The Rapture Promise: Its History and Fulfillment at Christ's Return: A Defense of Post-Tribulationism
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Over the past two hundred years, the Church has probed and quibbled how to understand the events leading up to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps no other issue has generated as much heat and debate as the topic of the Rapture of the Church. The historic view of the Church is that the Rapture–involving the resurrection of believers–is a unique event occurring at the time of the second coming of Christ. That is, the Rapture that is promised in such passages as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 will be post-tribulational. Now in a ground-breaking new study of over 300 pages, the author provides one of the most thorough and technical studies of the Rapture to date.
Following a careful review of the teachings of the early Church fathers, the author carefully surveys the development of eschatological thought throughout the Middle Ages and the Reformation, as well as the renewal of premillennial belief in England from the late 1500s to the early 1800s. Relying on original source material, the author carefully identifies the origin and circumstances that gave rise to the pre-tribulational rapture theory and its gradual spread from the 1830s to its popular embrace today. With this historical analysis as a backdrop, the author goes on to carefully analyze every relevant passage having a bearing on the subject of the Rapture, as well as theological arguments that are sometimes appealed to (e.g., the any-moment view of "imminency").
The author–once an adherent himself of the pre-tribulational view–shares the research that caused him to change his mind and eventually embrace the post-tribulational view of the Rapture. The author, J. Paul Tanner, is well-acquainted with prophetic studies. He is the author of the highly acclaimed commentary on Daniel in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series, has authored the commentary The Book of Revelation; The Return of Christ to Reign Victoriously, and has had a number of articles dealing with eschatological studies published in leading evangelical journals. Dr. Tanner holds a PhD in Hebrew Literature and Culture from the Univ of Texas at Austin in addition to a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife have been married for fifty years.
This is a Logos Reader Edition. Learn more.
- Presents a thorough and technical study of the Rapture, advocating for a post-tribulational view.
- Surveys the historical development of eschatological thought from the early Church to modern times.
- Identifies the origins and spread of the pre-tribulational rapture theory based on original source material.
- Title: The Rapture Promise: Its History and Fulfillment at Christ's Return: A Defense of Post-Tribulationism
- Author: J. Paul Tanner
- Publisher: J. Paul
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Pages: 337
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBN: 9798879832600
- Resource ID: LLS:RPTRPSTTRBLTNSM
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-07-22T18:30:07Z
Reviews
0 ratings
James O'Neal Routt
3/5/2026
The Most Thorough Defense of the Post-Tribulation Rapture This book is the fullest, most thorough defense of the post-tribulation rapture to appear to date. The previous holder of this distinction is Robert Gundry’s classic study, The Church and the Tribulation, published in 1973. But Gundry is out of date. Much has been written in the past half-century on the subject of the rapture that must be taken into account. Moreover, in order to appeal to a wide audience Gundry, a first-rate New Testament scholar, wrote at the popular level. The need has been for a book aimed at seminary trained men and women which provides a more advanced, thorough and up-to-date analysis of the biblical texts relating to the rapture. Paul Tanner’s well-crafted study, The Rapture Promise, more than adequately meets this need. As Tanner explains, he came to the post-trib view later in life. He accepted the pre-trib view while in college. Then, as a ThM student at Dallas Seminary, this belief was reinforced through the influence of such leading lights of pre-tribulationism as John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie and Dwight Pentecost. But in the course of a subsequent career teaching on the seminary level - during which he earned a PhD in Hebrew literature, wrote commentaries on Daniel and Revelation and taught courses on eschatology - his research led him to conclude that the biblical evidence lies on the side of a post-tribulation rapture. He writes this book to explain why he now embraces this view. The book falls into two major parts. Standard procedure with an academic treatise is to begin with a history of interpretation. This detailed and well documented section is 70 pages in length and worth the price of the book. It shows that post-tribulationism is the historic view of the church. Beginning with the Church Fathers and proceding through the Middle Ages, the Reformation period and beyond, the post-trib view, in one form or another, prevailed. Tanner traces the rise of modern-day pre-tribulationism to events in the 1830s in Britain from which it spread to America. Part two examines the biblical evidence. The initial chapter addresses the central doctrine of pre-tribulationism which is the claim that the rapture is possible at any moment without any preceding signs or events. The next chapter looks at the Old Testament expectation which sets the stage for the final events of the end time. The remainder of this section takes the reader through a careful analysis of all the passages in the New Testament relevant to the question of the rapture - starting with Matthew and proceeding through Revelation. An appendix provides an extended study of the Greek word, parousia, the term Scripture uses both for Christ’s coming after the Tribulation in Matt 24:27 as well as his coming at the time of the rapture in 1 Thess 4:15. The scholarly thoroughness with which Tanner treats each passage is the great distinctive of his book. A comparison with Gundry’s treatment of 1 Thess 4:13-18, the great rapture passage, illustrates this point. Tanner devotes nine and a half pages to this text with a quarter the space devoted to 31 detailed footnotes which both document his arguments and supply much additional information. Gundry’s treatment by contrast is less than half this length and contains only five footnotes, each of which cites a single source with no supplemental information. This thoroughness is further highlighted if we focus more narrowly on the key words describing the rapture in verse 17, “caught up to meet the Lord.” Gundry and Tanner are in complete agreement on the interpretation: Paul’s terminology reflects the ancient custom of the citizens of a city going out to meet an arriving dignitary and escort him on the final leg of his journey to their city. Gundry’s treatment is brief: a third of a page including a quote from a commentary with a footnote. Tanner’s treatment is fulsome: two and a half pages, thirty percent of which is taken up with footnotes. It includes quotations by Cicero using this terminology to describe receptions accorded Julius Caesar in 49 B.C; a quote from John Chrysostom, the greatest expositor of the ancient church, in which he explains the rapture in verse 17 in terms of this custom; quotations from three major commentaries (all published after Gundry); and support from two multi-volume exegetical dictionaries. The net effect is a more impressive and persuasive argument. This degree of thoroughness is representative of the entire book. In spite of the depth and detail, Tanner’s clear style, straightforward reasoning, and frequent headings make for easy reading. He writes with a scholarly objectivity that is neither dogmatic, combative nor condescending, but gentlemanly, humble and respectful of opposing views. I was already a convert to the post-trib view when I started the book (I had read Gundry). I had even taught it on the seminary level, but still I gained many new insights. The book is a great scholarly achievement and a valuable resource. I recommend it highly. As the most thorough and up-to-date defense of post-tribulationism, it deserves to be read by every serious student of the rapture.