The soon-coming tribulation or Daniel’s 70th week is clearly a seven-year period closing out this age that features God’s wrath poured out on evil mankind. Here are two out of many verses that attest to this fact: “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:17). “Then I heard a loud voice saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.’ “ (Revelation 16:1)
Many prophecy teachers posit that because of God’s wrath being poured out in this manner the church (those who belong to Christ) will not be present on the earth during this period. They conclude that Christians will have been previously “raptured” or removed from the earth to heaven prior to God’s wrath. They base this on scripture such as 1Thessalonians 5:9: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Of course, these scriptures are correct, God’s not going to destroy His own. But what these teachers typically fail to point out is the wrath of God is exclusively reserved for the unrighteous evil of this world and that God knows how to do this without harming His church. The “wrath” that Christians will be here to face comes not from God, but from Satan. “…Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:12). Saints, there is no scriptural basis to use God’s wrath as justification for a “pre-tribulation” rapture. It’s simply poor exegesis. The “when” of the resurrection of the saints (rapture) in relation to other eschatological events is quite clear. Here are some of the most pertinent verses:
- John 6:39-44, 11:24 Jesus will raise believers on the “last” day of this age. Last means last. The Greek word is eschatos which translated is farthest, final, or uttermost. The “When” here is clear.
- 1st Cor. 15:52 When ? At the Last trumpet. Again, last here is eschatos. I believe this to be the trumpet of the 120th jubilee year from the fall. (Lev. 25:9)
- 2nd Thess. 1:3-10 Saints are not given “rest” until (when) Jesus comes in judgment on the day of the Lord. See also Hebrews 4:1-8
- 2nd Thess. 2: 1-4 Our gathering together unto Him cannot occur until great apostacy happens and the antichrist is revealed declaring himself to be god on the temple mount. The “when” here is the day of the Lord when we are gathered to Him.
- 1st Cor. 15:23 The resurrection of Christians is when? At His coming (gr. parousia). Christs parousia is His glorious visible coming.
- Mat. 24:29-31 Jesus had just spoken of “great tribulation”- the final three-and one-half years of Daniels seventieth week. He then stated when His coming would be-when He would gather all His elect; “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” It doesn’t get any more precise than that!
- Mat. 24:13 After Jesus tells His apostles all the signs of His second coming, He tells them that those who endure to the “end” will be saved. Here, end means- uttermost, final. The when is also quite clear in this passage – after all these things take place.
- Rev. 20:4-6 The martyrs of the tribulation are raised in the first resurrection. When is the first resurrection? At the beginning on Christs millennial reign.
Yes, church, we will be here on this earth for Daniel’s 70th week. Don’t let anyone talk you out of this, no matter how well meaning they may seem. We need to be prepared to deal with Satan’s wrath that he is going to focus exclusively on us. After Satan is kicked out of heaven mid tribulation; “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”(Revelation 12:17). “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. and he was given authority over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” (Revelation 13:7).
The coming wrath of Satan is quite real. Your eternal life depends on your preparation.
Maranatha, Jim