About The Rapture - Soul Choice Ministries

Some people say that the Rapture cannot take place until every nation hears the gospel and the last Gentile is saved. Is that what the Bible teaches?

Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Notice, it’s the end that comes after the gospel is preached throughout the earth. The verse doesn’t say that the Rapture cannot take place until the gospel is preached throughout the earth. According to the book of Revelation, the Gospel will be preached during the entire Tribulation period by the two Witnesses, the 144,000 Jews, those who get saved during that time, and even by angels! (Revelation 7:3,7:9; 11:3; 14:6, 14:13)

Revelation 7:9 states, “a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes…These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Believer’s Bible Commentary, page 2364, “These are the Gentiles who will be saved during the Great Tribulation by trusting the Lord Jesus.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary, page 1740, “The end of the world shall be then, and not till then, when the gospel has done its work in the world.”

There are many Gentiles saved during the entire seven-year tribulation period.

The following verses indicate that the believers are already with Jesus when He returns therefore the Rapture would have already taken place prior to His second coming.

1 Thessalonians 3:13,”the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
Zechariah 14:5, “The Lord my God shall come and all the saints with him.
Jude 14, “The Lord comes with 10,000 of his saints.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14, “Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
Colossians 3:4, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in in glory.”
Revelation 19:14, “And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”

These next three commentaries comment on Revelation 19:14:

Believer’s Bible Commentary, page 2377, “These armies are no doubt made up of the saints.”

The MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 2032, “Composed of the Church, tribulation saints, OT believers, and even angels”

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown’s Commentary, page 1582, “The glorified saints whom God will bring with Christ at his advent, they that are with Him, called, chosen, faithful; as also His mighty angels.”

God’s angels and the saints return with Christ at His second coming. That shows the preaching of the gospel to the entire world is not a requirement before the rapture can take place. The preaching to the entire world is accomplished during the Tribulation.