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Is The Church In The Tribulation (The Rapture Isn't A Secret - Part 2)

February 8, 2026

Matthew 24 describes the return of the King, not the removal of the Bride.

Matthew 24:31

And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The last trumpet for the Church is not the last trumpet on earth.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8

And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

You cannot have the Antichrist revealed until the Restrainer is removed.

The absence of the Church does not mean the absence of salvation.

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your city…”

The Church did not replace Israel, fulfill Israel, or erase Israel.

You cannot be watching for Christ if you’re watching for Antichrist.

Additional Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 24:15–31; Ephesians 1:4-5; Revelation 7:3, 13:7, 14:12; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; Revelation 8–11; Deuteronomy 30:4, Isaiah 11:11–12, Ezekiel 34:12; Isaiah 11; Zechariah 12–14; Revelation 19–20; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Galatians 3:28;

Galatians 6:16

Discussion Questions

  1. What is the difference between the rapture and the Second Coming, and why does Scripture treat them as distinct events? (Suggested texts:1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Matthew 24:29–31; Revelation 19:11–16)
  2. Why is Matthew 24 not describing the rapture, and how does audience and context shape that conclusion? (Suggested texts: Matthew 24:15–31; Mark 13; Luke 21:20–24)
  3. Who are the “elect” in Matthew 24, and why can’t we assume the term always refers to the Church? (Suggested texts: Matthew 24:22, 24, 31; Isaiah 45:4; Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 7:9–14)
  4. How does understanding Israel and the Church as distinct help make sense of prophecy, especially Daniel 9 and Revelation? (Suggested texts: Daniel 9:24–27; Jeremiah 30:7; Ephesians 3:1–6; Revelation 6–18)
  5. Why does imminence matter for how Christians live, and how does it shape watchfulness and hope? (Suggested texts: Matthew 24:42–44; Titus 2:11–13; James 5:8–9)
  6. Why is the rapture meant to be a comfort for believers rather than a source of fear or division? (Suggested texts: 1 Thessalonians 4:18; John 14:1–3; Romans 8:1)
  7. How should Christians respond today if we believe Christ could come at any moment? (Suggested texts: 1 John 3:2–3; 2 Peter 3:11–14; Luke 12:35–40)