Prewrath rapture
A view held among orthodox Christians
The premillennial view that the church will endure the Antichrist's persecution and be raptured just before God pours out his wrath near the end of the tribulation.
Also called: prewrath, pre-wrath rapture, pre-wrath
What it means
The prewrath view, developed in the late twentieth century, distinguishes the persecution of the Antichrist from the wrath of God. It holds that the church will go through the great tribulation Jesus describes, which is the fury of evil men against God's people. That time will be cut short by the coming of Christ, who gathers his elect and then pours out the day of the Lord's wrath on the unbelieving world.
Prewrath teachers point to the order of Jesus' teaching: great distress, then cosmic signs, then the Son of Man coming on the clouds to gather his elect. They also note that in Revelation the declaration that the great day of wrath has come follows the sixth seal, which they read as the point at which the church is removed.
Like the other rapture views, prewrath is held by believers who share the hope of Christ's return. It differs from the pretribulation view in calling the church to prepare for real persecution.
In Scripture
Jesus warns of great tribulation, cut short for the sake of the elect.
After the distress and the cosmic signs, the Son of Man comes and gathers his elect.
At the sixth seal the cosmos is shaken and people cry that the great day of wrath has come.
Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion and the man of lawlessness appear.
God did not appoint believers to wrath.
Where it comes up
On this site: End times
Related terms
PremillennialismA view held among orthodox Christians
The belief that Christ will return before a literal thousand-year reign on earth.
Pretribulation raptureA view held among orthodox Christians
The premillennial view that Christ will take the church from the earth before a seven-year tribulation.
Midtribulation raptureA view held among orthodox Christians
The premillennial view that the church will be raptured halfway through a seven-year tribulation, before its worst judgements.
PosttribulationismA view held among orthodox Christians
The view that the church will go through the tribulation and be gathered to Christ at his one visible return at its end.