The midtribulational view of the rapture, also known as midtribulationism, is one of the main interpretations of the timing of the rapture in relation to the tribulation period. This view holds that the rapture will occur at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation period, specifically after three and a half years or 42 months into the tribulation. This means the church will go through the first half of the tribulation before being raptured before the worst of God’s wrath is poured out in the second half known as the Great Tribulation.
Some of the key strengths and biblical support for the midtribulational position include:
- It allows for the rapture to be both pre-wrath and post-tribulational – The midtrib view affirms that the rapture will deliver the church from the outpouring of God’s wrath in the second half of the tribulation, while also acknowledging that the church will endure the trials and tribulations of the first half.
- Key verses point to the middle of the tribulation period – In particular, Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:6 reference a 3.5 year or 42 month period of distress or tribulation, which midtribulationists believe refers to the first half that the church will experience.
- It maintains imminency while allowing for tribulation – Unlike the pretrib view, the midtrib view recognizes the church will endure tribulation but still maintains the rapture is imminent and could occur at any moment within that first 3.5 year period.
- It accounts for the potrayals of end times saints being persecuted – Midtribulationists argue that verses about tribulation of the saints (Rev 13:7) and the calling for endurance (Rev 14:12) refer to the experience of the church in the first half of the tribulation before the rapture.
- It allows time for events depicted as occurring before the rapture – For example, the rise of the antichrist, his breaking of the covenant with Israel, the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, and the emergence of the false prophet.
At the same time, some of the potential weaknesses with the midtribulational view include:
- Lack of extensive direct biblical support – There are no clear passages that explicitly place the rapture at the midpoint of the tribulation, so midtribulationism relies heavily on inference and linking various verses.
- Difficulty with determining the exact halfway mark – While a 3.5 year or 42 month tribulation can be inferred from certain verses, there are challenges in determining exactly when that midpoint occurs to definitively pinpoint the timing of the rapture.
- Verses about not knowing the timing – Texts like Matthew 24:36, which states no one knows the day or hour, and the call for believers in the end times to be watching and waiting seem hard to reconcile with a rapture at a determinable midpoint.
- Questionable distinction between two halves – Critics argue there is not a strong biblical basis for dramatically distinguishing between the intensity of the first and second halves of the tribulation period.
- Lack of historical adherence – Unlike pretribulationism and posttribulationism, the midtribulation view has not been extensively taught throughout church history.
Overall, while midtribulationism presents some intriguing arguments, there are also challenges in firmly establishing this position solely from Scripture. Key verses are open to interpretation, and it does not have as extensive historical support as the other main views. However, it does attempt to reconcile some of the difficulties of pretribulationism (like missing tribulation) and posttribulationism (like lacking imminency). For those seeking to understand the diverse range of rapture views, midtribulationism presents a mediating option between the two more prominent perspectives.
Now let’s take a deeper dive into explaining the key components of the midtribulational position on the end times:
The Seven Year Tribulation Period
An important foundation for midtribulationism is the understanding of a seven year tribulation period based on Daniel 9:27. This verse references a covenant that the prince who is to come (understood to be the antichrist) will make for “one seven” or a seven year period. Midtribulationists take this as referring to the length of the tribulation under the Antichrist’s reign. They believe the tribulation starts when the Antichrist confirms a covenant with Israel at the beginning of the seven years, and ends when Christ returns after those seven years to defeat the Antichrist. So a key pillar of midtribulationism is interpreting a major portion of Daniel’s 70th week as a 7 year tribulation era.
Divided Tribulation – Distinguishing the First and Second Halves
A core part of the midtribulation position is viewing the seven year tribulation as divided into two equal halves of 3.5 years, or 42 months. Midtribulationists argue this division is supported by several verses:
- Daniel 7:25 refers to saints being given over into the hands of a ruler who will oppress them for “a time, times and half a time.” This is interpreted as 3.5 years.
- Revelation 11:2 states that the holy city will be trampled for 42 months, which is 3.5 years.
- Revelation 12:6 and 13:5 reference 1260 days and 42 months respectively of distress or persecution, again equivalent to 3.5 years.
Midtribulationists connect these verses to conclude that the first half of the tribulation will last 3.5 years. The second half, the Great Tribulation, is also understood to be 3.5 years leading to the 7 year total. Furthermore, midtribulationists believe there is biblical warrant for seeing the two halves asdistinct in their intensity of persecution and God’s wrath. They argue the first half involves general tribulation under the Antichrist’s reign, while the second half intensifies with unprecedented judgment from God.
