Prewrath Rapture

Definition

The Pre-Wrath Rapture View asserts that the Rapture will occur 18 months before the end of the Tribulation so that Church will be on earth during most of the Tribulation. This view is similar to the midtribulationism in that both views do not see the church being raptured before the Tribulation begins. However, it differs from this view in that it does not place the rapture exactly in the middle of the week but rather three quarter of the tribulation period.

Biblical Supports

The fourth group of dispensational premillennialists called themselves as those who believe in Pre-Wrath Rapture. They distinguish themselves from the pretribulationists, midtribulationists and posttribulationists. They believe that the “hour of temptation” in Revelation 3:10 from which the church at Philadelphia is to be kept is not referring to the Great Tribulation but rather to the “Day of the Lord.” Zeller said, “The Pre-Wrath view is a pre-wrath, pre-"Day of the Lord" view because it teaches that the Rapture will take place immediately prior to the Day of the Lord which is the time when God pours out His wrath upon the earth.” The understanding of this view is almost the same with the posttribulationists. The difference lies on the time of rapture. To the posttribulationists, the rapture will take place at the end of the seven years of Great Tribulation whereas the pre-wrath rapture believes that the rapture will take place at the day of the Lord, about 18 months before the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 6:17).

It is important to take note that the Great Tribulation and the judgment aspect of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:17) relate to Israel and the time of judgement. The church is promised to be delivered from the wrath (Rom. 8:1 cf. 1 Thess. 1:19; 5:9). With the absent of the restrainer from the world, it is hard to conceive how the church will go through the various temptation for three quarter period during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 6:17 says, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Truly the church also cannot stand for this wrath.

It is commonly used Matthew 24-25 (the Olivet Discourse) to support their teaching that the church will go through the Great Tribulation. The emphasis especially given to Matthew 24:21 that saying, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” However they fail to differentiate the church and the Israel here. The context of this passage is referring to a future of Israel’s trouble called the Great Tribulation. The church is not Israel and Israel is not the church. God must fulfil His promises to Israel during the Great Tribulation and the millennium kingdom. Thus the Pre-Wrath view confuses Israel and the church. Moreover this view also denies the teaching of the imminency of the second coming of the Lord. As Zeller rightly commented, "The Pre-Wrath view CONFUSES, yea, TOTALLY REJECTS the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ (the doctrine that Jesus Christ may come for His Church at any time). Instead of looking for the Saviour from heaven (Phil. 3:20), we should be looking for the signing of the treaty (Daniel 9:27). Instead of looking for that blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God (Titus 2:13), we should be looking for the coming of Antichrist. Instead of looking for the Bridegroom (John 14:3), we should be looking for the man of sin. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that "we shall not all sleep" (1 Cor. 15:51) we should be bracing ourselves to face the persecutions of Antichrist resulting in physical death for believers. Instead of the Lord being at hand (Phil. 4:5), He is at least four or five years away. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that His coming is drawing nigh (James 5:8), we should be sobered at the thought that the 70th week of Daniel is drawing nigh. Instead of looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 21), we should be looking for the greatest time of tribulation that this world has ever known (Matt. 24:21). Instead of waiting expectantly for His Son from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10) we should be waiting for the abomination of desolation."

The Pre-Wrath view denies that the seal of judgments in Revelation 6 in the Great Tribulation are not God’s wrath. For them the wrath of God only begin with the following trumpet judgment which introduced by cataclysmic disturbances. But the context and the detail of Revelation 6 cannot be denied as the wrath of God. The reason is because the severance of the execution of 25% of the earth’s population (Rev. 6:8) and the levelling of the earth’s mountains (Rev. 6:14) prove as the wrath of God. Revelation 6:16-17 says that it is the wrath of God and the wrath of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ.