Pretrib rapture gained movement in the 1800s. Pretrib rapture is factually a new age concept.
When all of the information is utilized, then the correct conclusion is that the gathering of the church takes place pre-tribulation i.e. prior to the onset of God's wrath! However, the on-going problem is that, people come in with partial information and distort or circumvent the truth. The underlying principle is one of those that is neglected:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
The plagues of wrath that are coming upon the earth via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments will be unprecedented, with the majority of the earth's population being decimated and all human government dismantled.
The punishment (God's wrath) that the Lord suffered on behalf of every believer, satisfying it completely. And taking into consideration the severity of God's coming wrath with no where on earth to escape to. And the fact that God does not punish the righteous with the wicked. Then believers within the church must be removed from the earth prior to said wrath. Then when you bring in Revelation 17:14 which reveals the church (the called, chosen and faithful followers) returning with the Lord out of heaven to the earth. And which is further stated in Revelation 19:6-8 with the bride/church being at the wedding of the Lamb in heaven. And then in verse 14 shows the bride/church following the Lord out of heaven to the earth wearing her fine linen and riding on white horses. Then the correct conclusion is that the church is gathered prior to the onset of God's wrath and not after. In order to follow the Lord out of heaven, you must already be in heaven.
The other error in this is that those who believe in a mid or post gathering of the church, would be putting the church through the same punishment as the rest of the Christ rejecting world. Yet scripture states that we do not belong to the night or to the darkness so that this day (the time of God's wrath) should take us by surprise.
If we are watching and anticipating the Lord's return to gather us according to His promise, then when that voice that sounds like a trumpet calls us up, we will have already been watching and anticipating His return like those in the parable waiting for their master to return from a banquet and will be able to open the door for Him as soon as He knocks.
In writing to Titus, Paul referred to the Lord's appearing and our being gathered as the Blessed Hope. After he gave his detailed account of the living church being changed immortal and glorified and caught up, he said for us to "comfort each other with those words." That said, if the church were to be gathered after God's wrath, then it would not be a blessed hope, nor could we comfort each other with those words and that because we would be subject to the same wrath that the wicked would be going through.
Other common errors made by expositors is not discerning that there is a difference between the event of church being gathered vs. the Lord's return to the earth to end the age, when these are two different events, with different purposes.
The other errors include not understanding the severity and magnitude of God's coming wrath.
They also pay no attention to the fact that scripture states that believers in Christ are not appointed to suffer God's wrath.
"Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." - Rom.5:9
"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 Thess.1:10
"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thess.5:9
Instead of believing the scriptures above, the post-tribbers will reach into their bag of false apologetics and will say "Oh, the wrath that is being spoken of is the wrath at the great white throne judgment," attempting to further make us believe that believers are not appointed to suffer that wrath, but that we will suffer the wrath that takes place on earth. The truth of the matter is that, believers in Christ are not to suffer any of God's wrath at all, because the Lord already suffered God's wrath on behalf of every believer, satisfying it completely.
They also don't understand that there is a difference between the trials and tribulation that Jesus said believers would have as a result of our faith in Him vs. the unprecedented direct wrath of God that will be poured out upon the whole earth.
They also don't take into consideration that the word Ekklesia translated as church is never mentioned within the narrative of God's wrath. Yet in chapters 1 thru 3, it is the only word used.
They also are not able to discern between scriptures regarding the gathering of the church vs. the scriptures regarding the Lord's return to the earth to end the age, citing them as being the same.
I could go on and on, but instead of addressing these facts, they are immediately cocked and ready to fire back with distortions and to circumvent these truths.
Another amazing truth supporting a pre-tribulation gathering is that, as a punishment for anyone who adds to the words of the prophesies in the book of Revelation, God will add to that person the plagues of wrath listed in this book. Yet the post-tribbers would have the living church go through those plagues of wrath for no reason at all!
