THIS is a question which has agitated the minds of many earnest Bible students: and there are many capable teachers who hold each side of the question. We believe that when this question is fairly considered in the light of what the Word of God teaches, there is no room for doubt. It is our earnest conviction that the Church will not pass through the Great Tribulation. There are three facts which lead us irresistibly to this conclusion.

THE first fact is this: the Spirit of God repeatedly teaches that Israel will pass through the Great Tribulation.

This is typified in the early history of the nation. For example: what clearer setting forth of that period could be found than appears in their Egyptian experiences? Here we have a proud, blasphemous king, persecuting the children of Israel and defying their God in setting up his own puny will against the will of his Maker. In this the wilful presumption of Antichrist is clearly portrayed. The plagues which fell upon the land of Egypt will be duplicated in kind, though redoubled in intensity and multiplied many times in their extent, during the Great Tribulation. And whereas God has two faithful witnesses ministering before Pharaoh, He will have two faithful witnesses also giving testimony in the presence of Antichrist. Israel's flight from Egypt into the wilderness typifies the tribulational flight into the wilderness which will be occasioned by the persecutions of the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation. The armies which followed to overwhelm them typified a similar experience in the future. The miraculous deliverance at the Red sea is a prophetic prefiguring of her deliverance from the armies of the Antichrist during her flight in those days of trouble. So, too, her sustenance by the miracle of the manna will be repeated. And her triumphant entrance into the land after the wilderness wanderings depicts her establishment in the Kingdom, following the sorrows of the great Tribulation. In these typical experiences God was simply saying to Israel, "Your entrance into the joys of the Kingdom will be through the sorrows of the Great Tribulation." This is but one of many such incidents in the Old Testament which clearly typifies Israel's tribulational experiences. (For the Scriptures on both sides of this analogy, compare Exodus 7:16 with Rev. 6:13.)

That Israel will pass through the Great Tribulation was foretold by the prophets. The Psalmist Asaph looked forward to this period with prophetic vision when he prayed, "Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo. Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against Thee" (Psalm 83:1-5).

Jeremiah referred to it in the words, "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it" (Jer. 30:7).

Daniel described it in the words, "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:1-2).

Joel speaks of the very climax of that period when he says, "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehosaphat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land. Multitudes, multitudes in the the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel" (Joel 3-2, 14-16).

And Zechariah describes the same scene when he says, "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle" (Zech. 14:2-3).

These are only a few passages, selected at random from among many testimonies just as striking and convincing. But it is unnecessary to multiply them. Anyone who has carefully studied the prophets is well aware that there are three outstanding burdens to their prophecies. The first pertains to Christ's sufferings. The second is a burden of woe, mourning and lamentation in view of impending tribulation for Israel. And the third is a time of Kingdom blessing and deliverance which she will enjoy when the time of trouble is past and the Saviour comes again.

The Lord Jesus Christ in His own day spoke of this time and put it still in the future, for He said, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand)! Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt. 24:15-21, 29-31).

His testimony is in striking agreement with the testimony of the prophets, both in the order of events (for he speaks of climacteric tribulation followed by the Second Coming of Christ and blessing to follow in His Kingdom), and in the clear teaching that the sorrows of Antichrist's persecutions shall fall most heavily upon Israel.

Much more testimony, just as satisfying in its clarity, might be adduced from the writers of the New Testament epistles. But it will not be necessary. There is little likelihood that any one will dispute this fact. So far as we know, all who in the slightest degree recognize the dispensational teaching of God's Word are agreed that Israel will pass through the Great Tribulation.

THERE is a second fact, however, which — taken in connection with this one — is of no little significance: The Spirit of God nowhere teaches that the church will pass through the Great Tribulation.

At first this may not seem to be especially significant: But a little reflection will make it evident that it is tremendously significant. As we have seen, from the earliest chapters of Genesis through the Gospels and well into the book of Acts constant reference is made to the approaching period of earth's greatest tribulation. But when we come to the Pauline epistles it is as though we had laid down one story and begun another: for this writer makes very little reference to the Great Tribulation, and never does he speak of it as an impending experience for the Church. He speaks frequently enough of troubles and persecutions of a general character which the Church and the individual believer shall suffer in this age: but never once does he say that the Church shall pass through the particular time or experiences which the rest of the Scripture calls the Great Tribulation. But when we pass from the Pauline epistles into the epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude, and the book of the Revelation, once more the Great Tribulation comes into view, for it is presented as imminent. This in itself is most striking, for why should the Apostle Paul of all the writers in the Bible apparently ignore the Great Tribulation, at least insofar as holding it before those to whom he writes as an impending experience?

But the full significance of this can be appreciated only when we consider the special character of the Apostle Paul's ministry. While sharing many things in common with the other writers of the Scripture, he alone bears testimony to the truths concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ. In this he has a ministry which is not shared by any other writer in the Bible. This he expressly claims in the third chapter of Ephesians, for he says that the mystery (the Church which is the Body of Christ, Col. 1:24-26) "in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men;" and while he says, that "it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit," he is careful to tell us how the Spirit operated in making it known to them. But first he says, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." This was a special, though not an exclusive characteristic of the Apostle Paul's ministry. Others, too, had preached to the gentiles. But he goes on to say that it was also given to him "to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God" (Eph. 3:3-9). From this plain statement it is apparent that the Apostle Paul is claiming a special message which was not given to other writers of the Scripture — namely the message setting forth the truth concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ. This is an exclusive ministry, for if it was given to him to make known to all men, then others of the writers of the Scriptures, while receiving this knowledge through the Apostle Paul's ministry, still were restrained from writing of it; so that even today what we know of this mystery we must learn from the writings of the Apostle Paul.

