Whichever of these you are, what does the word "TRIB" have to do with your position?
The various positions on the timing of the Rapture place the timing at a certain point before, during, or after the 70th Week of Daniel's prophecy, concerning which most will agree is the great Tribulation that Jesus prophesied in Matthew chapter 24. So let's look at Daniel's prophecy of that last "week," or seven-year period.
"Seventy weeks are determined
FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND FOR YOUR HOLY CITY,
to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins,
to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the Most Holy."
Daniel 9:24
Most believers in the Rapture will agree on this point, that it will occur at some time relative to that last "week" of seven years which is yet to be fulfilled.
I believe that the timing of the Rapture is shown in this very passage in Daniel. And the key is -upon WHOM is this prophecy spoken?
The purpose of the last seven year period concerns Israel:
Seventy weeks are determined:
. upon YOUR PEOPLE, Daniel's people were the Jews,
. and upon YOUR HOLY CITY, and the holy city is Jerusalem.
This is a dispensational statement. The first 69 weeks of this prophecy ended with the crucifixion of Jesus. Then the story stops, and the church is introduced. And let me state here that I am absolutely NOT speaking of "replacement Theology," which is a heresy introduced later into the church.
The church was a HIDDEN MYSTERY not revealed to the priests and prophets of the Old Testament. And it has to be removed before Israel's story comes to completion in the last 7 years.
"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ,
for the sake of his body, which is the church,
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God
which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
THE MYSTERY WHICH HAS BEEN HIDDEN from ages and from generations,
but now has been revealed to His saints."
Colossians 1:24-26
Jesus was rejected by Israel, and that ended 69 of the 70 weeks. The church age, the mystery age, was birthed on Pentecost, only days after Jesus was raised from the dead. It was a totally unexpected event. No prophet, no Old Testament holy man of God had any clue, any idea that there was going to be a dispensation separate from the Israel story. The mystery of the church was birthed on Pentecost and came in by total surprise, and she will go out the same way. Suddenly and unexpectedly.
And then the dispensation of the church is over, and the 70th week of Daniel begins. This period of time is determined upon ISRAEL, and that is stated very directly and very specifically in Daniel's prophecy. During the last seven years God will be preparing Israel to meet her Messiah. This period of time is not for the church, it's for Israel. God will be dealing with Israel alone.
The church age ends with the Rapture.
And THEN the 70th week determined upon ISRAEL begins.
The Rapture ends the mystery of the church. It takes place BEFORE the great Tribulation, BEFORE those last seven years begin.
