What is the Day of the Lord? Understanding the Timing of God's Wrath
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Understanding the Signs of Christ’s Return
Over the past three weeks of daily Scripture meditations, we've concentrated on the signs indicating Jesus's Second Coming—markers that herald the most incredible event for Christians: the rapture of God's people, the true Church of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). After believers are caught up, God's wrath will come. During this time, men and women outside of Christ will seek caves and hiding places, if possible, to escape the wrath of Almighty God. God sees the widespread evil on earth, and a day of justice and judgment will arrive. Many Scriptures mention God's wrath being poured out after the catching up of believers; here is just one example:
Biblical Prophecy: Isaiah’s Description of the Day of the Lord
6Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. 7Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. 8Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. 9See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. 10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. 11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. 12I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. 13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger (Isaiah 13:6-13; emphasis added).
The Difference Between Tribulation and God’s Wrath
After reading this description of the Day of the Lord, who can doubt that it represents God's wrath? The Day of the Lord is the day of His anger (v. 13). How then can some claim that this period of God's wrath will last seven years and that the rapture occurs before the Great Tribulation? If God's wrath, as described, lasts for seven years, how can the Antichrist wield his authority for 42 months (Revelation 13:5) and wage war against the saints? (Revelation 13:7). I do not believe that the enemy can sit in God's temple declaring himself as God while God is pouring out His wrath at the same time (2 Thessalonians 2:4). No, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in my view, there is no pre-tribulation rapture. The rapture and the start of God's wrath do not happen before the seven-year period begins — we must first prepare for and endure the persecution and tribulation.
Preparing for the Great Tribulation: A Call to Awaken
The tribulation is not the wrath of God; it is a persecution of God’s people by the Antichrist that happens before the Day of the Lord. This persecution will be met with an outpouring of the Spirit, leading to remarkable miracles of provision and healing (Joel 2:28-31). Therefore, if you are a believer, it is time to awaken, trim your lamps, and prepare for the night, as shown in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:6).
The Timeline of the End Times: From Desolation to Deliverance
To summarize, there is a seven-year period with an event at the midpoint known as the Abomination of Desolation, referenced by Daniel and Jesus (Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). This event, described by Daniel as a desecration of the Temple of God, is also characterized by the apostle Paul's depiction of a man of lawlessness presenting himself as a god in the temple of God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). This desecration marks the start of a time of persecution, called the Great Tribulation, for God’s people. At some point during the latter half of the seven years (no one knows the day nor the hour), the Lord will intervene to rescue His people, taking them up to Himself. Then the wrath of God, also known as the Day of the Lord, will begin. May all who read these words find themselves among those caught up (raptured) into Christ’s presence to be with the Lord forever. I look forward to seeing you on that day by God's grace alone. What a day that will be! Keith Thomas
Continue Your Journey…
To keep up with our daily meditations on the Second Coming of Christ, consider bookmarking the link below for all our free 3-minute Bible meditations in English:
The full study on this topic is titled, The Rapture and Day of the Lord. The video teaching of this topic is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/55VR6a8P9Bo
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