Is the Great Tribulation God's Wrath?

[Michael V. Frazier]

Many people are often confused about the End Time events, and especially as it relates to the Wrath of God. Is the Great Tribulation the Wrath of God? If it isn't, then what are all those references to His wrath about?

The wrath of God is mentioned throughout the Book of Revelation, viz. Rev. 6:16-17, 11:18, 14:10, 14:19, 15:1, 15:7, 16:1, 16:19, 19:15.

I do not view the Apokalupsis as systematically chronological from beginning to end. Rather, I personally consider it to have overlapping frames of time, each culminating at the Battle of Armageddon, i.e., the seals, trumpets, and vials are not back-to-back, each one after the other. I understand this is a "blanket statement," but a full dissertation of this perspective would be quite lengthy, so I will to be as brief as possible.

Let's take the passages of Revelation that I listed above, and read the surrounding contexts carefully, comparing them side by side and noting the similarities among them.

For example, the sixth seal describes the sun turning black, the moon becoming as blood, the stars falling from heaven, the mountains and islands being moved out of their places (earthquake?), and people in fear of what they understand to be "the great day of his wrath" (6:12-17). Jesus declared these events would happen "immediately after the tribulation of those days" (Matt. 24:29), "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" (Matt. 24:30). This appears to indicate the Sixth Seal occurs at or just prior to Jesus' Second Coming, indicating the wrath of God is poured out at the end—not during the Great Tribulation.

The next passage detailing the wrath of God in Revelation is found in chapter 11 at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet. We find, interestingly at this "last trumpet" of Revelation (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52), the kingdoms of the world becoming the kingdoms of Christ as He begins to reign (as if Jesus assumes His rightful rule on this earth), "thy wrath is come," and the dead are judged (vv. 15-18). Just prior to the Seventh Trumpet, we find a "great earthquake" (v. 13) which slays thousands, and fearful people giving glory to God. Since we know the dead are not judged until Christ returns, and that the Millennial Reign cannot being until He returns, the passage's content again seems to indicate God's Wrath doesn't occur until the end.

Revelation 14 provides us the next image of God's wrath. Here we find a description of the judgment of spiritual Babylon. In this judgment, an angel declares that anyone receiving the Mark of the Beast, "the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God" (v. 10). Later, beginning in verse 14, we find a vision of two reaping angels. One reaps "on the earth" (v. 16), and the other reaps "into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without [outside] the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (vv. 19-20, cf. 19:15). This is generally understood to be a description of the Battle of Armageddon. But if Revelation is chronological, why is it here before the Vials? And what exactly was that first reaping if the second reaping is the battle of Armageddon—perhaps a Rapture immediately preceding Armageddon?

Revelation 15 begins to describe the Vials, which the Bible tells us, "in them is filled the wrath of God" (v. 1). Indeed, these vials are "full of the wrath of God" (v. 7, see also 16:1). The Seals and Trumpets were not collectively considered to be God's Wrath, but these Vials—each of them—are described as such. Immediately after the Seventh Vial is poured into the air, we find voices, thunders, and the greatest earthquake the world has ever experienced (16:18) which destroys spiritual Babylon, "to give her the cup of wine of the fierceness of his wrath" (v. 19). Every island and mountain is removed (v. 20), and great hail falls out of heaven (v. 21). Just prior to the Seventh Vial, we find another reference to Armageddon (v. 16).

Incidentally, after the destruction of Bablyon in chapter 16, we again find Babylon in chapter 17, still quite seemingly active. But again in chapter 18, she is destroyed. If Revelation is chronological, what is going on here? In my opinion, this emphatically proves that Revelation cannot be chronological from beginning to end.

Finally, in Revelation 19, we find a clear declaration of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, astride a white horse, with eyes of fire, armies following, and he "treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (vv. 11-15). The winepress of the wrath of God was earlier understood to be a reference to Armageddon (cf. 14:19-20).

In all of these references, the Wrath of God appears to be at or immediately before Christ's Return. The Vials themselves could occur in rapid succession, and please note that they are specifically directed against those who followed the Beast. As such, I do not believe that God's People will ever experience the Wrath of God, but we may be here to witness it.