Week #2: The Church and God’s Wrath Don’t Mix
Blog Series Intention Recap
God has not destined the Church for wrath—and that truth changes everything.
This four-week series, Signs of the Times, explores the hope, clarity, and urgency that come with understanding the pre-tribulational rapture. In a world full of confusion and chaos, the return of Christ for His Bride is a promise that gives believers peace. Week by week, we’ll discover what the rapture is, why it must happen before the tribulation, how current events point toward the coming tribulation (not the rapture), and why alternative views like mid- or post-trib don’t align with Scripture. When we rightly understand God’s plan for the Church, we don’t panic—we prepare. This series will anchor your faith, fuel your mission, and help you live ready.
This page is a post in the series “Signs of the Times.” Click here to see the rest of the posts.
Let’s jump into Week #2:
The Church won’t go through the tribulation—because God says so. Scripture clearly teaches that the seven-year tribulation is not for the Church. It's a time of wrath, judgment, and refining—but not for the Bride of Christ. Believers are promised rescue, not wrath.
Why it Matters:
Wrath is not for us. God’s judgment falls on the world, not His Church.
We’re kept from the hour. Yeshua (Jesus) promises protection, not just endurance.
The Church is not Israel. The tribulation is for Jacob’s trouble, not the Church’s purification.
God’s Word gives us peace. Knowing we’re safe brings strength and focus.
Go Deeper:
Scripture Focus:
Revelation 3:10
1 Thessalonians 5
Romans 5:9
Why Pre-Trib? The Difference Between Trouble and Wrath
Believers have always faced trouble—Yeshua (Jesus) even said, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). But that’s very different from The Tribulation.
Little “t” tribulation = normal trials of life in a broken world.
Big “T” Tribulation = God’s direct judgment on a rebellious world (Revelation 6–19).
The Church may face pressure, persecution, and hardship. But it is not appointed to face God’s wrath.
“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:9 (ESV)
Let that settle into your heart: not destined for wrath.
The Promise of Rescue
Some people think God will protect the Church through the tribulation. But Revelation 3:10 says something different:
“Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world.”
—Revelation 3:10 (ESV)
Look closely: Yeshua (Jesus) promises to keep us from the hour, not just the trial. This is about timing, not just protection.
The Greek phrase “keep from” is ἐκ (ek)—it means “out of” or “away from,” not “through.” If God meant to say we would be protected during the tribulation, He would’ve used a different word.
Yeshua (Jesus) is saying clearly: You won’t be here.
The Nature of the Tribulation
So what is the tribulation really?
It’s not just a bad time. It’s the outpouring of God’s wrath on a world that has rejected Him. Revelation 6–19 describes:
Seal judgments
Trumpet judgments
Bowl judgments
Cosmic chaos
Demonic torment
Global war
Widespread death
It is not just persecution from people. It is judgment from heaven.
Revelation 6:16–17 calls it:
“the wrath of the Lamb… for the great day of their wrath has come.”
If that’s what’s coming—and it is—then the question becomes: Why would Yeahua (Jesus) leave His Church in it? He won’t.
Romans Says It, Too. The book of Romans makes the same point. Look at Romans 5:9:
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
We’re not just forgiven—we’re rescued. Yeshua (Jesus) took God’s wrath on Himself so we wouldn’t have to face it. The cross wasn’t just a payment. It was also a shield. If you’re in Messiah, you are safe.
Israel and the Church: Not the Same
A lot of confusion comes from mixing up Israel and the Church.
God has one plan of salvation, but two distinct groups:
Israel: The chosen people, through whom the Messiah came.
The Church: Jew and Gentile united in Messiah, formed at Pentecost.
The tribulation is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). That’s not the Church’s trouble. That’s Israel’s.
God uses the tribulation to:
Judge the nations (Isaiah 24)
Refine and bring Israel to faith (Zechariah 13:8–9)
Set the stage for the Messiah’s kingdom (Daniel 9:24–27)
The Church has a different calling: to be the Bride of Messiah and be with Him before He judges the earth.
The Thessalonian Timeline
Let’s go back to 1 Thessalonians 5. Paul continues his rapture teaching and connects it to the “Day of the Lord.”
That Day will come like a thief (v. 2)
People will say “peace and safety,” then sudden destruction comes (v. 3)
But believers are not in darkness (v. 4)
The message is clear: You’re not in the dark, and you’re not in danger. Why?
“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation…” (v. 9)
That’s the same context as the rapture (chapter 4). Paul’s teaching is seamless. The rapture comes, then the wrath falls. We’re removed before the storm begins.
Comfort, Not Confusion
If the Church was going to go through the tribulation, the message would be: Brace yourself! Stock up! Prepare for death and disaster!
But what does Paul say?
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…” (1 Thess. 5:11)
And earlier:
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:18)
The rapture is not a scary doctrine. It’s a comforting one. God does not call us to fear the wrath. He calls us to wait for our rescue.
Two Scenes, Two Audiences
Let’s compare two pictures in the book of Revelation.
Scene 1: The Church in Heaven
In Revelation 4–5, the Church is depicted in heaven, worshiping, wearing white robes, and singing of redemption.Scene 2: Wrath on Earth
In Revelation 6–19, God’s wrath is poured out on the earth. Israel becomes the focus. The Church is never mentioned again until it returns with Messiah in chapter 19.
Why the silence? Because the Church is gone.
What About the Holy Spirit?
2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 talks about a “restrainer” that holds back the rise of the Antichrist. That restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the Church.
Once the Church is removed at the rapture, the restrainer is lifted—and the tribulation begins.
That’s the sequence:
The Church is raptured.
The Antichrist is revealed.
God’s wrath begins.
This fits the entire prophetic pattern.
How does this help me understand “The Signs of the Times?”
Live in Peace, Not Panic
You don’t have to wonder if you’ll survive the tribulation.
You won’t be here.
That doesn’t mean we sit around and wait. It means we:
Live with peace – God is in control, and you’re safe in Him.
Walk with purpose – Time is short. Share the gospel.
Stand with hope – Let your light shine in a dark world.
Yeshua (Jesus) is not coming back to crush you. He’s coming to carry you home.
Real Wrath Requires Real Rescue
Some say, “Well, Christians suffer in other countries. Why not here?”
It’s true—we live in a fallen world. Believers are persecuted, hated, and even killed for their faith. That’s man's wrath and Satan’s rage.
But the tribulation is God’s wrath. And Scripture is clear:
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned…” (John 3:18)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).” (Romans 8:1)
God does not pour His wrath on His own children. He rescues them first.
The pre-tribulational rapture isn’t just a theory—it’s a gift.
It tells us:
God keeps His promises.
God doesn’t mix judgment with grace.
God is still working His plan for Israel.
God has a glorious future for His Church.
We are not appointed for wrath. We are appointed for salvation.
So when the world shakes, you don’t have to. Your rescue is coming.
