WILL YOU ESCAPE THE COMING WRATH OF GOD?

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Biblical prophesied end times Scriptures that relate to escaping God’s coming wrath.

Luke warns us to watch for that day.

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

Paul likewise warns that destruction comes suddenly, and many will not escape.

“While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4

Joel tells us that there will be awesome celestial signs before the great, awesome day of the Lord comes.

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.” Joel 2:30-32

In terms of the timing of the great and awesome day of the Lord, John tells us that it is at the opening of the sixth seal that the great day of God’s wrath has come.

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth…. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12,15-17

Matthew tells us that it is after the tribulation of those days that we will see the celestial signs that Joel and John say signal the coming of the awesome day of the Lord, when He sends out His angels to gather His elect from the four corners of the earth.

“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. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:31

After the trumpet blast of the seventh seal, John sees the Saints gathered before God’s throne in heaven.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9

UNDERSTANDING THE DAY OF THE LORD

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The phrase “Day of the Lord” usually identifies events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25) and is often closely associated with the phrase “that day.” One key to understanding these phrases is to note that they always identify a period during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan particularly Jesus second coming and a time when God will pour out His wrath upon the unrepentant as He did with Noah’s flood.

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.“ Luke 21:34-35

“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.“ Matthew 24:38-39

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:43-44

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” 2 Peter 3:10-12

“For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief!” Revelation 16:14-15

The Old Testament passages dealing with the day of the Lord often convey a sense of imminence, nearness, and expectation: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” (Isaiah 13:6); “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3); “Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1); “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14); “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1:7). This is because the Old Testament passages referring to the day of the Lord often speak of both a near and a far fulfillment, as does much of Old Testament prophecy. Some Old Testament passages that refer to the day of the Lord describe historical judgments that have already been fulfilled in some sense (Isaiah 13:6-22; Ezekiel 30:2-19; Joel 1:15, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18), while others refer to divine judgments that will take place toward the end of the age (Joel 2:30-32; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:1, 5).

The New Testament passages call it a day of “wrath,” a day of “visitation,” and the “great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14) and refers to a still future fulfillment when God’s wrath is poured out on unbelieving Israel (Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Joel 1-2; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1) and on the unbelieving world (Ezekiel 38–39; Zechariah 14). The Scriptures indicate that “the Day of the Lord” will come quickly, like a thief in the night (Zephaniah 1:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:2), and therefore Christians must be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ at any moment.

Besides being a time of judgment, it will also be a time of salvation as God will deliver the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The final outcome of the day of the Lord will be that “the arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises.

Much of the above comes from the website: http://www.gotquestions.org. It is a great place to go for answers to Biblical questions.

DEBUNKING PRETERISM

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“Preterism is an ideology held by most of the denominational/institutional churches so it is an important doctrine to understand.

Preterism is an interpretative approach to biblical prophecy that suggests that many, if not all, of the prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled in the past. The term “preterism” comes from the Latin word “praeter,” which means “past” or “beyond.” This perspective contrasts with futurism, which interprets prophecies as yet to be fulfilled in the future.

There are different forms of preterism, but generally, preterists argue that the majority of the prophecies found in the Bible, particularly in books like Daniel and Revelation, were fulfilled in the events of the first century AD, often centered around the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. They believe that these events were the culmination of God’s judgment on Israel for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah.

Key points of preterist interpretation may include:

  1. Historical Fulfillment: Preterists often see the events prophesied in the Bible as having been fulfilled in the historical events of the first century, including the Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
  2. Symbolic Language: Preterists may interpret the symbolic language in prophetic books, such as Daniel and Revelation, as describing real historical events using symbolic and apocalyptic language rather than predicting distant future events.
  3. Imminence: Preterism often emphasizes the idea of imminence, suggesting that the return of Christ and the fulfillment of prophecies were expected to happen in the near future from the perspective of the biblical writers.
  4. Partial Preterism vs. Full Preterism: There are variations within preterism. Partial preterists believe that some prophecies were fulfilled in the past, but that there are still future events to be realized (such as a final judgment). Full preterists, on the other hand, argue that all biblical prophecies, including the second coming of Christ, have already taken place.

Dr Brock does a great job of explaining these Scriptures. The Key Scripture for most of the End Times prophecies is Deuteronomy 32: The Song of Moses uses the term: “this generation” several times to describe future generations. The ultimate “Day of the Lord” is when Jesus returns to Earth to bring righteousness and restoration to Israel. 

LIVING ETERNAL NOW

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“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.“ 1 Timothy 6:12

“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” 1 Timothy 6:11

Have you taken hold of eternal life which was won for you by the sacrifice of Jesus on The Cross? By His sacrifice, Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell your Spirit to be your counsellor, teacher, and comforter. The Holy Spirit enables you to take hold of eternal life and prepare yourself for what is coming next: Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom on this earth. God has given us incredible detail on what plays out on this earth prior to Jesus’ return, first to raise the dead in Christ, and then to rapture all believers who are alive on earth. God then pours out His wrath upon an unrepentant world for one year and ten days.

The Day of the Lord extends from Yom Teruah of the Sixth Year of the 70th Week until Yom Kippur at the end of Year Seven which will be followed by a Jubilee year to start Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom.

A Jubilee year starts on Yom Kippur (Lev. 25:9) rather than on Yom Teruah (also called Rosh Hashanah) as most Jewish years do. This makes the year before a Jubilee year exactly one year and ten days long. This is the length of time we propose for the Day of the Lord (God’s Wrath).

God calls his Wrath both a day of vengeance and a year of recompense (Heb: SHILLUM, meaning “retribution”).

