End Times and the Rapture Doctrine

What follows is a detailed look at many Bible verses that have been, or may be used to support, describe or refute an endtime 'rapture' doctrine in the christian church. This is a teaching that believers will be supernaturally protected from specific trial in the last days of tribulation. This look at the rapture doctrine is followed by a summary, historical information about the beginnings of the rapture doctrine, and a conclusion of encouragement. 

The Beginning and the End
 
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:11 

One way to look at the Biblical historical timeline is to consider there were approximately 4,000 years from completion of creation until Messiah. Add to this the 2,000 years since Messiah's birth until now to arrive at a total of approximately 6,000 years. Taking 2 Peter 3:8 and Psalm 90:4 into account (one day is as a thousand years to the Lord) 6,000 years is as 6 days to Him. The 7th day (the period corresponding to the final 1000 years) is the Lord's Sabbath or ‘day’ of rest. This timeline would seem to demonstrate we are indeed in the final days before the 'Sabbath'. 

This may be true.  But before the rest comes the work. The Bible teaches we can expect war to come before that rest. 

I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom…. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:21-22, 25 

The saints will be wearied as the ‘horn’ (which indicates a power) makes war against them and prevails.
 
He (God) changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding Daniel 2:21 And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. Daniel 11:36
 
In Daniel, there are several references to the changing of times and seasons (laws), which is one of the indicators of the end time. It is openly and well documented that the Roman church changed the times and seasons set by God, and in its own authourity established times and seasons set by man. This is rebellion against God. The Biblical feasts are described as ‘lasting ordinances, to be observed by all the generations to come, no matter where you live’. In other words, they are to continue always. 

"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Daniel 12:1-4
 
This is a passage that warns of a time of trouble such as has never been seen before. A time will not be seen unless you are there. Yet the promise is also given that ‘your people shall be delivered’. That doesn’t mean they won’t see the trouble! It means, as the Israelites ‘saw’ the plagues of judgment on Egypt, they were protected (on the earth, in Goshen) from them, in order to be delivered. Since the Bible is written in a cyclical way, showing the same patterns over and over (the old, old story being retold again and again) we can take this passage in Daniel to refer to a similar kind of deliverance. 

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?" 

He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days." Daniel 12:5-13 

We know from Revelation 19:8 that white, fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints, and that the bride is being made ready through purifying herself and being made 'white'. To ‘be refined’ means undergoing a refining process which separates the worthless from the valuable.
 
Gather together; gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. Zephaniah 2:1-3  

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. Zechariah 14: 4-7
 
‘That day’ will be a unique day, and may be what is referred to in Daniel as the change of the times and seasons that God will bring, and be the day (of the Lord) that no man knows about.
 
The Great Deception 

"See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:4-14
 
It will be a great multitude both leading and being led…and refers to believers leading other believers into idolatry and apostasy. It is believers who will fall away, hate and betray each other. Note carefully that we are specifically commanded to 'see that no one leads you astray'. The Hebrew word torah is commonly translated ‘law’ but more closely means ‘instruction’ or ‘teaching’. In Greek, the equivalent word for ‘law’ refers to divine law, not necessarily society’s law. The term lawlessness means that believers will turn away from the teaching and instruction of the Lord. As this lawlessness increases among believers, their love for God will grow cold as they turn away from His righteousness to their own. 

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Matthew 24:15-22
 
Some say that the time referred to in verses 15-20 has already happened. But in the context of the chapter, it refers to the end times. It is a pattern in Scripture for a sort of preliminary or partial fulfilling of a prophecy to happen soon after it is given, sometimes more than one time, with the complete fulfilling following at a later time. So it is entirely likely that a partial fulfilling has happened in the early church, and maybe more than once. 

Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:23-31
 
The timing of the return of Messiah, as described here, is AFTER the tribulation of the wars, rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes, the many false christs, the false prophets, betrayals and hatred by other believers, lawlessness, and then the final flight. Some say Messiah will appear in the 'inner room' or 'secret place' as some translations call it. The new age and the contemplative/mystical emergent church claim that 'christ' is within, and to receive him we must also look within ourselves for his personal revelation. Yeshua warns that the christ found there is NOT him.
 
