The whole tribulation is a time of God’s wrath (more on that in the next chapter), and the church does not have an appointment with it. As 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This necessitates the removal of the church before the tribulation, and Jesus directly promised this in the sixth letter of the seven He sent to the churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2–3:

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

—Revelation 3:10

The Greek preposition ἐκ, translated “from,” can also be translated “out of.” This eliminates the possibility of interpreting this as saying Jesus promised to keep the church “through” the tribulation, which is what will happen to the Jews who later look upon Him whom they pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10). The church will be kept out of the entire seven-year tribulation, not protected through it.

What is the point of the church going through the tribulation and being protected during it? What benefit is there for the church to go through it yet not be impacted by it? Are we to be observers? Scripture does not mention the church as being among those who are witnesses during the tribulation, like the 144,000. It is not necessary for the church to go through this time to be purified, for to say that means the blood of Christ was not a sufficient sacrifice to cover our sins. To hold the view that the church will go through the tribulation is to say we are saved by grace and tribulation, or we are purified by trial. None of that is true or biblically feasible!

Here’s another reason we can assume the rapture is getting close—while it is a bit speculative, it makes logical sense. If the church has largely ceased being a purifying influence in the world (being salt) and has replaced the light of God’s truth with doctrines of demons and socially acceptable ideas, then what is the point of having the church remain on earth during the tribulation? Again, this is speculation, but it makes sense. The Jews are back in their national homeland, and the church has largely defected from the truth (though a faithful remnant remains). Thus, for the rapture to happen soon seems likely. We also need to remember that the day and hour has already been determined. The trends we just talked about won’t cause the rapture, they are simply signs that indicate it is likely near.

Sadly, the truth that the church will be raptured has become a divisive subject in these last days instead of a glorious expectation. Some argue that the Bible presents no such doctrine, while others debate its timing. There are many today who view the subject of the rapture as inciting rather than exciting. They say inciting in the sense it elicits cries of heresy and sensationalism or escapism from a growing number of saints today.

Excerpt from The Time of the Signs by Barry Stagner. Order Now.

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