Q: Many Christians have heard terms like “rapture” or “tribulation” their entire lives, but often with confusion or conflicting teachings. Why is it so important for believers to have a clear biblical understanding of the Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation right now?
A: When the disciples asked Jesus very pointedly what exactly the signs would be of the very end days, He answered them directly, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5), implicating mass deception as the prominent sign of the last of the last days. Believers need to know the truth about the Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation as presented in Scripture, especially in Jesus’ and Paul’s teachings — as well as how to give an answer for the hope that is in them (see 1 Peter 3:15). Without the sound teaching of the Bible, believers will become fearful, misguided, and they will act on wrong guidance, missing the mark of what God is calling them to be and do in this generation: shining “…as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life…” (Philippians 2:15-16).
Q: Let’s start with the Rapture. What does Scripture actually say about this event — and what are some of the biggest misconceptions you hope to correct?
A: Famously, the apostle Paul wrote about the Rapture to a group of discouraged Thessalonian believers who’d been taught, in error, that the Rapture had already taken place and that they had missed it. First Thessalonians 4:13-18 set the record straight for that group, and these timeless, inspired words are intended to hone our spiritual understanding of this event as well.
There are largely two groups of people in the Church today — those who believe in a rapture and those who do not. But the most common misconception in the Church is the when of the Rapture: When will this event take place?
There are at least eight positions held on this much-disputed event, and I write briefly on each one of them in my book The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation — an End-Times Countdown and What Happens Next. These beliefs — and the groups who hold beliefs on this subject — are as follows: 1) pre-Tribulation rapture; 2) partial-rapture; 3) mid-Tribulation rapture; 4) pre-wrath rapture; 5) post-Tribulation rapture; 6) post-Millennialists; 7) Amillennialists; and 8) “pan”-Tribulationists.
But it’s important to note that among those who believe in a rapture of the Church, if everyone is incorrect in some respect — the fact is that we are only off by a matter of a few years. We can all rejoice that in the end, Jesus will come!
Q: When people think about the end times, fear often takes center stage. How should believers approach these topics with faith instead of anxiety?
A: We are commanded again and again in Scripture not to fear. In fact, often when Jesus admonished the disciples to “fear not,” the form used in the Greek communicates a stronger command than most of us realize. Jesus was literally commanding them, “Stop that and stop it now! Do NOT fear. Don’t you do it!”
That and the balance of Scripture alone gives us our answer and lets us know that the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead by fear. He leads and guides us into the truth, by way of Scripture, not to scare us, but to prepare us. So it’s not so much how we’re to approach the topics, but how we’re to approach the Lord. Jesus is our Savior, and “save” is what He does. Psalm 91:16 says, “I will satisfy you with a long life. I will show you how I will save you” (GWT). The goal is not just information, but rather a revelation of Him based on relationship.
Q: You’ve spent decades studying the Greek text of the New Testament. Did you uncover anything in your research that challenged what you previously believed about the Rapture?
A: I have studied this subject for decades, percolating what I’ve learned from the Scripture and from comparing every view. My own position on a pre-Tribulation rapture has never changed; however, in my book The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation, I list several positions concerning the Rapture, some of which are held by my friends in the ministry, whom I respect so much. I never argue this point with them, as I can learn a lot from the insights of others — and I am so thankful for the friendship of these esteemed men and women of God in ministry, even when we differ on our understanding of Scripture.
Q: The Tribulation is often described as a time of unprecedented global turmoil. What is the ultimate purpose of this period in God’s prophetic plan?
A: According to the book of Revelation, the Tribulation is a time of God’s own inescapable judgment upon the wicked on the earth. The purpose is the fulfilling of prophecy, movement on the prophetic timeline, and a last round of the reaping of the precious fruit of the earth, as evangelism can and will still occur during this horrific period.
That is what will occur on the earth. But the Tribulation is also the same period in which the saints will enjoy participation in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In addition to that great feast, we will each stand before Christ’s judgment seat (bema in the Greek) during that time, where we will be rewarded according to our obedience to His call on the earth, as well as the heart-attitude with which we fulfilled our specific call and the instructions, or directives, we received from Him.
That is why it’s so important to build our lives in willing obedience on eternal things that will last — that will stand the test of “time and fire” — versus things that will burn up and vanish as “wood, hay, and stubble” (see 1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
Q: Some believers debate whether the Church will experience the Tribulation. Without diving into denominational arguments, how should Christians prepare their hearts regardless of where they land on that question?
A: Christians will not experience that time of inescapable wrath. But even if someone believed he or she will live, and probably die, during that time, “in Christ” is our only truly safe place on Earth that will affect us for all eternity.
