If Jesus’ Church Must Go Through The Tribulation, Why Did He Say That He Would Remove All Believers Before It Begins?

Not Appointed To Wrath, But To Obtain Salvation

Jesus will remove His Church from the Earth before the Tribulation begins for several theological, prophetic, and doctrinal reasons originating in both Old and New Testament texts. This fact of scripture is known as the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. It is predicated upon the nature of God’s wrath, the promises Jesus made to His Church, and the purpose of the Tribulation Period. The following is a detailed exposition of the Rapture before Tribulation, supported by Scripture.

Pre-Tribulation Rapture From Scripture

Jesus Said That His Church Is Not Appointed to Wrath:

Scripture:

“For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his wrath on us.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:9

The Tribulation (Greek: thlipsis megale, “great pressure or affliction”) is the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a rebellious world (Rev. 6–18).

The people who are in the Tribulation say that the events that are taking place, are “the wrath of Jesus, the Lamb” They say that “The Great Day of His Wrath Has Come”

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” —Revelation 6:15-17

Jesus’ Church is promised deliverance from His wrath (also see Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Impeaching Preterism As We Approach The Tribulation

Jesus Promised His Church That They Will Escape The Tribulation

Scripture:

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will remove you before the great time of tribulation that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.” — Revelation 3:10

Jesus’ promise to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation chapter 3, that He will keep those that are His from (Greek: ek tērēsō, “out of”) the very time period of global wrath—not just protection them through it.

Jesus Told Paul How Jesus’ Church Will Escape The Tribulation:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18: “We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.”

Before the Tribulation begins at Revelation chapter 6, we find Jesus’ church already in heaven in Revelation chapter 4, where Jesus says, “come up here.” the same text as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in chapter 4:17: “Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

As Paul continued his explanation of this event he calls, being, “caught up,” in 1 Thessalonians 5, we get further clarification:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: “Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.”

4 “But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.”

9 “For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his wrath on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

V. 9: God chose to save us, not to pour out his wrath on us…

V. 10: Jesus died for us so that whether we are “dead,” as Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “believers who have died,” and those who are alive when Jesus returns, as Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “we who are still alive,” we can live with Him forever.

This is only possible if Jesus removes all believers before His wrath begins in Revelation chapter 6.

The Prophecies of the Old Testament Specify The Tribulation Is For Israel, Not Jesus’ Church

The Tribulation Is “Jacob’s Trouble”

Scripture:

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” — Jeremiah 30:7

The Tribulation is called “Jacob’s Trouble,” not the “Church’s Trouble.”

The phrase “Jacob’s Trouble” comes directly from Jeremiah 30:7, and it refers to a future time of great distress for Israel, distinct from ordinary national sufferings in history. This prophetic event is understood by biblical scholars and dispensational scholars as a reference to the Tribulation period (especially the last 3½ years), during which Israel is once again the primary focus of God’s plan for global judgment and ultimate national redemption.

Daniel was told by the Archangel, Gabriel, that seven years are appointed for the nation of Israel to finish all of God’s prophetic word concerning their nation and people.

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks (of years 490 years) are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (the Messiah).

The following is a detailed breakdown of the scriptural support for the Tribulation as the time of “Jacob’s Trouble”:

The Primary Verse Describing The Tribulation is Jeremiah 30:7

“In all history, there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved!” — Jeremiah 30:7

The Hebrew Text (for emphasis):

אָהָהּ! כִּי־גָדוֹל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא מֵאֵין כָּמֹהוּ; וְעֵת צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקֹב, וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵׁעַ

— “Alas! That day is great, there is none like it; it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

“Jacob” represents the entire nation of Israel—as Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). The “Time of trouble” (עֵת צָרָה, et tsarah) refers to an unprecedented distress or calamity. This distress that Jeremiah describes is national in scope and spiritual in purpose: to bring Israel to repentance and redemption.

