“But We Won’t Suffer Wrath”

“For God did not appoint us to wrath!” is a common argument by those who hold to a Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, or Pre-Wrath Rapture (Gathering) of the Church.  Wherever the Rapture is placed, everything following is believed to be God’s wrath.  People assume there’s no way a person could be alive on the earth during that time without being appointed to God’s wrath—thus an argument for a Pre-Wrath (however a person defines “wrath”) Rapture.

The words of the argument come from the first half of 1 Thessalonians 5:9.  It’s important to see the context of the passage, so I am pasting it here and invite you to read it with me:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NKJV)

5 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

We see two groups of people:

1. The ones on whom the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night (1 Th 5:2-3)
2. The ones who walk in the light, so the Day doesn’t overtake them as a thief (1 Th 5:4-11)

“Those who get drunk are drunk at night”

It’s not saying that group 2 won’t be alive on the earth when the day of the Lord comes—just that it won’t overtake them as a thief.  Verses 4-5 emphasize who they are—sons of light and sons of the day—and who they aren’t–in the darkness, of the night, of the darkness.  Verse 6-8 goes on to tie identity with works, continuing to contrast those of the day/light and those of the night/darkness.  For those who sleep, sleep at the night, and those get drunk are drunk at night.  Three times it says, “let us”: Let us not sleep; Let us watch and be sober; and Let us who are of the day be sober. Us is the body of Christ, and we encourage each other to remain in Him.  Identity and deeds are intertwined, and they are what determines whether a person experiences the wrath of God or salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 is a contrast between salvation and wrath.  Each person is either an object of wrath or a child of God—regardless of when he or she lives.  In John 3:36, John the Baptist testifies concerning Jesus, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  Jesus said the same to Nicodemus (Jn 3:18): “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  We all enter this world as objects of wrath—sons of night and darkness.  It’s only by the marvelous grace of God that any of us could be transformed into sons of day and light.  “I am the Light of the World,” Jesus said. “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).

1 Thessalonians 5 is not promising that believers won’t be alive on the earth when God’s wrath comes on the wicked—it’s saying they won’t receive it because they walk in the light.  Therefore, the idea that a person cannot be alive on earth during a time of God’s wrath without enduring His wrath is not based on this passage.

A significant portion of the Tribulation is actually Satan’s wrath (Rv 12:12) against God’s people, because he knows his time is short.  The bowl judgments in Revelation 16 are explicitly the wrath of God (Rv 16:1).  These appear to be focused on the kingdom of the beast (Rv 16:2, 10).  In the middle of the passage about the sixth bowl of wrath, when the armies are assembling at Armageddon (the mountain of Megiddo in Israel), Jesus addresses believers (Rv 16:15): “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Even in the sixth bowl of wrath, believers are still alive on the earth–exhorted to abide, lest His coming be to them as a thief.

There’s much more to say about this, but hopefully you can see “We Won’t Suffer Wrath” is not a valid argument for a pre-wrath rapture, however defined.