RAPTURE BEFORE GREAT TRIBULATION: MATTHEW 24:29 EXPLAINED
Many people are somehow confused if great tribulation will first take place before rapture, the major question they asked me when I preached rapture would precede great tribulation is, “What about Matthew 24:29, can you explain it?”
And I better explain it now and clear!

Let’s read it from the Bible:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Matthew 24:29

Now, let’s look at some Bible verses before it and then some Bible verses after it, so we can have a better understanding, ok?

Firstly let me clarify that, there TWO types of Tribulations: one is general tribulation, and another is great tribulation. General tribulation is a persecution as a result of our faith in Christ, which every child of God must pass through. In verse 9, ““Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” This is one of the signs before rapture. Jesus gave about 5 signs of end time before the rapture:

False teaching and false prophets. Matthew 24:4,5,11
Global crisis - war, pestilence, and global warming. Matthew 24:6-8
Tribulation and persecution of the saints. Matthew 24:9,10,11
Lawlessness and love of many waxing cold in Christianity. Matthew 24:12
Global preaching of Gospel. Matthew 24:13

Now, I want you to understand that pre-rapture general tribulation for saints is different from great tribulation after rapture. The one before rapture is called persecution of saints; the one after rapture is great persecution from Satan on the left-behind saints and wrath of God on left-behind sinners who worship the beast. READ IT YOURSELF,

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. “ Matthew 24:21

Between verses 15 to 20 rapture takes place that causes uproar and running helter skater, then in verse 21, great tribulation begins.

THE CONFUSION
Why many Christians are mistaken that great tribulation will happen after rapture is because they read great tribulation and also see Jesus coming from the sky again, so they assume that is rapture, but no. Jesus will appear in the sky twice, the first time is rapture, the taking away of the children of God worldwide, only the believers will see and hear Him and His angels then. After rapture, there will be 30 months great tribulation for the Christians who refuse to take the mark of the beast (666), and immediately after the great tribulation, Jesus will appear again, and at this time all eyes will see Him.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:29,30.

Two things I want you to take good note of here:
God’s wrath “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” God turning the world He created upside down because of the evil of the men. This is not Satan’s wrath, it is God Himself who has the power to do that.

Now look at the verse 30, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH will mourn, and THEY WILL SEE the Son of Man coming on the clouds” Is it possible for the whole earth to see Jesus at the rapture? Does this Bible verse sounds like rapture? NO! So this is the appearance of Jesus Christ after great tribulation, it is not rapture but second coming of Jesus.

WHY SECOND COMING?
Why will Jesus Christ coming second time after the rapture? It is for two reasons:

1, To gather the tribulation saints – Christians who miss the rapture and refuse the take the mark of the beast and suffer great persecution and punishment. After a period of time, about 3 and half years, Jesus will come to take away those great tribulation saints also in the cloud, “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.” That was the reason Jesus said the days will be shortened so that the tribulation saints can survive it.

Yes, so many people would be saved after the rapture; they will come out of great tribulation. They are those who miss the rapture. Let’s read it:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9,13,14.

MANY CHRISTIANS WHO MISS RAPTURE WILL ENDURE GREAT TRIBULATION, HOLD ON TO THEIR FAITH AND COME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION, but it does not implies that all Christians will go through great tribulation, only those who miss the rapture and refuse to give up their faith in the face of great tribulation. I hope you understand this?

2, Now the second reason Jesus will appear in the sky after the rapture is to punish the evil world who refuse to repent, who worship the beast and bow to it. Let’s read:

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Revelation 19:11,15.

I believe the Lord will give you understanding of His word. It is a great error to believe great tribulation will first take place before rapture, it is spirit of heresy from Satan to confuse, mislead and deceive Christians; that is the reason I took time by the help of Holy Spirit to explain to you from the scriptures that what children of God are waiting for now is rapture of the saints.

God bless you

Gideon Akande