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. S o also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:32-35 

Hosea 9:10 and Joel 1:6-7 portray Israel as a fig tree belonging to God. May 14, 1948 marks the day that Israel became an official state. It could be said that on this day, in the eyes of the world, the fig tree of Israel began to ‘bud’ once again.

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Matthew 24:36
 
The Link with the Feasts

No man knows the ‘day’ or the ‘hour’ of Messiah’s return. Though, from careful reading and study, it is apparent that he was crucified on Passover, entered the grave on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread and rose on the Feast of Firstfruits, thereby fulfilling the first 3 of the 7 Feasts of the Lord. Since the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 4th Feast, Shavuot (Pentecost)…then it is entirely possible that he will return on the Feast of Trumpets, followed by the Day of Atonement, which is the purification of the temple and the people of God (Lev 16: 29-34)and finishing up with the most joyous feast, that of the Ingathering. 

Taken and Left
 
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:37-44 

The context of verses 40-41 seems to be of the righteous being left on earth and the wicked removed. Verse 39 speaks of those who are taken, and so do verses 40 and 41. But it is clearly the wicked that are taken in verse 39, and it would be out of context to interpret verses 40 and 41 to mean the righteous are taken.
 
"But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Mark 13: 9-27 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 

Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Luke 17:26-37 

Again, the context seems to show the wicked were taken and the righteous left on earth. Also, when the disciples asked where the ones taken went, Messiah’s answer indicates they went to a place of death, with vultures gathering around a corpse. 

That Day
 
You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 1 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 

For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21: 16-28
 
These things will happen before the Lord returns. ‘This people’ referred to in verse 23 appear to be the people of Jerusalem, who will face persecution until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. It is well documented that the people of Israel, even resettled in their own land, still face worldwide persecution. 

Yeshua spoke to the true believers, warning them that when they saw these things taking place (and to see, you must be there) then they would know their redemption is drawing near. There is NO indication here that they would see these things from 'heaven' or from some otherwoldly place. 

"But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:34-36 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
 
The focus of these passages is on being transformed through tribulation, not on being exempted from it.
 
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:7-9
 
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 

These passages clearly describe the wrath of God as falling on the wicked, not the righteous. They also speak clearly of preservation, of the keeping of God’s elect. Not the removing, but the keeping, as the Israelites were kept in Goshen, that many of the plagues on Egypt did not affect them. The Angel of Death passed over them IF they were marked as the protected ones. This is a clear picture of the tribulation.

Standing

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 2 Thessalonians 5:11 

This letter was written to encourage the Thessalonians to persevere through persecution and the wrath of God, to continue to live quiet, holy, pure lives, and to remain watchful. The emphasis is on encouragment. They did not need reminding of the times and seasons, which they were already knowledgeable of. The encouragement was given that those among them who would die without seeing the hope of Messiah’s return would not miss out on seeing the Lord, in fact would arise to be with him at his return, so that they would in fact see him first! Then, and only then, would those still alive on the earth be caught up together with the resurrected ones, to meet the Lord in the air. 

While there is no timeline specifically mentioned here, the term 'the wrath of God' may indicate the tribulation and 'the sound of the trumpet' the return of Yeshua. The focus of this encouragement is not where we will be, but that we will all be together with the Lord always. The specific of ‘where’ is not even given, and should not be read into it. 

Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-6
 
If we are to face suffering, it is evidence that God is right, it has purpose and brings honour to Him. 

Rapture
 
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-7
 
The word translated as ‘rebellion’, ‘falling away’ or ‘apostasy’ is claimed by those who hold to a rapture doctrine, to have more than one meaning, one of which is thought to mean to ‘depart’ or be removed. Then the verse would read, ‘…for that day will not come until the departing occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed’.
 
