Episode Details

A fundamental presupposition of pretribulationism views the rapture event as disconnected from the second coming. Pretribulationism claims that the rapture occurs before Daniel’s 70th week begins, i.e. the seven-year period, while the second coming occurs after the seven years is complete. Thus, it necessarily disconnects the rapture from the second coming and is used as support for imminence.

However, this pretrib presupposition is based on false premises and assumptions. Dr. Kurschner challenged this major presupposition that pretribulationists use to maintain imminence by pointing out a logical flaw.

While posttribulationism wrongly believes that the rapture and the second coming is the same event, pretribulationism commits the opposite error by claiming the rapture is disconnected from the second coming. But it is not either or. Rather, the rapture is part of the second coming of Christ, which will be one of the very first events that will occur during the second coming.

A frequent pretribulational mantra that is frequently stated in their literature goes something like this: At the rapture, Christ comes for his church, while at the second coming, he comes with his church. This conception is the basis for their claim that Jesus’s return will occur in “two stages” or “phases” being separated by seven years, the “rapture coming” and the “second coming” (parousia). To attempt to prove their point, they enumerate a set of supposed “contrasts” between these two events. The following table is typical of what you will find in pretrib books.

TABLE 1. Pretrib ‘Contrasts’ between the Rapture and Second Coming