Judgment By “Natural” Disasters

Transcript

GR 1526
04-19-09
Judgment by “Natural” Disaster
Revelation 6:12-17
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 6 together. The focus of a believer for the future and the focus of an unbeliever is totally different. We come to the Word of God, everything is put into perspective. The hopes of the world are that things are going to get better. We see this in all the discussions now, that we're going to resolve the problems of the world. There is hope now that we can deal with the things that have divided us as nations, we can correct the problems that have kept us from realizing our great potential. And the world lives with that as their hope, their anticipation that this world will get better, we will succeed, we will overcome our problems. And the desire now is that we will have a world that comes together in a way that it hasn't before. But when we come to the Word of God we find out that's not the future that God says is before the world. Rather it is a future of gloom, despair, catastrophes beyond imagination, wars and conflicts, death and destruction on a level that has never been seen. Sometimes those of us who are dispensationalists who have a literal understanding of biblical prophecy and so that gloomy view of the world's future are said to be a negative influence in the world because we don't throw ourselves into the social programs, we don't get caught up in trying to make the world better. You know I think it has to be put into perspective. I'm not against recycling. Fine, if they say we should recycle I don't mind putting out whatever is supposed to be recycled. When we were in California they told you put this in this bag, this in this bag and we did it. Fine, I'm not opposed to doing that. But I'm not going to get caught up in it thinking we're going to save the world by doing this. I'm not really too caught up in the green movement, I'm not very worried about the fact that the icecaps are melting because I saw a rainbow the other day and that reminded me that the world will never be overflowed in water again. But that's all right, I don't mind driving a car to get better gas mileage, as long as it has good horsepower.

I'm not opposed to these things, but that's not what we're about as the church. We have a real view. The problems the world has cannot be solved by the world, the problems of the world cannot be solved by the people of the world. Problems of the world are caused by the sin of mankind and that's leading us to the judgment on mankind's sin. This is the problem. Sin. We can't correct that. When I say we, we on the human level cannot fix the real problem because the problem of wars and conflict comes from within ourselves as does all sin—it comes from within the heart of man. And a holy and righteous God has to deal with sin. So the world is destined for wrath, judgment and many of the judgments we look at would look like what we call natural disaster, nature gone wild and running amok as the people of the world might evaluate it. And yet the Bible tells us when calamity happens God has caused it, He is behind it. So in an ultimate sense there are no natural catastrophes. There is the hand of God at work in a variety of ways in His creation. We see that come to fruition in the seven-year period that will follow the Rapture and precede the Second Coming of Christ to earth. It's a time of wrath. The church will be delivered from that coming wrath by the Rapture, the removal of all believers alive on the face of the earth at that time. And that will prepare the way for the signing of the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel that will mark the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel.

Revelation 6 began the unfolding of this seven-year period. And we are immediately into a time of destruction and ruin. In verse 8 we see that authority was given over these judgments over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with famine, with pestilence, with the wild beasts of the earth. We've just started the judgments by the fourth seal and here we have one-quarter of the earth destroyed, one-quarter of the people on the earth dead. And that's only the beginning. We have the rest of the seals, then we have seven trumpets, then we have seven bowls. And the destruction on the earth will be horrendous.

Turn back to the Old Testament, Isaiah 2. This has all been prophesied in the prophets in the Old Testament. What the book of Revelation will do is bring clarity, additional insight and understanding in what God is going to do, but it doesn't again change any of the prophecies that were given before. It's just bringing them together. That's why there are hundreds of references in the book of Revelation to Old Testament passages. In Isaiah 2, the early part of this is talking about the establishing of the kingdom, the kingdom over which the Messiah will rule. We looked at that in a previous study today where the word of the Lord will go forth from Zion and from Jerusalem. And the Lord will judge over the nations, verses 3-4. Come down to verse 10. You see what's happening now. In the context of setting up the kingdom, that's always in the Old Testament preceded by a time of wrath and judgment. Remember that's why John the Baptist came and called the people to repentance—judgment will come. And God's wrath will precede the establishing of the kingdom and even the judgment that the Messiah will bring on unbelievers before He sets up His kingdom.

So verse 10 in this context of judgment. Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty. Now note this, the proud look of man will be abased, the loftiness of man will be humbled and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty, against everyone who is lifted up that he may be abased. Going on, against, against, against. Come down to verse 17, the pride of man will be humbled, the loftiness of men will be abased, the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. But the idols will completely vanish, men will go into caves of the rocks, into the holes of the ground before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty when He arises to make the earth tremble. We'll see a reference to this at the end of Revelation 6. Men go into the caves and the rocks, seek to hide themselves from the awful wrath of God as God brings judgment on an unbelieving world. He'll make the earth tremble.

Verse 20, in that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats their idols of silver, their idols of gold which they made for themselves to worship in order to go into the caverns of the rocks, the cleft of the cliffs before the terror of the Lord, the splendor of His majesty when He arises to make the earth tremble. Stop regarding man whose breath is in his nostrils. Why should he be esteemed? Put things in perspective, man is nothing. His breath is in his nostrils, God can just end it like that. We've seen rich men, powerful men, in an instant they are dead, they are gone. Why should you esteem them, why should you fear them, why should you give them honor. The sovereign God rules and it is His terror that will overtake man when His wrath is poured out on the earth.