Just before Jesus comes, things on the earth may appear so dark that it may seem as if we’re living in the time of the Tribulation. But He clearly said to us that “…He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13) and that he “…shall not be hurt of the second death” (see Revelation 2:11).
Q: For believers raising families in an increasingly unstable world, what practical steps can they take now to be spiritually prepared for whatever lies ahead?
A: For the sake of your children, grandchildren, and all those in your care, the best thing you can do to ensure their safety and well-being in a storm-tossed, morally lost world is to hold tightly to sound doctrine and build your own life on the solid foundation of Scripture. If you have children or grandchildren in your home, keep them in church and raise them “in the nurture” of the Lord (see Ephesians 6:4), showing them the Father and His love.
And in the case of loved ones who have wandered away from the Lord and are traversing a wrong path, you stay on the path of Scripture and of God’s moral absolutes — and stay in faith for their return. God will hear your prayers and intercessions, and when they return, you’ll be right there to receive them, rock-solid in your faith that works by love (see Galatians 5:6).
Q: You are known for bringing deep theological truths into everyday understanding. What is one prophetic truth from this book that you believe every Christian needs to grasp?
A: Most definitely, it’s the prophetic truth of watchfulness and readiness, and I’m about to give you a lot of Scripture that all center on this truth.
- The apostle Paul wrote concerning the Rapture, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Although the Rapture will happen in uncomfortable times upon the earth, believers are to look for this blessed event, comforted as they watch and prepare for His coming.
- The Early Church believed that Christ could return at any moment, and they lived accordingly, in hopeful anticipation, as they” turned the world upside down” by propagating the Gospel message (see Acts 17:6).
- Similarly, before His soon return, Christ will be looking for a Church that is yearning for and loving His appearing (see 2 Timothy 4:8) and that is ordering their own lives accordingly.
- The notorious “Rapture” scripture, First Thessalonians 4:17, pictures from the Greek those who “are alive and remain” and who will be caught up “to meet the Lord in the air” as possessing certain characteristics of watchfulness and readiness — they will be spiritually robust, spiritually thriving, spiritually vibrant, and spiritually vigorous.
- Jesus’ own discourse in Matthew 24-25 contains metaphors He used to picture faithfulness, or a lack of faithfulness, in being watchful, including: 1) the wise servant found doing, when the master returned, exactly what he’d been assigned to do (and the unwise servant who threw caution to the wind and experienced the consequences); 2) the five wise virgins who purchased enough oil for the wait, even late into the night (and the five unwise who weren’t ready for the groom’s arrival); and 3) the stewards who invested the talents entrusted to them, earning dividends for their master while he was away (and the unwise steward who simply hid his and did nothing, and was called wicked by the master for his lack of productivity).
God designed each one of us on the earth today to be alive at this place on the prophetic timeline. If we’ll watch and pray, yielding to Jesus and doing what we’re supposed to do in fulfilling the Great Commission — no matter how dark things become, the “spiritually robust, spiritually thriving, spiritually vibrant, and spiritually vigorous” believer will enjoy powerful days of Heaven on Earth.
Q: Instead of fear, you often emphasize readiness. What does it look like to live “Rapture ready” in our daily lives?
A: As I said concerning watchfulness and readiness, to be ready for His appearing in this great “catching away” — in what many call the rapture of the Church — implies a continual expectation that causes us to order our lives accordingly — in His eyesight with eternity in view. First John 3:3 says, “…Every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Q: How can studying end-time prophecy strengthen a believer’s faith rather than overwhelm it?
A: Knowledge is power when you’re walking in the light of God’s Word and in communion with His Spirit. People largely become overwhelmed on “information overload” when they become distracted by data, or information — much of it un-factual — that bombards them from every direction in this technological age. But Jesus commands us to keep our mind stayed, our gaze riveted, and our face set like flint on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2). It is in that place that grace abounds with the strength and the stability necessary not just to survive the last days, but to thrive in the midst.
Q: If you could leave the Church with one urgent message about the days ahead, what would it be?
A: Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly [thoroughly] furnished unto all good works.” God has given us — through His Word, His Spirit, and His ministry gifts — everything each one of us needs for a perfectly outfitted ship that is equipped to sail on rough last-days seas. Our job is to stay in God’s Word, commune with His Spirit, and remain in communion with one another. Then we’re to hoist our sails and prepare to flow with the moving of the wind of His Spirit.
No matter how bad things become on the earth, Jesus is our Commander-in-Chief, the Chief Shepherd, and the Supreme Head of the Church. He will never lead us astray, and under His absolute lordship as Captain of our respective ships, we can be assured of clarity and victory amidst the chaos to come.
