Is There Biblical Evidence that Supports a Rapture Happening Prior to the Antichrist Being Revealed…YES, There Is!

Posted October 15, 2025 | End Times Watch | River Wilde

For those of us who study the End-Times, there is nothing more illusive than the timing of the rapture. As I have expressed before, I feel strongly that God does not want us to know, as evident in this scripture:

Matthew 24:42–44 (KJV)

42.Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43.But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

44.Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Reading this scripture again today brought me additional insight as to the timing of the rapture. Let me explain.

When reading the scriptures, I often feel that they are speaking to me directly in some cases. Can you relate to this? I feel that God is actually providing me insight regarding the matters that I am studying. Things seem to stand out, and mean something specific, rather than just being overlooked before.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”

I have been a firm supporter of the writings in the Bible supporting a rapture happening midway through the Tribulation Period. But today, reading, “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh,” I felt like I was being corrected by God. This correction is the reason that I am writing this article today. I too would like for you to consider this new perspective, and study the things that I have written with the assistance of God, through prayer.

God wants us to be ready, and watching. To be quite honest, feeling that the rapture would not happen for several years, I was anything BUT watching and being ready. I have been so fixated on the 7-year Peace Agreement in Israel, that everything else was out of focus with me.

So today, lets look at the scriptures from a different perspective, and see what information supports the “Rapture Season” at a sooner time. Let’s review all of the scriptures that discuss the Rapture of the Church. Let’s go there now…

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Clear Evidence:

The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout.

With the Trump of God.

Dead in Christ shall rise first.

Those who are alive and following Christ will then be caught-up into the clouds

There is also an interesting verse here…Let’s read verse #18 again: ”Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

I would like to discuss this for a moment. God has given us so many end times prophecies, and is aware of the anxiety, fear, and concern that we will have when we read what is coming…agreed? To me, this suggests that He also wants us to know that

He has a plan to rescue His followers, through this rapture. He wants us then to comfort others by sharing the plan of the rapture. Do you feel this to be the case in your own life? Are you comforted in knowing that He will be coming for you soon?

In order to find the comfort that He is talking about, we must understand the rapture, and where it fits into the end-times timeline. Let’s keep learning about the Rapture:

1 Corinthians 15:50–53

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

This explains the instant transformation that happens to living believers when Christ calls His Church home. And once again, we see the “Trumpet” specifically referred to as the “Last Trumpet.” More to come about this later. Let’s consider more rapture scriptures:

John 14:1–3

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

This scripture is often overlooked as a rapture scripture, but provides some key insight. Jesus promises to personally return to receive His followers — a heavenly gathering, not an earthly return.

Luke 21:36

36. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Jesus’ instruction to pray for escape — not from persecution, but from the coming global judgments.

Revelation 4:1

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

John’s “Come up hither” is symbolic of the Rapture — the Church is not mentioned again on earth until Revelation 19.

Revelation 3:10

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Promise to the faithful Church — deliverance from (Greek: “ek,” out of) the time of worldwide testing — the Tribulation. This speaks volumes to me. It is again a reassurance that Jesus Christ will keep us from the “Tribulation” that is to come. So, what is that Tribulation, and when does it come?

Here’s how it all begins:

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the Book of Revelation, chapter 6 (KJV). They appear as the first four seals opened by the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and represent events that will unfold at the beginning of the Tribulation period.

Revelation 6:1–8 (KJV)

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (This is the antichrist being introduced to the world.)

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

This information is KEY to understanding the timing “Season” of the Rapture. All of the scriptures that we read at the beginning of this writing taught us that it was the intent of Jesus Christ to keep His Church from the Tribulation Period.

If the Tribulation Period begins with the “White Horse” being the antichrist being brought to the world stage, then we can assume that the rapture will occur prior to that introduction. So, when does this happen? When will the world first meet the antichrist? God has given us that information as well:

Daniel 9:27 (KJV)
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

• “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” –
  “One week” in prophetic terms represents seven years. Many interpret “he” as the Antichrist, who will establish or strengthen a peace agreement (“covenant”) with Israel and other nations.

Here we see that the antichrist will be involved in this 7-year peace agreement which is in the works RIGHT NOW, (Refer to “Trumps 20 Point Peace Plan.”)

This peace agreement will be signed in 2025, I am convinced, (please refer to my prior writings on this subject to see the data used to make this conclusion). This agreement starts the prophetic clock of the final 7-years on earth. It begins the 7-year Tribulation Period, and it also flushes out the antichrist.

God will keep us from the Tribulation Period which starts with the introduction of the antichrist. The world will meet the antichrist when this peace treaty is signed. This means that the rapture must happen prior to the 7-year peace treaty being signed, because God is keeping us from the Tribulation. Because of this, the rapture could happen any moment now. Can you follow this logic?

Alright, lets go back to the Trumpet, the “Final Trumpet” that is referenced in the rapture scriptures. What is this, and where does it fit in the timeline?

Paul says the rapture happens “at the last trump.”
That phrase connects directly to the resurrection and translation (transformation) of believers — when the dead in Christ rise, and the living believers are caught up together with them (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

But what exactly is the “last trump”?
Let’s compare Scripture with Scripture.

1. Trumpet of God – The Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)

16. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…”

This is the same moment Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15:52 — the “last trump” and the “trump of God” are the same event. This is not one of the seven trumpets blown by angels in Revelation — it’s God’s trumpet, not an angelic one.

2. Trumpets in Revelation – Judgments of Angels

In Revelation chapters 8–11, we see seven trumpet judgments, each blown by angels, releasing specific judgments on the earth. But these are clearly judgments, not a call to gather the saints.

The 7th trumpet (Revelation 11:15) does announce that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.”

However, this happens midway through the tribulation — the point where God begins to fully take possession of the earth. So some believe this is the same “last trump,” but we need to look closer.

3. Mid-Tribulation Connection

At the midpoint of the 7-year Tribulation:

• The two witnesses in Revelation 11 are resurrected and “caught up to heaven” (Revelation 11:11–12).
• Immediately afterward, the 7th trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15).
• Heaven rejoices, and the world enters the final phase of wrath.

This sequence — resurrection + trumpet + catching up — strongly resembles the rapture sequence.

That’s why many believe the “last trump” Paul spoke of points to the 7th trumpet, marking the mid-tribulation rapture of the Church. This has personally been my conflicting wrestle with the timing of the rapture.

4. Why It’s Called the “Last Trump”

• In the ancient Hebrew feasts (especially the Feast of Trumpets), trumpets were blown multiple times.
  The “last trump” was the final call summoning the assembly — symbolizing the moment God gathers His people.
• Prophetically, it represents the final call to the Church, when Christ gathers His bride before the great outpouring of wrath.

So “last” doesn’t necessarily mean the final trumpet of Revelation — but rather, the final call to the saints, ending the Church Age.

This to me makes PERFECT sense now. These two trumpets are NOT connected, and are entirely for different purposes. The Rapture “Final Trumpet” is announcing the end of the Church Age upon the earth, and calling, “gathering,” His church to be caught up into the clouds to meet with Him.

“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Are these words comforting to you? Do you realize what God has planned for you in order to keep you from the Tribulation Period? Our Loving Father has prepared a way for us to be rescued from the troubling time that is to come. He is also calling us home, right NOW, to be with Him for all of eternity. I cannot express my excitement fully right now, for I am overcome with such a spiritual peace. I hope that you can feel this as well.

Because of the length of this writing, I will have to conclude in a follow up writing titled, “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Please take a moment to read that as well.

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