And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (I Thessalonians 1:10—NIV)

It is not unusual for those who are defending the unscriptural "pre-tribulation rapture" of the believers to quote I Thessalonians 1:10 (above) "God has not appointed us to wrath," they exclaim, "therefore we cannot possibly go through the great tribulation."

If we reply that the Scripture states we must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God they explain this is not referring to THE GREAT TRIBULATION, as though Christians through the ages have not suffered as much as it is possible for the human body to sustain.

Tribulation is redemptive. Tribulation produces patience. Suffering and hardship work to remove sin from us. He who suffers in the flesh has ceased from sin, Peter tells us.

Tribulation is a judgment on our personality, preparing us for the Kingdom of God. We may think of judgment as a refining fire that brings all the impurity of our nature to the surface where it may be skimmed off.

God chastens us severely that we may partake of His holiness and have peace. The disciplining hand of God is so severe it may cause us to regard with amazement the fiery trial through which we are passing. We cry out, "what is happening to me?"

The purpose of the great tribulation is to separate the true Church on earth from the babylonish confusion of present-day Christianity, and to purify the remnant of warlike saints from worldliness, lust, and self-will. The Lord has no intention of receiving to Himself a blemished bride. What would Jesus find if He were to appear today? Would He catch this mess up to Himself? He would be better off as a bachelor unless He just enjoys confusion, envy, lust, covetousness, slander, presumption, group loyalties, haughtiness, arrogance, striving for preeminence, and witchcraft.

Come to think of it, maybe it is Satan who intends to rapture the churches.

If we respond correctly to suffering, holding steady with God, confessing our sins as we recognize them, then we have been found worthy of the Kingdom of God. If we refuse to bear our cross of denial we will not be found worthy of the Kingdom. We will not walk with Christ in the white robes of the royal priesthood. We stand in scriptural danger of having our name blotted from the Book of Life in spite of the humanistic protestations of today's churches.

If we are without chastening we are not true sons of God at all.

Wrath is an expression of God's anger. We do not enter the Kingdom of God through much wrath. Wrath is destructive. There is no merit in it as far as we are concerned. It does not save us, it destroys us.

It appears from the Scripture that it is the saints who will administer the wrath of God, pouring the vials of His anger upon the earth. This honor have all His saints.

I will know I have been a success as a teacher when no individual, anywhere in the world or in Heaven, ever states again we will be raptured before THE GREAT TRIBULATION because God has not appointed us to wrath.