It starts with an assumption that God has used two different groups to accomplish His work in the world: Israel and the Church. While they have much in common, they are basically two separate groups. Israel is the group God started with, giving them the privilege of representing Him to the world (Ex. 19:3-6). However, they rejected Christ when He came, causing them to be set aside temporarily, while God used another group, the church, to take over that privilege (1 Peter 2:9-10).

There’s no question that the tribulation has a “Jewish” flavor to it. Daniel prophesied specifically about Jews during that time, and their connection with the “prince that shall come” (i.e. the antichrist.) Jeremiah refers to the trib as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse give specific instructions to the Jews in Judea at that time (Mt. 24:15ff). Revelation, describing the tribulation refers to 144,000 Jewish missionaries, 2 Jewish prophets, and the armies of the world surrounding Israel at the end. While the tribulation is worldwide in scope, God’s attention during this time seems to be on Israel, not the church.

Paul expected to be taken to see Christ, but did not expect to go through the tribulation. In 1 Thess. 4, he plainly says “we which remain” shall be caught up, indicating his assumption of being part of the rapture. In the very next chapter, he repeatedly, however, draws a distinction between “us” who are believers, and “they” who are going to face God’s wrath during the Tribulation (Day of the Lord). In fact, he specifically says In 1 Thess. 1:10, that we are “waiting for his Son…which hath delivered us from the wrath to come.” In 1 Thess. 2:19, he refers to our “hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing” being the Lord at his coming. Doesn’t sound like he expected a tribulation first! In 1 Thess. 3:12-13, His admonition is that believers grow in love for each other in preparation for the Lord’s return with His saints, not that they hunker down for 7 years of tribulation first. Finally, in 1 Thess. 4:17, he refers to the rapture as a comfort for us. Not much comfort expected based on the description found in Revelation of the tribulation.

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul beseeches them “by our gathering together unto him” that they not worry about going through the tribulation. He specifically says that “that day” (i.e. the tribulation) can’t come until “except there come a falling away first.” There is admittedly some debate over what the “falling away” is, but I believe it is a direct reference to the rapture. “Falling away” literally means a departure from something, and the Greek has a definite article there (i.e. “THE falling away.” Since Paul has already talked to them about “the departure” of the saints to be with the Lord, what he seems to be saying here is that the tribulation cannot begin until after the rapture.

In Revelation 3:10, Jesus promises the church of Philadelphia that they will be delivered from the wrath to come. The wrath to come is obviously the tribulation described in the rest of the book, and he said they would be delivered FROM it, not THROUGH it. He gave them a promise that they would not go through the tribulation.

Jesus addresses 7 churches in Revelation 2-3, with many detailed messages, warnings and encouragements. However, after John “hears a trumpet” and is told to “come up hither” and is taken into heaven, the church is not mentioned again. The whole time John describes the horror of the tribulation, he never once mentions or references the church. An ominous silence, eh?

So you see, it’s not just one verse. It’s a whole lot of evidence pointing to the “blessed hope” of the believer…the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.