TRIBULATION VS. WRATH

Recently, I heard a famous preacher tell his audience that believers will not go through the Tribulation.  He said believers will be removed (raptured) prior to the Tribulation.  Then those who remain will experience those awful days.  He then quoted Romans 5:9 which says, “Since we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him”.  Apparently, he equates God’s wrath with Tribulation.  I’ve encountered that same confusion before.  We must understand the Biblical truth about God’s wrath and Tribulation.  They are not the same.  In fact, they are very different.  Let’s investigate the source of each.   The term, “God’s wrath” says it all.  The source of such wrath is God.  He will pour it out on His enemies at a time of His choosing.  On the other hand, the source of the Tribulation is exposed in Revelation 13.  The source is described in various ways.  I’ve heard it described as the “Unholy trinity”, or the “Counterfeit trinity”, or the “Enemies of God”, etc..  Whatever the title, the members correspond to the members of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).  The member corresponding to the Father is satan, to the Son is the anti-christ, and to the Holy Spirit is the false prophet.  In Revelation, satan is also called the dragon, the anti-christ is also called the beast of the sea, and the false prophet is also called the beast of the earth.  The main point is that the wrath comes from God and the Tribulation comes from the counterfeit trinity. 

The target of the two is completely different.  The Tribulation targets the followers of the Lord.  The persecution of believers will be beyond anything humankind has ever experienced.  The wrath of God targets His enemies and ends in eternal destruction. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 promise believers that they will not be exposed to God’s wrath.  It does not promise we won’t be exposed to persecution and tribulation.  In fact, John 15:20 quotes Jesus as telling His followers that they will face such things as He has.  To get a good idea of the horror of tribulation, we have only to pay attention to what our believing brothers and sisters are currently experiencing in the middle east, Africa, and the far east.  Tribulation is upon Christ’s church now and it will only increase.  There is no reason to believe it will decrease.  We need to be preparing the church for it… not making false promises that we will be exempt.  That will lead to massive defections from the faith when pressure is applied to those not prepared for severe opposition.

The conclusion is that believers will be delivered from God’s wrath, but we must be prepared for persecution and tribulation at the hands of the enemies of God.  How? A) Develop a Biblical worldview.  In other words, look at what is happening from God’s perspective. B) Immerse ourselves in God’s Word and prayer.  C)  Seek fellowship with fellow followers of the Lord and encourage one another.

If this sounds like a warning, it is!  Remember, the motivation for warning is love.  The purpose for warning is preparation and the development of resolve.

God Bless You