Pathway to Victory

David J. Mullins: Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God’s word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to PTV.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here’s today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I’m glad to study God’s word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today’s edition of Pathway to Victory, most of you are living in your last days. It may be 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, but compared to eternity, it’s a short amount of time that we have left before we face God. Either He’s coming or we’re going, but in a relatively short amount of time, you and I are going to stand before God.

David J. Mullins: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. For thousands of years, Christians have wondered, is the Great Tribulation an event we need to fear? And furthermore, what’s it going to be like? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress presents convincing biblical evidence that the rapture of the church will precede the tribulation. But first, let’s take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Our subject for the remainder of April is Bible prophecy. And just before we get started with today’s message about the rapture of the church, I’ll draw your attention to a brand-new book I’ve written for you. It’s called Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times.

Tragically, much of what we see and hear online about the end times does little more than deepen our anxiety. What I’ve found after decades as a pastor is that what people really need isn’t speculation. They need biblical facts. I’ll be pleased to send Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times to your home when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Oh yes, let me add an important reminder about our upcoming Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th. You know, the older I get, the more I value spending time with people who share my faith and values. That’s one reason I’m so looking forward to our Alaska cruise together. I want to share the majesty of God’s Alaskan masterpiece with friends, and I’m hoping that includes you. So please reserve your spot today by going to PTV.org.

All right, let’s get started in our study of 1 Thessalonians chapter four. I’ve titled today’s message, Making Sure You’re Not Left Behind. We cannot know when Christ is coming back, but we can know the events that will lead up to Christ’s return. God wants us to understand what those events are. We are to live in anticipation of those events and live our lives in anticipation of His return. Last time, we began looking at the next event on God’s prophetic timetable. It’s called the rapture of the church.

The rapture is the snatching away to heaven of all Christians before the beginning of the tribulation. For full disclosure, I want to share with you just for a second three different views about the rapture. I’m not going to go into any great detail about these views. They’re included in my book, Perfect Ending, but let me just give you the three different views about the rapture. I’ll tell you what everybody else believes and then I’ll tell you why I’m right, okay? But we’re going to look at these other views.

First of all, there is what’s called the post-tribulation rapture view. The post-tribulation rapture view is that the church will endure the seven years of the tribulation which precede the second coming of Christ. Post means after. The rapture happens after the tribulation. This is the view that the church must go through the great tribulation.

Secondly, there is the mid-tribulation rapture view. And that is the rapture will occur after the first three and a half years of the seven-year tribulation. The proponents of this view say the first three and a half years are going to be relatively peaceful. Everybody’s going to love Antichrist. And it’s only after three and a half years that he turns against Israel and begins persecuting Israel and the church, and that the earth suffers the wrath of God. And so the church is here for the first three and a half years, but we get snatched away before the final, really intense three and a half years of tribulation.

Now, the third view is the one I presented to you, and that’s the pre-tribulation rapture view. And that is the rapture will occur before the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. I heard somebody say one time, "Well, I don’t know which view is correct, pre, post, or mid, but I’d just as soon be on the first flight going out of here." Well, I would too. I don’t only hope, I plan on being on the first flight out of here. And there’s a good reason to believe that we who are believers will.

Let me share with you, there are many reasons I could share with you, but let me share with you why I’m absolutely convinced that the church is not going to be left behind for the great tribulation, why we are going to be spared, not only the wrath of Antichrist but the wrath of God. Four quick reasons. Number one, the purpose of the tribulation. What is the purpose of these final seven years of judgment on the earth?

The scripture says, first of all, the salvation of Israel as well as Gentiles. Revelation 7 says there will be a multitude of people saved during the tribulation. It’s their one last chance to be saved. God’s a merciful God. He doesn’t wish anyone to perish. This is a final opportunity for Israel as well as Gentiles to be saved. Number two, the condemnation of unbelievers. This is God’s pouring out His wrath upon the earth.

Now, the fact is, neither purpose applies to the church. We who are Christians do not need salvation. We’ve already experienced it through Jesus Christ. And we certainly don’t need God’s condemnation. The Bible has promised that we would be spared from that. So there is no reason for the church to be here during these final seven years.

Every Tuesday we have at our church our weekly staff meeting that Walter and I conduct. During that time, we go over issues that apply to the staff as a whole. Now, if there is a particular staff member who is doing something that needs to be addressed, you know, it’s tempting to just go ahead and ball out the whole group and hope it applies to whoever needs to listen to it. But you know, that is not an effective way to deal with problems on your staff.

