Will the Church survive them?

by Michael G. Mickey

Bible prophecy teaches us there are going to be three forms of supernatural wrath that will come upon the earth during the Tribulation Period, each of which will wreak havoc on the earth and its occupants. First, we'll discuss the three wraths. After that, we'll examine how these three wraths will impact the Church during the Tribulation Period.

Wrath #1 - The wrath of The Lamb

During the first half of the Tribulation Period, when the Lord opens the sixth seal, the sixth of twenty-one judgments that will befall mankind during the seven-year Tribulation Period, prophecy teaches us the inhabitants of planet earth are going to cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them. Why? Because they'll be so frightened of the wrath of the Lamb - our Savior Jesus Christ.

Revelation 6:15-17: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Wrath #2 - The wrath of Satan

Satan, assuming the Tribulation Period hasn't begun when you read this, is currently the prince of the power of the air and has limited access to the throne of God, a fact many Christians don't realize is true. In the aftermath of the Rapture, near the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation Period, Satan is going to be completely stripped of his access to the throne of God where he currently acts as an accuser of the brethren and be cast to the earth itself! When this happens, heaven and all those in it are going to rejoice, but Satan is going to be exceedingly wrathful because he will know his time is short!

Satan's limited access to God's throne, as recorded in Job's day

Job 1:6-7: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Job 2:1-2: Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Satan cast out into the earth at or near the Tribulation Period's midpoint

Revelation 12:7-12: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Wrath #3 - The wrath of the Father

The final wrath that will fall on mankind and the earth is God the Father's wrath.

Revelation 15:7: And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation 16:1: And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

How utterly frightening!

Whose time of trouble is the Tribulation Period?

Jeremiah 30:7 identifies the Tribulation Period as the time of Jacob's trouble - a reference to Israel.

Luke 21:23 points to the Tribulation Period being a time of wrath upon "this people" - another reference to Israel and the Jewish people.

Daniel 9:24 records God decreed 70 weeks (70 seven-year periods) against the children of Israel specifically. Sixty-nine of those weeks (69 periods of 7 years) are completed, as seen in Daniel 9:25-26, indicating the nation of Israel, "thy people" as seen in Daniel 9:24, has one more week (a seven-year period) to endure - the week (seven-year period) of the Tribulation Period. This again points to Israel and the Jewish people being the primary focus of the Tribulation Period.

When Christ returns at Armageddon,

will He be coming to avenge a victimized Church?

Joel 3:2: I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Zechariah 14:2-3: For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Where is the Church during the Tribulation Period?

Because the Church, comprised of believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, isn't appointed to wrath, the Church will be in heaven as a result of the Rapture!

1st Thessalonians 1:10: And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1st Thessalonians 5:9: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Yes, the Rapture is a Pre-Tribulational event!

In Revelation, chapters 1-3, the word 'church' or 'churches' is used 19 times. After John hears the words 'come up hither' as recorded in Revelation 4:1, the Church isn't seen as a body again until it is seen in heaven at its wedding to Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:7-8: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

If the saints are seen in heaven marrying Christ while arrayed in white linen, it's a logical conclusion the Church has made it to heaven to get married, right?

Revelation 19:9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The parable of the ten virgins:

Are you ready for the Pre-Trib Rapture?

Matthew 25:1-13: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

As we see in the parable of the ten virgins, some will be waiting for the bridegroom's invitation to go to the marriage and will head out to meet him at midnight, even though they were fast asleep at the time of his coming. A key thing to note in the parable concerning the sleep of those who rise up to meet the bridegroom when he comes is their sleep is one of peace rather than a lack of preparedness! We know this to be true because those who had prepared for his coming are seen rising out of their peaceful sleep, trimming their well-equipped lamps, and heading off to the marriage upon hearing the bridegroom's midnight call. In the aftermath of their departure to the wedding, those left behind are seen scrambling to try and go, but the moment has passed and the door to the marriage has been slammed shut.

Those of us who call ourselves Christians need to live our lives in a state of preparedness for the return of Jesus Christ to take place - even if His return comes at an hour when we least expect Him to arrive. This fact is made abundantly clear in Scripture to the extent no one should be able to question it.

No interpretation of the Rapture event other than a Pre-Tribulational Rapture interpretation withstands the test of imminence when scrutinized! The first four judgments of the Tribulation Period will see one quarter of the world's population die yet the Church, assuming for a moment it would be here, wouldn't be expecting the return of Jesus Christ to take place? That's just silly! It isn't even the least bit logical, is it?

We're not told to look for the coming of the Antichrist or the Tribulation Period, but to look for the return of Jesus Christ at an hour when life will be proceeding as normal, as opposed to the hell-like environment of the Tribulation Period.

Matthew 24:37-38: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Luke 17:28-30: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Pray ye be found worthy to escape!

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Trust in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture!

Titus 2:13: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Revelation 3:10: Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Hold onto your crown!

Revelation 3:11: Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

2nd Timothy 4:8: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.