The biggest weakness, in my opinion, of the Pre-Wrath position is its lack of historical basis. It is a purely modern construction, to avoid any perceived weakness of the Post-Wrath, Post-Trib position, which suggests that Christians must suffer every bit of the Reign of Antichrist up until the Return of Christ.
So, the weakness of Post-Trib, which has great historical standing, is this false notion that Christians suffer God's Wrath when they endure the Reign of Antichrist, as well as world conditions perceived as God's Judgment against the Antichrist. Obviously, God's Wrath presently rests upon all of the wicked, who actively oppose God's word in this age, and who ignore God's call upon their conscience. And that Wrath results in acts of Divine retribution, whether comprehensive or purely "warnings."
Some would say that all of the wars on earth are in some way related to God's Wrath. In some way God is punishing those who deserve it. But when the innocent suffer, or when the righteous suffer, in these wars, are these examples of God's People suffering God's Wrath?
I think not. Jesus warned his Disciples that they would see tribulation in this present age, and that whenever specific acts of Divine Wrath fall upon certain deserved entities they should "flee for the hills." Sometimes we are innocent casualties of problems in this world brought on generally by human sin--we are not being "punished" by God. Sometimes we are martyrs, God choosing to seal our testimony in our own suffering and death. Again, this is not our suffering "Divine Wrath," but rather, fulfilling our destiny.
In sum, I do not see Post-Wrath deliverance of the saints as a "weakness." The saints will always avoid the ultimate "Wrath of God," which is Eternal Punishment. And what the saints go through during the endtimes plays no role in that. It is a false charge against Postribulationism.
Probably the other "weaknesses" that non-Postrib believers see in the Postrib position is its inability to assert Imminency regarding Christ's Return, seemingly ignoring Jesus' charge to "always be ready." It includes the charge that Postribs have a predictable date of Christ's Return, as opposed to an "unknown date" that Jesus declared concerning His Coming.
Since I believe "Imminency" is being defined incorrectly, I do not take that charge seriously. Being ready at all times has to do with always being responsible in our lives, and not a matter of expecting Christ could come at any second!
Furthermore, the 1260 days of Antichrist's Reign is not the full period counting down to Christ's Return. The book of Revelation does not say that Christ returns on the 1260ths day to destroy Antichrist on that day. On the contrary, the 2 Witnesses lay in the streets of Jerusalem for 4 more days past the 1260 days of Antichrist's Reign. And the mobilization to Armageddon, likely to take months, is an unknown period of time, unrecognized by the world as anything of eschatological value. It looks like a world war.
The 1260 days of Antichrist's Reign probably ends when the rest of the world stops acknowledging his supremacy over the rest of the world. This could be what causes the Battle of Armageddon. But this is pure guesswork on my part. I see no weaknesses that stand up to scrutiny with the Post-Wrath, Post-Trib position. It has historical credibility. Pretrib and Pre-Wrath are modern innovations.
, short for Michael.
