Tribulation and Rapture
The following article was written before Article 9 of the Statement of Faith was amended by the 132 Conference of The Evangelical Free Church of America.
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Does the EFCA have a position on the tribulation or rapture?
Though the EFCA is premillennial, we embrace the breadth of premillennialism, including the various positions of Dispensationalism, Progressive Dispensationalism, and Historic Premillennialism.
The broader view of premillennialism, including the breadth noted above, also has specific nuances of the tribulation including the following views:
- pretribulation – the church will be raptured before the seven year tribulation;
- midtribulation or prewrath – the church will be raptured at the midpoint or sometime after the midpoint of the seven year tribulation;
- posttribulation – the church will be raptured at the end of the seven year tribulation.
This means that regarding the seven year tribulation that precedes the millennium, the EFCA does not take a position, thus allowing various views, viz. pretribulation, midtribulation, prewrath and posttribulation. What is stated is that regardless of one’s views of the tribulation, we are all to live with ”constant expectancy" and this sure and certain return of Jesus Christ, this "blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission." (EFCA Statement of Faith, Article 9, Christ's Return)
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