Before the Wrath

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

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The movie, Before the Wrath caught my attention because it promised to provide “new evidence” that would clarify the meaning of Scripture, with respect to the Lord’s ultimate physical return, based on Galilean wedding customs. Well, who wouldn’t want that?

I have spent years studying the end times (Eschatology), and have written a number of books on it as well. I tend to write more about this subject than other biblical subject. I wrote my doctoral thesis on the book of Revelation. So when I see something “new” on the scene, I tend to notice it and want to find out what it’s all about. By the way, this is not me bragging that I think I know everything because I don’t. It’s simply me saying that I’ve put the time in to at least do my best to discern what the Scriptures says about the times I believe we are now living: the very end of the end times or last days

Unfortunately, the movie falls down here because to my recollection, it never actually presented the physical evidence to substantiate the claims made. It doesn’t live up to its hype in other words. I guess the evidence could’ve ended up on the cutting room floor, but it should not have. While stating that there is new evidence to show that the Galileans had wedding customs that were different from all other groups then, aside from discussing it, they fail to showcase actual evidence to support it their claims. So what am I to think? What is anyone to think? Why wasn’t the actual evidenced presented?

I respect JD Farag, Jan Markell, Jack Hibbs and Amir Tsarfati (what little I’ve read his books and articles). This is the first I’ve heard of Jay McCarl, “Cultural Anthropologist & Author,” but if he is a cultural anthropologist, then I would certainly expect him to produce the proof that he seems to swear by and the others have also agreed with regarding the events of the Galilean wedding ceremony.

I also have questions for the producer, Brent Miller, Jr., who started Ingenuity Films, and is the credited writer of Before the Wrath. If he wrote the script, were the people in the movie simply saying his words or were they allowed to present their own perspectives? Did they offer their opinions and he then created a script from that?

Brent Miller’s father has produced The Pure Word, a new “translation” of the New Testament he insists goes back to what the Bible actually says using a special “monadic” process (whatever that is). The problem is that TPW is really a paraphrase, not a translation at all, and by some expert’s reckoning, not a very good paraphrase at all, sadly lacking in accuracy, much like The Message, another paraphrase often passed off and accepted as actual translations, though they’re not. I tend to shy away from so-called “translations” of the Bible where only one or two people are said to have translated it from original languages and not a committee of actual scholars, including archaeologists and expert linguists. Gary Shogren, Professor of New Testament, Seminario ESEPA, San José, Costa Rica, provides a great review of this “translation” at his blog Open Our Eyes Lord.

The title “Before the Wrath,” is either a bit misleading or possibly purposefully disingenuous, I’m not sure. Obviously, it will attract people who believe the Rapture occurs before the wrath (PreWrath Rapturists), but they’ll be disappointed because everyone in the movie believes in the PreTrib Rapture, I believe. I agree that the Rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation (though it’s not a hill to die on and shouldn’t be), though they did nothing to prove it. I also don’t believe that the Rapture position itself (or whether or not a person believes the Bible teaches it at all), should be a reason why Christians argue (yet it happens too often). The Orange Mailman (WP site), has a detailed review of this movie as well, and from a PreWrath perspective. He makes some cogent points, though I do not agree with his PreWrath position.

I will say that aside from the Rapture, I believe the Bible clearly teaches a coming Tribulation (seven years or the final “week” from Daniel 9:24-27), ending with the physical return of Jesus, who will judge the nations and then set up His Millennial Kingdom. After this, the final Great White Throne Judgment in which all unsaved will be told why they are being sent to the Lake of Fire will take place, then the new heavens and new earth and eternity future begins. Folks, as Christians who have the truth (eternal life from salvation), about Jesus, it is our number one job to present that to the unsaved and that was one of the points made in the Before the Wrath movie.

