There is coming a great dividing to this world, the righteous divided from the wicked. Those who are in Christ and those who are not. The message of the "Good News" of Jesus Christ has gone out to the ends of the earth. But a day of wrath awaits those who rejected the Son of God. This day of judgment is described in detail in the book of Revelation from chapters 6-18. This judgment will be 7 years in length and has been called by many the "seven-year tribulation". Paul described the dividing like this:
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also the Greek. [Romans 2:5-10]
The Apostle John wrote in his own gospel the cliff notes version:
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. [John 3:36]
The wrath of God is mentioned thirteen times in the book of Revelation, but no passage captures the shear terror of the wrath better than this passage from Revelation 6:
And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?" [Revelation 6:16-17]
Paul gives two identical warning statements to both the churches of Ephesus and Colossae:
The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. [Ephesians 5:6 & Colossians 3:6]
But there is one escape and it is repentance and the fruits of repentance found only in Christ. John the Baptist made this statement when he saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming for repentance:
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance: and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." [Matthew 3:7-12]
There is good news this wrath is only for God's enemies who have rejected His Son.
A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. [Nahum 1:2]
As a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ there is hope:
And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. [1 Thessalonians 1:10]
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 5:9]
The prophets Zephaniah saw our gathering together in Christ like this:
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, Before the decree takes effect--The day passes like the chaff--Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD'S wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger. [Zephaniah 2:1-3]
Isaiah saw this our being hid in Christ taken away from the wrath to come like this:
Come, my people, enter inot your rooms, And close the doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course. For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed, And will no longer cover her slain. [Isaiah 26:19-20]
Jesus has gone to heaven and prepared a place for His followers, this will be our hidding place during the tribulation, He said it like this:
"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I ma the way." [John 14:1-6]
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also the Greek. [Romans 2:5-10]
The Apostle John wrote in his own gospel the cliff notes version:
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. [John 3:36]
The wrath of God is mentioned thirteen times in the book of Revelation, but no passage captures the shear terror of the wrath better than this passage from Revelation 6:
And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?" [Revelation 6:16-17]
Paul gives two identical warning statements to both the churches of Ephesus and Colossae:
The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. [Ephesians 5:6 & Colossians 3:6]
But there is one escape and it is repentance and the fruits of repentance found only in Christ. John the Baptist made this statement when he saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming for repentance:
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance: and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." [Matthew 3:7-12]
There is good news this wrath is only for God's enemies who have rejected His Son.
A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. [Nahum 1:2]
As a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ there is hope:
And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. [1 Thessalonians 1:10]
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 5:9]
The prophets Zephaniah saw our gathering together in Christ like this:
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, Before the decree takes effect--The day passes like the chaff--Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD'S wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger. [Zephaniah 2:1-3]
Isaiah saw this our being hid in Christ taken away from the wrath to come like this:
Come, my people, enter inot your rooms, And close the doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course. For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed, And will no longer cover her slain. [Isaiah 26:19-20]
Jesus has gone to heaven and prepared a place for His followers, this will be our hidding place during the tribulation, He said it like this:
"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I ma the way." [John 14:1-6]
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