This article – an excerpt from my book “Left Behind Deconstructed: Why I Left Pre-Tribulation Rapture Behind” – is meant to help you disprove, refute, and debunk the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory (aka “Left Behind”)

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul continues his teaching on the Day of the Lord, which he had introduced just a few verses earlier in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18—a passage we saw often misinterpreted as describing a pre-tribulation rapture. Here, Paul underscores the unexpected nature of Christ’s return, likening it to a thief in the night (v. 2). The implication is clear: many will be caught off guard, complacent in a false sense of peace and security (v. 3).

However, Paul draws a distinction: “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (v. 4). The faithful, he says, are children of light and of the day—not destined for fear or judgment, but for alertness, sobriety, and hope.

He exhorts his readers to clothe themselves in the armor of faith, love, and the hope of salvation (v. 8)—echoing imagery from Ephesians 6. And it’s in this context of preparation and encouragement that Paul delivers a key theological affirmation:

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:9)

This verse has become a linchpin for pre-tribulation rapture theology, but a closer look at Paul’s language, the broader biblical usage of “wrath,” and the literary context reveals that it likely means something very different than what rapture proponents claim.

What Kind of “Wrath” Is Paul Referring To?

Proponents of the pre-tribulation rapture argue that the “wrath” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 must refer to the Great Tribulation, which they believe to be a future period of divine judgment and global suffering. According to this view, since believers are “not appointed to wrath,” they must be raptured before that tribulation begins.

However, this interpretation assumes that the term “wrath” (Greek: ὀργή, orge) refers to the Great Tribulation—a claim that Paul himself never makes. In fact, when we examine Paul’s other uses of orge, both within Thessalonians and across his epistles, a very different picture emerges.

Only a few chapters earlier, Paul writes of those among the Jews who opposed Jesus and the prophets:

“…They always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.”

(1 Thessalonians 2:16)

Here, “wrath” clearly refers to divine judgment on unbelief and opposition to the gospel, not to an eschatological seven-year tribulation.

In Romans, Paul commands believers to refrain from vengeance:

“Leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

(Romans 12:19)

Again, wrath here refers to God’s righteous judgment, not to a pre-Second Coming timeline event.

In both of these examples—and others like Romans 1:18 or Colossians 3:6—Paul uses orge (wrath) to denote God’s judgment against sin and rebellion, not some future global catastrophe.

Therefore, when Paul says that believers are “not appointed to wrath,” he is not promising an escape from a future geopolitical or cosmic crisis. He is assuring them that they are no longer under condemnation. They are saved from the ultimate wrath of God—the final judgment, the penalty of sin—death.

Wrath vs. Salvation: The Real Contrast

Notice how Paul frames the verse: “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation…”

The contrast is not between wrath and rapture. It is between wrath (judgment) and salvation (blessings). This is the essential dichotomy throughout all of Paul’s letters: judgment vs. blessings, condemnation vs. justification. In other words, Paul isn’t making an eschatological timeline point here—he’s making a soteriological one.

And this is further supported by verse 10: “[Christ] died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.”

This is resurrection language, not rapture language. Paul is emphasizing the eternal life secured in Christ, regardless of one’s physical state at the time of Jesus’ return.

Then, the encouragement in verse 11—“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up”—is grounded in the assurance of salvation, not in a promise of other people’s future escape. Paul is not trying to comfort and encourage the Thessalonians by predicting they or other Christians will avoid a tribulation that wouldn’t happen for thousands of years. Rather, he is comforting them with the truth that they belong to Christ and will not be condemned when He comes back.

The Pre-Trib False Premise: Immunity from Suffering

In Pastor John MacArthur’s sermon titled “Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation?” he explains:

“God hasn’t appointed us to wrath, but to deliverance…We’re not appointed to judgment, we’re appointed to be with Him, That’s where we’re going to be.”

“God has not destined the church for wrath. There is no point in the church going through the tribulation.”

John MacArthur

At the heart of pre-tribulation rapture theology lies the compelling assumption that Christians—or at least Protestant fundamentalists—are not destined to endure tribulation and will be spared the suffering, persecution, and hardship of the end times. For many believers, this hope of immediate escape before calamity is emotionally comforting. But is it biblically accurate?

The idea that the Church will be removed before tribulation suggests a kind of spiritual exceptionalism—a divine immunity that the rest of Christian history (and Scripture) simply does not support. In fact, Scripture consistently teaches the opposite: that followers of Christ are called not to avoid tribulation (θλῖψις), but to endure it—and to do so with joy, courage, and trust in God’s sustaining presence.

Even a brief reading of Revelation chapters 2–3, Jesus’ letters to the churches, reveals that tribulation is not an anomaly for believers—it is an expectation. For instance:

“I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich… Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”

(Rev. 2:9–10)

“You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death.”

(Rev. 2:13)

Jesus does not promise escape—He promises faithful presence.

