Question: I don’t see the requirement in the Bible for the seven-year Tribulation to follow immediately after the Rapture. Most prophecy speakers suggest a time gap....Why do you maintain the “no gap” belief? | thebereancall.org

TBC Staff

Question: I don’t see the requirement in the Bible for the seven-year Tribulation to follow immediately after the Rapture. Most prophecy speakers suggest a time gap between the Rapture and the revelation of the Antichrist. Why do you maintain the “no gap” belief?

Answer: The church is taken to heaven to remove her, as Christ promised, from “the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world...” (Rv 3:10). There would be no point in doing that even days—much less months or years—ahead of time. Paul declared that Antichrist could only be “revealed in his time” (2 Thes:2:6); and that time would come as soon as he who now hinders has been “taken out of the way” (vv. 7,8)—obviously referring to the Holy Spirit indwelling believers, who are being removed at the Rapture.

The sudden miraculous removal from earth of perhaps 100 million people (it could be more or less) would create worldwide panic and terror. That event is the only thing that could unite the entire world under Antichrist in abject fear of a common enemy. He may well claim to know where the missing have been taken and may promise to prevent the snatching away from earth of those who take his mark and follow him. Logically, Antichrist’s take-over must happen within a very few hours of the Rapture.

Satan would have to act quickly to take advantage of this unique act of “terrorism” that will terrify and unite the world as nothing else could! With no Scripture to specifically support a waiting period, I see no reason for proposing one.