Is the Rapture in the Bible? | Sam Shamoun

Summary

In this engaging discussion, Sam Shamoun delves into the topic of the Rapture as presented in the Bible. A listener questions the timing of the Rapture, influenced by dispensational teachings. Shamoun challenges these interpretations, pointing out that the concept of a seven-year tribulation and a pre-tribulation Rapture lacks biblical backing. Through a detailed examination of Thessalonians and Revelation, Shamoun illustrates inconsistencies in the dispensationalist view and invites listeners to reread scriptures with an open mind, emphasizing the importance of biblical context and historical church teachings over modern interpretations.

Highlights

• Shamoun refutes the notion of a seven-year tribulation, clarifying that the New Testament lacks explicit mention of such a period. 🔍
• The discussion stresses the importance of reading biblical texts in context, highlighting inconsistencies in dispensational interpretations. 🤔
• Shamoun advises studying multiple perspectives, questioning interpretations that are only a couple of centuries old, and not rooted in early Christianity. 🗝️

Key Takeaways

• Dispensationalism, including the concept of a pre-tribulation Rapture, is relatively modern and not historically rooted in early church teachings. 📜
• The idea of a seven-year tribulation is not explicitly stated in the New Testament; Sam Shamoun argues this is a misinterpretation of biblical texts. 📖
• Scripture suggests that the resurrection of believers occurs post-tribulation, challenging the dispensationalist timeline. ⏰

Overview

Sam Shamoun tackles a deep theological discussion about the Rapture and its biblical context in this engaging video. A viewer raises a common question influenced by dispensationalist teachings: when does the Rapture occur? Shamoun explains that the idea of a pre-tribulation Rapture is not biblically substantiated, urging listeners to consider alternative interpretations.

Using scriptural evidence from Thessalonians and Revelation, Shamoun argues against a seven-year tribulation period and a pre-tribulation Rapture. He meticulously breaks down the verses, demonstrating that the Bible does not support such interpretations, and suggests that believers are resurrected at the beginning of Christ's thousand-year reign.

