A STUDY OF THE DAY OF THE LORD

Let’s compare an Old Testament passage with a New Testament passage to learn more regarding the day of the Lord. Read the passages and then answer the questions. (The teacher in me is coming out again!)

Zephaniah 1:14-18

“Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of trumpet and battle cry, against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. And I will bring distress on men, so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’s wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.”

1) With what speed will the day of the Lord come? (quickly)

2) The day of the Lord will be a day of what? (wrath, trouble, distress, destruction…)

3) What will God bring upon men? (distress)

4) Why will God bring this upon men? (because they sinned against the Lord)

5) What kind of end will come to the inhabitants of the earth? (a terrifying one)

1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:6

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Now as to the times and epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1) Just after discussing the rapture, to what event then does Paul refer? (The day of the Lord. See the first question in my post below this one, “Is Matthew 24 a Rapture Passage?” Are you seeing a pattern?!)

2) What did the Thessalonian church know full well? (the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night)

3) What comes suddenly upon those who are enjoying peace and safety? (sudden destruction)

4) To what does Paul tie this sudden destruction? (the day of the Lord...Doesn't that sound familiar with what the prophet Zephaniah said?!)

5) Will the day of the Lord overtake believers? (NO!)

6) For what are believers not destined? (wrath)

Let’s tie this all together and we’ll also use the passages in the post just below this one, “Is Matthew 24 a Rapture Passage?”

We saw that Paul tied the event of the day of the Lord with the Lord’s coming and our gathering. The day of the Lord will be a day of wrath against sinners and it will arrive with sudden destruction. It will come at a time when unbelievers are enjoying peace and safety. It will not overtake believers however.

There is a sign in the sky associated with the day of the Lord. The sun will go dark and the moon will turn to blood. This occurs immediately after the great tribulation according to Jesus own teaching in Matthew 24. He instructs that when that sign occurs, He will come and gather the elect. A careful read of Matthew 24 will tell you that the great tribulation begins after the abomination of desolation occurs and it will be cut short for the sake of the elect. According to Daniel 9:27, the abomination of desolation occurs at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th Week. Therefore, the great tribulation will begin at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th Week. If the great tribulation is cut short for the sake of the elect, it will not run the entire second half of the Week. What do you think then remains for the rest of the latter half of Daniel’s 70th Week? God’s day of the Lord wrath for which believers, the church, is not destined!

Here’s another question for you. Are those in the church, the true believers, enjoying peace and safety during the great tribulation? NO! Who are? Those who have aligned with Antichrist, correct? They have taken his mark and can buy and sell. They can eat, drink, and be merry, and marry! But the day of the Lord, sudden destruction, will come upon them suddenly. Since God has not destined believers for wrath, the day of the Lord is a day of deliverance for those in the church. When believers see the sun and the moon darkened, according to Luke 21:28, we are to look up, for our redemption is near. The Lord’s coming and our gathering is imminent at that point. The day of the Lord will not overtake us. We will be gathered into His arms, rejoined with our loved ones who have died in the Lord, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And we are to comfort one another with these words!

IS MATTHEW 24 A RAPTURE PASSAGE?

Answer these questions after reading the verses...

To what event does Paul tie the Lord's coming and our gathering in 2 Thessalonians 2:1,2?

"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come."

(Answer: The day of the Lord.)


What does the prophet Joel say will happen to the sun and the moon prior to the day of the Lord? (Joel 2:31)

"The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes."

(Answer: The sun will go dark and the moon will turn red.)


What event does Jesus say happens after the sun is darkened and the moon does not give its light? (Matthew 24:29-31)

"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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one of the sky to the other."

(Answer: His coming and the gathering of the elect.)

So what do you think, is Matthew 24 a rapture passage? I think so.

Last question...What major event occurs prior to the the Lord's coming and gathering of the elect in Matthew 24?

(Answer: The great tribulation.)

THE LAST HOUR

In 1 John 1:18 John writes, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know it is the last hour.”

