A rebuttal of some of the common Pretribulation Rapture arguments

What is the pretribulation rapture? Christ will come and the church will be silently raptured at the start of the great tribulation and then at end of the great tribulation Jesus will come in power and glory with the church and destroy his enemies and set up the millenial kingdom.

Why is this issue important?

In the West we live in a society where there is little persecution against Christians, there is opposition, but it is mainly intellectual in nature. In the workplace this may become more personal, I well remember the surprise in a young Christian when she was discriminated against by her supervisor because she was a Christian. I would suggest that persecution is a normal part of Christian experience, they persecuted Jesus and they will persecute us (John 15:20). We should also note that Jesus promises great reward, in heaven, for those who are persecuted (Mat 5:10-12).

(Mat 5:10-12 NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. {11} "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. {12} Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Why a rebuttal?

1. It contradicts the plain teaching of scripture. The Second Coming, the rapture, and the resurrection of the dead occur at the same time, on the last day. 1 Th 4:14 -18, John 6:39 ff.
2. The idea that the church will not go through the great tribulation ignores those Christians who have been martyred down through the ages and those Christians now undergoing persecution throughout the world. It is a doctrine that could only survive in an environment where the church is not currently undergoing persecution.
3. If the pre-trib rapture doctrine is false then it means that many Christians will be unprepared for tribulation and persecution when it comes upon them. What makes the church in the West so special that it will not undergo persecution?
4. It fosters complacency within the church and in the world. It gives those left behind a second chance and is less likely to encourage evangelism and missionary effort because the great commission will be fulfilled by the 144,000 and the two witnesses rather than the church. The job of the Great Commission belongs to the Church.
5. It gives a false interpretation of the place of the church and Israel within the bible especially in the interpretation of the book of Revelation. Revelation is interpreted more from the point of view of Israel than the church (to whom it was written in the first place) see Rev 1:4, 22:16.
6. Because this doctrine is a modern one invented by men (1830). It is not supported by the church fathers or any of the major creeds or confessions - The Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Westminster Confession of Faith etc. It is hardly the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

I have taken the arguments for a Pretribulation Rapture from the popular site Rapture Ready by Todd Strandberg (black text below).My reply is in color.

The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. In 1 Thes. 4:13-18 we are given a clear description of the rapture, "the dead in Christ will rise, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord." The time of the rapture was not given. From the word of God and from sound reasoning, something Jesus used quite frequently, I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.

True the timing is not given but in the 1 Thess 4:13-18 passage three events occur - the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the rapture. Jesus said that the dead in Christ will rise on the last day, not seven years before the last day.

(John 6:39-40 NIV) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. {40} For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

"Ye Know Neither the Day nor the Hour" (Mat 25:13) Vs 1260 days, (Rev 12:6)
When we search the scriptures and read the passages describing of the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and others that tell us we will know the day. Mat 25:13 say that Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Rev 12:6 states that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1260 days. The 1260 days start when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God. (2 Thes 2:4) This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven year tribulation. (Dan 9:27) It should be noted that some people only see a 3 1/2 year tribulation. They are in a way correct, because the first half of tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a 7 year time period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1260 days. (Mat 24:16) There is no way you can apply "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true, there needs to be two separate distinct events transpiring here, the rapture of the Church before the tribulation, and Jesus' returning to earth seven years later.

Firstly you have disregard the plain meaning of all the scriptures regarding the unknown date of the Lords second coming and redefine them to refer to the rapture only and instead of the Second coming. Read the scriptures below, the unknown day and hour refers to the very public Second Coming and the rapture. The unknown day (Mat 24:36) refers to the day when all the nations of the earth shall mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and glory and he shall gather his elect from the four winds (Mat 24:30-31)

(Mat 24:30-37 NIV) "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. {31} And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. {32} "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. {33} Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. {34} I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. {35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. {36} "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. {37} As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Secondly this argument only follows if you agree with the dispensational interpretation of scripture. You need to know the start date as well as the length of the time period. Who says that the 1260 days start when the Antichrist stands in the temple of God? The Mat 24:16 passage can refer to the destruction of Jerusalem (and Israel) AD 66-70 warning the Christians to get out (remember that Jesus is also answering the question about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem Mat 24:1-3 as well as about the end of the age). This is a particular interpretation of Dan 9:27 which is a very difficult passage. In the parallel passage to Rev 12:6 in Rev 12:14 it says that 'she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time'. In order for the argument to be true the 1260 days must be literal days. An alternative explanation is that the 1260 days are symbolic of the type of time period - in this case she is being taken care of by God just as Elijah was miraculously taken care of for three and a half years Luke 4:24.
Thirdly you assume that the 1260 days start at the mid-point of a seven year tribulation period. There are plenty of folk who believe that the tribulation period starts with Christ and continues until the Second Coming. If you read the passage in Revelation immediately after the woman flees into the desert there is war in heaven and Satan is hurled down to the earth 12:7-13. This occurred during the earthly ministry of Christ, Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven".

