The Day of the Lord

[Tycobb]

THE DAY OF THE LORD

About a month ago my wife, my three girls and I had the privilege to see a full arced double rainbow in the sky. In a moment of insanity this preacher thought about going and chasing down a double portion of gold at the end of those rainbows. But when the fog of financial bliss finally wore off I decided to tell my girls that those rainbows were Signs by God promising mankind that he wasn’t going to destroy the world again by the flood like he did during Noah‘s time. Their moment of relief was tempered a bit when I told them that God’s word also says that one day God will judge the world again….this time by fire (2 Peter 3). The Biblical name for this future period of time when the world’s ungodly people will once again experience God’s wrath is called, The Day of the Lord.

The identifying mark of the Day of the Lord will be God’s terrifying judgmental wrath against the earth’s wicked. The carnage left behind will by similar in scope as it was when God destroyed the world with The Flood. Just as in Noah’s day God will once again destroy all the “ungodly” men and woman (2 Peter 3:7)…...BUT THIS TIME WITH FIRE (2 Peter 3:7-10). This period of time will be initiated by the Second Coming of Christ to rescue (Rapture) the Christians, after which the ungodly people who are left behind will then be killed by God’s fierce anger. This time of catastrophic wrath by God will begin with the Seventh Seal, will include the Seven Trumpet Judgments followed by the Seven Bowl judgments. This will all culminate in the battle of Armageddon.

The Day of the Lord will be a terrifying time for those living on the earth. There will be supernatural changes in the sun, moon and stars immediately preceding the Day of the Lord which will plunge the earth’s atmosphere into total darkness. This supernatural Sign will be accompanied by worldwide earthquakes. These cataclysmic and terrifying changes in the sun, moon, and stars will occur at the opening of the Sixth Seal in the Book of Revelation, immediately before the Sign of Christ’s Second Coming is seen by the inhabitants of the world. (Joel 2:31; Isaiah 13:9-10; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12-13; Matthew 24:29-31 and about twenty plus other passages that mention the Day of the Lord).

As it was in the days of Noah and the Flood where it rained for forty days and forty nights….a careful reading of the Scriptures reveal that the day of the Lord is not just one 24 hour day but a period of time when God brings destruction on all the ungodly. Three key Bible passages describe the reaction of the people who will be living during the opening scene of this horrendous time. When the earths atmosphere plunges into total darkness accompanied by earthquakes the Bible says that sinners, "apprehensive of what is coming upon the world," will run into the nearest cave or hole in the ground and wish to die and be buried for fear of God’s coming wrath. Examples of these Scriptures are the following:

“Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty when he rises to shake the earth. …They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth” (Isaiah 2:19, 21)

“I watched as he opened the Sixth Seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the WRATH OF THE LAMB! For the GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH HAS COME, who can stand” (Revelation 6:12-17)?

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and the stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from the terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of man coming in the cloud with power and real glory (Luke 21:25-27).

This passage in Luke suggest that the men and woman living during this terrible time of God’s wrath will have been forewarned of the Day of the Lord. It says that they were “apprehensive of WHAT IS COMING ON THE WORLD…” When they saw the cataclysmic and terrifying changes in the sun, moon, and stars that immediately proceeds the Day of the Lord, they seem to have known what was coming down the pike. That is that God was about to unleash his blood curdling anger against them.

Folks, this information on the Day of the Lord is your “WARNING.” You can make a choice today to either experience this terrifying day (if it comes in our lifetime) or ESCAPE it. You can escape it by becoming a “born again” follower of Christ.

Not everyone will have to endure God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord. Christians will ESCAPE God’s wrath by what is commonly know as the “Rapture.” This is when, just prior to God’s outpouring of his wrath, Jesus returns the second time and “rescues” Christians from God’s wrath (1 Thess. 1:10b). He rescues them by catching them up into the clouds with Him. Christians who have passed away and have died will rise first then we which are still alive will then be caught up with Christ forever (1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Bible says that Christians are not appointed to suffer God’s wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:1-9).

Like in the Days of Noah and the Flood, the Day of the Lord will catch the unsaved by surprise. Noah gave ample warning to the people of his time of impending destruction from the Almighty. When the floods came the doors to the Ark were already closed and the people were all washed away to their deaths. The Day of the Lord will come suddenly and the unsaved will not escape. The following verse describes all this:

“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying , ‘Peace and Safety,’ destruction (God’s wrath) will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape…But, you BROTHER, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. For God DID NOT APPOINT US TO SUFFER WRATH but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-9).

This passage tells us that the unsaved people living at the time when the Day of the Lord happens will be very surprised that it has arrived. While at the same time, Christians, because they have been discerning the signs of the times from the Six Seals, will not be surprised when this Day comes.

If you are not a Christian you will not ESCAPE God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord.

I need to ask you two questions:

If you were to die today…would you know for sure that you wouldn’t end up in Hell?

If you were to die today…and you were to stand before Jesus and he were to say to you…”Why should I not throw you into Hell…what would you say…?

IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT EITHER OF THESE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO FIND OUT HOW TO… AND GET SAVED.

Hint:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36)

P.S. “The Spirit alone makes us understand the signs of the times and He shows us that we have to stand in the gap for a world that is doomed to destruction.” (Corrie Ten Boom: The End Battle, Published by Fleming H. Revell)

[Tycobb]

>>In fact, I get the impression that some of the more ardent Christians are almost in rapturous glee over the prospect of the non-believers (including a lot of very decent people) being condemned to an eternity of fire and damnation.<<

I think you have a point here. I don't believe I have a "rapturous glee" over lost people going to hell, but I will keep my attitude in check. Thanks...

[SamAdams76]

I wasn't speaking to you personally but was simply posing a more general question based on my observances over the years.

[Tycobb]

I understand. But I still need to check my heart on the subject too. Not for nothing...here are a few more verses that might answer some of your questions about a vengeful God....

But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungoldly men. (2 Peter 3:7)

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil.... (Isaiah 13:9-11)

I will bring distress on men, so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung (Zephaniah 1:17)