WHEN IS THE RAPTURE RELATIVE TO THE FUTURE SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD?
I. Four views
a. Pre-tribulationalism
b. Mid-tribulationalism
c. Post-tribulationalism
d. Pre-wrath rapturism
II. Seven arguments favoring the pre-tribulational view
a. The purpose of the tribulation concerns Israel rather than the church (Jer 30:7; Dan 9:24)
b. There is an absence of any reference to the church on the earth in Rev 4-19
c. The church is promised an exemption from divine wrath (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9; Rom 5:9) and the tribulation represents a time of divine wrath (Rev 6:17; 11:18; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19)
d. Because the rapture is imminent it must take place before the tribulation period can begin (Jas 5:8; 1 Thess 1:10; 4:15; 1 Cor 1:7; 15:51; Philip 3:20)
e. The doctrine of the rapture is designed to comfort believers (John 14:1; 1 Thess 4:18; Titus 2:13)
f. The Antichrist cannot come to power until the church�s restraining ministry is removed� (2 Thess 2:6-7)
g. Symbolic parallels mandate that the rapture must take place before the tribulation period begins (2 Pet 2:5-9)