Pre-Trib. Or Pre-Wrath? - Study 8

"PRE-TRIB. OR PRE-WRATH?" Study Seven

Matt. 24:1-51

"LO! IS THAT A TRUMPET I HEAR?

The blowing of the seventh trumpet in the book of the Revelation and the second

coming of Christ and the resurrection of the saved are all so closely related that I

personally can’t understand how a person can read the Bible without seeing their

connection and interrelationship.

What happens when the Seventh Angel with the Seventh trumpet sounds? Well, we

are told in Revelation 10:7 that the mystery of God will be finished. The word "finished"

as used here is the same word our Lord used on the cross when he cried, "It is finished".

It means to bring something to it’s absolute consummation.

In Revelation 11:15-18, the Word of God gives us the exact chain of events that takes

place at the blowing of the seventh trumpet. (Remember that Revelation 10:7 says that

the mystery is completed when the trumpet begins to sound: thus, indicating that there

will be other events following the completion of the mystery of God.)

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The

kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, we give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come; and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shoudest give reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great: and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (Rev.ll:15-18)

What are the events that will take place at the blowing of the seventh trumpet?

(1) The kingdom (should be in the singular) of this world has become the

kingdom (should be in the singular) of our Lord and of his Christ.

(2) The Wrath of God comes.

(3) The time of judging the dead.

(4) The time for rewarding:

(a) the prophets

(b) the saints

(c) them that fear God’s name.

(5) God will destroy them that destroyed the earth.

Let it be noted that in a previous section of this book I took the position that I was

not a "Pre-Tribber" but a "Pre-Wrather". The rapture of the church will take place

before the wrath of God. For those who say that they can’t believe that God would pour

His wrath out on his church (His beloved bride); it is true that He won’t. But the Wrath

of God does not come until the blowing of the seventh trumpet. This is not my idea, this

is the clear teaching of Scripture.

Now I want to clearly admit that I believe that I Thessalonians 5:13-18 is a mammoth

passage of Scripture concerning the prophecy and teaching of the rapture or the

resurrection of the saved. It is probably the single most important prophecy on the page

of Scripture concerning this subject. If a person will analyze that passage of Scripture you will find that there is no place in that passage that tells us "When" the Lord is coming. There is not a "time" word used. Please note what this passage does say:

1. We are told that the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven. V-16

2. We are told He will come with a shout, with the voice of the archangel. V-16

3. We are told it will be with the sound of a trumpet (not "The trumpet" no

Greek manuscript has the definite article with the word trumpet) V-16

4. The dead in Christ will rise first. V-16

5. Those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet

the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

6. We are to comfort one another with these words.

Did you see any place in this passage where there was a time mentioned? I didn’t. Therefore, there must be someplace else in God’s Word where this event is spoken of and we are told when it will happen.

In Matthew 24:29-31, (at lease in this writer’s understanding) we have an exact

parallel to I Thessalonians 4:13-18, "immediately after the tribulation of those days shall

the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from

heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of

the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall