Prewrath Rapture’s Great Tribulation: the primary distinctive of the prewrath rapture view is that the Great Tribulation is cut short (only) for the church (Matt 24:22).
During one exchange on social media, a PW advocate disagreed with John Walvoord’s remark that Scripture isn’t explicit regarding rapture timing—we formulate our view through deduction.
The PW guy pointed to Matt 24:31, calling it “explicit.” I blogged on it HERE In other words he swaps Israel with the church.
But Scripture is explicit concerning the length of the Great Tribulation…
The Verses
And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. Dan 7:25
And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. Dan 12:7
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. Rev 11:3
And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Rev 12:6
And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months Rev 11:2
And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. Rev 13:5
And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. Rev 13:7
If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Rev 13:10
Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Dan 12:1
…for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. Mat 24:21-22
Following on from Rev 12:6 above: And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war Rev 12:7
Connecting dots
We find a period of tribulation expressed in different ways, and all add to three-and-a-half years. Each OT case is connected to Israel. The extent of the severity is similar in Dan 12:1 and Matt 24. The mention of Michael connects Dan 12:1, 6 and Rev 12:6-7. Israel is hidden for 1,260 days while Michael fights—so this extraordinary time of distress lasts three-and-a-half years.
Pre-wrath conundrum
The entire prewrath (PW) chandelier hangs on its interpretation of Matt 24:22. It claims the Great Tribulation is less than three-and-a-half years—but only for the church. Quote: “…it is Israel and not the church who will be persecuted for 42 months. The church’s suffering will be cut short sometime during the second half at an unknown hour and day.” Saying it another way: immediately after the tribulation (Matt 24:29)…the tribulation continues.
Note that the system holds to a full 3.5 years of the last-half of Daniel’s 70th Week (see this chart).
Early PW held that the GT was cut short in toto—that God can change His plans (see this article). Now it must argue for an Israel-continuation because of the evidence above. It insinuates the church into Matt 24:22, while ignoring interpretations which don’t conflict with the stated length.
A leading promoter assumes that the entire forty-two month period of authority (Rev 13:5) is directed at the nations etc, not believing saints; that John never says the persecution of believing saints lasts forty-two months. He divides the GT into two lengths: one for the church (Matt 24:22), and one for Israel (Rev 12).
Yet Rev 13:10 is a natural flow which connects the previous verses to the perseverance of the saints of that time, and the stated time of the authority given to the Beast. Furthermore, the length of the shattering of the saints allocated in Dan 12:7 should be compared with Rev 11:2; 13:5, 7, 10.
The reason for the cutting short of the GT, as proposed by the prewrath view, makes no sense. It removes the church so some believers can be taken up at the rapture alive (otherwise no life would be spared), yet leaves Israel behind. How does it (or anyone else) survive the worst time in history compounded by the Day of the Lord’s wrath?
Ironically, I regularly see the pretrib view castigated for having a system which leaves Israel behind to endure the tribulation!
God’s Satan
God certainly restricts Satan and the Antichrist. The Lawless One is a function of God’s wrath and judgment (2 Thess 2:8-12). But if one wants to minimize the severity of the post-rapture GT, then it also contradicts PW’s alleged reason for the rapture.
The best explanation for terminating the GT isn’t to cut short “Antichrist’s Great Tribulation” for the church. If left unchecked (longer than 3.5 years), those days would result in no one being spared alive.
The weakest tenet of the prewrath system is the very thing which defines it. Yet it interprets numerous texts based on its Matt 24:21-22, 29, 31 etc assumptions.
Maranatha!
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