Why does the prewrath position hold to the view that the Church is in Matthew 24?

At the very end of Matthew in chapter twenty-eight, in the last verse, Jesus says to His disciples, "...and lo, I am with you (i.e. the Church) always, even to the end of the age."

Alan Kurschner points out on his November 16th post at Prewrath Rapture Dot Com, "The end of the age has not ceased before the events in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:14) therefore the Church age has not come to fruition before the events in the Olivet Discourse."

“Why does the prewrath position hold to the view that the entire 70th week of Daniel does not contain God’s wrath?”

Let’s first look at Mt. 24.

In verse 16 Jesus gives instructions to those who see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet to flee Judea.

Why?

Because following that “there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.” (Mt. 24:21)

The Greek word used for tribulation in this verse is “thlipsis”. It can be translated as pressure, affliction, anguish, persecution, or tribulation as it is here.

Who is going to suffer during this time of unprecedented pressure and affliction?

Revelation 12:17 tells us it is the woman (Israel) and the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (true believers, Christians).

Who is responsible for this affliction?

In Revelation 12:7-9 we learn of a coming war:

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon (Satan). And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

In Rev. 12:12 the heavens are told to rejoice. Then a woe is given to the earth and the sea. Why? “…because the devil has come down to you, having great WRATH, knowing that he has only a short time.”

Revelation 12:13 and the verses following for the remainder of the chapter speak of how the dragon (Satan) goes after the woman (Israel). The woman (Israel) flies into the wilderness and is protected. The dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (Israel) and goes after the rest of her offspring (true believers, Christians-those who hold to the testimony of Jesus) when he can no longer get to the woman (Israel).

This time of affliction is clearly the result of Satan’s oppression via the beast. In Revelation 13 we are told that the dragon (Satan) gives the beast his power and those who do not worship the image of the beast are killed.

Based on these passages, the prewrath position views the affliction of Israel and then the genuine Christians, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus, not those who fall away during the great tribulation of Mt. 24, as coming from Satan.

When the Lamb breaks the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9 John sees underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of their testimony. These souls hold to their testimony of Jesus. The beast kills them for refusing to worship his image. They cry out with a loud voice and ask the Lord how long until He avenges their blood. They are not confused. These souls recognize that their deaths were not a result of the wrath of the Lamb. He tells them to wait a little while longer. When the Lamb breaks the sixth seal, the sun will go black, the moon will become like blood, the sky will split apart and the earth dwellers will see Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb. They desire for the rocks to fall on them and hide them. Why? Revelation 6:17 says, “…FOR THE GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH HAS COME; WHO IS ABLE TO STAND?”

Luke 21:25,26: “And there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Romans 12:19b: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 1:6-8: “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

The great tribulation is Satan’s wrath on believers, those who obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. God’s wrath is aimed at unbelievers, those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus and give their allegiance to the beast.

On a day and hour known only by the Father, His Son will return and cut short the affliction against His elect. The natural lights will go out and the stars will fall from the sky as it splits apart. The glory of the Son will radiate across the sky. He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Mt. 24:22, 29-31, 36)

Luke 21:27,28: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The elect will be rescued, and then God’s wrath will fall…

Not all of Daniel’s 70^th week will be pressure and affliction against Israel and true Christians, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus, nor will it entirely contain God’s wrath.

Why do a “Why Does the Prewrath Position Hold to This?” Series?

If someone had asked me a year ago what my position was on the timing of the rapture I would have said, “Pretrib”. If asked why I would’ve said, “Because it’s what the Bible teaches.” And for about thirty years prior to that I would’ve answered the same way. After all, I grew up in doctrinally sound churches and I went to a good Bible college that held to the pretrib position.

If I were then asked to show where in the Bible it says the church is raptured before the tribulation I would have probably said, “Well, it says in the Bible we are not appointed to wrath and since the tribulation is God’s wrath He will rapture us out of here.” I would’ve been pretty proud of myself.

If I were asked those same questions today would I respond the same way? The answer is a resounding no! It was a year ago that I was encouraged by a fellow believer at my church to really become a Berean. This person has an amazing knowledge of the Scriptures. Because of that I embarked on a study of my own looking at Daniel, Revelation, Matthew 24, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. There are other passages as well that are important in gaining a correct understanding regarding the Lord’s coming and our gathering, Daniel’s 70^th week, the day of the Lord, God’s wrath, and the great tribulation. As we go through “Why Does the Prewrath Position Hold to This?” Series, see if you don’t agree with me that the prewrath position is based on very solid, Biblical ground.