"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
 
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelations 3:1-10 

Verse 10 of this passage is one verse strongly used to support the ‘rapture’. It ties in to the pictures we see in Scripture of God’s keeping of His people. The Greek word translated ‘keep’ here means to watch, to keep an eye on with a view to guard from loss or injury, to preserve. The same term is used in the sense of guarding and keeping oneself from defilement. There is, however, no sense in this word of removal from the earth.
 
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelations 20:4-6
 
Verse 4 refers to those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and who had remained true to him, coming to life and reigning with him a thousand years…on earth. 

How are we to have strength to stand through the coming time, and to remain standing at its end?
 
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 

Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6 

Where did the ‘rapture’ doctrine come from?
 
The word ‘rapture’ comes from the Greek word ‘rapere’ which is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and is usually translated as ‘to be caught up’. The doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture, where all believers are removed in a secret intermediate coming of Jesus, prior to the time of tribulation, is a mixture of the Biblical belief that God will ‘keep’ His own, with this interpretation of ‘caught up’. 

The Bible does not say or even hint at the idea that believers will receive this protection by being taken away to heaven first. It does say in Zechariah 14:1, 4 that at His return, the Lord will stand ‘with His feet on the mount of Olives’. It also says that, as citizens come out to meet and escort a dignitary into the city he is visiting, so we will ‘meet’ him as he comes! To do that, we have to be here. 

The Bible also says he will return only once, for all to see. There will be no intermediate return that only a few will see. 

The idea of a secret rapture or catching up of believers appears to have originated in 1830 in a prophecy received by a young Scottish girl, Margaret Macdonald, who claimed she came under the power of the spirit, and in an altered state of mind, received a vision of the end times. This message convinced her that Christ was coming in two stages. 

John Darby, a theologian and founder of the Plymouth Brethren, later popularized this doctrine.
 
Conclusion 

The Bible teaches that believers in Messiah will not suffer God’s wrath, the penalty for sin that is our due. It also clearly warns us that believers will have tribulation on this earth, as we are persecuted for our faith in Messiah. Most of the persecution will come from other believers.
Millions have suffered and died for Jesus in history and millions may suffer and even die in the future. We need to be unafraid and prepared for that. The persecution may also include physical or emotional trials, as we suffer the rejection and ridicule of those who we have thought of as our brothers and sisters, who now stand in the ‘seat of scoffers’ (Psalm 1).
 
We need to be careful not to read more into Scripture than what we are given. Sometimes the point of not receiving all the information we desire, is to encourage our trust and acceptance of God’s provision for us, instead of striving to acquire assurance or proof for ourselves. We need to participate actively in trust, along with knowledge of our Saviour's ability to preserve us. 

When someone has fasted for a long time, food can lose some of its appeal, and they may need to be encouraged to eat. But once they start eating, normal hunger quickly returns. It is the same with our spiritual food, if we have been fasting from it. Seeking God’s truth in Scripture requires more effort than most of us feel able or willing to commit to. But we must seek it, and seek it first and last in His own Words. The hunger for spiritual truth will come back as we take the time to ‘eat’ and ‘digest’ the Words of God. 

In the current age, we have more aids to study (as in online concordances and Hebrew/Greek dictionaries, various translations and commentaries) than probably any generation ever before. We have access to much free commentary and teaching, some of which is excellent and some of which is completely deceptive. Don’t be afraid to listen to it, but test everything, and hold on to what is good, using Scripture as the test. Be prepared to throw out what is a mixture of ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. 

It is critical that BEFORE the coming troubles, we KNOW and UNDERSTAND Scripture, TRUST God, and CONTINUE IN what we know to be truth. We have one Teacher, one Father, and one Counselor who will guide us in all truth (Matthew 23:8-9 and John 15:26-27). Messiah is the Word, he is the embodiment of the teaching, instruction and commands of the Father. His defense was this Word, the Scripture. Let it be ours too! May God bless you richly as you continue to seek His truth!