Basic Argument: Shaking of the Universe
Summary
Shortly before Christ's return, the sun and the moon will be darkened and stars fall from the sky (Mat 24 and Rev 6). ONLY AFTER THIS comes the wrath of God.
The Problem
The Bible (God's Word) predicts a unique gigantic astronomical event that will occur immediately before the return of Christ, when He will come in power and glory for all to see:
- Sun and moon darken at the same time in every place around the world
- the powers of the heavens are shaken in such a way that the whole cosmos (the universe) and the order of the galaxies are upset, the planets are thrown out of their orbits and stars fall from the sky to the earth.
This shaking of the universe will trigger unimaginable catastrophes and tsunamis (tidal waves). The Bible says that every mountain and every island will be displaced.
In the Old Testament (OT) as well as in the New Testament (NT), this unique and unparalleled astronomical catastrophe is described several times in an impressive way (see Bible passages below).
According to pre-tribulation doctrine, however, this epochal event - the shaking of the universe - is not a one-time event, but takes place twice, twice within only 4 years.
But if this epochal event takes place only once (and we are convinced of this), then the pre-tribulation doctrine cannot be true, and the great tribulation cannot be the same as the wrath of God. Consequently, it is also not true that Christians will be raptured BEFORE the great tribulation, instead of AFTER the great tribulation (see below for diagram and explanations).
The following two biblical passages about the shaking of the universe are of central importance:
1.) In the Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus says (Matthew 24) that the great tribulation comes BEFORE the shaking of the universe:
Mat 24:29-30 29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 … and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
2.) In Revelation, the Lord Jesus says (Revelation 6) that AFTER the shaking of the universe comes the wrath of God:
Rev 6:12-17 12 And I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
…
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?
(complete Bible text see below)
If we combine these two biblical passages, we get the following chronological sequence:
Great Tribulation ----> Shaking of the Universe/Return of Christ ----> Wrath of God
The combination of Mat 24 and Rev 6 is shown graphically below.
The result of this is the "post-tribulation rapture before the wrath". This rapture model is advocated on this website.

The pre-tribulation doctrine, on the other hand, says that this astronomical catastrophe is not a one-time event, but occurs twice, at an interval of about 4 years.
Accordingly, Mat 24 and Rev 6 describe two different events at two different times.

The same astronomical, cosmic catastrophe thus occurs twice according to the pre-tribulation doctrine:
- at the 6th seal and
- at the end of the 7th seal (allegedly).
But about this - that it happens twice - most advocates of the pre-tribulation doctrine NEVER talk.
They do mention the two disasters, but only individually and never together: Once they mention the one of the 6th seal (Rev 6), another time the one at the visible Second Coming (Mat 24). And so most listeners do not notice what is actually believed.
Moreover, according to this teaching, the great tribulation and the wrath of God take place at the same time (see diagram above), and so the impression is created that the great tribulation is nothing other than the wrath of God.
Here it is often overlooked that the great tribulation is the time when, according to Dan 7:21-27, the Antichrist will persecute and kill Christians for 3.5 years.
----> is it not much more likely that Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 describe the same event?
If these two biblical passages (or five biblical passages, see table below) describe the same event, which is very likely, then this astronomical catastrophe takes place
- AFTER the great tribulation and
- BEFORE the wrath of God
.
--> Thus the great tribulation comes BEFORE the wrath of God and does not take place simultaneously.
----> The church will be saved or raptured from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:9-10), but not from the great tribulation.
Bible passages about the darkening of the sun and moon / falling of the stars in the New Testament (NT)
Olivet Discourse Matthew 24 | Olivet Discourse Mark 13 | Olivet Discourse Luke 21 | Pentecost speech Acts 2 | The 6th seal Revelation 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; | 24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; | 25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming on the earth, | 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. | 12 And I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. |
and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. | 25 and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. | for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. | 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and ‹every› island were moved out of their places. | |
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will wail, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. | 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. | 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. | 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? |
Further Bible passages about the passing away of heaven and earth in the New Testament (NT)
Matthew 5:18 / Mark 13:31 / Luke 21:33 / 2 Peter 3:10-13 / Hebrews 1:10-12 / Hebrews 12:25-29
Some Bible passages on the darkening of the sun and moon / falling of the stars in the Old Testament (OT)
Isaiah 13 | Isaiah 34 | Joel 3 |
---|---|---|
9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth waste; and He shall destroy its sinners out of it. 10 For the stars of the heaven and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened at its rising, and the moon shall not shine its light. 11 And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants. 12 I will make mortal man more precious than refined gold; even mankind than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of the LORD of Hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger. | 1 Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, you people; let the earth hear, and its fullness; the world, and all that comes out of it. 2 For the wrath of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out, and their stench shall come up out of their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 And all the host of the heavens shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all their host shall wither, as a leaf withers off the vine, and as fruit falling from the fig tree. | 3 (2:30) And I will show signs in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 4 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. |
Joel 2:30 = old verse counting
Other biblical passages in the OT concerning the darkening of the sun and the moon:
Isaiah 24:18-23 / Joel 2:10-11 / Joel 4:14-15 / Zechariah 14:6-7
Remarks on the pre-tribulation doctrine
Almost all advocates of the pre-tribulation doctrine believe that the shaking of the universe occurs twice within a few years, even though they may not be aware of it.
Because if you believe:
1) After the rapture, the seal judgments, then the trumpet judgments and then the bowl judgments come in succession and
2) After the bowl judgments, at the end of the great tribulation, comes the return of Christ
then one inevitably also believes:
from 1) ----> The first shaking of the universe, at the 6th seal (Rev 6)
is clearly BEFORE the last bowl, i.e. it is clearly BEFORE the end of the great tribulation.
from 2) ----> The second shaking of the universe, immediately before the return of Christ (Mat 24)
is AT THE end of the great tribulation, thus much later than the first shaking.
Most proponents of the pre-tribulation doctrine believe that the seal judgments take place in the first 3.5 years. Thus, the time interval between the first and the second shaking of the universe is at least 3.5 years, but at most 7 years.