First of all, it’s a waste of time to talk to the whole group about a problem that you could talk with one individual about. But it’s also terribly demoralizing for an entire staff to have to listen to a gripe session when it only applies to one individual. The more effective thing, not to mention the more Christian thing, is to deal with that person who needs correction individually. The tribulation is a time of God’s correction of Israel and God’s wrath against unbelievers. Neither of those purposes applies to the church, which is one reason I’m convinced the church will not be here.

Secondly, why am I convinced the church will not be left behind for the tribulation? The lack of reference to the church in Revelation 6 through 18. When you study the book of Revelation, the church is prominent in chapters 1 to 5. And the church is prominent again starting in chapter 19 when Christ returns and we return with Him. But in chapter 6 through 18 that describe these seven years of horrific persecutions, not once do you find the church mentioned.

Isn’t that interesting? No mention of the church, the bride of Christ, in Revelation 6 through 18. Why is that? It’s because the church isn’t here. We’re in heaven. It’s unbelievers who have been left on the earth. Now, as I said, many will be saved during that time under great persecution, but the church, the bride of Christ, will not be there.

Number three, why do I believe the church won’t be left behind? Because of the teaching of Revelation 3 verse 10. Turn over to Revelation chapter 3 verse 10. Remember the book of Revelation, though applicable to all of us, was written originally to seven specific churches in Asia Minor: the church at Sardis and Laodicea and Philadelphia and Ephesus and so on. These were real churches that existed. Some of us have been to visit the remains of those churches. These were real congregations.

But even though they were literal churches, people believe that parts of the message to these churches extended beyond the present situation into future generations. And that’s true in Revelation chapter 3. God’s addressing the church at Philadelphia, not Pennsylvania, but Philadelphia in Asia Minor. And He wrote to those Christians there. But when you get to verse 10, it’s obvious the message is expanded beyond the church of Philadelphia to a future church.

Look at verse 10. "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance," the angel said, "I will also keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell upon the earth." God said to the church at Philadelphia, there is a time of worldwide testing that I’m going to save you from. Now, there was not worldwide testing during the time of the church at Philadelphia. He is talking about a future time, I believe the great tribulation.

And He is saying not just to the church at Philadelphia, but to all Christians who are living in that age right before the tribulation, "I am going to spare you from that time." That word "from," that’s our English word. The Greek word is the preposition "ek." "I will also keep you out of the hour of testing that is about to come upon the earth." We have been delivered, not just from all testing, but from the testing, the persecution that comes from God.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, the reason I’m absolutely convinced we will not experience the great tribulation is because of the promise of God that believers will be spared His condemnation. The promise of God that believers, Christians, will be spared God’s condemnation. This week, I received a four-page email from a listener, not a member of our church, but a listener to our radio program telling me why everything I believe about Bible prophecy is wrong.

And he got to the part about the tribulation and basically he said, "How could you be so ignorant to believe that the church is not going to go through a time of tribulation? Why, just wake up and look at what’s happening around the world. Christians everywhere are suffering right now. They’ve always suffered. Why do you believe Christians won’t go through the great tribulation?"

Well, it’s true, in John 16:33, Jesus said, "In this world, you will have," what? "Tribulation." Jesus said every follower of Christ in every generation is going to suffer problems. That tribulation, that problem, part of it is just the difficulty of living in a fallen world. Because we live in a fallen world, we suffer everything from broken relationships to broken health. We have personal problems because we live in this sin-infested world.

Not only that, I think Jesus, when He said you’re going to have tribulation, was talking about the persecution that every follower of Christ is going to endure for his faith. Certainly Jesus’ followers experienced it. All of the apostles except one were martyred for their faith. Listen to this description of what happened to the first-century Christians who were Christ followers.

Hebrews 11 verses 37 to 38 says they were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted and ill-treated, men of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. That was the first-century church.

And ladies and gentlemen, the 21st-century church around the world isn’t doing much better. Christians everywhere are being persecuted because of their faith. For example, we’re broadcasting now and hearing good reports about our ministry in China. Do you realize that thousands of Chinese Christians are being taken to detention prisons, work camps in order to go through a re-education program because of their faith?

We see our Christian brothers in Africa, in Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East who are being slaughtered because of their faith in God. Why, we saw the All Saints Church in Pakistan that saw 100 of its members killed through a blast of a bomb. And there were 100 attacks against Christian sites in Egypt. Now, admittedly, all of those attacks were not against Christians, but they were instigated by Islamic terrorists who were marching in the name of their faith. We ought to together as Christians say, "This cannot stand."

