Could there be a period of time?

[PhilR]

Could there be a period of time between when the church is taken out (raptured), and when the antichrist signs the seven year covenant beginning the 7 year Tribulation?
First off, I believe the rapture is imminent and could happen any time without something else needing to occur. There are some verses that seem to indicate that as soon as the church is taken out then the AC is revealed. I'm not sure if there is a time period, or how long between the rapture and the signing of the seven year covenant by the AC.
In Clarence Larkin's, "Daniel's Seventieth Week" chart in his book Dispensational Truth, he notes on the chart, "The church probably caught out sometime before the tribulation period."
Your thoughts.

 

[Andy C]

Could there be a period of time between when the church is taken out (raptured), and when the antichrist signs the seven year covenant beginning the 7 year Tribulation?
First off, I believe the rapture is imminent and could happen any time without something else needing to occur. There are some verses that seem to indicate that as soon as the church is taken out then the AC is revealed. I'm not sure if there is a time period, or how long between the rapture and the signing of the seven year covenant by the AC.
In Clarence Larkin's, "Daniel's Seventieth Week" chart in his book Dispensational Truth, he notes on the chart, "The church probably caught out sometime before the tribulation period."
Your thoughts.

Here is a lengthy recent thread on your question

https://www.raptureforums.com/forum...ture-before-tribulation-your-thoughts.176234/

 

[BaptistJohn]

I think there might be a little time from the Rapture to the Antichrist is reviled
But the Rapture is the tipping point where everyone is looking for some one to lead them the missing are just the start of their problems

 

[katt]

I think so, but really I think no more than a year at the most after the rapture...

 

[PhilR]

I think in Rev 4 and 5 we are given a picture of the church raptured, crowns awarded from the Judgement Seat, and the white clad redeemed worshiping and praising God. Then Christ begins to open the seals and we begin to see the tribulation judgements.
Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. I wonder if there could be a seven year period between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation?

 

[Chet]

I wonder if there could be a seven year period between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation?

It's certainly possible, only God knows.......but I don't see it, after 7 years the awe and shock of the disappearances will have worn off, I think the unveiling will occur much sooner after the rapture.

 

[Wings Like Eagles]

I think in Rev 4 and 5 we are given a picture of the church raptured, crowns awarded from the Judgement Seat, and the white clad redeemed worshiping and praising God. Then Christ begins to open the seals and we begin to see the tribulation judgements.
Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. I wonder if there could be a seven year period between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation?

It is certainly possible but I tend to think that the removal of millions of the most moral and productive people on the planet would precipitate a crisis of enormous proportions. I suspect there won't be much of a gap between the Rapture and the Tribulation but, we will only know when we see it (from heaven).

 

[RonJohnSilver]

I think in Rev 4 and 5 we are given a picture of the church raptured, crowns awarded from the Judgement Seat, and the white clad redeemed worshiping and praising God. Then Christ begins to open the seals and we begin to see the tribulation judgements.
Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. I wonder if there could be a seven year period between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation?

I think it was John Walvoord in his book on the rapture that also speculated 7 years. He was, though, not firm in that number, just his own opinion, which he says. Most everyone believes there is some time between the two events, how much time is debatable. My thoughts? 2-4 years.

 

[Jeff K]

I can't even fathom the level of evil on this earth, seven years after the Holy Spirit stops restraining evil. Not sure mankind would make it that long.

 

[Tall Timbers]

In Clarence Larkin's, "Daniel's Seventieth Week" chart in his book Dispensational Truth, he notes on the chart, "The church probably caught out sometime before the tribulation period."

Here we have no doubt that the Church is caught up (raptured) before Tribulation begins. As to a gap, we've speculated on that. If you do a search you'll probably find a few threads on that topic, but I'm sure folks will chime in. I personally figure there will be some amount of gap. Whether a day or much longer I've no idea.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I can't even fathom the level of evil on this earth, seven years after the Holy Spirit stops restraining evil. Not sure mankind would make it that long.

