Saved From Wrath

Our local library has quarterly books sales as a fundraiser. People donate books and the library sells them. Most of the book sell for $0.50- $1.00. At least once a year, they have a bag sale, where you can get as many books as you can stuff in a bag for $5.00. My husband goes to almost every book sale and gets books cheap. If he sees something he thinks I’ll like, he’ll grab it for me. One of the books he grabbed for me was The Handbook For the End Times by Don Finto. He knows my current obsession is with the end times. Neither of us were familiar with the author

As a general rule, I have really liked the book and think it is quite biblical, but I disagree with the author strongly on one point. He believes in a post-tribulation rapture, while I believe the Bible supports a pre-tribulation rapture. After reading tonight, I was dwelling on where we disagreed and why I believe what I believe. Since I was going through the logic of both sides in my head and couldn’t sleep. I figured it was a good time to write and organize my thoughts.

The author had commented that he had been invited to talk at an end times conference where almost everyone else was pre-trib. When he listened to their talks, they didn’t seem to support their belief using the Bible, but just seemed excited to escape the Tribulation. I don’t want others to think that there is no biblical support for the pre-trib rapture, so I figured I would try to explain why I think the Bible clearly describes the rapture of the Church before the seven year Tribulation. He seemed to think that a pre-trib view meant that a believer wouldn’t witness, but would just live life till they escaped. I’d argue that a pre-trib rapture view encourages us to witness more than the post-trib view. If everyone is going to experience the Tribulation, why rush witnessing. Wouldn’t more people believe when they see the fulfillment of Scripture? If only non-believers enter the Tribulation, then we feel an urgency to win souls for Christ now, so the people we care about don’t have to go through the Tribulation. If the church will be taken away and protected from the wrath of God in the Tribulation, then every witness we share with another is extra important. It is urgent because Jesus can return at any moment and we don’t know how much time is left. On the other hand, anyone, who witnesses the Antichrist make a treaty with Israel, knows that there are exactly 7 years to go.

One of Mr. Finto’s arguments against the pre-trib rapture was that Christians today and throughout history have gone through tribulations. That is completely true.

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)

Jesus definitely promises that believers will experience tribulation, but that isn’t the same as all believers experiencing The Tribulation. Just as we are told that there are many antichrists that will come before The Antichrist,

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

There will be much tribulation that we experience before the coming of The Tribulation. The seven year Tribulation will experience many things that have happened before (war, earthquakes, famine, hail, death, etc.), but each of these will be so much worse than has ever been experienced.

We are told in Revelation 8:8 that a forth of the earth will die from war, famine, and pestilence. Never before (except the global flood) has a forth of the world’s population been killed at once. Never before was “… every mountain and island moved out of their place.” (Revelation 6:14) Never before was a third of the earth burned up (Revelation 8:7). Never before has a third of the fresh water been made bitter and undrinkable. (Revelation 8:11) Never before has a third of the sun, moon, and stars been made dark. (Revelation 8:12) Never before has a third of the world’s population been killed (Revelation 9:15) (when you add the forth and third you get half of the world’s population killed). Never before did the entire ocean become blood like a dead man, so everything in it died (Revelation 16:3) Never before did all of the rivers and springs in the world become blood (Revelation 16:4). Never before has there been an earthquake felt around the globe (Revelation16:18-19). Never before have 100 lb hailstones fallen to earth (Revelation 16:21).

The Tribulation at the end of time will be like nothing anyone has ever experienced before. It will be on such another level. Many post-trib believers think that believing that Christians will be raptured and not experience The Tribulation means they don’t believe that Christians experience tribulations. I can’t speak for others, but I know that Christians experience tribulation. The Bible tells us of many examples and I’ve lived it (although not as badly as some).

The most explicit text about the rapture of the church is:

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) {emphasis mine}

Both the dead in Christ and living believers will rise to meet Jesus in the air. It will be sudden. It will be without warning. We will instantly be with Jesus. Notice also, that this description ends with “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” If we are being saved FROM God’s wrath and the Tribulation, then this is a great comfort. If we will meet Jesus in the air after experiencing the greatest hardship in history, it isn’t quite the same comfort. Also we will meet Jesus in the air not when Jesus returns to earth.

Also, immediately after this encouragement, we see this passage:

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; (1 Thessalonians 5:2-5) {emphasis mine}

The rapture of the church is described and then the beginning of the Tribulation is described, suggesting that the rapture of the church comes before the Tribulation. Also, it says, “the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night,” “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief.” Believers will not be overcome because they will be safely in heaven with Jesus when He begins to pour out His wrath on the world.

