The Bible does not explicitly tell us the timing of the Rapture. No single verse tells us that the Rapture will occur before the tribulation. Even so, we must remember that many important biblical doctrines are not given to us directly in one verse. No single verse explains the doctrine of the Trinity or that Jesus Christ is the God-man. Yet a harmonization of passages shows these doctrines to be biblical. Likewise, a harmonization of biblical texts is consistent with the view that the rapture occurs before the tribulation—aka the pretribulational view.

The more one recognizes the biblical distinction between Israel and the church, the clearer one will be able to see God's distinct plan for each group. The more that believers see a distinct plan for Israel and a distinct plan for the church, the more they realize that when the New Testament speaks to the church it is describing a separate destiny and hope for her. The church becomes more distinct in the plan of God. Israel's future includes the seven-year tribulation, and then shortly before Christ's return to Jerusalem she will be converted to Jesus as her Messiah. In contrast, the distinct hope for the church is Christ's any-moment return.

An examination of biblical texts about the rapture supports the pretribulational view.

The pretribulational view is the only theory which clearly maintains the distinction between Israel and the church and God's separate plans for each. The seventy “sevens” of Daniel 9:24 are decreed upon Daniel's people (the Jews) and Daniel's holy city (Jerusalem). This prophecy makes it plain that the seventieth week (the Tribulation) is a time of purging and restoration for Israel and Jerusalem, not for the church.

According to Paul, the church is not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, 5:9), and believers will not be overtaken by the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). The church of Philadelphia was promised to be kept from “the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). The promise is not preservation through the trial but deliverance from the hour, that is, from the time period of the trial.

The word “church” appears nineteen times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but, significantly, the word is not used again until chapter 22. In other words, in the entire lengthy description of the Tribulation in Revelation, the word church is noticeably absent. In fact, the Bible never uses the word “church” in a passage relating to the Tribulation.

The imminent return of Christ is consistent with the pretribulational view of the rapture and is taught throughout the New Testament. The early church viewed Christ's return as imminent, that He could return at any moment. John 21:22-23 confirms this fact.

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Had the early church not viewed the return of Christ as being imminent, the rumor would not have persisted that Jesus would return within John's lifetime. Imminence, which is incompatible with the other Rapture theories, is a key tenet of the pretribulational view.

The pretribulational view seems to be the most in keeping with God's character and His desire to deliver the righteous from the judgment of the world. Biblical examples of God's salvation include Noah, who was delivered from the worldwide flood; Lot, who was delivered from Sodom; and Rahab, who was delivered from Jericho (2 Peter 2:6-9).

The return of Christ for His bride, the Church, is imminent. It could happen at any moment. There are no signs that need to take place before this event. Jesus will come in the clouds to rapture His Church before the 7 year tribulation on earth. We are looking for the blessed hope of Jesus' return for His bride.