“For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” Isaiah 34:8

On Tishri 10, the Jews celebrate the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which is often referred to simply as “The Day.” Prophetically on this day, Jesus returns to earth, triumphs over evil, destroys the Antichrist, and redeems the Jewish remnant who will repent. He will “atone” for their sins.

A Jubilee year beginning precisely at the Second Coming (on Yom Kippur) would indeed fulfill the promise inherent in a Jubilee of “setting the captives free.”

“To proclaim the favourable year (Jubilee year) of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:2

The length of time God poured out His wrath upon the earth, the first time, was one year and ten days – Noah’s Flood. (calculated from Gen 7:11, Gen. 8:14). It is the same interval of time God will pour out His wrath prior to Jesus’ second coming to earth. Jesus said it will be like the days of Noah and so it will be in more ways than one.

“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6

THE DAY OF THE LORD

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The Day of the Lord extends from Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) of the Sixth Year of the 70th Week until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) at the end of Year Seven. That period is one year and ten days. It is the same amount of time God’s wrath was poured out on the earth at the first judgement – Noah spent 1 year and 10 days on the ark.

This is just one aspect of Jesus saying that the time of His return would be like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). It encompasses the Trumpet and Bowl judgements when God pours out His wrath upon the earth.

The Rapture of the Saints and then the wrath of God is poured out immediately after Jesus meets the Saints in the clouds and takes them to heaven.

The time God pours out His wrath upon the earth is supported by the witness of Isaiah:

“For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” Isaiah 34:8.

“For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.” Isaiah 63:4

There are many Scriptures on the coming Day of the Lord and sadly the church does not tell the world of the coming judgement. If it did perhaps we would see more souls saved.

“For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; against all the ships of Tarshish, snd against all the beautiful craft. And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.” Isaiah 2:12-21

“Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness, there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them, a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses, they run. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. Like warriors they charge; like soldiers, they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” Joel 2:1-11

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” Malachi 4:1-2

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been.” Obadiah 1:15-16

“The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind so that they shall walk like the blind because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end, he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.” Zephaniah 1:14-18

And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Acts 2:19-21

“For you, yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

RAPTURE SCRIPTURES IN THE O.T. and N.T

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Is the Rapture found in the Old Testament? There are over 12 references which totally dispels the misconception that the Rapture was a mystery until the days of the apostle Paul.

The O.T. passages explain some surprising details not covered in the New Testament passages.

Who is raptured – Where they are taken – When the Rapture happens – How the Rapture takes place.

In addition, one passage describes what our Resurrection bodies will look like. Watch this Nelson Walters video to find out.

Suggest you also watch Nelson’s Feast of Trumpets: Will it be the LAST TRUMPET? https://youtu.be/iMvP8NW-QuA)F

A COVENANTAL COMMUNITY AWAITING THE DAY OF THE LORD

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The church of Jesus Christ is a community of redeemed sinners bound to their Lord and to one another in the bond of love known as the covenant of grace. God gives Himself to them with the Holy Spirit to be their God and takes them as His people.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

The covenant promise to the Jews was spelled out in Leviticus. “And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” Leviticus 26:12

Likewise, Christians belong to their covenant Lord: “None of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself…whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:7–8). This also means that Christians are bound to one another and must think of themselves as part of a community. 

Paul expresses this truth using the language of the body in Ephesians 4:25: “We are members of one another.” We are therefore to take our covenant brothers and sisters into account in all aspects of our Christian living. The covenant community is no place for rugged individualists. We must constantly be asking, “How will this affect other believers?”

If we love our covenant brothers and sisters, we will seek what is best for them, especially their growth in grace. This can be done in a positive way by exhortation and mutual encouragement. The writer to the Hebrews, after speaking of the blessings of the new covenant that are provided by the blood of Jesus, has this stirring call for God’s people:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25)

What Day is drawing near? The Day of the Lord

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.” Obadiah 1:15

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” Amos 5:19-20

“Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.” Joel 1:15

“The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Joel 2:31

“The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.” Zephaniah 1:14

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord.” Zephaniah 1:18

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” Malachi 4:1

“And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2: 19-21

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 1 Thessalonian 5:1-3

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 2 Peter 3:10

All of the above Scriptures reveal that the awesome Day of the Lord is a time of intense judgement for unbelievers. However, Paul also tells us the good news about the awesome Day of the Lord: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

We do not like to think about God’s judgement but Scripture is clear the time is coming when God pours out His wrath upon an unrepentant world

WILL YOU MISS THE RAPTURE?

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An important message for Christians on the words of warning Jesus spoke to the His disciples about how some Christians will be so enamoured with the things of this world that like Lot’s wife, they will not want to leave, look back and miss being taken up to heaven at The Rapture. Two angels lead Lot’s family out of Sodom and likewise God’s angels take the Saints to heaven to protect them from the Wrath of God that is poured out on an unrepentant world at the Trumpet and Bowl judgements.

“But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26

“Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” Luke 17:28-32

Another excellent message from Nelson Walters. One you need to share widely with members of your church group.

PAUL ON “THE DAY OF THE LORD”

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Concerning “The Day of the Lord“; in Thessalonians, Paul compresses the details for the purpose of giving a summary statement concerning coming judgement. He highlights the point that on that first day when Christ returns there will be two immediate consequent effects.

The saints will be delivered – The Rapture

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

and the wicked begin to be judged – Wrath of God

“when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7

Paul is not intending to describe the full account of the complex-whole of judgement elements which we see in Revelation. He does however, give us hope that, in the end, God’s righteousness will prevail and he assures the Thessalonians that there will certainly be a coming day of retribution for their persecutors.

The Rapture event Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17