Online Study: Tribulation & Rapture

This is the summary lesson: an online version of the downloadable 45-minute study. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Type your answers in the boxes (they are saved on this device), then reveal each answer when you are ready.

Directions

1. Keep the timeline below in view, or print the blank timeline worksheet and mark your answers on it as you go.
2. Pray. Ask God to grant you wisdom and understanding for the study ahead.
3. Use your own Bible to look up each verse, or click any “Read …” link to open the scripture readings in a new tab (KJV, NKJV or ESV).
4. After reading the scripture, consider each answer carefully. Answer honestly, and don’t let any expected outcome sway you. God wants us to understand His word, and He speaks in a way His people can understand.

I. Discovering the number of resurrections

Read Revelation 20:4-6; Revelation 20:11-15

1. How many resurrections are there? ________
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   2

2. What time period separates them? ________
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   1000 years

3. How long do those who are part of the first resurrection serve as priests on Earth? ________
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   1000 years

II. The last days according to Jesus

Read Matthew 24:3-31

1. Who do you think is responsible for the “abomination of desolation” Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 24:15? (A profile of this person is given in Revelation 13:1-8.) ________
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   The Beast, or Antichrist

2. Where will the “abomination of desolation” be placed (verse 15)? ________
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   The Temple

3. When he arrives, what starts according to verse 21? ________
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   The Great Tribulation

4. According to verses 29-31, when does Christ return for the “gathering”? ________
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   Immediately after the tribulation of those days.

5. On your timeline, mark the place where Christ returns and label it Matt. 24:29-31.

III. Paul’s disclosure of the Antichrist

Read II Thessalonians 2:1-10

1. What two events happen on “that day”, which Paul speaks about in verses 1-3? ________ and ________
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   The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering unto Him (the resurrection).

2. What must happen before “that day” according to verses 3-5? ________
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   A falling away, and the son of perdition (the Antichrist) must be revealed.

3. The place where this person sits: is it built today? ________
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   No

4. How will the Antichrist be destroyed? ________
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   By the brightness of Christ’s coming.

5. In reference to the Antichrist, does Paul’s time frame for the resurrection agree with Jesus’ (Matthew 24:3-31, Section II-D above)? ________
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   Yes

6. On your timeline, mark the time when Christ is expected to return to “gather” His saints and label it II Thessalonians 2:1-10. (Hint: it must be after the Antichrist is revealed.)

IV. Paul’s Thessalonian requirements for the rapture

Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18

1. According to verses 15-16, who must be resurrected before the living can be raised? ________
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   The dead.

   Understanding who these saints are, and when they were killed, is key to discovering the timing of the rapture.

2. Re-read verses 16-17. Do the resurrection of the dead and the raising of “the alive who remain” appear to happen on the same day? ________ Is there any indication that these happen years apart? ________
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   Yes; No

3. Would you say “caught up together with them in the clouds” is properly identified as the “rapture”? ________ Is this one of the resurrections identified in the first question of this study? ________
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   Yes; Yes

4. According to I Thess. 4:16-17, where do the believers/saints meet Jesus? ________
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   In the clouds, in the air.

5. Who will they be with from that resurrection forward? ________
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   The Lord.

6. What three things announce the Lord’s coming according to verse 16? ________
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   A shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God.

7. Once you have worked through Part VI, label the first resurrection/rapture on your timeline as I Thess. 4:13-18.

V. Paul’s Corinthian requirements for the first resurrection/rapture

Read I Corinthians 15:51-53

1. According to verse 52, what sounds before the dead are raised incorruptible? ________
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   A trump (trumpet).

2. And which trump is it? ________
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   The last trump.

There are seven trumpets that sound in the book of Revelation:

• The first trumpet is followed by hail and fire (Rev. 8:7)
• The second trumpet is followed by bloody seas (Rev. 8:8)
• The third trumpet is followed by falling stars (Rev. 8:10)
• The fourth trumpet is followed by a smitten sun, moon and stars (Rev. 8:12)
• The fifth trumpet is followed by locusts that sting the lost like scorpions (Rev. 9:1-11)
• The sixth trumpet is followed by the slaying of the third part of men (Rev. 9:13 – 10:6)
• The seventh trumpet is followed by the mystery of God being finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets (Rev. 11:15)

3. If Paul states that the first resurrection of the dead occurs at the last trump, could these seven trumpets come later, after the “last trump”? ________ Why? ________
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   No, because there would be at least six trumpets after it.

4. On the timeline, mark where the last trump occurs and label it I Corinthians 15:51-53. (Hint: it may be after the great tribulation or after the 1000 years, but it can’t be before the great tribulation, or it wouldn’t be the last trump.)

