The Pre-wrath view

A couple weeks ago, I posted about Robert Van Kampen's book, The Rapture Question Answered, Plain and Simple. You may be wondering what the pre-wrath view of the end times looks like. Here's a summary of how Van Kampen orders the events of the seven year tribulation period before the millennium.

1. false Christs appear


2. wars and rumors of wars


3. famines and earthquakes (beginning of the birth pangs)


4. Abomination of Desolation is seen standing in the holy place (Antichrist, according to Van Kampen)


5. Christians are killed and hated by all nations on account of Christ's name (This is Satan's wrath. During this time many people fall away from their faith.)


6. once the gospel has reached the whole world, Christ's sign appears, initiating the time of the end


7. darkening of sun and moon, stars fall from the sky


8. like lightning, the sign of the Son of Man flashes in the sky


9. Son of Man comes on the clouds with power and great glory


10. Christ's angels gather the elect


11. Antichrist's persecution is ended


12. God's wrath arrives - the end of the age

At the heart of the Pre-wrath view is the timing of Christ's second coming and the rapture. This view holds that Christians will suffer under Satan's wrath, under the reign of the Antichrist. Then, halfway through the tribulation, the most intense persecution will take place against Christians. Sometime during the last half of the tribulation, a sign in the sky will precede Christ's coming. Then Christ will come to take his followers away, ending Satan's wrath. At this time, God's wrath begins. No Christians suffer God's wrath.

The sequence of events listed above is all taken from the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. When considering this view, Van Kampen believes Jesus is addressing the church - all Christians. He says that advocates of the pre-tribulation view of the rapture believe that Jesus is here addressing Jews who become Christians during the tribulation.

What do you believe?

Is Jesus addressing Christians or Jews? That is perhaps the first thing we should address when considering this passage.

Do you agree with Van Kampen's assessment of this order of events?

I just recently finished reading Mike Wilkins' commentary on Matthew. I would like to go back and see on which points he parallels Van Kampen's interpretation.

If you'd like to do some research on the Internet:

• Van Kampen's Pre-wrath site


• free online Revelation commentary by Van Kampen and others


• recommended rapture books from Strong Tower Publishing


• other pre-wrath resources