Not Every Church Teaches It, But the Bible Declares It
The doctrine of the rapture is often debated or dismissed in modern religious circles. Some denominations, such as many within Lutheranism, do not teach a literal, pre-tribulational rapture. Instead, they often view prophetic passages as symbolic or fulfilled in the past, or they blend the rapture with the second coming as a single event.
But for the believer who takes the Word of God as it stands, every word preserved and inspired in the King James Bible, the rapture is not only clear, it is a blessed and purifying hope. This article is not about debating church traditions. It is about declaring what the Bible says. And it says much about the coming of Christ to gather His saints unto Himself.
What Lutherans Generally Believe About the Rapture
While practices may vary among Lutheran synods, many Lutherans historically do not hold to a pre-tribulational rapture. Their eschatology tends to be amillennial, meaning they interpret the “thousand years” of Revelation 20 as symbolic and believe we are living in a present spiritual millennium. In this view, the return of Christ is a one-time future event of judgment and renewal, rather than a two-stage coming that includes a separate rapture of the saints.
This position leads many Lutherans to interpret passages like 1 Thessalonians 4 and John 14 spiritually or collectively, rather than literally. While sincere, this approach departs from the plain sense of Scripture. The Bible does not teach a symbolic coming. It teaches a sudden, personal, and visible return of Christ for His church, and then, after the tribulation, His return with His church in glory.
Why I Believe in a Pre-Tribulational Rapture
My confidence in the pre-tribulational rapture is not based on theological trends or denominational identity. It is built on the plain promises of God’s Word. The Bible clearly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will return for His own, to receive them unto Himself before the wrath of God is poured out upon this earth.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
This is not a spiritual awakening. This is a bodily catching away. The dead in Christ are raised. The living are changed. All meet the Lord in the air. This is not the second coming to earth in judgment. This is a meeting in the clouds, a gathering unto Him before He returns in wrath.
Jesus Promised to Return for His Own
Before He went to the cross, the Lord gave this comforting promise to His disciples:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1–3).
He did not say He would return to reign first. He said He would come to receive us unto Himself. This is the rapture. It is personal. It is imminent. It is the next prophetic event for the church of the living God.
The Timing of the Rapture: Before Wrath
The Bible is clear that the time of tribulation will be a time of God’s judgment upon an unbelieving world. But believers are not appointed to wrath.
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
The church is kept from the hour, not merely through it. We are not preserved in the fire, but delivered from it. Just as Noah was lifted above the flood and Lot was taken out of Sodom before judgment fell, so the church will be caught up before the day of the Lord begins.
The Rapture Is a Comfort and a Call to Holiness
The doctrine of the rapture is not a curiosity. It is a comfort. It is not a source of fear, but a reason for hope and holy living.
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
Those who mock or ignore the rapture lose both the joy and the urgency of living in light of Christ’s imminent return. But those who watch and wait will keep their lamps burning, their hearts clean, and their lives fruitful for the Lord’s glory.
What About the Second Coming?
The Bible distinguishes between the rapture and the second coming. At the rapture, Christ comes for His saints. At the second coming, He comes with them.
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 14).
Revelation 19 describes Christ’s return in glory, riding a white horse, judging the nations, and establishing His kingdom. But that is not the rapture. The rapture precedes the tribulation. The second coming concludes it. These two events are not the same, and they must not be confused. Understanding this distinction preserves the integrity of God’s prophetic timeline.
Why This Truth Matters Today
We are living in the last days. The signs are many. The return of the Lord draweth nigh. But for the born-again believer, the focus is not on signs, but on the Savior. We do not look for Antichrist. We look for Jesus Christ.
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Let the world mock. Let denominations debate. Let scholars spiritualize. But let us stand on the sure Word of God. Christ is coming for His own. And it could be today.
Are You Watching for His Return?
The rapture in the Bible is not a denominational theory. It is a scriptural truth. It is the promise of Christ, the teaching of Paul, and the hope of the church. Let no man steal that hope from your heart.
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
Let your heart be anchored in His promise. Let your life be purified by His coming. Let your voice be bold in declaring His truth. He is coming, not in wrath for you, but in love, to take you home. Watch, pray, and hold fast the confidence of your blessed hope.