With so many voices claiming to speak for God in these chaotic times, how do we know what to believe? The answer is simple—but not always easy: We must go back to the Bible. In a world filled with confusion, deception, and comfortable half-truths, God’s Word remains our foundation for truth.
This is especially important as we consider tough questions like this one: Will the rapture save us from the tribulation?
Let’s start with a reminder from the Apostle Paul. He gave us this clear instruction for navigating these challenging days: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
We’re responsible for learning and applying God’s Word accurately. That’s because we’re living in a time when deception is running rampant—even inside the Church. Many are embracing teachings not because they’re biblical, but because they’re popular or comforting.
Paul goes on to describe the scenario of the last days:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine… they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
How do we guard against this? We stay grounded in Scripture, and we are cautious about what we believe and who we follow.
Now, back to our main question. To understand the rapture and the tribulation properly, we must first define two things:
- What does the Bible mean by tribulation?
- When does the wrath of God occur—and how does that relate to the rapture?
Let’s look at what Jesus Himself said about tribulation: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Tribulation, according to Jesus, isn’t something reserved for the end times. It’s part of life in a fallen world. Suffering, persecution, and resistance are expected when we follow Him. The enemy works to steal, kill, and destroy—but Jesus brings peace in the midst of it all.
As the end approaches, tribulation will intensify. Jesus gave us this sobering picture of what believers can expect: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake… And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).
Clearly, tribulation is real and ongoing—especially for those who live faithfully in the last days. But let’s not confuse tribulation with the wrath of God, which is something very different.
Some believers are taught that “tribulation” refers to the final seven years before Christ’s return. But nowhere in Scripture is that exact connection made. Instead, we see tribulation throughout history—and what Jesus called “great tribulation”.
Jesus said: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
So while tribulation affects everyone—especially the faithful—God’s wrath is something entirely separate. God’s wrath is directed at the rebellious, the unrighteous—not the redeemed.
This brings us to an important truth for all believers: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
God’s wrath is not for His children. And when His wrath is released, we won’t be here. According to the Book of Revelation, the rapture—when Jesus gathers His people—occurs at the breaking of the sixth seal (Revelation 6–7). God’s wrath begins immediately after that, with the seventh seal (Revelation 8).
This pattern aligns with biblical history: Noah and his family were safely in the ark just before the flood began. Lot was led out of Sodom just before fire fell from heaven. In the same way, the righteous will be removed just before God’s wrath is poured out on those who are not His.
As Paul wrote: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
So, what can we conclude?
- Yes, we will face tribulation. That’s part of following Jesus in a fallen world.
- No, we will not face the wrath of God. That judgment is reserved for those who reject Jesus as Messiah.
- The rapture removes the faithful before the wrath begins. That’s the blessed hope we hold onto.
As we live in these days, full of noise, opinions, and “new revelations,” remember this: What you believe only matters if it agrees with God’s Word. Don’t follow someone just because they hold a title or speak with confidence. Or simply because you like their doctrine. What they say only matters if it is what God has said.
Jesus warned us: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name… and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).
Many false teachers will speak in His name—but not with His truth. The only way to stay protected is to know the Word for yourself and test everything by it.
Let God’s Word—not trends, teachings, or traditions—be your compass. And rest in this promise: Jesus has overcome the world, and through Him, so will we.
With God, nothing is impossible!
Capt. Dale Black
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Bravo! It is wonderful to see you proclaiming truth in the arena of the last days. I have grieved for those being misled by false teachers, who, as a result of this false teaching, will not be prepared to face what is coming, and who unknowingly will take the mark of the beast because they have been misled to believe what the mark really is and will be lulled into complacency. So I commend you for pointing believers back to what God’s Word says, not what some preachers claim in order to strengthen their own position and financial gain. I respect your honesty and faithfulness.
However, I must point out some other things I see in Scripture and perhaps you can correct any wrong thinking on my part. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 Paul is encouraging his hearers with what happens to those who die before Jesus comes with these words: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring back with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s own words, we who are still alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever.” One preacher interprets this as saying there will a third coming of the Lord; and what Paul describes here is the second coming not to be confused with the third coming which has otherwise been known as the “second coming”. However, I doubt that Paul is saying there will be both a second coming and a third coming, but that the two are one and he is describing what will take place at the one and only second coming of the Lord. Since this event, otherwise referred to as the “rapture”, is in fact the second coming, which will be immediately followed by the judgment, there is no rapture before the second coming of the Lord.
In Matthew 24 (and Mark 13 and Luke 21), Jesus himself tells his disciples, when they asked when the end of the age will take place, that all sorts of troublesome things will be happening, but “all these are the beginnings of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other; and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” He then goes on to describe more of the terrible details of that time. After which he says, “Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘ the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (from Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4) At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Again the gathering of the elect happens when Jesus returns in power and glory, not a silent disappearing before Jesus returns. It will be accompanied with trumpet calls and the nations grieving. Note that Paul also referred to the trumpet calls when this happens. It seems from this to be clear that the event known as the rapture takes place at the beginning of the second coming, not in an early quiet disappearance.
Now a question I have is regarding the sequencing of what Jesus told here versus what he told John in Revelation after the seventh seal is broken. Several times he tells the angels not to harm those who have “the seal of God” on them, and “This requires patient endurance on the part of the saints” or something like that. In particular in Revelation 14:9-11 the third angel says whoever receives the mark of the beast will drink the cup of God’s fury. This passage concludes with Revelation 14:12, “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” This seems to me to be saying that the saints who are faithful to Jesus are still here after the seventh trumpet and therefore are being taken care of by God as His wrath is poured out on those who have not repented of their sins and accepted His Son. Revelation also mentions the saints under the alter that have come out of the Great Tribulation. It is hard to fit the time frame of Revelation into the scenario that Jesus told his disciples. But because God’s faithful (us) must have patient endurance at that time, we must be still here but are being protected by the wrath to come. In several places it suggests that the faithful will be protected from the wrath poured out on the unrepentant. Placing the second coming into the framework of Revelation is not easy, but it quotes Jesus in 22:7, near the end of the document, saying, “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” Perhaps the second coming occurs after all the events described in Revelation.
Considering all of this I don’t see any grounds for proclaiming the faithful will be taken out before the bowls of wrath are poured out on the repentant world, but I do see the need to have patient endurance and be fully trusting in the God who loves us to protect us during that time, perhaps with miracles we cannot image at this time. That is what I think He means by telling us to get ready for His soon coming, i.e. to know in the depths of our souls that He in His love will protect us from the wrath. We must learn unconditional trust and faithful love.
I have a twelve-page document that is an extensive Biblical study of what the Bible tells us about the end times. I will submit it separately.
Jesus’ appearance in the sky at rapture is not considered to be a “coming” as He does not set foot on the earth. He will arrive only to take His bride (church) home. The “second coming” occurs at the end of the seven year period following the rapture when Jesus sets up His kingdom to reign for the millennium.