The dialogue encourages open-mindedness and challenges viewers to question modern interpretations that lack historical backing. Sam Shamoun emphasizes the need to reevaluate traditional dispensationalism teachings by looking at the Bible with fresh eyes and understanding its context within early church history, inviting a more thorough exploration of faith and scripture.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Question about Rapture The chapter begins with a question about Matthew 24 concerning the theological concept of the Rapture. The discussion centers around the timing of the Rapture in relation to the tribulation period described in Christian eschatology. One perspective mentioned is the belief in a pre-tribulation Rapture, which posits that the Rapture will occur before a seven-year period of tribulation. The dialogue exhibits varying interpretations and beliefs about this event, highlighting the complexity and diverse opinions within Christian theological discourse on eschatology.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Discussion on Duration of Tribulation This chapter involves a discussion on the duration of the Tribulation as mentioned in the New Testament. The dialogue involves differing views on whether there is a seven-year Tribulation period or not. One party argues that there isn't a seven-year Tribulation but admits that the last three and a half years will be the most significant and worst period ever on Earth, implying a full seven-year period when considering the first half. This creates a contradiction in their argument, leading to further discussion on the topic.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Interpretation of Revelation and Resurrection This chapter delves into interpretations of biblical texts, focusing on the concept of Revelation and the Resurrection as depicted in Christian theology. The discussion begins by addressing the misconception of a seven-year period found in the New Testament, accusing it of being a misinterpretation of Daniel 9:27. It proceeds to examine theological scenarios around the Rapture occurring before the tribulation period, referencing 1 Thessalonians 4 to argue different viewpoints on the matter.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Dispensationalism and Church History The chapter discusses the concept of dispensationalism within the context of church history, focusing on eschatological views about the resurrection of believers. It explores the timeline and sequence of events related to the resurrection as described in Biblical prophecy.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Interpretation of Matthew and Gathering of Elect The chapter explores the interpretation of the biblical book of Matthew with a focus on themes like resurrection and the gathering of the elect. It raises theological questions surrounding the idea of resurrection, particularly the notion of a prior resurrection of believers before the tribulation as mentioned in some interpretations of Revelation. The discussion highlights a contradiction with Revelation 20:4-6, which mentions the resurrection of those who died in Christ at the start of the Thousand-Year Reign, labeled as the 'first resurrection.' It delves into examining dispensationalism and debates its biblical foundations.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Analysis of Thessalonians and the Rapture The chapter delves into the theme of influence and the interpretation of religious texts, particularly focusing on the teachings about Thessalonians and the concept of the Rapture. It begins by highlighting how certain interpretations, notably from dispensationalist teachers, have become prevalent, despite their relatively recent origins in church history. These teachings are criticized as weak arguments, citing personal experience of transitioning from dogmatic beliefs due to exposure to diverse perspectives. Proverbs 18:17 is referenced to emphasize the importance of questioning and examining different viewpoints to discern the truth.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Day of the Lord and Peter's Account The chapter discusses the interpretation of Matthew 24:29-31, focusing on the timing of Jesus gathering his elect. It argues that, contrary to some teachings, the scripture indicates this gathering occurs after the tribulation, not before.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Conflicting Views and Clarifications In this chapter titled 'Conflicting Views and Clarifications', the discussion revolves around the interpretation of a biblical passage, specifically Matthew 24:29-31. The debate involves the understanding of Jesus's anticipated physical return and the significant historical event of Israel's rebirth as a nation in 1948. The conversation acknowledges assumptions within these interpretations but chooses to assume a particular standpoint for the sake of argument. The passage in question refers to the gathering of the Lord's elect believers after the tribulation period. There is also a clarification that the term 'anguish' in the passage actually translates to 'tribulation'.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Revelation's First Resurrection Explanation The chapter discusses the sequence of events following a period of great tribulation as described in religious texts. According to the narrative, after this period, cosmic disturbances will occur, such as the darkening of the sun and moon, and stars falling from the sky. The 'powers in the heavens will be shaken,' indicating significant celestial changes. This will be followed by the appearance of a sign heralding the arrival of the 'son of man,' leading to global mourning. The 'son of man' is described as arriving with power and great glory on the clouds of heaven.
• 06:00 - 06:30: Conclusion on Dispensationalism The chapter challenges the dispensationalist perspective, urging readers to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance for a fresh understanding of certain Biblical passages. It emphasizes re-examining traditional interpretations, such as the fig tree symbolizing Israel's rebirth or the occurrence of the Rapture before the tribulation. The chapter stresses the importance of aligning interpretations with what is explicitly stated in the New Testament.

