Origin of the Pre-Wrath Rapture: Popularized with a book by Marvin Rosenthal in 1990. Initial idea by either Robert Van Kampen or Roy A. Reinhold in a book in 1984.

Main points:

The rapture will occur after the Tribulation Period begins
The rapture will occur after the persecutions of the Antichrist
The rapture will occur before the wrath of God falls upon the earth and its people.  

I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. However some arguments can be made in favor of the pre-wrath rapture depending on how you interpret scripture.

These are the major evidence in favor of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Points number 1-4 are common to both the pre-wrath and pre-tribulation rapture and are briefly reviewed.

1) No wrath of God on Christians
2) Jesus returns with the saints - No mention of going up raptured and then immediately returning
3) A multitude of people will enter the Millennium
4) Christ can return at any time, after signs that have been given to us are present

The differences between the pre-wrath and pre-tribulation rapture views found in points 5-6 can be simplified into one disagreement. This difference is whether Christians are promised deliverance from the wrath of Satan and whether the wrath of Satan begins with the beginning of the 7-year period of Daniel.

5) Wrath of Satan: a) Falls on Christians b) Does not include the seven seals
6) The prophecies in the Olivet Discourse apply to Israel only

Supporting evidence for the Pre-Wrath Rapture:

1) WRATH OF GOD - Christians will be saved from the Lord's wrath

What is the wrath we will be saved from? Is this the wrath of God (the earth and the people on living on it are punished by God for not obeying his teachings and commandments despite the numerous opportunities given to them) or the wrath of Satan (persecutions of the Antichrist). Almost all students of prophecy (pre-trib and pre-wrath) agree that we will not have to undergo God's wrath. The disagreement involves whether we will also be saved from the wrath of Satan/Antichrist as will be seen in point #5.

• Main argument against the post-tribulation rapture

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ⁹For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Romans 5:8-9 ⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

1 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.

Luke 21:34-36 ³⁴And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. ³⁵For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.

Zephaniah 2:2-3 ²Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. ³Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

Luke 17:26-29 ²⁶And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ²⁸Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; ²⁹But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

• From these two accounts of Noah and Lot, we see that God removes the righteous prior to his judgment on the wicked. The Christians are persecuted while the wicked of the earth eat, drink and are merry as in the days of Noah and Lot.

Revelation 3:10-11 ¹⁰Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. ¹¹I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.

2) SECOND COMING - Jesus returns with the raptured saints

The saints of God are returning with Christ from the heavens. No mention of being raptured up into the air and then returning to earth immediately with Christ.

• Another argument against the post-tribulation rapture.

Revelation 19:8,11,14 ⁷Let 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. ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

• The Church dressed in righteousness, is the wife of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:11,14 ¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹⁴And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

• When Christ returns he is accompanied by an army in fine white linen. The fine linen stands for the righteousness of the raptured saints.

3) MILLENNIAL PEOPLE - A Multitude of Christians will enter the Millennial Kingdom after the second coming.

1 Corinthians 15:52-53 ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

• In a post-tribulation rapture view during the battle of Armageddon all Christians are changed into imperishable bodies at the same time the wicked are destroyed by Jesus. Therefore all Christians are now in new bodies.

Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

• However, as seen in Isaiah a multitude of mortal unchanged people will enter the millennium. If all Christians are raptured and the wicked slain then who are these people left to populate the land?

In a pre-wrath rapture the multitude that enters the millennium consists of people saved during the Day of the Lord, the 144,000 sealed of Israel, and the newly saved Jewish people.

In a pre-tribulation rapture the number of saved entering the millennium would definitely be even higher as this would include all that were saved during the seven-year period of Daniel.

4) RETURN OF CHRIST - The exact time of Christ's return is not predictable but the general period of time leading to his return is known.