The Context of Jeremiah 30

Jeremiah 30–31 is a prophetic section often called the “Book of Consolation” where:

• God promises restoration for Israel and Judah after exile (Jer. 30:3),
• But not before they endure an intense time of judgment and distress (v. 5–7),
• This future suffering is followed by deliverance and the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34).

The Parallel Scriptures That Support Jacob’s Trouble

Daniel 12:1– A time of unprecedented trouble

“Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.” — Daniel 12:1

• This mirrors Jeremiah 30:7 in language and theme.
• “Your people” refers specifically to Daniel’s people—the Jews.
• The deliverance parallels Jeremiah’s “he shall be saved out of it.”

Zechariah 13:8–9– A remnant preserved

“Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die,” says the Lord. “But one-third will be left in the land. I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure.”

This text in Zechariah 13 restates the refining for the Jews through tribulation theme of Jeremiah 30:7. The result is a remnant of Israel purified and reconciled to God.

Doesn’t Jesus’ Church Also Need To Be Refined?

There are some who say that the church has to go through the Tribulation to be refined and purified. The Tribulation was never intended for Jesus’ church. When Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he specifically told them that this time of wrath is not for those who love Jesus, because God has reserved us for salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 9 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

The idea that we must be purified by tribulation—from the text of Acts 14:22, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God”—is describing the tribulations (troubles/trials) that come from the world, not the Tribulation that comes from Jesus called “the wrath of the Lamb.”

The idea that Christians must go through the Tribulation in order to be purified of sin and be ready for the return of Jesus is impeached by the New Testament. Paul wrote that we are complete in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote extensively that all of our righteousness comes from Jesus, and those who trust in Him have no record of sin accounted to them.

Colossians 2:9-10: “For in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

1 Corinthians 6:11: “And such were some of you (once sinners). But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Jesus said that those who trust in Him are “clean” and there is no need for any further purification:

In John 13:8-11 Jesus comes to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter protests: “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

The moment any person trusts in Jesus for their salvation, after repenting from their sins they are clean, holy, sanctified, and fully ready for heaven. If Christians must go through the Tribulation in order to be purified of sin and ready for heaven, this is a works doctrine that places salvation in the hands of the worker, not in Christ. Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it by being more pure or more worthy. When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we are fully ready for heaven at that moment.

The Purpose of the Tribulation is to separate the Jews who will believe in Jesus as the Messiah, from those who will not. The entirety of Daniel 9, as described by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, is for “your people”—the Jews.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus described the Great Tribulation as days of vengeance, when there will be great distress and wrath from Jesus, the Lamb. As with many of the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, there is often an earlier fulfillment as well as a later fulfillment. The text of Luke 21:22-24 is one of these, in my opinion. Jesus is talking about the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation, but we find in the history of Israel that this prophecy also had an earlier fulfillment in 70 AD.

In Luke 21:22-24, Jesus speaking of the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation, said:

“For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. (Where they have been for the last 2,000 years) And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

The Time of the Gentiles ends when the Rapture takes place. During this period of prophetic history, the Gentile world has been given the opportunity to hear about Jesus and respond to His offer of salvation. When the Rapture occurs and a billion believers are taken from the earth, the time God has allotted to the Gentile world to hear about Jesus, turn from their sins, and place their trust in the salvation He offers, will come to an end.

God will turn again to the Jews during the final seven years of the Tribulation, and save those who will turn to Jesus as their Messiah.

Matthew 24:21–22– Great Tribulation for Israel

“For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive.”

• Jesus is describing the Great Tribulation (the final 3½ years).
• He is speaking to a Jewish audience, referencing Daniel 9:27 and 12:1.
• The distress is unparalleled—same wording as Jeremiah 30:7.

Revelation 12:6, 13–17– Israel persecuted by Satan

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days…” — Revelation 12:6

• The woman symbolizes Israel (Rev. 12:1–2).
• The 1,260 days (3½ years) match the second half of the Tribulation.
• Satan, through the Antichrist, persecutes Israel during this time.

