Various Texts — In the Olivet Discourse Jesus describes the events that will occur during the Tribulation (see Part 4). This is a time of unprecedented trouble and suffering that immediately precedes Christ’s return. Is it possible that Christians alive today might live through this time? Or to put it another way, does the Church, the body of New Covenant believers, go through the Tribulation?
This question leads to a discussion of the doctrine of the Rapture. It is a doctrine that that been popularised in novels and movies over the last forty years and has also been much maligned. So we need to ask, “Is the Rapture fanciful or Biblical?”