HANDLING FEARS OF THE END TIMES

III. Why The Church CANNOT Face Any Of The Tribulation Period

(2 Thessalonians 2:10-14)

I. Introduction

A. As in the case of the new believers in Thessalonica of the Apostle Paul’s era, many Christians today live in fear of the end times due to their exposure to errant teachings on Bible prophecy.

B. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 was written to address this issue, and we study 2 Thessalonians 2:10-14 on the subject of why the Church cannot face any of the Tribulation Period for our insight, application and edification:

II. Why The Church CANNOT Face Any Of The Tribulation Period, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-14.

A. A variety of views on the timing of the Rapture exist where believers in Christ in the Church era are said to experience some or all of the future Tribulation Period (as follows):

1. Some believe in the Partial Rapture view, that only those believers who are “watching” and “waiting” for Christ’s return will be raptured before the Tribulation, implying that others will be raptured during that era as they repent and thus watch and wait (J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, 1972, p. 158).

2. Others believe in the Midtribulation Rapture view, that the rapture occurs halfway through the 7-year Tribulation Period of Daniel 9:27, for the “Great Tribulation” mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:21 starts at the middle of Daniel 9:27, that the Church will thus face the antichrist for 3 ½ years (Ibid., p. 179).

3. Others believe in the Posttribulation Rapture view, that the rapture occurs at the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period at Christ’s Second Coming to the earth (Ibid., p. 164).

B. However, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 teaches the Pretribulation Rapture view, and verses 10-14 explain why:

1. The revelation of the antichrist to the world will begin his worldwide ministry to deceive those who are perishing as unbelievers explicitly because they did not receive the love of the truth of the Gospel of Christ during the Church era that they might be saved, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.

2. For this very reason (of the world’s refusal to have believed in Christ in the Church era), God will send the world a strong delusion to condemn the lost so that that they will believe a lie, 2 Thess. 2:11. [This same kind of event occurred in 1 Kings 22:6, 19-23 when God allowed a demonic spirit to lie through wicked king Ahab’s 400 false prophets to motivate Ahab to go to Ramoth-Gilead that he might be slain.]

3. Thus, everyone who believes the lie by the antichrist who will set himself up in the temple of Jerusalem as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4) will be condemned since he did not believe the truth in Christ during the Church era, but had delighted in wickedness, 2 Thessalonians 2:12.

4. However, no true believer in the Church era can be exposed to the antichrist, for each believing Christian will go to heaven, obtaining the glory of Christ in the Rapture before the Tribulation Period starts, the destiny to which God has ordained him and everyone in the Church era who believes the truth of the Gospel of Christ and is sanctified by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)!

C. We apply this truth to the errant views of the Rapture mentioned in section “A” above (as follows):

1. On the Partial Rapture view, God’s purpose in judging the world by sending a strong delusion in the Tribulation Period is to punish the unsaved world for not having believed in Christ, not to punish believers for living in carnality. The Partial Rapture position errs because it is based on the wrong purpose for God’s judgment, for all believers, godly or carnal, will alike be raptured, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-10.

2. On the Midtribulation Rapture view, the antichrist is revealed to the world when he makes his treaty with Israel at the start of the seven-year Tribulation Period in Daniel 9:27. However, the Holy Spirit Who restrains this appearing of the antichrist event is removed with the Church at the Rapture that the antichrist might be revealed (2 Thess. 2:6-8), so the Rapture occurs before the start of the entire Tribulation Period!

3. On the Posttribulation Rapture view, since God’s judgment in sending a strong delusion is for those who have not believed in Christ during the Church era, no Christian is guilty of having to face the Tribulation Period’s trials and deception by the antichrist, meaning that the Posttribulation Rapture view errs.

Lesson: Since the purpose of the entire seven-year Tribulation Period is to punish the world for its rejection of the Gospel of Christ during the Church era, and since no true Christian is guilty of such unbelief, in accord with God’s eternal plan, every true Christian will be raptured before the entire Tribulation Period begins that he might obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven! We thus hold to the Pretribulation Rapture position.

Application: May we rejoice over-, hope in-, and wait for the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church.