Is the Rapture in the Bible? | Sam Shamoun Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 what was your question about Matthew 24 yeah so um so it's it's a Rapture question because I know that um see the dispensation I just knew it didn't I say you reading your dispensationalism into it yeah Rapture when does The Rapture happen um so I mean I I know I know what it speaks about in first Thessalonians but so when does it happen um so that's the thing so there's seven years in the middle of seven years at the end of seven years well so I I I I believe that it's a pre-tribulation Rapture um I'll give you $10 million to
• 00:30 - 01:00 show me in New Testament where it says there's a tribulation of seven years no no no yeah I don't I don't I don't think there's a tribul I don't think there's a seven-year tribulation I think how long is it uh well I think there's gonna be how long is tribulation so I I think there is I think there's going to be three and a half years the last well the last three and a half is the worst that it's ever been on the earth okay so now notied what you did you just contradict yourself you said last three and a half which means there's a first three and a half that's seven years but it doesn't
• 01:00 - 01:30 say it doesn't say there's a there's a yeah nothing in New Testament right for seven years right so number one there's nothing about seven years in the New Testament that is a misapplication misunderstanding of Daniel 9:27 right number two let's go with your view let's just assume you're right there the Rapture happens before the tribulation right according to you we're going to say three and a half years according to 1 Thessalon 4 what you just read if the rapture happens before the
• 01:30 - 02:00 tribulation there's a resurrection of Believers and then there'll be a transformation of believers who are on earth so if I'm alive and your life were transformed those who died in Christ they'll be raised right their bodies be raised and then we're going to meet the Lord in the air right right but then you have a problem with Revelation 20 because Revelation 20 says that the resurrection of Believers takes place at the start of Jesus's Thousand-Year Reign but if we go with your interpretation that should have been the second
• 02:00 - 02:30 Resurrection because you just said there's a prior resurrection of Believers before the tribulation but Revelation 20 20 Revelation 24-6 says that those who died in Christ they'll be raised at the start of the Thousand-Year Reign and that's the first resurrection so how can you have one prior to that Revelation 20: 4-6 yeah um I I don't exactly know I only I only know about um you know why you bought into dispensationalism it's not biblical it's a teaching about 200
• 02:30 - 03:00 years old unheard of in church history gotcha so what you're doing you're coming under influence of dispensationalist teachers these are bad arguments I used to believe it because like you I was raised among Baptist and they taught that but then as I examined because Proverbs 1817 States the first to present his case seems right until his neighbor comes and questions him so they they seemed right they sounded right but then until I heard other viewpoints and
• 03:00 - 03:30 I saw this teaching has no basis in scripture and has no basis in early church history in fact do you know when if we go with your reading in Matthew 24 do you know when Jesus gathers his elect when is he when does he gather when does he gathers them after the tribulation not before it Matthew 24 29-31 go to Matthew 2429 to 31 so if I go with Jesus the elect are gathered after the tribulation not
• 03:30 - 04:00 before it Matthew 24 29-31 that's if I go with your reading of Matthew 24 that's referring to Jesus's return physically and The Rebirth of Israel as a nation 1948 too many assumptions but for argument sake I'm gonna assume that so read Matthew 24 29:31 when does our Lord gather his elect Believers after the tribulation immediately after the anguish of those days the sun will be darkened the moon will give says anguish it's actually the word tribulation
• 04:00 - 04:30 okay um this and I'm actually reading the NLT yep okay actually the word tribulation it's immediately after the tribulation of those days okay uh the sun will be dark and the moon will give no light the Stars will fall from the sky and the powers in the heavens will be shaken and then at last the sign that the son of man is coming will appear in the heavens and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth and they will see the son of man coming on the Clouds Of Heaven with power and great Glory
• 04:30 - 05:00 and he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world from the that's right so there you go so stop reading these passages as a dispensationalist ask the Holy Spirit now to illuminate you read them a fresh and instead of seeing things in the passage that are not there like the Fig Tree means the rebirth of Israel as a nation that's not what Matthew 24 says or there's going to be the Rapture before the tribulation where does the New Testament say that in fact if I read
• 05:00 - 05:30 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 together as a unit 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 1318 and 5 verses 1 to 10 if you read as a unit because there are no chapter divisions do you know when the body of Believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and by the way did you notice it says air it doesn't say heaven yeah it says uh it says air it says it's a I guess in the in the in the air meaning the sky above when the Lord descends not in heaven but if you actually read 1 Thessalonians 41318 and stop and continue to chapter 5 because
• 05:30 - 06:00 Paul continues the theme in chapter 5 it says this will happen when the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night but according to Second Peter chapter 3 the day of the Lord that comes like a thief of knif is when the Lord comes down to destroy the Earth by fire here let me show you open up your Bible 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 so I used to read them the way you did because you're under the influence of of specific teachers but you got to broaden
• 06:00 - 06:30 your perspective because Proverbs 18:17 States the first to present his case seems right until his neighbor comes and questions him so number one you need to broaden your perspective hear multiple voices on how Christ will return and number two this teaching of dispensationalism it's recent in history it's about 200 years old it's unheard of in the early church unheard of right you won't find it so that doesn't mean it's wrong but it means that you're going to have to do a very thorough
• 06:30 - 07:00 solid ex aesus of scripture that's overwhelmingly supportive of your view otherwise it's simply a tradition of men now if go to first Thessalonians 4 what you're going to do because you got the new new living transl you don't have any other translation besides that I I I actually have the Bible Hub app so I can go to any translation yeah New Living Translation has its pros and cons uh read new King James version if you like new King James okay read you're going to do 1
