Bible verses that discuss a pre tribulation rapture (3)
Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them; 20 for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; 21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:
22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him that warneth from heaven: 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
This is the "conclusion" of Hebrews. The book is about "river crossers" (Hebrews) and it shows us the transition from the Old Covenant to the New. We are given many compare and contrast between the two covenants. This portion is very clearly comparing Mount Sinai where Israel received their covenant with Mount Zion where we received our covenant. And this portion ends with what we would call "the tribulation" or even "the great tribulation". Everything will be removed, God is a consuming fire. It references the word in Haggai that "yet once more God will shake the earth" referring back to what God did in Egypt and even at this mountain. Now compare this with what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians.
1Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come.
This is part of our covenant, this is the promise we have, this is our blessed Hope. We believe this prophecy that God will once more shake the earth to remove all those things that are not part of His unshakeable kingdom. However, we also believe that Jesus delivereth us from this wrath which is to come.
Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
What does it mean to be "saved"? It means we are born again, that we have Jesus life in us, that for us to live is Christ, and it also means that we shall be saved by the Lord from the wrath of God.
1Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Once again, there is a destiny, some are destined to the wrath of God and that is discussed in Revelation, it is part of our covenant with God, we have been warned of this repeatedly, but that is not our destiny if we have obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.
Here is another prophecy indicating that God's people will be saved from the wrath of God and will be hidden in our chambers until the fury has passed, the great shaking that Hebrews talks about.
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Now consider the story of Shavuot referenced in Hebrews 12. Moses ascended up the mountain with a voice like a trumpet, referred to as the Trumpet of God. When Jesus ascended in Acts the disciples were told that He would return the same way. Jesus is going to descend from the mountain of God, just like Moses, with the Trumpet of God.
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 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. ...