The next question concerning the rapture is when it will occur. There are several lines of biblical evidence showing that it will take place before the tribulation.
First, no biblical passage that discusses the tribulation mentions the church. The fact that saints are found in the tribulation does not prove that the church is there any more than the existence of saints in the Old Testament proves that the church was there. It has already been shown that the church began at Pentecost in Acts 2, with the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Old Testament saints are not part of the church. In the same way, the existence of saints in the tribulation does not prove that the church is there either, and not even once are these saints called “the church.” This is especially evident and significant in the book of Revelation. The church is clearly found in chapters 1-3, dealing with the events prior to the tribulation. The church is found again in chapters 19-22, dealing with events after the tribulation. But in chapters 6-18, which deal with the tribulation period itself, the church is not mentioned once. Outside the book of Revelation, the fact remains that in no passage dealing with the tribulation is the church mentioned.
Now, this is an argument from silence, but within the structure of the book of Revelation, it is a powerful case indeed. From the viewpoint of pure exposition, it is impossible for anyone to turn to a tribulation passage and to show that the church is there.
Excerpt from “The Footsteps of the Messiah” by Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, p. 148-149; available at: https://www.ariel.org/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx…
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