• 07:00 - 07:30 Thessalonians 4 13 to18 and then when you're done you're going to go to chapter 5 immediately okay first Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 1318 okay uh but I do not want you to be ignorant Brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so God will bring him bring with him those who sleep in Jesus for this we
• 07:30 - 08:00 say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first now notice the dead in Christ will rise right that's right when he comes down this is the rapture right okay keep going uh then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with
• 08:00 - 08:30 the Lord therefore Comfort one another with these words now go right into chapter 5 there were no chapter Visions in the original Greek chapter 5 verses one to two what does he mention the day of the Lord well read it don't give me the but concerning the times and the seasons Brethren concerning times and seasons of what uh what he just mentioned right right what he just mentioned he said now concerning the times and seasons of this event that the Lord will come down
• 08:30 - 09:00 with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will that the times and season of this event look what he says about it you have no need that I should write to you for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night for when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not Escape you're not escaped so this event where the Lord comes down and the dead in Christ will rise first us and we will meet them in the air is is called called the day of
• 09:00 - 09:30 the Lord that comes like a thief in the night right right go to Second Peter 3:10 see what day this is the day of the Lord that comes like a thief when will that happen and what happens when that day arrives second Peter 3:10 but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up but according to dispensationalism that doesn't take
• 09:30 - 10:00 place until after the thousand year reign of Christ right right because when the Lord comes down he's going to reain on Earth for a thousand years right right and then after the thousand years he's going to Usher a new Heaven to Earth so this Earth will be purged by fire correct right but even let's say some would say no no when the Lord comes down even before the Thousand-Year Reign he'll Purge the world of the evildoers by fire Everlasting destruction okay but that happens after the tribulation right right and when that happen that's the day of the Lord that comes like a thief
• 10:00 - 10:30 in the night second Peter 3:10 right so this is the day of the Lord that comes like a thief when he comes down to destroy the elements by fire are you seeing it you're second Peter 3:10 yeah so the day of the Lord that comes like a thief is when the Lord comes down to destroy the elements by fire right that's right does that happen before or after the
• 10:30 - 11:00 tribulation after but wait according to Paul that's when the dead in Christ will be raised first and we will be caught up to meet them in the air that's the same day so how can it be before the Lord destroys Elements by fire yeah I um I have not and I've heard I've heard mix views on both but again I I really was interested in your thoughts on it because I know you're you know you're your your very thorough with your
• 11:00 - 11:30 Bible teaching and so I wanted to I wanted to get your thoughts on it because I've been study I me I've heard a lot about the Rapture and stuff and uh then there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff going on right now with um on you know Messiah you know uh Rock Island books that did a whole thing on um you know the Rapture and so there's a lot of there's a lot of people talking about it but but now let me give you another element you remember 1 Thessalonians 41318 says and those who are dead in Christ they'll be raised first right right and then we'll be caught up to meet them in the
• 11:30 - 12:00 air right first Thessalonians 4 right that's what it said yep okay let me tell you when the dead in Christ will be raised go to Revelation 20 verses 1-6 if the Bible doesn't contradict itself and it doesn't there is no dead in Christ being raised before the tribulation uh then I saw an angel coming down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand he laid hold of the dragon that Serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years
• 12:00 - 12:30 and he cast him upon the upon the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the Nations no more to the Thousand Years so you can understand what you're reading slowly so okay so he's goingon to be bound up a thousand years in the abyss the bottomless pit keep going um and uh so that he should deceive the Nations no more till the thousand years were finished but after these things he must be released for a little while and I saw Thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them then I saw the souls of those
• 12:30 - 13:00 who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God who had not worshiped the Beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years but the but the rest of the Dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished this is the first resurrection blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection over such the second death has no power but they shall be Priests of God and of
• 13:00 - 13:30 Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years when does the first resurrection take place according to that um after the after the thousand- year reign no not after no it says but the rest of the Dead will not live again until the thousand years were finished this is the first when did the first resurrection take place reread it that's why I say you're reading too fast and you don't understand what you're reading so it's before it's before the the thousand year reign at the start of the
• 13:30 - 14:00 thousand year end because they are raised to reign with him for a thousand years right and that's and that's after tribulation so the Thousand Years begin before the tribulation no no no the thousand years is after Tri after the tribulation okay so you answered your question so when does the resurrection of Believers take place the resurrection of those who have died in Christ takes place when the Lord comes to Reign for a thousand years right but your view says the dead in Christ were raised before the tribulation before Christ comes down
• 14:00 - 14:30 to Reign for a thousand years I got you yeah and I like I said I've heard both views and I I wasn't I I wasn't exactly sure so I wanted to get your thoughts on on uh what you thought so what you need to do is unlearn the dispensational interpretation of scripture and relearn what the scriptures teach aresh too many assumptions too many passages out of context that are brought together in a way that not clear and it's not accurate and
• 14:30 - 15:00 faithful to scripture not saying you from the people that you're learning from right