This verse tells us several things:

• John is speaking to those who are in the church
• The church is in the last hour
• There is coming a main antichrist
• His coming will be sometime during the last hour
• Many other antichrists had already arisen at the time John wrote this
• Because of the rising of these other antichrists John’s readers knew they
were in the last hour

From verse 22 we learn what an antichrist is. They are liars, denying that Jesus is the Christ. They deny the Father as well as the Son. (This will ultimately characterize the main antichrist also.)

From verse 19 we learn antichrists leave the church because they were not really of the church. Those who are really of the church will remain and will not deny the Father or the Son.

John tells his children in verse 24 to let the truth remain in them, the truth which they heard from the beginning. If the truth remains in them, and they do not deny the Father or the Son, then they also will abide in the Son and the Father.

When does the last hour end? At what point will antichrists no longer go out from the church?

I think we find the answer in verse 28, the last hour ends at the Lord’s coming: “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”

Paul told the believers in the church at Thessalonica that the Lord’s coming and our gathering will not happen before the man of lawlessness is revealed and he exalts himself in the temple as God. Paul is giving the church something very specific for which to watch and it regarded blasphemous activity by the main antichrist.

If the last hour ends at the coming of Christ, when the church is gathered, and if the main antichrist comes during the last hour, the church will be here for his arrival. And we know many will deny Christ when the main antichrist is revealed, choosing to take the mark of the main antichrist.

Antichrist is coming and there is a generation of believers in the church that will be here for his arrival…

2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-4

Read the entire passage below once through and then read it again, reading only that which is in bold. What do you see? When does the second coming of Christ and the rapture occur in relation to the revealing of Antichrist?

1) "NOW we request you, brethren, with the regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him,

2) that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of Lord when He comes and we are gathered) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.

It really is plain and simple as to when the church is gathered in relation to the revealing of Antichrist. The church will be here to see Antichrist exalt himself as God and demand worship as if he were God. Her gathering will take place sometime after that.

“HOW TO SURVIVE the Great TRIBULATION – FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FAITH”

This is the title of the latest book I just finished reading. The author is Charles Cooper and in this book Mr. Cooper looks at three options for surviving the coming Great Persecution against the people of God.

Option One: FIGHT

Mr. Cooper points out that on the night the Lord was arrested Peter cut off Malchus’s ear. Jesus then tells Peter, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.” (Matt. 26:52) Jesus was saying that the one who attempts to stay alive by killing others will himself be killed. Using violence as a means of protection will only have the opposite effect. Towards the end of his ministry Peter gave these instructions on how to endure under persecution…

1 Peter 4:12-16, 19 – “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

John MacArthur points out in his study Bible notes that Peter gives us four attitudes we should embrace to be triumphant in persecution:
• Expect it (v. 12)
• Rejoice in it ((vv. 13,14)
• Evaluate its cause (vv. 15,16)
• Entrust it to God (v. 19)

Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians gives us a near/far prophetic perspective on suffering and affliction. 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7 - “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” The Thessalonians were experiencing affliction when Paul wrote this letter to them and Paul says that at the revelation of Christ believers can expect relief from affliction.

The one who lives godly in Christ will suffer persecution. We are not to fight back but to entrust ourselves to God. Peter even goes so far as to say that some suffer according to the will of God! 1 Peter 4:19 – “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

This brings up a question. Is it God’s will that believers suffer during the Great Persecution? Charles Cooper asks this in his book. He points to Revelation 13:10 as a text that speaks directly to this – “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” Mr. Cooper says that Revelation 13:10 affirms that God’s elect will experience imprisonment and capital punishment during Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

Mr. Cooper also points out that from Revelation 6:11 we learn that God knows the precise number of His elect that will be killed.

“And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren were to be killed, even as they had been, should be completed also.”

We understand from this verse that an exact number of saints have an appointment to martyrdom by Satan and his Antichrist and I believe we must conclude that it is according to the sovereign choice of God.

The second option Charles Cooper examines for surviving the great tribulation is FLIGHT.