 

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36 the word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Rev 19:7-8 we read about the marriage itself. Before the marriage takes place, there is the marriage supper. According to Jewish custom, first the marriage contract is drawn up, often including a dowry. This parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When the time comes for the wedding to take place, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced, she comes out to meet him, and they both return to his father's house. This is an exact correlation of the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus the groom comes down from heaven, calls up the Church, the Church next rises into the air to meet Jesus, and then both He and the bride return to the His Father's house (heaven). The marriage supper itself will take place up in heaven, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation are playing themselves out. After the marriage supper takes place, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This matches the time when Jesus returns to earth, accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean." (Rev 19:14)

Ok so this parable is directed at those awaiting Christs return because in verse 40 he says "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him". However if the rapture has already occurred then they will know precisely when Christ will return, it will be seven years later.

(Luke 12:35-40 NIV) "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, {36} like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. {37} It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. {38} It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. {39} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. {40} You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

In my bible Luke 12:36 says that the master will return from a wedding banquet. It is also clear from this parable that when He returns he expects his servants to be ready. The parable ends with Luke 12:40 'You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.' This parable is clearly directed at the church.

 

What They Didn't Teach You in History Class
There are many groups that are trying to discredit the pre-trib rapture, primarily because they believe most of the end time events in the Bible have already taken place. By 70 AD, or the Middle Ages, they see just about all of the apocalyptic scriptures as being already fulfilled. If the book of Revelation were truly just a part of history, it would seem very difficult for me to explain away some of the current situations I see occurring around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100 LB hailstones fell from the sky, and the time when the sea turned into blood. (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21) I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre- trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.

Sorry but I do not get the point of your argument.

 

The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly; who would them be left to populate the millennium? Only the pre-trib view point can account for this post-trib problem; the Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this 7 year time frame, and those that make it through the tribulation will go into the millennium, while the unsaved are cast into hell.

This assumes that the millennium occurs after the Second Coming. However Peter says that at Christ's coming the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire.

(2 Pet 3:10 NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

In 2 Pet 3:13 he says that 'we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth'. There are many who believe that we are in the millennium now.

 

The Big Flip
In the pre-trib scenario, after we will rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of the seven years, Christ comes down to earth, defeats the Antichrist, and cleanses the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air meet the Lord, then do a 180 degree turn and come back down to earth. It states in Rev 1:7 that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. It says in Zech. 14:4 His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?

This sounds like two second comings to me. The scriptures speak of one Second Coming, when he will come for his saints and destroy those who do not believe (2 Th 1:6-10). Rev 1:7 does not say that Christ will come down to earth. As far as your argument goes if the saints are resurrected from the far corners of the earth meeting up in the air seems quite sensible. Especially if there are about 20 billion saints, the air would be the only practical meeting place.

 

"Come up Hither"
In Rev 4:1 where it says "come up hither," many pre-trib writers cite this as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church. Rev Chapter 1 through 3 is the Church Age. After the shout to "come up hither," the Church is not mentioned in scripture at all. The attention of scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.

In Rev 4:1 it is clearly John who is told to 'Come up here' not the church. The next occurrence of the word 'church' occurs in Rev 22:16 (pleural), however the word 'saints' occurs 12 times, and 'servants' occurs 11 times after Rev 3:22. There is also a rapture event in 11:12 when the two witnesses are told to 'come up here'. The majority of commentaries on Revelation do indeed find the church after Rev 3:22 apart from dispensational ones.

 

Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns, Rev 19:14, there is an army that follows Him riding on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. In Rev 19:8 we are told the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ, to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not to have a post-trib rapture.

In the passage quoted - it is quite compatible with the rapture described in 1 Thess 4:13-17, 2 Th 2:1-8 the saints are caught up to meet Christ in the air and he slays his enemies by the word of his mouth and the splendor of his coming. Consider 1 Thess 4:14.

(1 Th 4:14 NIV) We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

If we compare the verse just quoted with the verses just below which are describing the same event we can see both viewpoints - verse 14 describing Jesus coming with those who have fallen asleep and verses 16-17 which describe the same event in more detail in which the dead in Christ rise first to be met in the air with those who are still alive.