• The return of Christ may come at any time after certain signs given by Jesus and Paul have occurred like Israel and Jerusalem under Jewish control and the presence of wars, disease, earthquakes, and the loss of faith and morality.
• The day is unknown. If a peace agreement between the Antichrist and Israel was signed, I guarantee that multitudes of Christians would be counting down the days to the end. No surprise if Christ is coming at the midpoint or end of the tribulation.
• Argument against the mid and post-tribulation raptures.

Matthew 24:37-39 ³⁷For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

• In a pre-wrath rapture the Son of Man will return to the earth when the Antichrist and the wicked of the world think they are victorious and are going through life as normal. Then Christ will return sometime during the second half of the seven-year period of Daniel and remove his people like God removed Noah and then condemn the earth during the time of his wrath, the Day of the Lord.
• Just as in the time of Noah with him building his ark for hundreds of years, many will have warnings that destruction is coming
• In a pre-tribulation rapture Christ also returns when people are living their lives as normal. The rapture here occurs before the 7-year period of Daniel.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Mark 13:35-36 ³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: ³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

The early church and apostles expected Christ to come at any time as seen in the following verses. At this time persecutions and earthquakes were occurring and Israel and Jerusalem were under Jewish control. Therefore many of the same signs that exist today were in place then. Therefore, Christ could have returned at that time.

James 5:8-9 ⁸Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. ⁹Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Romans 13:11-12 ¹¹And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

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

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

• One condition for the Day of the Lord to begin is when Israel thinks she is in peace and safety. Prior to the Day of the Lord, destruction in the form of the Antichrist's wrath will come upon Israel.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Here are the differences

5a) SATAN'S WRATH - The elect will be persecuted

As God has promised us in his word that we will not undergo the wrath to come:

• If you believe that we are saved from the wrath of God only then the rapture will occur before the Day of the Lord during the second half of Daniel's 70th week.(Pre-Wrath)
• If you believe that we are saved from both the wrath of God and Satan then the rapture will occur before the tribulation period before the persecutions of the Antichrist and the wrath of God upon the Earth.(Pre-Tribulation)

Matthew 24:9-13 ⁹Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹²And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

• Are we so special here in the last days that we do not have to undergo the persecutions like the early church and the apostles?
• Maybe because only Israel was punished for 70 weeks for not following the word of God. These 70 weeks include the seven-year period of Daniel which was not intended for the Gentiles. However, conditions in the world today are not much better than those that caused God to punish Israel.
• Considering the numbers of martyrs and persecutions throughout the history of the church we should not be completely sure that we will also not have to undergo persecutions for our faith.

Isaiah 26:20 ²⁰Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

5b) SATAN'S WRATH - Does not include the seven seals of the first half of the 7-year period of Daniel

Are the seven seals part of God's wrath? If yes, then we must be raptured (pre-trib) before the 70th week of Daniel because the 1st seal brings on the Antichrist who starts the week by signing the peace covenant with Israel. However, many feel that the seven seals are not part of God's wrath. They are only the events that lead up to the wrath of God. These events are represented by the seals which which are removed before from the scroll of God's wrath which which when opened releases or begins the seven trumpets and bowls.

Can the appearance of the Antichrist (1st seal) and the martyrs of the elect (5th seal) be considered God's wrath? My opinion is that the seals are not part of God's wrath. God's wrath begins with the 1st trumpet.

6) OLIVET DISCOURSE - Does it pertain to all of his elect (Israel and the Church) or just to Israel

If you agree that the Olivet Discourse refers to all Christians and Israel then the Pre-Wrath rapture fits the timeline of Matthew 24 and Revelation 6-7 better than the other rapture positions.

A pre-trib rapture assumes that only Israel and those left behind after the rapture would have to undergo these events.

 

False Christs/1st Seal (Matthew 24:5)
Wars/2nd Seal (Matthew 24:6-7)
Famines and Pestilence/3rd Seal (Matthew 24:7)

Great Tribulation of the Elect/4th Seal (Matthew 24:9-10)
Martyrs in heaven/5th Seal (Matthew 24:21-22)
False Prophets (Matthew 24:11,23-26)