The Purpose of Jacob’s Trouble

1. Judgment of the nations and purification of Israel (not Jesus’ church) (Isaiah 13:9–11; Zechariah 13:9)
2. To bring Israel to repentance and faith in their Messiah “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David… They will look on me whom they have pierced.” — Zechariah 12:10
3. To fulfill Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9:24–27) — the last 7 years determined for Israel to “bring an end to sin” and “anoint the Most Holy.”

The purpose of these final seven year is to bring the nation of Israel to repentance and recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Zechariah 12:10; Daniel 9:24-27).

Dispensational and Typological Reasons

The Church Age and Israel’s Prophetic Clock Are Distinct

Scripture:

“They will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.” — Luke 21:24

• The Church Age (A “Mystery” not revealed in the OT – Ephesians 3:3-6) interrupts Israel’s prophetic timeline.
• Daniel’s 70th Week (Daniel 9:27) is the final 7-year period for Israel, not the Church.

The Typology of Enoch and Noah

• Enoch (a type of the Church) and a Gentile who was taken before the judgment of the Flood (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5).
• Noah (a type of Israel) goes through the judgment but is protected in the ark.

This illustrates the Old Testament principle of God removing the righteous before He brings His wrath upon the evil.

The Sequence and Structure in Revelation

The Church Is Not Mentioned During the Tribulation

• Chapters 2–3 of Revelation describe with the Church Age.
• After Revelation 4:1 (“Come up here!”), the Church is not mentioned again on Earth until returning with Christ in Revelation 19.
• The word ekklesia (Church) is absent during the Tribulation narrative, suggesting the Church is in Heaven.

The Imminency of Christ’s Return

The Rapture Is Imminent – No Signs Needed

Scripture:

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” — Matthew 24:42

“They will be saying, ‘Peace and security,’ when sudden disaster comes upon them…” — 1 Thessalonians 5:3

If Jesus’ Church were to enter the Tribulation, then believers would be watching for the appearance of the antichrist—not for Christ Himself.

Titus 2:13: “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

The Rapture is presented as imminent, an event that could happen at any moment, which fits only a pre-Tribulation framework.

The Church Returns with Christ, Not to Christ

The Believers Return with Jesus at Armageddon

Scripture:

“Then the armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.” — Revelation 19:14

• These armies of saints (see Rev. 19:8) are already in Heaven and return with Christ.
• The Rapture must occur before this for believers to be already with Him.

The Jewish Wedding Model

Jesus Fulfills the Jewish Wedding Typology

In Jewish tradition:

1. The Bridegroom comes for the bride (Rapture – John 14:1-3)
2. The Bride and Groom go to the father’s house for a 7-day wedding celebration (the 7-year Tribulation in Heaven)
3. The Bride and Groom return together for the public wedding feast (Revelation 19)

This typology is embedded in Jesus’ own words (see Matthew 25:1-13; John 14:2-3).

The Purpose of the Tribulation is Judgment, Not Purification of the Church

The Church Is Already Pure in Christ

Scripture:

“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1

• The Church has already been justified, cleansed, and sealed (Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5).
• The Tribulation’s judgments are punitive, not corrective for the Church.

Jesus will remove His Church before the Tribulation because:

1. God’s wrath is not appointed for His redeemed.
2. Jesus promised to keep the Church from the hour of testing.
3. The Tribulation is part of God’s plan to bring Israel to repentance.
4. The Church is absent from the Tribulation narrative.
5. The Rapture is imminent, unlike the Second Coming.
6. The Church returns with Christ, not to Him.
7. The prophetic calendar requires the Church to be removed before Daniel’s 70th Week resumes.

• Impeaching Preterism As We Approach The Tribulation
• The Return Of Jesus For His Church: If Not Now, When?
• Iran Attacked By United States B-2 Bombers: The Prophecy of Ezekiel 38 Implications
• “Days of Wrath: The Final Sign” The New Book By Robert Clifton Robinson, Now Available At Amazon

See Rob’s Verse by Verse In-Depth Commentary on the Book of Revelation:

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