Can you give me a logical, sequential order of the Pre-wrath Rapture, and also explain why this negates the possibility of a Pre-tribulation Rapture?

Ted’s Response:

The "Rapture" definitely is a real event, and the "day of the Lord" definitely is a real period of time in the future. From what you have written, it sounds like you may equate the "day of the Lord" period with the final seven years (the so-called "tribulation"). If so, follow my explanations and logic below. Even though I use the NIV, all references in my response below will be taken from the KJV.

First of all, we know that believers have not been appointed to suffer wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). I think we agree that true believers will be removed from the earth, via the Rapture, prior to the pouring out of God's wrath. The question is, What constitutes God's wrath?

In the Book of Revelation, the first occurrence of the word "wrath" is after the opening of the Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:16,17). At that point, people will be running and hiding from "the face of him that sitteth on the throne," knowing that the wrath of God is imminent. This wrath will commence, following the opening of the Seventh Seal (8:1), with the First Trumpet judgment (8:7).

We can get an idea approximately when, during the 70th Week (final seven years), this will take place, if we first look at the prophecy in Daniel:

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27).

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place... (Matthew 24:15).

Jesus next said,

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains (Matthew 24:16).

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (Revelation 12:6).

After Jesus gave a description of those who will flee at that time (Matthew 24:17-21), He said the following:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened (Matthew 24:21,22).

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29).

[T]he sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind (Revelation 6:12,13).

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:30,31).

However, both of these views overlook the fact that there still is the Seventh Seal to be opened, and Jesus' second advent back to earth will not be until the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-17). So the proper sequence will be the opening of the Sixth Seal, then the opening of the Seventh Seal, then the trumpet judgments, ending with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and Jesus' return to earth.

So what momentous event will occur after the opening of the Sixth Seal (and after the sealing of the 144,000 Israelites), but prior to the opening of the Seventh Seal? John described it here:

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb (Revelation 7:9,10).

These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).

As such, the great multitude, seen in heaven at that time, will be the enormous number of saints raptured soon after the Sixth Seal has been opened. This will be a Pre-wrath Rapture, or Pre-Seventh-Seal Rapture, because it will take place prior to the opening of the Seventh Seal, at which time God's wrath will begin to be dispensed upon the earth.

Another implication of this is that Matthew 24:30,31 is not a depiction of Jesus' second advent to earth. Rather, it is a picture of the Pre-wrath Rapture event, taking place soon after the opening of the Sixth Seal (24:29). It directly parallels the description of the Rapture provided by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17. The consequence of all of this is that there is no pre-tribulation Rapture to take place prior to the beginning of the 70th Week.

What that means is that the return of Jesus in the clouds, to catch up believers, is not an imminent event that can happen at any moment. The Rapture must be preceded by "cosmic disturbances" in the sky, which will take place soon after the Sixth Seal of the heavenly scroll is opened.

When Jesus' disciples asked Him what would be the "sign" of His coming (Matthew 24:3), the "coming" that they primarily were concerned about was His next appearance, at the end of the age, to get them. This "sign" would be the cosmic disturbances in the sky, just prior to Jesus' appearance in the clouds (but not back to earth), to catch up believers to be with Him.

Now, if Jesus is to appear in the clouds, amidst the signs of the Sixth Seal, to catch away His saints, wouldn't we expect for John to have written something about Jesus' manifestation in the sky, at some point after the opening of the Sixth Seal? Yes, and in fact John does portray this. All of the terrified unbelievers, who will run and hide while the events of the Sixth Seal are taking place, will say this to the mountains and rocks:

Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:16,17).

This immense assemblage of people, from tribes and nations all over the world, will mourn at that time, seeing "the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). Their lamenting will be due to their deep regret of being left behind to face the day of God's wrath.

As you know, my complete two-part commentary on the Pre-wrath Rapture is here:

The reign of the first beast, or Antichrist, will be for 42 months or 3˝ years (Revelation 13:7): the last half of the 70th Week. During the first half of the 70th Week, he will rise to power, behind the scenes, until his sinful, beast-like qualities are revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3), at the midpoint. At that time, he will walk into the Third Temple, acting as though he is God (2:4). This also is when he will begin to blaspheme God (Revelation 13:5). The Day of the Lord will be yet to transpire, further into the second half of the 70th Week, following the Pre-wrath Rapture.

Most everyone agrees that the prophesied seven-year agreement (from Daniel 9:27) will include language with provisions for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The aforementioned document contains the following:

Relations between the EU and Israel are also part of the Union’s wider efforts to contribute to a resolution of the Middle East conflict. The achievement of lasting peace in the Middle East is a central aim of the EU, whose main objective is a two-State solution leading to a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on implementation of the Road Map, with Israel and a democratic, viable, peaceful and sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders and enjoying normal relations with their neighbours.

Also, there are several things up for review in 2010, which is in the middle of the ENP's seven-year period. One item is a re-evaluation of the rights of animals. Interestingly, exactly 1,260 days following the date of the €11 billion funding for the ENP, on October 17, 2006, is March 30, 2010: Passover day.

Presumably, Passover Week 2010 could be the optimal time for the Antichrist to put an end to sacrifice and oblation in the future Third Temple, if animal sacrifices will be taking place everyday. Furthermore, all of the implements, vessels, and priests' garments, to be used in the temple, have been manufactured and are stored at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, waiting for the temple's construction.

One man, Javier Solana, a socialist from Spain, is the main person behind both the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. He steadily has been becoming more and more powerful and persuasive, not only in Europe but throughout the world, including in the Middle East. One of his nicknames is "Mr. Europe." The day after Barack Obama's election, Solana stated that he looked forward to working closely with President Obama's administration.

So far, I have seen nothing yet that contradicts or negates the possibility that the European Neighbourhood Policy is the fulfillment of the seven-year Daniel 9:27 agreement. There is more information included in my commentary about it here: European Neighbourhood Policy and Daniel 9:27.

I also am becoming more and more suspicious that Barack Obama may turn out to be the second beast, or False Prophet, of Revelation 13:11-17. My commentary about that is here: Barack Obama: False Prophet?