What did God say was the purpose for the sun, moon, and stars?

In Gen. 1:14, “…God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years…”

It is the second purpose stated, “for signs”, that I’d like to zero in on.

In Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:30,31, and Revelation 6:12,13 we see a radical change take place in what we would view as the regular and normal function of the sun, moon and stars. In the Mt. 24 account the sun is darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky. The Joel 2 account says that God will display wonders in the sky and on the earth. What will be seen? Blood, fire, and columns of smoke and the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. In the Rev. 6 account, at the opening of the sixth seal, John sees the sun become black as sackcloth, the whole moon become like blood, and the stars fall from the sky.

Wow! What is about to occur when the natural function of these heavenly bodies
are so drastically altered? What do they signal when they are extinguished?

Joel 2:31 tells us exactly what is about to occur:

THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD!

Can we know when in relation to Daniel’s 70^th week the day of the Lord will occur?

Mt. 24:29 places the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars after the abomination of desolation. From Daniel 9:27 we know the abomination of desolation occurs at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week. We can conclude then that the Day of Lord will not occur before Daniel’s 70^th week begins. Paul says in 2 Th. 2:3,4 that the Day of the Lord /”it/ will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who…takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” We know that Paul is referring to the abomination of desolation. Therefore, we can emphatically conclude by comparing these three passages that the Day of the Lord occurs sometime after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

What is involved in the Day of the Lord?

Going back to 2 Th. 2, Paul ties Christ’s coming (parousia/presence) and our gathering with the day of the Lord in verses one and two:

“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming (parousia/presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

Paul is saying that when the day of the Lord comes, Christ will manifest His presence and will gather us and it will not occur until after the son of destruction exalts himself as being God in the temple. (Paul was reassuring the Thessalonians that they had not missed the rapture.)

If you go back to Matthew 24:29, the triple signs announcing the day of the Lord occur immediately after the tribulation.

Mt. 24:29: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,”

Mt. 24:30: “and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

Mt. 24:31: “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

CHRIST’S COMING AND OUR GATHERING INITIATES THE DAY OF THE LORD!

Mt. 24 is nothing other than a rapture passage. Verse 36 says “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

We can know the season of Christ’s return and our gathering, after the abomination of desolation, immediately after the tribulation. We have the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars to signal when His presence and our gathering is imminent, but only the Father knows the exact day and hour.

What happens then after we are gathered? In Rev. 6:12,13 the triple signs occur at the opening of the sixth seal announcing the day of the Lord. Vv. 15-17 tells us that kings, great men, commanders, the rich, slaves and free men hide themselves among the rocks because they recognize the great day of the Lamb’s wrath has come.

Mt. 24:22 says the days of great tribulation are cut short for the sake of the elect. Christ gathers us via the angels. The remainder of Daniel’s 70^th week, after the day of the Lord is initiated by His return and our gathering, the day of the Lord continues with the wrath of God which He then pours out on those who remain on the earth. (The Jews that fled Judea are protected by God in the wilderness during this time as well as the 144,000 Jews in Rev. 7 that are sealed prior to God’s wrath commencing in Rev. 8 with the first trumpet.)

Isaiah 2:19: “And men will go into caves of the rocks, and into holes of the ground before the terror of the Lord, and before the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to make the earth tremble.”

Isaiah 13:9 “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate sinners from it.”

Luke 21:25-27also records the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars:

“And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; (Christ is about to manifest His presence, gather the elect, and then pour out His wrath) for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

According to v. 28 what are we as believers to do when we see the triple sign in the sun, moon, and stars?

“BUT WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE, STRAIGHTEN UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.”

A single star announced His first coming and led a small group of men to the Savior. At His return the sign will be all encompassing, the sun and moon will turn off, the stars will fall from the sky, His glory will radiate as lightening flashes from the east to the west, and every eye shall behold Him! (Mt. 24:27, Rev. 1:7)

(Rev. 6:12 tells us there's a really big earthquake too!)