Most people who have read my posts for any length know that I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church and a future seven-year tribulation followed by a literal 1,000 reign of Jesus Christ on earth. I know plenty of people disagree with me. Most don’t, however, give Bible passages to contradict those I give. Most criticize the motives of pre-trib believers.

When I write, I prefer to dig through lots of Scripture verses and do a thorough study of what the Bible says on a subject. I want to make sure my beliefs are aligned with the Bible, and I want to defend my beliefs with the Bible. It isn’t about me, but is about what God has said. Sometimes my dig into Scripture makes my posts long and tedious (I like to think of them as thorough).

Today, instead of throwing verses at my readers, I want to address the accusation that pre-trib Christians are just escapists.

I will start with the acknowledgment that there are a few people who choose to believe in a pre-trib rapture as an escape hatch, just as there are some people who say a prayer as Hell insurance (though many have not truly repented or believed). Although there are a few whose belief is out of convenience, I don’t believe that most believers in a pre-trib rapture do so because their primary motivation is to escape judgment. I truly believe that the Bible clearly communicates this, especially when you have a good understanding of the whole Bible. For more evidence, check out this post or my page that has most of my end-times posts listed. All of these posts use copious Scripture to defend my beliefs.

Instead of the pre-trib belief causing people to run away and hide, it should encourage us to witness with urgency. If people who trust Jesus are rescued from the wrath to come, then we want to win as many souls for Jesus as possible. We should want to tell the world about our Savior. We should have an urgency that isn’t logically felt by the people with any other beliefs in the end times.

Amillennial people, who believe we are currently in the kingdom of God, tend to be focused on creating God’s kingdom on earth and things like politics, more than witnessing. Postmillennial people think they can usher in the kingdom and are also focused on things like politics and the culture. Those who believe that our time is short and Jesus is coming back for the church at any moment are more likely to find time to share with others the good news about Jesus. We drop things we’d like to be doing in order to witness to unbelievers and to disciple young believers in order to multiply believers before the rapture.

If I’m wrong about the end times, my motives and my actions will still be in alignment with God’s will and commands. If an postmillennialist or amillennialist is wrong, they’ve spent their time and effort on the wrong things entirely. (I admit this is not true of all, but our beliefs do influence our behavior and our priorities.)

There are also many who believe the church will go through the future tribulation. I can’t speak for all of them, but many seem to have a strange desire to go through the tribulation. I don’t know if it is a desire to prove they can be faithful in the worst situation or something else.

I used to listen to and hang out with some preppers. (I still do basic prepping, but my faith is no longer in stuff and preparation, but in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.) Many preppers seemed to look forward to the collapse of society and the chaos that would come because they thought they were “ready.” Many of the post-trib believers give off this vibe (admittedly I can’t read hearts and minds like God, and no generalization is true of all people in the category).

I don’t want to go through God’s judgment in the tribulation. I don’t want my friends and family to go through God’s judgment in the tribulation. I don’t even want my opponents/enemies to go through God’s judgment in the tribulation. It is going to be so bad; I want every human alive to repent, trust Jesus, and avoid God’s judgment.

Because of my growing end-times beliefs, I got out of politics and focused on witnessing, discipling, and teaching Jesus to anyone who will listen. I do twice-weekly Substack posts. I’ve written three books (the last is still in editing and not yet published). I teach in our church’s AWANA program. I am a very busy person, running a business and homeschooling my sons (now just my special needs son). Despite this, I’ve taken on extra spiritual activities because of the urgency I feel. I also study everything I can find on the subject of end times, including blogs, podcasts, and books. (Actually, on the whole Bible, but with a definite focus on end-times.)

All of this being said, our end times beliefs are not a salvation issue. I know many strong believers who disagree with me on end times theology. I have pastors I follow and respect who disagree with me. That’s OK. We are all seeking the truth that God has communicated to us.

I hope that all of you study the Bible and get your beliefs from the Bible and not just the words of men. I hope that whatever you believe about the end times, that you do not get complacent, but are doing all that is in your power (knowing that salvation is from Jesus) to grow the kingdom. I hope you are fully submitted to the will of God in all things: beliefs, desires, and actions. May God grow you in faith and godliness till we meet in heaven someday.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.