evidence of Jesus within themselves. The evidence of Jesus includes the doctrines He taught, as indicated by the warnings He gave in the scriptures cited above. If these warnings do not reference the rapture, they serve no purpose because they fit with no other event described in scripture. Jesus IS the LOGOS, the very word of God. It is NOT possible to trust Jesus to save you while denying/contradicting what He taught about anything, including the rapture.
Also, the one NOT believing calls God a liar. In Matt. 7:21-23, Jesus called those rejected by Him workers of iniquity. Is it possible He called them workers of iniquity because they called God a liar, refusing to believe the testimony of Jesus? These scriptures fit together seamlessly because God designed them to do just that.
Bottom line: Either you trust Jesus, or you don't. There is no middle road, half-measure of faith which secures one's salvation. Faith doesn't work that way. One cannot keep one foot planted in Jesus and one foot planted in the world, hedging your bets (just in case the rapture doesn’t happen) and expect to leave with Jesus at the rapture. This is the reason Jesus spoke these warnings to believers!
What you believe about the rapture is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! In fact, the placement of your faith, regarding end time events, is a fairly accurate indication of whether you will be permitted to leave with Jesus at the rapture. If you AGREE with what Jesus taught, you are watchful for His appearance and are prepared to leave with Him like the five wise virgins. If you DISAGREE with Jesus’ teaching, you are not concerned about the appearance of Jesus; you are convinced you know more than Jesus does, that He is returning ONLY at the second coming, and you are not watching for His appearance, like the five foolish virgins. You are behaving as one of the wicked servants described in Matt. 24:48-51, those who say to themselves, ‘the Master delays to come.’ Instead of watching for the appearance of Jesus, you are watching for the arrival of the man of sin and the start of the tribulation for that is where your faith is placed.
I do want to mention quickly, this discussion is moot for anyone who has not been led astray by unBiblical rapture doctrines. What I mean is: if a person has simple faith in Jesus to save them, they’re set, they’re ready to leave with Him when He appears for they are among the wise virgins. It is those who get their doctrine from outside the Bible, trusting the vain writings of men, or the instruction of false teachers, yes, even if they stand behind a pulpit, those who fail to earnestly study, who fail to rightly divide the scriptures, ignoring what Jesus personally taught, doubting His word while teaching others to do the same. These people are among the foolish virgins, the ones on whom Jesus closes the door. Luke 13:25-30.
Think critically about what Jesus taught in the opposing passages of Matthew. He described the second coming in Matt. 24:9-34, that it will be preceded by specific visible signs. He taught the rapture in Matt. 24:36-25:30, that it has NO visible warning signs, He will simply appear to His servants (24:45-51), His virgins (25:1-13) and His slaves (25:19).
What you believe about the rapture happens by CHOICE. CHOOSE wisely before you miss it. Once the rapture occurs there is no escape. 1 Thess. 5:3.