He states that a number of God’s elect “are persuaded that they can avoid Satan and his Antichrist by fleeing to a place of safety in the unpopulated regions of the world.” He says, “Some would take Matthew 24:16 as proof that flight to any place of safety is workable. The Lord Jesus, in explaining the severity of the persecution by Satan and his Antichrist, exhorts those believers living in Judea that they must flee to the mountains upon the visible appearance of the abomination of desolation in a holy place in Jerusalem.”

While I am not persuaded that I will be able to avoid Satan and his Antichrist by fleeing to a place of safety in unpopulated regions of the world, because I believe the choice is ultimately the Lord’s, I do believe Jesus is teaching principles for His followers all over the world in Matthew 24, one of them being, go into hiding if you are able because the slaughter is going to be great.

We know from Revelation 12 that there will be a group of people that will be protected in the wilderness of Israel by God.

Mr. Cooper discusses all the modern day technology that is used for tracking people. It is rather spectacular and I come to the same conclusion that he does, hiding from Satan and his Antichrist will be next to impossible.

While I believe it is the sovereign choice of God as to who will be killed, I also believe it is the sovereign choice of God as to who will survive – and there will be survivors.

Jesus foretells the coming Great Persecution in His Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24:9,10 - “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.” And verse 21 – “for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.”

Jesus also said in this discourse, “But the one who endures to the end (of the age, at His coming), he shall be saved/delivered.” (v. 13) He also says that for the sake of the elect those days of great tribulation will be cut short otherwise no flesh would be saved. (v. 22) While believers all over the world will be suffering persecution and death prior to the Lord’s return, there will be some that make it to the end. We can expect that some will survive.

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when he discusses the catching up of the saints at the second coming of Christ he says that those “who are alive and remain/survive shall be caught up together with them (the dead) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” There will be survivors.

These words were written to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.” (Rev. 3:10)

Some understand this to mean the Lord will guard within the sphere of danger during the Great Persecution a group of faithful believers. Others see this as removal from the earth before the day of the Lord’s wrath. I believe both apply. The Lord's elect who He protects from physical death during the Great Persecution will be gathered to Himself before He pours out His day of the Lord wrath. As the Lord uses miraculous means to protect the group that flees Jerusalem at the abomination of desolation, I believe He will supernaturally protect some of His elect all over the world as well. I believe this group will be familiar with the Lord’s instruction in Matthew 24. They will not be lead astray by those who say that Christ is here or there on various parts of the earth. They know that Christ will return to gather His elect after the sign of the end of the age occurs and His first appearance will be in the sky, after the sun and the moon are darkened, which is the sign of the end of the age.

God determines what will happen and the choice is ultimately up to Him as to who remains alive to the end of the age, when Christ returns and gathers the elect, but I believe He will protect some of those who heeded His instruction and warning in Matthew 24.

The last option the author considers is FAITH. The book consists of ten chapters and he spends the last seven on faith. Mr. Cooper discusses what “little faith” is as opposed to “great faith.” Scripture is clear that God is the bestower of faith. I agree with Mr. Cooper that the difference between “little faith” and “great faith” is knowledge of God’s word and God’s ways which come to bear on a given situation or circumstance. He says, “Education makes faith great…one does not need a seminar on growing his or her faith, but a class on learning the doctrines of God’s word.”

I believe the choice is ours as to whether we will exhibit little faith or great faith as we move into the last days. It will be determined by how much time we’ve spent in the Word, learning about God and His ways. I believe the choice is God’s as to which
of the elect will not suffer physical death at the hands of Antichrist. Remember, we are not to be surprised at persecution, we are to expect it and when it occurs, entrust it to God.

I said in my previous post that when we are in the Word on a consistent, daily basis, our view of God expands. We see that God is sovereign, working out His plan for His glory and our benefit, and He is trustworthy no matter what the circumstance. When we drench ourselves in the Word, our faith then has the opportunity to become great faith; it becomes either-way faith. “Either-way faith” says that though God is able to deliver us from Satan and his antichrist, the choice is God’s. Either way we will trust in Him, no matter what.

Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.”

“WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO IN LIGHT OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST?”

While in Michigan I heard Dave Wisen teach a lesson to the youth group at Harvest Bible Chapel. Dave is Kristen’s husband and also an elder in their church, and an excellent Bible teacher.

Dave has also been teaching an end times class in the Wisen’s home to people in their church. The natural question at the end of the class has been, “What do we need to do in light of the return of Christ?” Dave tells them that watching for the abomination of desolation and stockpiling food is fine, but to stop there would be to stop short of our calling. (Watching for the AofD is part of the instruction the Lord has given us in Matthew 24.)

After discussing the Day of the Lord, Peter says in 2 Peter 3:11, 22, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”

Because of this, Dave stresses our holy conduct and godliness. Spiritual preparation is going to be the most important.

In the lesson that Dave taught at youth group, he used three lessons learned from the book of Daniel which help us understand what our call is regarding this holy conduct and godliness. The following three points are based on an old sermon series by James MacDonald. You will see how they fit well with end times.

From Daniel 1 where Daniel wouldn’t eat from the king’s table, we learn that we are to purpose in our heart not to defile ourselves. Secondly, from Daniel 3 where the three men are tested with the fiery furnace, the lesson learned is that we have to have “either-way faith” like these three men. They boldly declared to the king that God could save them if He pleased but even if He chose not to, either way they would not bow down to the king. “Either-way faith” says that though God is able, the choice is His. Either way we will trust in Him. Finally, from Daniel 6 and the lion’s den account, we learn that Daniel already had spiritual disciplines in place when he was tested, so when the test came, he simply continued what was already a habit for him.

Dave’s point is that we should establish strong spiritual disciplines now that will sustain us through the coming days. He put it this way, “You’ll never have success in the crisis until you have success in the process.”

We need to ask ourselves these three questions:

1. Have I purposed in my heart not to defile myself?
2. Do I have “either-way faith”?
3. Have I established strong spiritual disciplines which will continue in the coming crisis?

I would like to add that I think the strongest spiritual discipline is being a student of the Word. When we are in the Word on a consistent, daily basis, our view of God is continually expanded. We see that He is sovereign, working out His plan for His glory and our benefit, and He trustworthy no matter what the circumstance.

Hebrews 10:23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."

VISIT WITH A DEAR FRIEND...

What a joy it was to finally meet Kristen Wisen in person! My daughter Annie and I flew out to Michigan and spent a week with her family. I met Kristen when she introduced herself to me on my first blog. She's been such an encouragement to me as I have a passion to spread the seeds of preparation for the return of Christ. If you've visited my blog much, you know it is my understanding that Scripture clearly teaches that the church will be here for the coming great persecution by Antichrist. We've never been promised deliverance from tribulation. In fact, it is during tribulation that the Lord produces endurance. Those who are His will have enduring faith because Jesus loses none that the Father gives Him.

Kristen is presently teaching through Romans at her church, Harvest Bible Chapel, in her ladies Bible study. Annie and I were there for chapters six and seven. Her lessons are podcasted from the church's website. She's a great teacher and it was the highlight of my week to get to hear a lesson in person!

She had a group of friends over for lunch on one of the days we were there. (See image two.) We are both amazed at how complete strangers can act like long lost sisters but we know it is because of the foundation and relationship we have with Jesus Christ. We enjoyed warm fellowship around Kristen's dining room table as Kristen gave me the opportunity to share with the gals how I came to my understanding of the prewrath position.

Sunday night was youth group. I of course took my camera with me and had a ball capturing the fun the kids were having. (See image four.)

The Wisens live right on Lake Michigan on a beautiful piece of property. Annie and I took a couple of quick strolls around the property, it was very cold for us! One of my favorite outside images is the third image, capturing the sun through the trees as it rose in a late winter Michigan sky.

Thank you Kristen, you were more than too good to us! Blessings to you dear friend as you faithfully serve our wonderful Lord!