Some will make it that long. Those who survive Tribulation who became Believers during that time will be the ones that populate the earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

 

[Jeff K]

Some will make it that long. Those who survive Tribulation who became Believers during that time will be the ones that populate the earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

For sure - as we know God's Word is true. My mind was wondering about how evil this place will become after the rapture.

 

[Hopeland]

I think it was John Walvoord in his book on the rapture that also speculated 7 years. He was, though, not firm in that number, just his own opinion, which he says. Most everyone believes there is some time between the two events, how much time is debatable. My thoughts? 2-4 years.

I tend to agree on the 2-4 year gap. If I am correct that the tribulation starts when the peace agreement is signed with the ac, then, unless we are raptured during a major Israeli war, there will need to be time for that war to start and finish. I assume the peace agreement will mark the end of a major war. So I keep watching Israel and their neighbors. No matter, I pray we are close. Hard for me to watch right being made wrong an wrong being made right. Not much more frustrating than this right now.

 

[Hiftobaf]

There probably will be. Daniel's 69th week ended on Palm Sunday, but the Church Age didn't begin until Pentecost, about two months later.

 

[Wings Like Eagles]

There probably will be. Daniel's 69th week ended on Palm Sunday, but the Church Age didn't begin until Pentecost, about two months later.

Interesting.

 

[Wings Like Eagles]

Some will make it that long. Those who survive Tribulation who became Believers during that time will be the ones that populate the earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

According to my calculations: 2.3 billion of our almost 8 billion will go in the Rapture. So that takes the earth's population down to around 5 billion and then, fully half of the population left, will die in the Tribulation--so that takes it down to around 2.5 billion. Then, there are those wicked ones who will be rounded up and killed in the "grape harvest". Hard to know how many that will be, because some of those who belong to Antichrist will have already died before that point. But, chapter 14 indicates that there will be two harvests of the earth. The second one is obviously the wicked as they are described as grapes being loaded into the winepress of God's wrath. Who is harvested in the first harvest--could it be the Gentile believers who come to faith during the Tribulation? Will they be brought back to mortal life after the earth is refurbished? Will David be the Prince (mentioned in the last chapters of Ezekiel when he describes the Millennial Kingdom)? God says that David will rule over Israel (Ezekiel 37:24). As Prince under King Jesus? In any case, it is clear that the Millennial Kingdom will be comprised of mortals because it mentions that only "sinners" will die at 100 and the "Prince" will have sons. Long life will obviously return as will an Edenic paradise.

 

[Tall Timbers]

According to my calculations: 2.3 billion of our almost 8 billion will go in the Rapture. So that takes the earth's population down to around 5 billion and then, fully half of the population left, will die in the Tribulation--so that takes it down to around 2.5 billion.

My thoughts put your first figure extremely high ( but hope you're right), and your second figure extremely low.

I guess our thoughts on the matter won't have an affect on the actual numbers.

 

[kathymendel]

I don't know................... there was no time gap when the ark was sealed and the flood came.
There was no gap when the angels led Lot and his family out of Sodom or Gomorrah.
The cities were destroyed as soon as they were at a point of safety.
I'm not really expecting a gap - at least of any length - when we are raptured.
Without us and the Holy Spirit here to influence mankind, or hold back the evil, it will turn ugly almost immediately.

 

[Hiftobaf]

I don't know................... there was no time gap when the ark was sealed and the flood came.

Yes there was. It didn't start raining until a week after Noah entered the Ark.

 

[mattfivefour]

Yes there was. It didn't start raining until a week after Noah entered the Ark.

Respectfully, not necessarily. The way the account reads is that on a certain day God told Noah to bring all the animals into the ark and that the waters would come 7 days from that day He told that to Noah. I presume the seven days (literal days but also symbolic of God's completion in their number) were necessary to allow enough time for all of the animals to enter and be bedded. However, while there definitely was a period of seven days, the text is not clear as to whether it was before Noah's entry into the ark or after it.

A careful reading of the text of Genesis 7:1-16 (looked at without a prioris) reveals no clear time line. In fact, the information contained in verse 13 following after the details of verse 11 could indicate that Noah and his family entered the ark on the day the flood began. I do not think that is true, but it could be: the text is NOT clear. Certainly not clear enough upon which to build any doctrine.