Rev. Neil Steven Lawrence M.Div.

“No this is not yet the GREAT Tribulation!” This is my answer to those who ask me about the turbulent times in which we live. The Scriptures are clear concerning the various End-Time events Yahweh warns believers about. In Theology the study of the End-Times is called: Eschatology, from the Greek word: eschaton, meaning “last things.” All the major events of the eschaton are clearly listed in the Bible. The confusion occurs when various Christians try to place these events in a time order. Some confusion can be understood, since often a Biblical writer may speak of two different events in the same paragraph or even the same sentence. 

By process of elimination and words used we can fix the events in a logical order. An example of one event ruling out the mis-ordering of another event is concerning Jesus’ phrase: “left behind” (Mat. 24:40-42). 

Some try to fit this passage with the Rapture happening at the same time as the 2nd Coming, when the wording PROVES it could only be referring to the Rapture which will happen at a different time before. 

If the Rapture words “left behind,” which obviously refer to a sudden unexpected event, were to happen at the same time as the 2nd Coming, where would the believers be taken to, since Jesus is supposedly returning to the earth to destroy the Antichrist and set up His Millennial reign. And where would the unbelievers who are “left behind” be left behind to, since now all the heavenly saints and angels and Jesus are now on the earth.

Instead, we can see how this phrase “left behind” – referring to the Rapture could not happen at the same time as the 2nd Coming but by default of the manner of the events it PROVES the Rapture must be at a different time from the 2nd Coming. Furthermore, the following verse 42 urges the believer to “keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” rules out the 2nd Coming being included in this event. This is because the 2nd Coming is predictable within a few days or weeks, since it will be at the end of the 7-Year Great Tribulation. Further, it is predictable up to the very day, since we are told else where that when the Antichrist enters the Temple and proclaims himself God (Abomination of Desolation), the believers are to immediately expect Jesus 2nd Coming return. So by process of elimination we understand these two events to be distinct and mutually exclusive in their timing.

The list below is what I and most Pre-Trib Rapture believers observe in Scripture:

1st  Battle of Gog (Ezek. 38 & 39).

2nd  Rapture (Rev.14:14-16; 19:7), 

3rd  Antichrist revealed (Rev.13:11-18), {2 Thes.2:1-8}-he will not be revealed until the church is taken out of the way in the Rapture,

4th   7-Year GREAT Tribulation (Rev.13:5; 16), 

5th  Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Rev.19:11-21), 

6th  1000-Year Millennial Reign of Jesus on the earth (Rev.20:4-6), 

7th  Final Rebellion of Mankind & Earth/Heavens annihilated/destroyed by fire (Rev. 20:7-10; 21:1), 

8th  Great White Throne Judgement (Rev.20:11), 

9th  Saints enter: New Heaven/Earth/Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-2), 

10th  Post-Tribbers arrive late to the party!!!!!!