Timing of the Rapture
The core issue for midtribulationists is timing the rapture. They argue the rapture will take place halfway through the tribulation, after the first 3.5 years but before the next 3.5 year Great Tribulation. Since the church will be removed before God pours out His anger and judgment during the Great Tribulation, midtribulationism classifies itself as a pre-wrath view. The church is protected from God’s wrath. At the same time, since the rapture occurs after 3.5 years of tribulation under the Antichrist, it also maintains a post-tribulation outlook. This mediating timing is the distinctive of the midtribulation position.
Key Verses Supporting the Midtribulation View
There are several key passages midtribulationists point to as revealing a rapture positioned at the midpoint of the tribulation:
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 – Paul writes that the day of the Lord and the coming of Christ cannot occur until the rebellion and the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) are revealed. Midtribulationists argue this indicates believers will still be present to witness these events at the beginning of the tribulation before the rapture occurs.
- Revelation 11:3-13 – The two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days before being killed by the beast. After 3.5 days they are resurrected and raptured up to heaven. Midtribulationists see this as symbolic of the church’s victory even amidst tribulation and persecution.
- Revelation 13:5-7 – The beast is given authority for 42 months and is allowed to make war on and conquer the saints. Midtribulationists believe this refers to the tribulation experienced by Christians in the first half of the tribulation before the rapture.
- Matthew 24:29-31 – The coming of Christ is described as occurring “immediately after” the tribulation. Midtribulationists argue this indicates a midtrib rapture starting the second phase of Christ’s return before the full wrath of God.
While admittedly these passages are open to various interpretations, midtribulationists believe collectively they create a compelling case for the rapture occurring halfway through the tribulation period.
Attempts to Reconcile Imminency and Tribulation
A common objection against midtribulationism is that it seems to undermine the imminency of Christ’s return and the rapture. Critics argue that if Christ’s coming for the church is timed to a fixed point in the tribulation, then it loses the sense of being able to happen at any moment. However, defenders of the midtrib view offer several counterarguments:
- The first half 3.5 year period is not dated so still allows for imminent return within that timeframe.
- Only God knows the day and hour, so while humans can infer a general timeframe, the exact timing remains uncertain.
- For those in the first half of the tribulation, the onset of God’s wrath would still feel imminent at any point.
- Nothing definitively has to precede the first half of the tribulation, so Christ’s coming for the church retains imminency until the midpoint rapture.
Midtribulationists argue that while a broadly discernible tribulation timeframe exists, the exact timing of the rapture within that first half remains unknown and could happen at any moment. This preserves at least some sense of imminency while still accounting for end times tribulation that the church must experience according to their interpretation.
Critiques of the Midtribulation View
While midtribulationism attempts to offer a mediating tribulation view between pre-wrath and post-tribulationism, there are several potential weaknesses often raised against the midtrib position:
- As noted earlier, there are no definitive verses that clearly state the rapture will occur in the middle of the tribulation, so the position relies heavily on linking various passages and inferences.
- Determining the exact halfway mark of the tribulation to time the rapture could be very difficult, especially for those enduring the tribulation itself.
- There are disputes over whether there truly is a sharp distinction between the intensity of the two halves of the tribulation, as midtribulationists argue.
- A fixed rapture timing halfway through the tribulation is difficult to fully reconcile with verses about the unknown day and hour, and imminency.
- There was not extensive teaching of the midtrib view throughout church history, weakening the doctrinal case.
These issues lead many scholars to find midtribulationism more tenuous and difficult to support persuasively compared to the more established pre-wrath or post-tribulation rapture positions.
Synthesis and Conclusions
In summary, the midtribulational position on the end times and rapture timing presents some interesting perspectives for study. It attempts to weave together the strengths of pre-wrath and post-tribulationism while minimizing their weaknesses. By proposing a halfway rapture, midtribulationism affirms the church will endure a portion of the tribulation under the Antichrist but still be rescued before the intense outpouring of God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation. It presents reasoned biblical arguments to support its view, while also grappling with critiques about ambiguous timing indicators and a lack of direct scriptural statements. For believers seeking to better understand diverse interpretations on the end times, an examination of midtribulationism can provide helpful insight and balance to the discussion.
Ultimately, Christians of all eschatological persuasions agree that the specifics of timing matter far less than cultivating an attitude of hopeful expectation, spiritual alertness, and persevering faithfulness as we await Christ’s return. While debating the various nuances, what matters most is heeding Jesus’ core admonition, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).