(1 Th 4:16-17 NIV) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. {17} After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

 

The Time of Jacob's Trouble
In a number of places, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. In Jeremiah 30:7 it says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people." (Dan 9:24) Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians, however some post-tribbers try to claim they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in (Rev 7:2-8) that receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven year Jewish dispensation, as the Post-tribbers do, raises one good question. Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with only one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation, would have to be an exception.

I thought that there were two dispensations - the old and the new. In the old God's people look forward to the Messiah and in the new God's people look back to Jesus finished work and anticipate his Second Coming. In the New testament there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (Rom 10:12). Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:6). What is this seven year Jewish dispensation? Why raise a barrier again that was abolished by Christ at the cross. The 144,000 are the elect from both dispensations - see the description of the New Jerusalem Rev 21:10-17. It has twelve gates named after the twelve tribes and twelve foundations named after the twelve apostles. Its dimensions are 12,000 stadia as wide and high as it is long, and the thickness of its walls is 144 cubits. As far as tribulation for Christians is concerned the Greek word for tribulation thlipsis is used in all the passages below and indicate that all Christians will go through tribulation and the last verse indicates that the elect will go through a final period of extreme testing.

(Rev 7:14 NASB) And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(John 16:33 NASB) "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation (thlipsis), but take courage; I have overcome the world."

(Acts 14:22 NASB) strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations (thlipsis) we must enter the kingdom of God."

(Mark 13:19-20 NASB) "For those days will be a time of tribulation (thlipsis) such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created, until now, and never shall. {20} "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.

 

He That is Taken Out of the Way (2 Thes. 2:7)
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain, "He" must be taken out of the way. The "He" that must be removed, according to 2 Thes. 2:7, is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been promised to never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.

Well the Holy Spirit did a great job because a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev 7:9) came out of the great tribulation (Rev 7:14).
In 2 Th 2:1 Paul starts to talk about 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him' and then in verse 8 he goes on to say that 'the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming'. So in this passage the lawless one will be destroyed at the second coming which is also when we are gathered to Christ (see verse 1).

 

War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be a strange thing to meet your Lord and Savior just as He's rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is a difficult thing to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.

If you look at the passage there is no mention of a battle, true the beast and kings turned up for battle but there is no mention of a battle in the scripture you quote, notice the 'But' at the start of verse 20. The Antichrist will be overthrown with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming 2 Thess 2:8. All in all a rather one sided affair, not much of a battle.

(Rev 19:19-21 NIV) Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. {20} But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. {21} The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The day when the wicked are punished and the Second Coming coincide, see 2 Thess 1:6-10

(2 Th 1:6-10 NIV) God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you {7} and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. {8} He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. {9} They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power {10} on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

 

The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Mat 25:2-13, I believe, relates a parable of the rapture of the Church and how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on some event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides (heaven). Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn't fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the lord because they'll immediately be confronted by him and his army of angels.

We need to look at the parable in context. The parable of the ten virgins follows after the parable of the faithful and wise servant which follows after the Olivet discourse of Mat 24. The purpose of the parable being that we also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. The last verse of the parable, the punch-line says "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Mat 25:13 compare with 24:44 NIV). This relates to the second coming (see Mat 24:36-39) and the rapture (Mat 24:40-42), see the scriptures below.

(Mat 24:36-42 NIV) "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. {37} As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. {38} For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; {39} and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. {40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. {41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. {42} "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

 

God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. The wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers cite this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning God will protect Christians during the tribulation, and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Rev 13:7 where the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of protection from guns and swords. Today when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's not possible to expect protection from these types of weaponry. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during W.W.II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone that was in the center of the explosion died, both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath, is the bodily removal of the Church from this world.

Persecution by the Antichrist is not the wrath of God, although it is allowed by God. Revelation makes it plain that Christians will be persecuted by the Antichrist, but Christians have been persecuted down the centuries. Persecution is part of the package, if they persecuted Jesus they will persecute the Church. Persecution has nothing to do with the wrath of God, it is tribulation.

(Mat 24:9 NIV) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

(John 15:20 NIV) Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

(Rev 2:10 NIV) Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The idea that God cannot protect his people would make nonsense of such passages as the ten plagues on the Egyptians in which God's people were protected.

