The prewrath rapture teaches that the church will go through the time of great tribulation, then be raptured late in the seventieth week, prior to the outpouring of the wrath of God. A common argument wielded by those who believe this view is that the mark of the beast — indeed the entire career of the antichrist — is uniquely and only the wrath of Satan. It is not part of the wrath of God which is poured out on the world in the last days. They base this teaching on the supposed theological principle that the wrath of Satan and the wrath of God are mutually exclusive. They never coincide in any event. If an event is a manifestation of Satan’s anger, it cannot at the same time be a manifestation of God’s anger. Likewise, if an event is a manifestation of God’s anger, it cannot concurrently be a manifestation of Satan’s anger.
Standing on this theological distinction, they point out that the promise that the church shall be delivered from the wrath of God that is coming upon the world cannot be construed into a promise that she shall be kept from passing through the wrath of Satan — the time of persecution under the antichrist. In their minds this mutual exclusivity is the coup-de-grâce to the pretribulation rapture teaching. The church is not promised deliverance from the wrath of Satan, therefore the church will pass through the time of great tribulation. Only after the time of great tribulation will she be delivered from a brief outpouring of God’s wrath.
At first glance, this argument has a ring of plausibility to it, which is why it convinces many. But the argument contains a fatal error. Treating the antichrist in this manner is blatant dualism that tramples on the sovereignty of God. What these opposers of the pretribulation rapture need to understand is that God frequently uses fallen men and angels to do his bidding. In every instance where he does so, the event is legitimately traced to both the fallen beings and to Himself. The fallen agents have unholy motives. God has holy motives. The fallen agents intend evil. God intends good.
The Babylonian captivity is a classic example. When God determined to judge Judah, He put a hook in Babylon’s jaw to bring her against his people. But these two parties who lifted their hands against Judah in one and the same event had very different motives. God wanted to bless Judah. But because of her rebellion and idolatry, the only way he could justly do this was to bring her to repentance through the painful necessity of judgment. Babylon, however, inspired by the prince of darkness, moved against Judah with her own covetous and shameful motives, for which God later judged her (Is. 47:5-9). One event. Two actors. Two motives.
Job’s trials are another example. No one denies that they came from the hand of Satan. The Scriptures are very clear that he sought permission to move against Job, and God granted it. Yet God later said to Satan, “he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause” (Job 2:3). This is beyond mere permission. Inciting to destroy is not watching from the sidelines. Again we have two different actors with two different motives. Satan was trying to get Job to sin so he would dishonor both God and himself. He was trying to make a good man bad. This was pure malicious evil. God was trying to deepen and strengthen Job’s faith. He was trying to make a good man better. This was refinement through trial. One event. Two actors. Two motives.
The cross is yet a third example. Satan worked through ungodly men to crucify the eternal Son of God. This was the last hurrah in a litany of satanic efforts to pollute or eradicate the messianic line. And this foul effort was indisputably Satan’s wrath—a boiling hatred for God, for His Christ, and for those who stood to be blessed through Christ and the cross. Yet God was also involved in a way that far transcends mere permission. It was God himself who gave up his only begotten son (John 3:16) that he might taste death for every man (Heb. 2:9). We even read the stunning statement that it pleased the Lord to bruise him (Is. 53:10). The truth is, the cross was also God’s wrath, poured out on the eternal Son of God for the sin of the entire human race. One event. Two actors. Two motives. Satanic wrath designed to rob men of a blessing. Divine wrath designed to bring men a blessing.
In the same way, the great tribulation is a manifestation of both satanic wrath and divine wrath. Now no one disputes that Satan’s wrath is involved. The Scriptures clearly state that the devil has great wrath when he is cast down to earth in the middle of the seventieth week because he knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12)—three-and-a-half years to be exact. In a rage for the ages, he directs his vindictive anger against all mankind, persuading as many as possible to take a mark that ensures their damnation. And he directs it against those who refuse the mark, making war against the saints for the entire 42 months (Rev. 13:4-8).
But many seem to miss that the great tribulation is also a manifestation of divine wrath (judgment). How so you ask? Notice that Scripture clearly states that God sends a great delusion to the wicked rejecters of the truth so they will believe the lie behind the antichrist’s message and agenda (2 Thess. 2:11). This makes two things clear for those who tremble at the word of God. One, if God sends the great delusion, then his involvement is beyond mere allowance. Two, if God sends the great delusion in response to man’s wicked rejection of the gospel, then the great delusion is retributive judgment. If they don’t want the true Messiah, he will give them the false messiah. If they don’t want to go to heaven, he will help them go to hell.
Further, if the antichrist is retributive judgment, then the mark of the beast is retributive judgment. What is true of the whole is true of the part. This becomes even more clear when we consider the relationship between the mark and the lake of fire. The Scriptures plainly state that all who take the mark are irrevocably on the path to eternal damnation in the lake of fire. This speaks volumes. If the lake of fire is the wrath of God, then the mark that consigns men there is also the wrath of God. The mark and the lake of fire bear the same relationship as the judge’s gavel and the prison cell. The former is just as much judgment as the latter. They are just two different aspects of one and the same judgment.
Now a mark that is the surety of the wrath of God is a central part of God’s grand plan for the world in the seventieth week—separating the wheat and chaff, sheep and goats, believers and unbelievers. When the Lord descends from heaven, this program will have finished its course, and every man on the planet will be sealed with either the Holy Spirit or the mark of the beast. Make no mistake. God is the mastermind behind this separation. Satan merely plays a subordinate role. The mark of the beast is God’s plan for sealing the children of wrath while the children of God are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
So the mark is both the wrath of Satan and the wrath of God. Satan’s motive in the matter is his vile, vindictive hatred for God and those creatures destined for glory beyond the angels. He wants to send as many humans as possible to hell, robbing men and God of this destined glory. God’s motive in this matter is to secure the eternal isolation of all those that reject Him, His Son, His salvation, and His sovereignty. One event. Two actors. Two motives.
Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire.
Lee W. Brainard
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