As an aside, when I matriculated at what used to be Philadelphia College of Bible, Marv Rosenthal was on the board of directors then. At one point, just prior to my graduation, it was announced that he was leaving the board and on good terms. A specific reason was never given. However, it wasn’t long afterwards that he and his friend came up with the PreWrath Rapture position. I noticed a severe change in his demeanor toward anyone who held to the PreTrib Rapture position, often contemptuously denigrating the view he once held. He was a bit antagonistic, so it became clear that he left the board because he was no longer a PreTrib Rapture person, but was now a PreWrath Rapture person. So instead of there being three main Rapture positions – Pre, Mid and Post – this other one was added to the mix. The truth is that only one of them can be correct if there is a Rapture at all. Arguing over it and demonizing people because of their position isn’t a good thing to do and certainly not Christian. But social media has made this commonplace unfortunately, where people literally spew their positions at other people. There is really very little actual and honest discourse today.

Along those lines, I also think there is a tremendous amount of Eschatological misinformation out there today and people like the late Harold Camping have not helped at all. He was a firm believer in the PreTrib Rapture position, but in spite of the warnings in Scripture that no one knows the day or time of Christ’s return, Camping said he did the math and figured it out. Many of his followers quit their jobs and took to the streets with Gospel tracts warning people the time was soon coming (not sure why they had to quit their jobs to do that!). Well, that time came and went with nothing. Camping then admitted that he got the math wrong and redid it and came up with another date! That one was wrong of course too. I thought it was interesting that shortly after that final failed prediction, he had a stroke and lost his ability to speak. He eventually died but from what I understand, he repented prior to that date with death. But people have grown really tired of all the “look, over there!” or “He’s coming at this point!” Yes, we should live every day as our last, but as I’ve said before, I could physically die way before the Rapture occurs from any number of things, couldn’t I? I should always be prepared to face my Lord in the next life. Every day could easily be my last day on this globe.

I can see why many pastors choose not to preach about end times things (only 2% according to LifeWay Research), because it is controversial and there are so many differing opinions. However, more pastors should step up to preach and teach it because people need to know. It is part of the Bible, with roughly 30% of the Bible dealing with prophetic events. It should be taught.

All of the dissension and argumentation has become a huge turnoff for the average non-Christian as well as Christian, who probably tend to think, “well, if there are so many different views and the experts cannot agree, how can we really know?” Brothers and sisters, this is not a valid excuse. It simply isn’t.

People should study the Bible for themselves and learn what it says and when disagreements arise, grace should always underscore everything between believers. I realize some of it is difficult to get through but what makes it much harder is not allowing the Bible to interpret itself. In order to do that, the person studying Scripture must be willing to learn about the cultural context and time period in which specific books of the Bible were written. What were those times like? It helps to know.

We need to stop going by how we feel about something we read in Scripture. Misinformation exists and continues today because too many people go by “feelz” and then unending arguments ensue. Why are so few seemingly interested in getting to the core of what the Bible teaches? I think, as the folks in the movie state, it has to do with the times in which we are living and the general (and serious), falling away from truth that the world is experiencing now and has been (2 Thessalonians 2:3). JD says this will become much worse and if we take Paul’s words at face value. Yes, it will, with more people turning away from the truth to have their ears itched.

The other issue I have with this movie is that while people speak in general terms about Scripture and even sound as though they are quoting portions of the Bible, they tend to take things out of context, pass over certain verses and continue on with others. They never provide actual references to specific biblical passages. For instance, while one person says “In John 14…” the specific verse or verses are not given and a careful listening will tell viewers that they are actually stating one particular verse and then finishing with a separate verse, making it sound as though it’s all one continuous set of verses, but it’s not. This isn’t good by any standard. Average readers who do not spend time in God’s Word may not recognize this unfortunately, and I expect better from these people who are considered to be experts in Bible prophecy. But again, were their words written by Brent Miller, Jr. and they couldn’t really deviate or was it simply editing that way?

The acting and cinematography of the movie is very well done. Kudos there. The music, the narration by Kevin Sorbo, all good. The problem is what I’ve noted above. I think they could have done better and for that reason, I give the movie a score of 3 out of 5 and that’s being generous.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective