I'm now going to give two different scenarios of interpretation regarding THE Tribulation.
Some people believe that Christians will be raptured at the end of the 7 years. This does not make any sense and there isn't any scripture which supports it. At all. So we'll move on.
A fair amount of Christians are Mid-Trib. They believe that the rapture will happen at the middle of the 7 years. Their reasoning is that the first 3 1/2 years is called The Great Tribulation and the second 3 1/2 years is called God's Wrath. With this in mind then, the scripture below would imply that the rapture would happen at the halfway point. But with everything we have read so far, this still doesn't make sense to me.
Then there are all those Christians who are Pre-Trib. They believe that the rapture happens before the 7 years - at the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the last 7 years of the Jewish Age. This group of believers have named these last 7 years "the Tribulation".
I don't want to play a semantics game here, ESPECIALLY since I'm not gifted in knowing the original languages in order to do thorough word studies. I just want to see what God says. So just below, in verse 10, we are told to wait for Jesus from heaven - who rescues us from the wrath to come...
(1 Thessalonians 1:1-10) Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Just above, Paul mentions the Thessalonian church and how they had already gone through much tribulation. His message goes from that - straight into how we should look forward to when Jesus comes to collect all believers at the rapture.
Paul then speaks about the tribulations they themselves encountered during their ministry to spread the gospel and establish the different churches...
(1 Thessalonians 2:1-9) For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. 5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. 7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
Paul again mentions the sufferings of the church at that time - which we know is not the Tribulation. In verse 16, when Paul uses the term "wrath" - it is also not in reference to the Tribulation, but more about the consequences of an unbeliever's sins. It's important to understand that there are experiences of wrath and tribulation in today's age, but it will not be to the same extent as it will be in THE Tribulation...
(1 Thessalonians 2:10-20) You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
Today's takeaway: Paul confesses in this next chapter that he had been worried about the church's faithfulness as they endured persecution, but was encouraged after hearing such a positive progress report. Paul encourages them to continue pursuing God's will - until - reaching heaven!
It's interesting how we can react when people we know become Christians. Sometimes we doubt that they'll be able to remain steadfast. The thing we need to remember is that God is steadfast and will tend to each of His children. And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be there, mentoring and encouraging each other.
Besides that tidbit, we see another reference to the rapture in the last portion of scripture...
Verse 19 talks about "the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints". I really had to look at this for a long time and research it. At first it sounded like this is happening at Jesus' Second Coming - when He arrives with all the saints to fight the Battle of Armageddon; but that does not make sense.
After putting everything into context, it became very clear. This is about the rapture. It is just looking at it from God's perspective. After Jesus collects all believers (saints), He will bring us to heaven... He will come with all the saints so we can appear blameless before God, and will be rewarded for the good works we have done with pure motives.
The point is that we will be in heaven, and we can rejoice with all of those who have been saved for all eternity! God is faithful and will bring us home one day...
(1 Thessalonians 3:1-13) Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
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