Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (NASB2020)

But testing is not the same thing as being tempted.  God temps no one. Nor does it come from the same source.  A false prophet is according to scripture allowed as a tester of our love and allegiance to God and His truth.  The false prophet brings about a questioning of what we know or at least thought to be true.  This test will be happening more and more as the Appointed day of Christ’s coming draws closer.  

So the man of God is challenged to revisit his understanding at an occurrence of false prophecy.  He digs deeper. He mines out the truth of God’s word, and he is able to discern the false from the true prophet, when the Holy Spirit slowly confirms to him God’s word.  

So how do you know that what I just told you is true?  God has told us that a prophet can be discerned to be true if his words come to pass, or if his words are confirmed by and cannot be challenged with the Scriptures.  But there is more concerning prophets that we can’t ignore. 

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 

What we know is that Israel failed this test on several occasions throughout her Old Testament history. And we know that some believers will also fail this test during the coming Tribulation. The Antichrist will produce signs which will come true, and apostasy will occur.  Proving that they do not love the Lord with all their heart. 

Therefore God says:

Exodus 22:20 “He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed. 

Exodus 23:13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth. 

— It would seem that this sin of turning to other god’s is a sin unto death.  It is making an idol or a god that is a sin, which cannot be undone.  This pronouncement seems to place off limits other scriptural promises where one is told to confess their sins – one to the other.    James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 

A man once committed to follow Christ, who has failed this test concerning his love for God seems to no longer have rights or claims on the promises of scripture made to the righteous man.  This test from God seems to be a pass fail test. 

James 1:12  Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which [the Lord] has promised to those who love Him. (NASB2020)

So we are tested, and yes we do sin, and we are to confess our sins one to another, but to take up with another god, or as Paul says another Jesus is to deny the One God and His Christ and that denial seems to be  unpardonable.  

So the final test for the believer will come at the hand of the Antichrist.  Believers will be told to deny their God and to worship the beast, or they will die.  But Jesus said fear not him who can destroy the body, but rather fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in Hell.  This (Hell) is the only wrath for which you and I are promised as believers to Escape. 

Everyone in Israel, even before Jesus own warning here, knew of God’s wrath to come. 

Matthew 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (NASB1995)

So what exactly did Jesus warn of:

Luke 21:23  “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; (NASB1995)

Ok, what people?  “This people” Israel at this time is no different than the world, who are without Christ.  So who is wrath for?

John 3:36  “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NASB1995)

Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, (NASB1995)

Romans 2:5  But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (NASB1995)

So, if you still do not know who it is that will escape God’s wrath, then hear this:

Romans 5:9  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him. (NASB1995)

Still not convinced?

Ephesians 2:3  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (NASB1995)

So, why would you think God’s wrath, that you are saved by Christ Jesus from, is equivalent to the Great Tribulation?  In fact even Great Tribulation’s wrath from God is not present until the end or final days of the Tribulation.  And even then this is not the wrath of God that we were promised to escape.  For every non believer is promised this wrath that is to come, from which we have escaped.  So it is not the Great Tribulation.  

Here is what Pre-Trib hangs its doctrine upon:

1 Thessalonians 5:9  For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (NASB1995)

Does this promise not comport with every passage we have seen concerning God’s wrath? Does it say anything about great Tribulation?   So what of this next verse?

Revelation 6:16  and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; (NASB1995)

This verse we are told by men is describing the wrath that is to come during the Great Tribulation, but it can in no wise be that.  Why?  Is Jesus and His coming wrath being feared by the world before the Great Tribulation?  Are they hiding from Him then?  Are they able to see Him and God on His throne then?  This scene has to be about what they will see when He returns. His outpouring of wrath is fully explained in Revelation 19, after the Resurrection and Rapture. 

So what is the hour that you are promised to be kept from?  It is this very hour when men are hiding themselves in the rocks and calling for them to fall upon them. You will not be among them if you are in Christ Jesus.