Various Views On the Timing of the Rapture of the Church
The Posttribulation Rapture Position
Posttribulationism is the teaching that the church will be translated after the predicted Tribulation. Two prevailing concepts account for most viewpoints within Posttribulationism: (1) the teaching that the entire present age is the Tribulation; (2) the teaching that the Tribulation will occur at the end of the present age preceding the translation and second advent of Christ.
The Partial Rapture Position
The modern theory of Partial Rapture seems to have originated in the writings of Robert Govett who published a book setting forth the theory in 1853. His view is that participation in the kingdom is conditional and depends upon worthy conduct. This view is limited to a few adherents who are generally treated as heterodox by other pretribulationists.
The Midtribulation Rapture Position
Midtribulationism is a fairly new interpretation of Scripture and places the translation of the church at the middle of Daniel’s Seventieth Week instead of at its beginning as do the pretribulationists. In contrast to the posttribulationists, it holds that the translation takes place before the time of wrath and great tribulation instead of after it.
The Pre-Wrath Rapture Position
The Pre-Wrath Rapture position rests on two major theses: that the Church will enter the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and that between the Rapture of the Church and the return of Christ to earth will be a significant period of extraordinary divine wrath.
The Pretribulation Rapture Position
Pretribulationism is the view that the Rapture, the “catching up” of resurrected and translated believers to meet the coming Christ in the air and be with him forever, precedes the Tribulation, the time of trouble and judgment. At the climax of the Tribulation, Christ will visibly descend to the earth with His saints to begin His millennial reign. Thus, the Rapture is Pretribulational because it takes place before the Tribulation.
The Five Views of the Rapture
William E. Wenstrom
The term “rapture” is used by students of prophecy and eschatology to describe the doctrine which is taught in the Greek New Testament, namely the resurrection of the church.
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