The rest of the Bible teaches rich and blessed personal truth for the individual believer in all ages, but when it teaches corporate truth it teaches concerning Israel. In it mention is made of various local churches, and the name "church" is even applied to the nation Israel: but no mention is made of the Church which is the Body of Christ. On the other hand Paul preaches the same blessed message concerning the Grace of God and the same truths pertaining to the individual believer in Christ Jesus which we find set forth in the other Scriptures; and he even teaches much concerning the nation Israel: But in addition to these things he teaches the corporate truth pertaining particularly to the Church which is Christ's Body.

Now surely if the Church is to pass through the Great Tribulation, this fact will not only be stated, but emphasized in the writings of this man to whom alone God has given the special revelation of the body of truth pertaining to the Church. He it is who speaks of its origin, character, walk, work and destiny. Surely he is the one to tell us if the Church is to pass through the Great Tribulation. But this he does not do. Of all the writers of Scripture, he has the least to say about this period; and not once does he say that the Church is to pass through it. Surely this in itself is conclusive evidence that the Church will not go through the Great Tribulation.

BUT this is not the sum of the evidence, for through the Apostle Paul — the man chosen as His special minister of the truth concerning the Church — the Spirit of God specifically teaches that the Church will not pass through the Great Tribulation.

The clearest passage on this subject is II Thess. 2: 1-4: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Notice that in this Scripture there is an appeal based upon the hope of "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him." This is the distinctive hope of the Church. It is the hope of the Rapture which is described in I Thess. 4:13-18 and testified in I Cor. 15:51-58 and many other passages in the Pauline epistles. This hope is never spoken of in other Scriptures than those of the Apostle Paul. From this fact we cannot help concluding that the Rapture is the exclusive hope of this age, and belongs only to the Church. It will effect only believers of this age; it will include only those who are members of the Body of Christ. This is confirmed by the fact that throughout other Scriptures the hope which is held out to believers is the Revelation, when Christ will return in visible glory to establish His Kingdom and gather His people together to Zion.

Now the hope of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is imminent in this age. Paul commended the Thessalonian believers for their patience of hope in waiting "for His Son from heaven" (I Thess. 1:10). And in Titus he says, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13). The believer of this age is to be looking for the Rapture. This is the next event in the calendar of prophecy.

Notice, also, that the appeal of the Thessalonian passage which we have quoted is that they be not "shaken in mind, or be troubled . . . as that the day of Christ is at hand," and the assurance is given that "that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed." There are two contrasts involved in this Scripture, and in the one from Titus which we have also quoted, which are of great importance:

Before we go further, however, perhaps it will be well to stop and explain that the expression, "the day of Christ," in II Thessalonians 2:2 is an unfortunate mistranslation. It is of such a character as to make one wonder why it was ever adopted by the translators of the King James Version, for the Greek literally reads, "the day of the Lord." This is the translation given in all the other versions with which the writer is familiar. In discussing this subject, therefore, we will henceforth uniformly substitute the correct translation, "the day of the Lord," for the incorrect one: "the day of Christ."

From this it is evident that the "day of the Lord" and the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him" are two separate and distinct events. It is also apparent that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to gather us unto Himself shall precede the events which must transpire before the day of the Lord comes.

A little study will make clear both what the events are which must transpire before the coming of that day, and what the day of the Lord is.

From the passage which we are studying, it is apparent that the events which must transpire before the day of the Lord comes are the events characteristic of the Great Tribulation, for it speaks of the manifestation of the man of sin, who is none other than the Antichrist, and of his blasphemy in setting himself up as God, exalting himself above our God, and sitting in His temple, claiming worship for himself. These things are easily recognized as the sin of Antichrist. Jesus speaks of this same abomination in Matthew 24 when He says, "Ye... shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place" (Matt. 24:15), and He adds, "then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt. 24:21). From this it is apparent that the revelation of the man of sin is the manifestation of the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation. (See also Rev. 13:14-15 and Dan. 9:27.)

The day of the Lord, then, shall not come until after the Great Tribulation. This shows us what the day of the Lord is. After making the statements which we have quoted, Jesus went on to say, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt. 24:29-31). From this passage we learn that the event which shall immediately follow the Great Tribulation is the Second Coming of Christ. According to II Thess. 2:1-4 the thing which follows the Great Tribulation is "the day of the Lord." The day of the Lord, then, must be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when He will judge His enemies, and establish His Kingdom, which event we call the "Revelation." This is confirmed by Joel, who describes the same celestial signs when he says, "I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come" (Joel 2:30-31).

The day of the Lord is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. That day shall not come until after the Great Tribulation. This is the plain teaching of the Scripture. That day is not at hand: the believer is not to be expecting it. But the coming of Christ to catch up His Church is at hand: we are to be waiting for the Lord from heaven — looking for His appearing. This is just as specifically taught in God's Word. It is the basis of Paul's appeal for the believer in this age not to be confused in expecting the Revelation of Christ. It appears very plainly from this that the Rapture of the Church shall precede the Tribulation, and this is demonstration that the Church will not pass through the Great Tribulation.

This it Was which was in the mind of the Spirit when He inspired the Apostle Paul to write, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say. Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath (the Revelation), but to obtain salvation (the Rapture) by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with. Him" (I Thess. 5:1-10).