Tribulation Is the Christian Norm, Not the Exception

Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word θλῖψις (thlipsis), meaning tribulation, is used repeatedly to describe what believers should expect in this life. Consider these passages:

“We also glory in our sufferings (θλῖψις), because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

(Romans 5:3–4)

“Through many tribulations (θλῖψις) we must enter the kingdom of God.”

(Acts 14:22)

“In this world you will have tribulation (θλῖψις). But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

(John 16:33)

The apostles knew this reality intimately. They were beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked, and eventually martyred. Paul described his life in 1 Corinthians 4:11–13 and 2 Corinthians 11:24–25 with brutal honesty. In 2 Timothy 3:12, he leaves no doubt: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

When a Christian experiences suffering and hardship, the origin of that suffering (whether it be Satan or God) becomes secondary. In fact, even natural disasters and divine judgments affected the righteous. During the three-year famine in Elijah’s day, the prophet himself suffered alongside the nation. The righteous always endured the consequences of a fallen world.

God Uses Tribulations

“There is no point in the church going through the tribulation.”

John MacArthur

The claim that there is no point in Christians suffering tribulations reflects a deeply unbiblical view of suffering and discipleship, and ignores the consistent testimony of Scripture and Church history that tribulation is not only inevitable for believers—it is profoundly purposeful. Throughout the New Testament, suffering is never portrayed as meaningless; rather, it is a divine tool used by God to refine faith, deepen dependence, produce perseverance, cultivate holiness, and forge unity among believers.

Paul declares that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3–4), and Peter adds that trials “have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold… may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7). Tribulations, then, far from being useless ordeals, are a crucible in which the Church is purified, awakened, and empowered to bear bold witness to the world. Historically, the Church has always grown strongest under pressure—persecution has a way of burning off superficial faith, shattering denominational walls, and drawing believers into radical love, interdependence, and mission.

Jesus Himself promised tribulation (John 16:33), not to destroy or punish the Church, but to strengthen and prepare her for His return. During tribulations, God uses the faithful remnant not only to proclaim the gospel amid chaos, but also to shepherd a great harvest of new believers who come to faith during that time (Revelation 7:14). To suggest there is “no point” in this is to misunderstand the very heart of God, who has always used suffering to awaken nations, draw people to Himself (e.g. Exodus 12:38—the “mixed multitude” of people who left Egypt with the Israelites following the Exodus plagues), and glorify His Son through a radiant, tested, and enduring Bride.

Corrie ten Boom’s Warning: Prepare for Persecution, Not Escape

This theological danger was powerfully articulated by Corrie ten Boom, a devout Christian and Holocaust survivor. In a 1974 letter, she recounted the tragic consequences of false teaching in Communist China, where Christians were taught they would be raptured before tribulation—only to face unimaginable persecution when it came:

In China, the Christians were told, “Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes, you will be translated—raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly: “We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes—to stand and not faint.” I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.

Her message was clear: the Church must train for tribulation, not escape it. We are called to be strong in Christ, not sheltered from the world’s storms.

God’s Purpose in Tribulation: Restoration, Not Revenge

Contrary to pre-tribulation portrayals, the Great Tribulation—if we suppose there will be one—is not a period of divine temper tantrums. It is not God’s blind rage against the world. Scripture presents tribulation as a refining fire, not a destructive flood.

Jesus Himself said:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”

(Revelation 3:19)

God does not only love Christians; He loves the whole world (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, John 12:32, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10, etc.).

The judgments described in Revelation are not meant to annihilate, but to awaken—to shake humanity out of spiritual complacency. Just as in Egypt, the plagues were not merely punitive—they were missional. God sent Moses not just to punish Pharaoh, but to liberate the oppressed (Exodus 3:6–10) and to lead both Israel and a “mixed multitude” of believing Egyptians (Exodus 12:38) into a new life of worship (Exodus 3:12).

Even in wrath, God is pursuing repentance and redemption. He is, as always, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6).

Believers’ Role in Times of Tribulations

Far from being raptured away, believers have a vital role to play during “the” or any time of tribulation. Just as Israel was meant to be a kingdom of priests to the nations, so too the Church is called to stand as witnesses in the darkest hour of human history.

In times of tribulation, the Church is called to:

• Proclaim the gospel with boldness and urgency
• Disciple new believers coming to faith through hardship
• Form communities of hope amid chaos and suffering
• Model endurance, love, and holiness, even unto death

Tribulation is a time of harvest, not abandonment. It’s a time when many finally lift their eyes to heaven and recognize the Lord. And it’s a time when the Church—through suffering—becomes what it was always meant to be.

A Logical Contradiction

If believers were truly exempt from the tribulation, then every person who comes to faith during that time would need to be raptured instantly upon conversion—a scenario not taught anywhere in Scripture. Instead, we see a consistent pattern: God’s people remain on earth during judgment, but they are sheltered, empowered, and refined.

As Jesus prayed to the Father:

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.”

(John 17:15)

This is our calling—not to flee tribulation, but to stand within it, full of light, full of grace, full of Jesus.

This article was a short excerpt from my book “Left Behind Deconstructed: Why I Left Pre-Tribulation Rapture Behind“