You may be thinking, what about the saints described in Revelation during the Tribulation? The good news is that many people will come to faith in Jesus during the 7 year Tribulation. Revelation clearly tells us there will be Jews who trust Jesus. There are the 144,000 witnesses (Revelation 7:4) that witness to the world. These witnesses are all converts that believe after the Tribulation begins. They and the two witnesses (Revelation 11) and the eagle in midheaven (Revelation 8:13) are all witnessing to the people of the world. Many will be saved. Maybe more than have trusted in Jesus throughout all of history. These new converts are the saints described in Revelation that go through The Tribulation.

It is interesting that the word church is used repeatedly (18x) in the first 3 chapters, which are the letters to the churches. The church is not mentioned again until the last chapter. Why is the church not mentioned? Could it be that the church is gone from the earth?

I used to think it was strange that Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27) was divided between 69 weeks of years, ending with Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, then a gap of around 2,000 years, and then the 7 year tribulation. The gap didn’t make sense, but now that I understand that this gap is the time of the gentiles (the gentile church) but then the Tribulation restarts God’s plan for His people Israel and the completion of God’s promises.

In Luke 21, Jesus is describing the last days:

and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) {emphasis mine}

The time of the Gentiles ends with the rapture of the church and then the Tribulation, Jacob’s trouble, begins. It is at the end of the Tribulation that Jesus comes back to earth to punish those who rejected Him and to welcome those who trusted Him during the Tribulation.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16) {emphasis mine}

We know this coming of Jesus is not the same as that described in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (rapture verse earlier) because in that one we meet Jesus in the air. In this passage Jesus comes down to earth with us following him. Also, immediately before Jesus comes down to earth at the end of the Tribulation, we read about the marriage of the Lamb.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8) {emphasis mine}

The bride of Christ is the church and the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) happens before, not after, Jesus returns to Earth. The bride (the church) was made ready during the Tribulation in preparation for the marriage supper. Then the church returns to earth with Jesus, as strongly suggested by the parallel verses “clothed in fine linen, white and clean,” (Revelation 19:14) at Jesus return and “clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean” (Revelation 19:8) used to describe the bride only a few verses earlier.

Another strong support for a pre-trib rapture is:

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Revelation 3:10-11) {emphasis mine}

God promises us that we will be kept FROM the hour of testing not THROUGH it. We know this hour of testing is the Tribulation because it is coming “upon the whole world.” We’ve never had a tribulation that effected the whole world (except the global flood). Some, like WWI and WWII, included much of the world, but never all.

Jesus also directly addresses what the end times will be like.

And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:26-27){emphasis mine}

God called the animals, two by two, into the Ark. He told Noah and his family to enter the ark. God then closed the door Himself to protect them from the judgment to come. The flood did not come until God had put Noah’s family and the animals of every kind onto the ark where they were safe. Then judgment came.

Jesus then compares the end times to Lot and Sodom.

It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:28-30) {emphasis mine}

Lot and his family left Sodom and then the judgment came. It becomes even more clear, that the righteous always have to leave before God’s judgment, when you look at the passages describing Lot being rescued from Sodom.

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” (Genesis 19:15-17) {emphasis mine}

Lot and his family were literally dragged out of Sodom before the coming judgment. Even more explicit is this verse:

Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar. (Genesis 19:22) {emphasis mine}

Lot was told to escape the judgment because it could not happen until he was safely removed. God’s pattern is to rescue His own from judgment. God never changes. It would be out of character for God to force His followers through the worst judgment of all when He rescued others from lesser judgments.

Jesus died to take away our sins so we wouldn’t experience God’s judgment. God is good and He isn’t going to put His redeemed through His judgment. Yes, many, Jews and gentiles, will trust in Jesus during the Tribulation and many (most) will be martyred. They, however, will experience The Tribulation because they failed to trust in their God, Creator, and Savior before the judgment was at hand. God will mercifully gather them to Himself during (for the martyred saints) or after The Tribulation (for the few surviving saints), but they will have to endure the consequences of their failure to repent and turn to God earlier.

May our God, Creator, and Savior call each of us to Himself and redeem us out of His wrath. May we all witness like Jesus is coming tomorrow, so we may by all means save some. May we all long for Jesus’s return and not be tempted by the things of the world. May we have the heart and mind of Christ until He comes.

Trust Jesus

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All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

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