50 Days to Understanding the End-Times More Accurately - Day 4 - Not Appointed to Wrath

narrowminded (58)in #rapture • 8 years ago

DAY 4 - Not Appointed to Wrath

Pretribulationists believe that true believers will not be on the earth during the “Seventieth Week of Daniel”, or, as they call it, “The Tribulation”. This reasoning is based upon two points.

The first is their presupposition that the “Seventieth Week of Daniel” is the time when God’s end-time wrath is poured out upon the earth. Their belief in this seven year period of God’s end-time wrath is so strongly held by them, that they will not even question the existence of “The Tribulation”.

To them, “The Tribulation” is a fact and it is God’s wrath.

When this presupposition is combined with the following verse, a mental stronghold appears.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Here, we finally have something in the Bible to deal with. Does this verse really state that we are not appointed to wrath? Yes, it certainly does. However, this is a specific kind of wrath to which we are not appointed. In general, there are three different kinds of wrath; the wrath of God, the wrath of Satan and the demons, and the wrath of man. This verse does not promise exemption from all three of these kinds of wrath; only the wrath of God.

The wrath of man and the wrath of the opposition (Satan and the demons) may still be unleashed upon us at various times. In fact, simply being a Christian is enough to provoke these types of wrath to be unleashed upon us. God can spare us from this wrath if He chooses, but such is not always the case.

Though we are not promised exclusion from all types of wrath, this passage promises that those who are in Christ Jesus will not be objects of God’s wrath. This does not only pertain to God’s end-time wrath, though, for there are four general kinds of God’s wrath, all of which we are excused from.

The first type of God’s wrath is periodical. This is the wrath of God that is periodically, or every once in a while, unleashed. When God flooded the entire world and destroyed all of mankind, except for Noah and his household, it was a result of God’s periodical wrath. Likewise, when fire and brimstone rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah and only Lot and his daughters were spared, it was an unleashing of God’s periodical wrath. Just like Noah and Lot, true believers will not be subjected to this kind of wrath.

The second type of God’s wrath is perpetual. This type of wrath is continuous throughout the earth, and rests upon those who reject God and His ways.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness… Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:18 & 21)

This type of wrath is brought upon an unbeliever due to rejecting God, and they enter a depraved lifestyle, which is in itself a punishment.

The third type of God’s wrath from which believers are spared is the eternal wrath of God. True believers will not enter the lake of fire (hell), which is the second death.

The fourth and final type of God’s wrath is eschatological. True believers will not be subjected to God’s end-time wrath either.