I believe that the Bible teaches a pre-wrath rapture of the church. Though there is much disagreement about things that are to come among Christians and it is possible to think no conclusion can be reached, it is important to keep studying. To know what God has told us about the future helps us to pray and act according to His will.
Jesus said concerning the book of Revelation: “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 Let’s not miss out on a blessing!
My first article will be a basic explanation of the pre-wrath rapture view.
THE RAPTURE IS AN ABSOLUTE
There is no question as to the fact of the rapture or catching away of the Christians to be with Jesus:
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3
“I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. FOR THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND, THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL BE CHANGED. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-54
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, WITH A LOUD COMMAND, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL AND WITH THE TRUMPET CALL OF GOD, AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. AFTER THAT, WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND LEFT WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
THE RAPTURE WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE 1,000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST
The saints will meet Jesus in the air before His 1,000 year reign. During His reign, the saints will be reigning with Him: “Then I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
I saw thrones on which had been seated those who were given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast (Antichrist) or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:1-4 After these 1,000 years a whole other set of circumstances will take place, and the saints will forever be with Jesus.
THE SEVEN YEARS AS PROPHESIED IN DANIEL WILL BEGIN WHEN ISRAEL MAKES A COVENANT WITH THE ANTICHRIST
The following prophecy in the book of Daniel is a panoramic view of history. A ‘seven’ is generally accepted to be a period of seven years in this passage. All except one ‘seven’ has already happened. Verse 27 has not been fulfilled.
“Seventy `sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,’ and sixty-two `sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two `sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.’ In the middle of the`seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Daniel 9:24-29
This prophecy covers the time period of when the angel Gabriel gave it to Daniel until the time Jesus sets up His kingdom. It is generally accepted that “the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” occurred when King Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2). When “the Anointed One will be cut off” is when Jesus is crucified. That is also when the time clock of “sevens” stopped with an undisclosed time gap between the sixty-nine (“seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens”) and the final “seven”.
The Roman Emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. That is why it is believed the Antichrist, the final world ruler who will oppose all that Christ is and yet will in many ways copy Him, will come from the former Roman empire.
Israel makes a covenant with the Antichrist and “many” other nations: “He (Antichrist) will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.’ In the middle of the `seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Daniel 9:29
Isaiah (God) says about Israel: “You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.” Isaiah 28:15
Israel did this because they rejected Jesus when He came to them: “So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.” Isaiah 28:16-17
Israel will be utterly helpless: “Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.” Isaiah 28:15-18
Jesus Himself will have to defend Israel: “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations… And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Zechariah 12:3-10 Only then will many Jews recognize Jesus for who He is.
THEORIES OF THE TIME OF JESUS’ COMING DURING THE LAST SEVEN YEARS
There are several theories of when, in accordance with this coming, final seven years when the Antichrist “will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven'”, Jesus will rapture His church:
Pre-tribulation is the theory that Jesus will come back before the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel at the beginning of the seven year period.
Mid-tribulation is the theory that Jesus will come back in the middle of a seven years.
Post-tribulation is the theory that Jesus will come back at the end of the seven years.
Pre-Wrath is the belief that Christians will meet Jesus in the air AFTER the Antichrist’s time of great tribulation (which begins in the exact middle of the seven year peace treaty), but BEFORE the time of God’s wrath (which begins at an unknown time during the last 3 ½ years).
The Pre-Wrath rapture view teaches a timing of the rapture that is the most obvious, clear reading of Scripture when it is taken in its normal, common-sense meaning.
BASIC DEFINITION OF THE PREWRATH POSITION
This is a basic definition for the Pre-Wrath position:
1. Daniel’s 70th Week is yet future.
2. The Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls (as explained in the book of Revelation) are consecutive (Seal 4 is followed by Seal 5, Seal 5 is followed by Seal 6, and so on. The Seals are followed by the Trumpets and the Trumpets are followed by the Bowls.)
3. The Rapture happens:
A) before the Day of the Lord and God’s Wrath begin
B) after the Great Tribulation of the Antichrist is cut short
C) after the breaking of the 6th Seal and before the breaking of the 7th Seal
D) after the “triple sign” in the sun, moon, and stars (which we see at the 6th Seal)
I will explain more in the coming weeks and would appreciate any questions or comments.
MATERIAL ON THE PREWRATH POSITION
Books:
1. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church, by Marvin Rosenthal. This was the first book on the Prewrath rapture published back in 1991.
2. The Rapture Question Answered: Plain & Simple, by Robert Van Kampen who was really the driving force behind the formal Prewrath view.
3. Before God’s Wrath: The Bible’s Answer to the Timing of the Rapture, by H. L. Nigro. Unlike Rosenthal’s book and Van Kampong’s book, which are straightforward presentations of Prewrath on its own merits, Before God’s Wrath takes on Prewrath in the context of pretribulationism. It provides a detailed critique of the pretrib position and presents Prewrath as the better alternative. It also goes into great depth regarding pretrib scholarship.
4. Who Will Be Left Behind and When? by Dave Bussard. A great introduction to the Prewrath view that is readable by even those new to the subject of the rapture. Dave also presents Prewrath in contrast to pretrib scholarship.
5. Revelation Unsealed, by Don Salerno. A commentary on Revelation from the Prewrath perspective.
6. The Day of the Lord, by Roy Reinhold. Published in 1985, this predates even Rosenthal’s book, and was published by Reinhold before there was a formal “Prewrath” theory.
Books #2 and #3 can be purchased at Strong Tower Publishing (www.strongtowerpublishing.com),
Web Site: http://biblefragrances.com/studies/prophecy.html
I will be explaining more in the coming weeks and would appreciate any questions or comments