But let me tell you, what’s happening right now and has happened for 2,000 years is nothing compared to the horrific things that are going to happen during the great tribulation. The Bible says there is going to be a time when not just man pours out his wrath upon man, but God, for the first time since the flood, pours out His wrath upon the earth. That’s what makes the tribulation different than any other time in history.

The tribulation will not just be man persecuting man; it will be God pouring out His wrath on mankind. And ladies and gentlemen, you and I have been promised to be spared from that wrath. Romans 8:1 says there is therefore now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. If you and I have to experience some future wrath of God, then it means the death of Jesus Christ was ineffective and absolutely unnecessary.

The fact is, Jesus, when He died on that cross, He took the wrath of God that you and I deserve for our sin. And that’s why we have the promise that there is no condemnation awaiting us if we have trusted in Christ Jesus. I remember reading the story about a group of cowboys and they found themselves caught in a raging prairie fire. Finally, one of the cowboys said, "Quick, let’s burn all of the ground around us."

The other cowboys thought he was ludicrous. Why would we burn ground around us when the fire is already approaching us? And this man said, "Because the fire cannot come where it has already been." Ladies and gentlemen, the fire of God’s wrath burned, it was poured out on Jesus Christ, and we never have to fear that wrath if we trust in Him. Why? Because the fire cannot come where it has already been.

Not long ago, I was being interviewed by a secular talk show host who wasn’t a believer. And he asked me the question, he said, "Now, Pastor, do you believe we’re living in the last days? I hear you talking a lot about the last days and do you believe we’re living in the last days?" He was kind of mocking me in good nature. And I said, "Well, I absolutely do. In fact, I’m certain that you and I are living in the last days."

He said, "Well, how can you be so certain of that?" I said, "Well, just think about it. You and I are both in our late 50s. Now, 20 to 40 years from now, one of two things are going to happen. Either we’re going or He’s coming, but soon we’re going to meet Him one way or the other."

And that’s true for every one of you here today. You know, most of you are living in your last days. It may be 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, but compared to eternity, it’s a short amount of time that we have left before we face God. Either He’s coming or we’re going, but in a relatively short amount of time, you and I are going to stand before God. Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed unto every one of us once to die and then the judgment.

Every one of us in this room, everyone watching on television, we’re all going to stand before God in judgment. Now some people say, "Well, that’s okay. That’s okay. I’m not fearful about standing before God in judgment. I’m a pretty good person, actually. I’m not perfect, nobody is, but I’m sure better than those Islamic terrorists you talked about who certainly deserve to go to hell and I understand why they’re going to hell. But I’m a pretty good person. I don’t have to fear about going to hell."

See, our problem is, and we all do this, we judge ourselves based on other people. We use other people as our standard of judgment, and we always like to find somebody who’s worse than we are to compare ourselves to. And that way, we feel pretty good about ourselves. But folks, God doesn’t judge us according to our relative righteousness compared to other people. He judges us compared to the righteousness of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus was perfect. God is a holy God. He demands absolute perfection. And by that standard, we all fall short. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, for all of us have sinned. You have, I have, the Pope has, we’ve all sinned and we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. Now here’s the problem with our sin. Sin creates a debt that we owe God. Did you know that?

God is a holy God, and our sin, every time we sin against a holy God, it increases our debt toward God. Did you know you and I have our own debt clock with God? God has a personal debt clock on each one of us that shows how much we owe Him. And those numbers keep going and going and going. Every wrong action, every wrong word, every wrong thought we have just adds and adds and adds to the debt that we owe God.

God is a holy God. He demands payment. And do you know when payment day comes, what day that is? It’s the day of our death. The day of our death is the day that our loan to God comes due. In fact, Jesus said that in Luke 12. He told that story about the rich fool who didn’t think about eternity. And remember what God came to him and said one night? He said, "You fool, tonight your soul is required of you."

That word "required" is a banking term; it means your loan is called in. There’s a day coming when you and I are going to have our loan called in. We’re going to stand before God. And God’s going to look at that long list of indebtedness we all have to Him because of sin after sin after sin. But God’s a holy God. He just can’t write it off and say, "Oh, we’ll just forget about it." His justice will not allow Him to do it. He demands, He has to demand payment.

And if you and I come before God at the day of our death with a long list of indebtedness to God, we will spend eternity trying to pay off that debt, separated from Him in hell forever and ever and ever. Now that’s bad news, but that’s the news that Jesus told. That’s what the Bible tells about. You say, "Well, I don’t believe in hell." Well, then you have to call Jesus a liar, because Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven.

And we all deserve to go there because we all have a debt toward God. But here’s the good news. God says, "I understand the predicament you’re in. I know you’re spiritually bankrupt and can’t pay off this debt. But I offer to pay it off for you. In fact, I’ll pay your debt off early if you’ll let Me do so before you die. I’ll let your debt be paid off completely by what My son, the Lord Jesus Christ, did for you."

You see, when Jesus came to earth, the reason He came to earth, He said Himself, was to give His life as a ransom for many, Matthew 20:28. He didn’t come just to be a good teacher or to be a good example. He didn’t come to be a revolutionary. He came as a ransom for our sins. And when Jesus died on that cross, I don’t understand it, but in some inexplicable way, He took all of the anger, all of the punishment, all of the hell that you and I deserve. He experienced it on the cross.

And that’s why when Jesus died on the cross, some of the last words He said, John 19:30, were, "It is finished." That word finished, Tetelestai, literally means paid in full. That’s what Jesus said: paid in full. Jesus paid that sin debt for us. Now don’t miss this. The most important decision you ever make in life and eternity is this: who’s going to pay for your sin debt to God?

Do you want to spend all eternity trying to pay off that note, that loan to God that we can never pay off? Or do you want to accept God’s offer to allow Jesus to pay that debt for you? If you wait until you die to stand before God and make that decision, you’ve waited too long. It’s a decision we have to make on this side of the grave. When you choose to allow Jesus to pay that sin debt for you, you never have to fear the wrath of God during the tribulation, and more importantly, you never have to fear the wrath of God for eternity. Why is that? Because the fire cannot come where it’s already been.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Isn’t that a great truth to remember? The fire cannot come where it’s already been. I hope this becomes a motivation for you right now to allow Jesus to pay the debt for your sin. Well, whether you’re a brand-new Christian or you’ve been following Christ for a long time, all of us need to understand how biblical prophecy impacts our lives in the here and now. To help you better understand the often confusing subject of Bible prophecy, I’ve written a brand-new book for you called Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times.

For three decades as a pastor, I’ve studied Bible prophecy in detail, and in my book, I answer the most common questions I hear. Questions like, will I be ready, or what happens to my loved ones? I’m confident this book will open your eyes to what God’s word teaches us about His timeline for the future. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I’ll send you a copy right away.

Plus, I’ll also include the popular Bible prophecy chart as well. This resource is printed in a convenient size so that you can tuck the Bible prophecy chart into your Bible as a quick reference guide. In closing, I’d like to express my gratitude for your financial support. While our ministry is growing rapidly, it’s not without a strain on resources. So thank you very much. May God bless our work together as we pierce the darkness with the light of His word, changing lives for eternity before it’s too late. Here’s David with all the details.

David J. Mullins: When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we’ll say thanks by sending you Dr. Jeffress’ brand-new book, Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times. You’ll get that along with the Bible prophecy chart. To request your copy, call 866-999-2965 or visit online at PTV.org. You could also support this ministry by texting PTV to 78800.

Now, when you invest in this ministry with a gift of $125 or more, you’ll also receive Dr. Jeffress’ best-selling prophecy book, Perfect Ending, the complete Perfect Ending teaching series on audio and video discs, and the stunning full-color resource, The End Times Illustrated, a panorama of Bible prophecy from Genesis to Revelation. To make your request, call 866-999-2965 or visit PTV.org. You could write to us if you’d like, here’s that address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that’s P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I’m David J. Mullins. Join us again Friday to discover what happens when all hell breaks loose. That’s right here on Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

David J. Mullins: You made it to the end of today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we’re so glad you’re here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His word. To become a pathway partner, go to PTV.org/donate, or you can follow the link in our show notes.

We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory. Oh, and one last thing before we go, have you reserved your spot yet for the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska? You’ve been hearing me and Dr. Jeffress mention it, so what are you waiting for? Just picture yourself on the deck of Holland America’s elegant Koningsdam and stepping out on deck to witness nature’s grandeur. It’s beautiful. These moments in God’s creation will deepen your faith in powerful ways. It really will. Experience five-star dining, luxurious staterooms, and visiting iconic ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. We’re also bringing along our own Christian entertainment; you’ll love it. Seats are filling up, so book your spot today at PTV.org.