The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation
A Biblical Defense of the Posttribulational Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
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Chapter 4: Imminency and the Day of the Lord Having established the biblical fact that the Day of the Lord is a unique, single “day” of divine wrath that comes immediately after the Great Tribulation, we can now look at the Day of the Lord in relation to Christ coming as “a thief in the night.” The phrase, “a thief in the night,” was used by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John to describe the sudden and unexpected coming (parousia) of the Lord. Many pretribulationalists say this phrase refers to the Rapture. However, it does not so much refer to the Rapture (even though the Rapture does occur at that time); but rather, to the return of Christ in the future to bring judgment upon unsuspecting unbelievers on the Day of the Lord. As we shall see in the following verses, Christ will indeed come back as a thief in the night. But it will not be at the start of the 70th Week of Daniel (pretribulationally), nor will it happen at the mid-point of Daniel's 70th Week, just prior to the start of the Great Tribuluation (midtribulationally). The thief will come posttribulationally, immediately prior to the Day of the Lord, to bring wrath and judgment. Matthew 24:43-44: “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch THE THIEF would come, he would have WATCHED, and would not have SUFFERED his house to be broken up. Therefore BE YE ALSO READY: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” It has been said by some pretribulationalist teachers that this is one of the strongest verses in the Bible that favors a pre-trib Rapture. They say with all the destruction going on during the 3 ½ years (or 42 months) of Great Tribulation (Rev. 11:3; 12:6; 13:5), how could any Christian not think Jesus was going to come soon? But that misses the point of the passage. The Lord is not describing the Rapture in this verse, per se, and even if He was it would still be posttribulational because the context is all about the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus is giving a warning to those who live carelessly and without any concern for the coming judgment of God. Their house will be “broken up” and they will suffer great loss, just like the people of Noah’s day that were taken away in the flood and perished or like the hypocrites (or false brethren in churches) who are warned about God.
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About the Book
Christians today are widely being taught that the next event on the prophetic calendar is the “any moment” and “signless” Rapture of the Church. Thus, the bride of Christ will not have to go through the Great Tribulation. But is that what the Bible truly teaches? The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation examines the biblical doctrine of the Rapture and its timing in relation to the Day of the Lord, as taught by Jesus and the apostles. If you have questions about the Rapture, or doubt some of the things that are being said by modern-day prophecy teachers, this timely work sheds light on the subject and will help to clear up any confusion you might have.
About the Author
Steve Urick was saved at a Billy Graham Crusade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1979. He then began doing various evangelistic outreaches and also attended Moody Bible Institute and studied theology and evangelism. In 1989, Steve began writing Soul Seeker Tracts and, in 1999, formed Gospel Press, a gospel and apologetics publishing ministry that grounds Christians in the basics of Christianity and equips them for the work of evangelism and discipleship. So far, tens-of-thousands of Bible tracts and booklets have been sent across America and around the world.