The Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God

 There is some confusion calling for a need to be cleared up concerning the Great Tribulation of the Church and the Wrath of God.

First let us consider that the Holy Bible is divided into three world changing events. First was the Fall in the Garden of Eden whereby Man acceded to the temptation of Satan arbitrarily switching his allegiance, a grievous sin against God. The second was the Crucifixion, Death and the Resurrection of Christ, these two main events are now behind us historically, The third event signaling the close of the age will be the Rapture of the Church with the Second Coming of Christ which is about to happen in God's timing. The Book of Revelation is written in a series of overviews much like a painting. A painter will cover the canvas with a 'wash' to create a background hue and then add other features layer by layer until it's a complete picture. Jesus presented His revelation of coming events in Matthew 24 in the same manner. 

Rather than relying exclusively on the various views of bible commentators, it is wise instead to prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand scripture and reveal truth in the context of God’s own mindset. Each time when  reexamining the scriptures He reveals yet another layer of truth that may have been seemingly hidden because it was previously difficult to understand.

In Revelation 7:9-14 we read; “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It becomes clear who the multitude is when one takes into account that there have already been millions who have been martyred for their faith down through the ages and in recent times tens of thousands more throughout various parts of the world. Christians living within the Western world tend to resist acknowledging the fact that the Great Tribulation is and has been in full swing for some time because it's an extremely disquieting subject that many are entirely too comfortable in their own lives to even consider. In spite of popular opinion and what people wish to think, it's descending on Western Nations rapidly indicated by the sudden uptick in slander and vile behavior against Christians and Jews alike.

Some suggest that the following verse has to do with end time tribulation "Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; " Luke 21. This is clearly a reference to 70 AD, the destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of Jews into the Diaspora and has nothing to do with the final Great Tribulation that is world wide in scope.

Revelation chapter 8 and most specifically chapter 9 deals exclusively with the Wrath of God that follows a short time after the Rapture of the church when the Lord unleashes His wrath on those who had refused to acknowledge the Sovereignty of Christ and had persecuted the Church, it is in perfect context in terms of the sequence of events to come and will be a horrifying time on earth that most people would prefer to avoid. What God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, (Acts 3: 18-20) 

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew (25: 31-34 & 41)