Recommended Reading

The Post-Tribulation Rapture, by William Arnold III. (self published, 1999).
My book is intended to be understandable to the average reader but still deal with the scholarly issues. My purpose was not to belabor any one issue, nor to get side tracked with less relevant ones, but to present the major evidence for the post- position and deal with the strongest arguments of the pre-. The result is a concise discussion dealing with the "main issues."

The Church and the Tribulation, by Robert Gundry. (Grand Rapids: Academie books, 1973).
This is probably held to be the definitive work on post-tribulationism by conservative scholars today. The approach is very scholarly and deals with some of the more technical issues. It is a must have for any scholar who is interested in the topic. Sad to say, it is now out of print.

Three Views on the Rapture: Pre-, Mid, or Post-Tribulational? by Gleason L. Archer Jr., Paul D. Feinberg, Douglas J. Moo, Richard R. Reiter. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).
I found this book very helpful when I first was looking into the rapture question. It offers a defense of three major positions and then gives a rebuttal by each of the other authors. There is also a chapter on the history of the development of each position. Some of this book is semi-technical but not out of grasp for the non-scholar.

The Rapture Plot, by Dave MacPherson. (Simpsonville, SC: Millennium III Publishers).
This book is the most comprehensive study on the origin of pre-tribulationism. In it Dave MacPherson shows conclusively that the Irvingites were teaching pre-trib at least several years before John Darby was. He also reveals later attempts to conceal this by Darby's followers. This is a first rate study which deals directly with the primary sources.

First the Antichrist, by Robert Gundry. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997).
This is a much more recent work of Gundry which is specifically meant for non-scholar. It is relatively easy reading and references to the Greek are minimal. In it, he summarizes some of the arguments of his previous book and some additional material is added, most notably, an excellent discussion on Pseudo-Ephraim the Syrian.

The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture, by George Eldon Ladd. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956).
This is a much older work which many of the modern ones have built on. Ladd spends more time than most (over a fourth of the book) dealing with the history of the pre- and post- positions. It is not a very thorough treatment and most of his points have been noted and passed on by modern scholars. However, Ladd's contribution to this field has been invaluable.

A Basic Guide to Eschatology: Making Sense of the Millennium, by Millard J. Erickson. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998).
In this book, Erickson discusses background views, millennial views and then tribulational views. He states that its purpose is to be "an objective, comprehensive overview of the various end-time perspectives." After each section, Erickson gives an evaluation of the position, showing what he thinks to be its strengths and weaknesses. Being a systematic theologian, he gives only a very broad picture of each position.