The posttribulational view of the rapture, also known as posttribulationism, is the belief that the rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period. This means that Christians will have to endure the tribulation before they are gathered together to meet Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Some of the main strengths and weaknesses of the posttribulational position include:
Strengths
- It takes a straightforward, literal interpretation of passages like Matthew 24:29-31, which seem to indicate the rapture happening immediately after the tribulation.
- It allows for a single, posttribulational coming of Christ rather than separating the rapture and the second coming.
- It fits with passages that suggest believers will face trials and persecution rather than escape them (John 16:33, Acts 14:22).
- It fits better with Old Testament precedent in which God’s people are delivered after their suffering, not before it.
Weaknesses
- Texts like Revelation 3:10, which refer to the church being kept from the hour of testing, are more difficult to reconcile with a posttribulational position.
- A posttribulational rapture diminishes the imminent hope for believers to be gathered to Christ before enduring earthly wrath.
- It requires the church to be present during the outpouring of God’s wrath, which some argue is inconsistent with passages like 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9.
- A posttribulational rapture loses the conceptual distinction between the church and Israel found in other rapture views.
Key Biblical Support
Some of the main biblical passages used to support a posttribulational viewpoint include:
- Matthew 24:29-31 – After describing the tribulation and cosmic signs, Jesus states he will send his angels to gather the elect.
- 1 Corinthians 15:52 – The rapture is placed at the “last trumpet,” which posttribulationists associate with the last trumpet judgment in Revelation.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 – God’s judgment and Christ’s return are closely linked, with no mention of separate tribulation and rapture events.
- Revelation 20:4-6 – The resurrection of tribulation martyrs is described as part of the first resurrection, implying the rapture occurs after this.
On the other side, some key passages used to counter the posttribulational position include:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – God has not destined believers for wrath, which posttribulationism seemingly contradicts.
- Revelation 3:10 – A promise is made for the church to be kept from the hour of trial coming on the earth.
- John 14:1-3 – Jesus speaks of going to prepare a place for believers, then returning to receive them to himself.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 – The man of lawlessness is revealed before Christ returns, implying a pretribulational rapture.
History of the Posttribulational View
Throughout church history, belief in a posttribulational rapture has been the prevailing view:
- It was the established position of the early church fathers such as Lactantius and Irenaeus.
- It was affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD which condemned premillennialism.
- Historic premillennialists like George Muller and Charles Spurgeon held to a posttribulation rapture.
- Prominent scholars like Benjamin Warfield and Jonathan Edwards believed in posttribulationism.
In more recent history, those arguing for the posttribulational viewpoint include:
- 20th century theologian George E. Ladd.
- Rapture commentator Robert Gundry.
- Feinberg, Moo, Hoekema – though they disagreed, they gave arguments.
- Major groups like the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox churches hold this view.
So while pretribulationism dominates modern evangelicalism, belief in a posttribulational rapture has a long history dating back to the early church.
Timing of the Rapture
Posttribulationists believe the rapture will occur at the very end of the tribulation period right before the millennial kingdom begins. Key timing arguments include:
- The gathering of the elect in Matthew 24:31 comes after tribulation events.
- The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is identified as the seventh trumpet judgment in Revelation 11:15.
- The resurrection of tribulation saints in Revelation 20:4-6 supports a posttribulation rapture.
- There is no biblical text definitively placing the rapture before the tribulation.
In contrast, pretribulationists argue texts like Revelation 3:10 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 indicate the rapture precedes the tribulation. Posttribulationists respond that phrases like “hour of trial” and “day of the Lord” refer to the climactic judgments at the end.
Implications
Posttribulationism affects one’s general eschatology and application in several ways:
- It impacts how literally one takes tribulation passages – whether they apply to all believers or just Jewish ones.
- It changes expectations – believers must prepare for potential persecution rather than escape.
- It affects how imminent one views Christ’s coming – it loses pretribulationism’s “any moment” emphasis.
- It unites the rapture and second coming rather than splitting them.
- It diminishes the distinction between Israel and the church found in pretribulationism.
Additionally, posttribulationism has been accused of discouraging watchfulness, hindering evangelism, and leaving no concrete hope. Defenders respond that awaiting Christ’s return after tribulation encourages perseverance and purification.
Critiques of Posttribulationism
Here are some of the main critiques and objections made against the posttribulational position:
- Wrath issue – Posttribulationism results in the church experiencing God’s wrath contrary to promises (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thess. 1:10).
- Pretribulationism evidence – Pretribulationism better accounts for distinctions between the church and Israel and a transition between the two.
- Timing passages – The “hour of trial” (Rev. 3:10) and “restrainer” (2 Thess. 2:1-12) passages argue for a pretribulation rapture.
- Lack of imminence – Believers losing any moment expectation loses important biblical emphasis on being watchful.
- Loss of purification – Posttribulationism robs the church of a pre-millennial purification via the rapture.
In response, posttribulationists argue that promises of exemption from wrath refer to eternal wrath, that the church and Israel overlap during the tribulation, and that imminence simply means expecting Christ at any point in God’s prophetic timeline.
Key Figures
Some important figures who have taught and defended a posttribulational rapture position include:
- Irenaeus (2nd century AD) – One of the earliest church fathers to write against premillennialism and argue for a posttribulation rapture.
- Benjamin Warfield (1918) – Princeton theologian who rejected dispensationalism and argued forcefully for posttribulationism.
- George E. Ladd (1964) – Author of The Blessed Hope who is considered one of the foremost scholars arguing for a posttribulation rapture.
- Robert Gundry (1976) – Wrote The Church and the Tribulation defending posttribulationism against dispensationalist claims.
- Douglas Moo (1996) – Major commentary writer who laid out posttribulational arguments despite being a pretribulationist himself.
These and many other esteemed biblical scholars have seen posttribulationism as most faithful to Scripture despite pretribulation dominance in recent centuries.
Comparison to Other Views
It can be helpful to contrast the posttribulational rapture view with other major positions:
- Pretribulationism – Believes in a rapture before the tribulation and a later second coming of Christ after it.
- Midtribulationism – Rapture occurs halfway through the tribulation before the worst judgments.
- Prewrath rapture – Rapture happens later during the tribulation after initial judgments.
- Partial rapture – Only faithful believers are raptured before the tribulation.
Posttribulationism argues only for a single return of Christ at the end of the tribulation combined with the rapture. This contrasts with pretribulationism most sharply but also disagrees with midtribulational or prewrath schemes.
Variations
While all posttribulationists agree on a single, posttribulational coming of Christ, some variations do exist:
- Classic – Rapture and second coming are simultaneous, distinct from Armageddon.
- Futurist – Rapture and return merge at the end of the tribulation.
- Dispensational – Rapture after the tribulation but before God’s wrath is poured out.
- Partial rapture – Only faithful believers are raptured posttribulation.
These all differ slightly but agree on the church experiencing the tribulation. Dispensational posttribulationism has more similarities to pretribulationism than other forms.
Conclusion
In summary, the posttribulational rapture view locates the church enduring the entire tribulation period rather than being raptured beforehand. There are biblically grounded reasons for holding this perspective, but also thoughtful critiques and challenges. Through study, prayer, and discussion, believers can wrestle with eschatology to better love Christ’s appearing.