VI. John’s discussion of the first resurrection

Read Revelation 20:4-6

1. What three groups are included in the first resurrection according to Revelation 20:4-6? ________ ________ ________
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   1. Those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the Word of God.
   2. Those who had not worshiped the beast or his image.
   3. Those who had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands.
2. On the timeline, mark the place where the first resurrection of the dead occurs and label it Rev. 20:4-6.
3. On the timeline, mark the place where the second resurrection occurs and label it Rev. 20:5; 11-13.
4. In review, John tells us who these “dead” are and that they are members of the first resurrection of the dead in Revelation 20:4. They are:
   • Those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God.

     Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

   • Those who were beheaded for not worshiping the beast or his image.

     Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

   • Those who were beheaded for not taking the mark on their forehead or hand.

     Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

   Note that these people died during the tribulation because they would not worship the beast or take the mark.

5. Having learned who is raised in the first resurrection, why is it not possible for this resurrection to occur before the tribulation? ________
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   Because their deaths did not occur until the tribulation. If there were a pre-tribulation rapture, they would not yet be dead.

6. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 says “the dead” must rise before the living are raptured. Now that we know which dead Paul speaks of, mark where the first resurrection/rapture occurs on the timeline and label it I Thess. 4:13-18.

VII. The second resurrection

Read Matthew 13:24-30, 38-43, 47-50; John 6:40, 44, 54; Revelation 20:5, 11-15; 21:1-2

1. According to Revelation 20:5, this resurrection comes at the end of the ________
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   1,000-year reign

2. On the timeline, mark the time of “the last day” and label it John 6:40, 44, 54. Can this be at Christ’s return? ________ Why not? ________
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   No, because Christ will be reigning 1000 years on Earth.

3. On the timeline, mark the time of “the end of the world” and label it Matt. 13:24-30. At the end of the world, who is raised first, the lost or the saved? ________
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   The lost.

4. If we add a rapture before the tribulation, and include the first resurrection and the second resurrection (the Great White Throne Judgment), how many resurrections would there have to be in total? ________ How does this conflict with Revelation 20:4-6? ________
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   Three. John refers to only two resurrections: he calls the one before the 1,000-year reign the First Resurrection, and identifies the other resurrection as after the 1,000-year reign.

The completed timeline

Conclusion

Any discussion of the end times should start and end with Scripture. God’s message to us is neither contradictory nor hard to understand when we take the time to read what each verse is telling us.

Given a choice in what to believe, many Christians look for an understanding that exempts them from suffering in the tribulation: a rapture that happens outside the order of events and spares them end-time persecution. Yet not a single scripture in the Bible tells us there is a pre-tribulation rapture. On the other hand, all of the scriptures agree and point to a post-tribulation rapture, and God’s word is not contradictory.

Jesus, Paul and John clearly identify when Christ is returning. What reason would God have to hide a resurrection before the “first resurrection” of Revelation 20:5? Having completed the questions above, it should be evident that Christians in that age will be forced to make hard, life-changing decisions.

Consider the following scriptures

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Daniel 7:21-22 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 8:24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.

Daniel 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Revelation 13:7-10 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

There can be no war on a people who are not present. Consider the verses above, and remember that all of Christ’s disciples were imprisoned or killed. The hope that believers will be removed from persecution before Christ returns is at odds, both scripturally and historically, with what we have learned.

The sooner Christians realize we are at war with Satan and will be held accountable for our “confession”, the better prepared we will be for the future. There are eternal consequences for whom we bow our knee to in that day.

If we are in the tribulation, will we experience God’s wrath?

Revelation 14:9-12 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will not experience God’s wrath, but we will witness it poured out on those who ignore His warning, worship the beast and take his mark. This is a warning for those in the tribulation, and it shows how to avoid that wrath. Remember that God protects us in the end, and our suffering at the hands of the Antichrist is only for a season.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

John 16:2-3 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

How close are we?

Before the tribulation, the temple in Jerusalem has to be rebuilt. Both Paul and Daniel refer to the temple and the sacrifice in the temple:

II Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

There also has to be a one-world government and monetary system.

Revelation 13:3 …and all the world wondered after the beast… and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb…

Revelation 13:16-17 …to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark…

As you complete this study, review what you have read and the answers you gave. Does Scripture give us a timeline that agrees with the rest of Scripture? Do you find yourself holding a different understanding of the end times? Since Scripture is the only foundation of truth, find a scripture that supports your understanding and test it against what you have read. We pray for understanding for you as you seek what is right in the light of God’s perfect Word.