(Exo 8:22-23 NIV) "'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. {23} I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'"

The trumpets and bowls of Revelation are partly modelled on the Egyptian plagues. If God can protect the 144,000 from the fifth trumpet then God can protect his church. The 144,000 reappear in Rev 14:1 and not one of them is lost. Revelation make it clear that God is in control of the trumpets and bowls. God is in control not man.

(Rev 9:3-5 NIV) And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. {4} They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. {5} They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.

In all the passages in Revelation in which God's wrath (Greek orge) is mentioned it is not directed at the Church. See 6:16-17 (sixth seal), 11:18 (seventh trumpet), 14:10 (those who worship the beast), 16:19 (seventh bowl in which God remembers Babylon), 19:15 (Second Coming).

 

The Salt of the Earth
(Mat 5:13) Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth." When the believers are suddenly be removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.

Revelation says that the beast will kill the Two Witnesses (Rev 11:7). Revelation says that he was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them (Rev 13:7). Since the word 'saints' is used I assume that this means the church.

(Rev 11:7 NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

(Rev 13:7 NIV) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

 

God Takes an Inventory
In Rev 7:3 an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information are given about this sealing that highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the twelve tribes of Israel. For the events in Rev 7:3-8 to be true, in a post-trib way, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand word commentary on why the Church doesn't need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, "We're already in heaven."

There is one main problem with a literal interpretation of the 144,000 and that is that two tribes Dan and Ephraim are missing. See my essay 'The 144,000 - are they literal or spiritual Israel?'. The case that Church is already in heaven after Rev 3:22 is rather weak, if not non-existant.

 

Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over what time frame Jesus was talking about hear pre-trib or post-trib, and miss an important point. The two things that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.

The main point about what Jesus is teaching is the suddenness and unexpected nature of his coming upon the world. The parallel account in Mat 24:36-44 makes this even clearer. Of course when Jesus comes again the righteous will be raptured and the wicked judged, at least we agree on that.

(Luke 17:23-30 NIV) Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. {24} For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. {25} But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. {26} "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. {27} People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. {28} "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. {29} But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. {30} "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Common Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture

The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One time a company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was "do you believe in the rapture?" If you answered yes, your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some Internet sites do not allow for the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics like sex, gay, and drugs. The only time the news media reports something on the rapture is when someone has set a date and was wrong.

What has this to do with defending the pre-trib rapture? All bible believing Christians believe that there is a rapture.

 

That Old Time Religion
It used to be a natural rule of thumb when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, if the church or the preacher taught the rapture doctrine, it was logical to assume they also believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It was also true the churches that were on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principle doctrines.

What has this to do with defending the pre-trib rapture? All bible believing Christians believe that there is a rapture.

 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. You have organizations like the Jehovah's Witnesses that teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why then don't Jehovah's Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be the demonic forces that influence these group knows something that Christians opposed to the rapture don't. The list of prophetically minded cults that rejects the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God, the Moonies, and leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

Post trib rapture proponents agree that there is a rapture.

 

The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians where praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England out performed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the actual impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Rev 11:3, the two witnesses give the Antichrist enough headaches alone. Millions of Christians, who know their Bible well, would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead, the whole seven years.

According to Revelation the Antichrist will either imprison or kill all the Christians,

(Rev 11:7 NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

(Rev 13:10 NIV) If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

There is one thing we should all remember. Whether we or not we know the Antichrist's mother's maiden name isn't the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life -- this should be our number one priority. The jailer asked Paul, "what must I do to be saved?" The answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:30-31)

Amen

For another rebuttal go here

Books: linked to

1. A Basic Guide to Eschatology : Making Sense of the Millennium by Millard J. Erickson
2. Blessed Hope by George Eldon Ladd (rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Christ are the same)
3. The last days according to Jesus - R C Sproul (partial preterist)
4. End Times Fiction : A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology by Gary Demar
5. Three Views on the Rapture : Pre; Mid; Or Post-Tribulation? (Counterpoints) by Gleason L. Archer (Editor),
6. First the Antichrist : A Book for Lay Christians Approaching the Third Millennium and Inquiring Whether Jesus Will Come to Take the Church Out of the Tribulation by Robert Horton Gundry (post-trib)
7. The Church and the Tribulation by Robert Horton Gundry (post-trib)
8. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin J. Rosenthal
9. The Rapture Question Answered : Plain and Simple by Robert D. Van Kampen, (pre-wrath)
10. The Rapture: A question of timing - William R Kimball
11. Examination of dispensationalism - William E Cox
12. Biblical Studies in Final Things by William E. Cox
13. Amillennialism Today by William E. Cox