In this post I want to wrap up our brief discussion on what the phrase “delivered from the wrath to come” in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 means.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (KJV)
Notice what this verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say, “Jesus will come from heaven and pull us into the sky with him, then take us away so that we won’t have to suffer a seven-year tribulation period.”
Paul certainly had the vocabulary to say that if that is what God had wanted him to write to the Thessalonians.
Notice also that the tense of the verb “delivered” (rhuomenon) in the Greek is the present participle form which implies ongoing or continuous action: “the one who is delivering” or “who delivers.” It suggests a current, ongoing protection from wrath, not a specific future time period of seven years or some other period of time.
Believers can be, are being, and will be delivered from wrath without being taken up into heaven. In other words, God is more than able to protect and shield His people in all circumstances and places, even great tribulation on earth, through the mercy and grace provided in Jesus Christ.
My personal rule in reading the Bible is to first consider how the original readers for whom the words were written would understand the text in its broader historical, biblical, and cultural context, as well as it’s more immediate textual context.
So, do you suppose the First Century Thessalonians would have understood this verse to mean, “Hey, y’all, don’t worry about the seven years of wrath coming in the Great Tribulation period, you won’t have to go through that because Jesus will scoop us up and out of here before that happens.”?
I think that one can only come to that interpretation by reading a great deal of pre-conceived pop theology into the scripture, rather than just reading what’s plainly written.
More on “Rethinking The Rapture” coming soon.
Rethinking The Rapture: Introduction
Rethinking The Rapture: Questions
Rethinking The Rapture: More Questions
Rethinking The Rapture: N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture’
Rethinking The Rapture: What 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Doesn’t Say
Rethinking The Rapture: Millions Of Christians Were Not Delivered From Wrath
Rethinking The Rapture: What Does ‘Delivered From Wrath’ Mean?
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