Pre-Tribulation or Pre-Wrath Rapture? (redux)

“And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.” (Revelation 11:12)

I’ve done a lot of studying of the book of Revelation over the course of time as a Christian.

In the midst of my research the concept of a pre-tribulation Rapture versus a pre-wrath Rapture has been brought up.

Let me try to explain these in the simplest way I can.

PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE

There are those that believe there is a 7-year period called “The Tribulation” (or “Great Tribulation”) ahead for planet earth. (Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19) During that period (at the very beginning) a man seen as Antichrist will appear and rule the world by Satan’s power. It will be the most destructive time humankind has ever known. As it has to do with the Rapture, many believe it happens directly prior to The Tribulation/7-year period. This is the “pre-tribulation” understanding of the Rapture.

At least one passage that is used to back this belief is found in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2…

And you know what restrains him (Antichrist) now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he (the Holy Spirit) who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)

A large part of the Holy Spirit as the “restraining force” keeping Antichrist (the “man of lawlessness”) from being revealed is believed to be the Church. (Matthew 5:13a, 5:14a) When she is “taken out of the way” through Rapture, that’s when the Tribulation starts.

Again, this understanding of Rapture (pre-tribulation) and the end times is held by many.

PRE-WRATH RAPTURE

The pre-wrath understanding of Rapture is different (of course). This point of view sees the Church undergoing trials and troubling times (as depicted in especially 5 of 6 of the seal judgments portrayed in Revelation chapter 6 and then in 6 of 7 trumpet judgments portrayed in Revelation chapter 8 and 9.) These trials and troubling times (tribulations) are age long beginning in the first century up until our day. Thus, the Church endures tribulation up until the time the wrath of God is poured out (as depicted at the sounding of the 7th trumpet which is the 7 bowls of wrath portrayed in Revelation chapter 16.) This is the “pre-wrath” understanding of the Rapture.

One verse used to back this belief is found in John 16. This is our Lord speaking…

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have TRIBULATION, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

And then there are Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5…

For God has not destined us for WRATH, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

And so is it a pre-tribulation or pre-wrath Rapture?

My answer: Whichever it is, the only thing I really have control over is making sure I’m ready. (1 John 3:2-3)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

American Christian says to Middle East Christian who just had his head cut off by Islamic fundamentalist: "No, this isn't the tribulation."

— aheartforgod (@aheartforgod) May 3, 2015

(Comparison of Christian tribulation views picture file above is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license: click here. CC BY-SA 3.0)

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