Roger Best tells the story of the early history of Prewrath. This audio is from the 2008 Prewrath Conference.
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Marvin Rosenthal delivered the keynote address at the 2008 Prewrath Conference in Orlando in January, which was excellent. He tells his story of coming to the conviction of Prewrath from Pretribulationism, and where we have come in 15 years. In addition, Rosenthal gives an exhortation for the Church to get serious with the Biblical truth of possibly our generation facing the persecution of Antichrist. Towards the end, Rosenthal talks about an interesting saga of a Zondervan book on the rapture that was supposed to be published over a year ago! He finishes with noting that there has been believers throughout Church history who, though they never called it “Prewrath,” nevertheless affirmed its fundamental teaching.
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It has been assumed in traditional eschatological writings and discussions that the battle of Armageddon unfolds at the end of the “70th week of Daniel.” This wrong conclusion resulted from a misunderstanding of the timing of Antichrist’s destruction, the last trumpet and the bowls in Revelation, as well as ignoring Daniel’s teaching that there is a 75 day period that follows after the 7 years. This 75-day time frame is divided into a 30 day period followed by a 45 day period.
11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:11-13
This 75 day period has important events unfolding within it, including the battle of Armageddon happening 30 days into it. Follow Charles Cooper here as he exegetically demonstrates this.
“And if those days [of persecution] had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. – Matt 24:22 ESV
Traditionally, the Great Tribulation has been assumed to be 3 1/2 years in duration (i.e. the entirety of the second half of the future seven year period.) Because of this false premise, pretribulationists have erred in identifying, or including, the Great Tribulation (which is Antichrist’s wrath) with the Day of the Lord (God’s wrath). Similarly, postribulationists have erred in conflating these two events, which is why postribulationists cannot agree among themselves of where to place the Day of the Lord’s wrath.
Prewrath has resolved this misunderstanding by recognizing that the Great Tribulation’s duration is cut short with the Day of the Lord’s wrath to follow afterwards for the remaining duration of the seven years. This motif of deliverance of the righteous and God’s subsequent judgment on the ungodly is a consistent pattern in Scripture so it should not surprise us that this will unfold in like manner at Christ’s Return. Click here for a visual.
To learn more in depth of the distinctive of the Prewrath position and the meaning and significance of “cut short” (koloboo) in Matthew 24:22, I encourage you to read this instructive article written by Charles Cooper.