Now turn over to Joel 1. And again the book of Joel is about the judgments of the day of the Lord. That's what we talk about this period of time, this seven-year tribulation, the day of the Lord, the day of His wrath. And through the Old Testament even the judgments that overtook Israel as nations conquered them were an anticipation of the ultimate judgment that God would bring for unbelief. Verse 15, alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Has not food been cut off before our eyes, gladness and joy from the house of our God? And on through you see the judgments overtaking.

Down in chapter 2, 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. Surely it is near. You'll see what comes next now, also in Revelation. A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and darkness. The dawn is spread over the mountains so there is a great and mighty people, there has never been anything like it nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. And the destruction that goes on continues down into the chapter.

Go to Zephaniah 1:14, 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 darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities, against the high towers. Verse 17, I will bring distress on men so they will walk like the blind because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust, 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. That's a different view of the future than men and women like to have today. They like to paint a bright picture, now we're on the right road, now there is a bright future ahead for us. Understand, there is nothing but gloom and destruction in the future of the unbeliever. We are moving to the worst days, not the best days. That doesn't mean there may not be times of prosperity as we have enjoyed in the past, they may continue for some time. But we know what the last chapter is, the last chapter is the seven years we are studying. And God is clear, verse 15, it's a day of wrath, 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. I mean, God is clear, He is serious about sin and He is going to pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world.

Back to Revelation 6. When we come to Revelation this is not new material but it gives us additional material and clarifies so we can have even a clearer picture of what the prophets were talking about and what it would be like in the Day of Judgment. This will also be a day of persecution because one thing that does unite the world is its hatred of God and of Jesus Christ. And with that comes then a hatred of the people of God. And as we have seen at the Rapture there will be no believers left on the face of the earth, but people will be saved in large numbers after the Rapture of the church. But they will die in large numbers and so we saw the martyrs under the fifth seal as we see the world turning against believers and great persecution. The prayers of the martyrs are to bring the judgment of God and they desire God to avenge their blood, verse 10.

So we come to the sixth seal. We're moving toward the end of the seals because the seventh seal, when it is opened it will unfold the seven trumpet judgments which will be worse than these seal judgments were. There will be a deteriorating situation. I looked, verse 12, when he broke the sixth seal. And there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair and the whole moon became like blood, the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs shaken by a great wind. And you'll note some of the similar language that we saw in some of the Old Testament passages we just read.

The judgments under this seal are so terrifying that the people of the earth are convinced they are experiencing the wrath of God. We see a little glimpse of this sometimes on a news program when there has been an earthquake in a part of the world. You see people there and they are in the streets and they are terrified. And there is a sense of God acting that people don't normally have in everyday affairs of life. Well the events under this judgment are of such magnitude that the people of the world are now going to be thinking, I have to hide from God and from His wrath.

A great earthquake is set loose. We're not told where it takes place, this is not the final earthquake that will take place in the judgments of Revelation, it is one of the earthquakes. And when God says there is a great earthquake, a mega earthquake, you can believe this will be an earthquake that will bring massive destruction on a part of the world where it is felt. And it is just a forerunner of the coming disasters yet to follow. You see these look like natural disasters, but it is God bringing it about. A great earthquake, a first of a series of earthquakes in the book of Revelation. Turn over to chapter 8 verse 5. There is another earthquake under the seventh trumpet, under the trumpets which are after the seventh seal is opened. Verse 5, they angel took the censor, filled it with the fire of the altar, threw it to the earth. There followed peals of thunder, sounds, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Then the trumpets are ready to sound. You see another earthquake. We have to be careful, just because it says an earthquake, doesn't mean it's the same one. And they are not because we are moving along sequentially in the book of Revelation. So here is another earthquake that will follow in connection with the seven seals in anticipation of the seven trumpets.

Over in Revelation 11. We've moved along and here in the context of what events will take place in the middle of the tribulation, we won't set the context here but we are moving along. Verse 13, in that hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell, 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake, the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Look down in verse 19, and the temple of God which is in heaven was opened and the Ark of the Covenant appeared in His temple and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Then you come over to Revelation 16. Now we are getting to the end, we are at the seventh bowl so we've come through the seven seals, the seven trumpets, now we are at the seventh bowl. Coming to the end of the judgments. Verse 18, there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, there was a great earthquake such as there has not been since man came to be upon the earth. So great and earthquake was it and so mighty. So you see we have a series of earthquakes that will go on. In the first one we are told it was a great one, but when you get to the last one here it's like one no one has ever experienced ever. I mean, this is going to be a time. We think of the worst earthquake that has ever occurred, we get into the tribulation and we're going to have them on a level because now God is dealing in massive wrath. Back in Matthew 24:7 in the Olivet Discourse Jesus told that this would be a time when there would be earthquakes and we're seeing that unfolding in the book of Revelation.

So come back to Revelation 6. In connection with this earthquake the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair and the moon became like blood. These signs are often mentioned in the Old Testament in the context of judgment. We don't know, these changes in the sun and moon may be the result of the earthquakes and the catastrophes on the earth. We see something of that with the earthquakes and volcanoes and these kinds of catastrophes that put the billowing clouds of dust and smoke and ash into the air and can darken the sun and so on. So it is all part of the judgment of God.

Come back to Isaiah 13:6, wail for the day of the Lord is near, it will become as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in labor, they will look at one another in astonishment, their face is aflame. Behold the day of the Lord is coming, cruel with fury and burning anger to make the land a desolation. 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, the moon will not shed its light. This is what we're talking about—the sun darkened, the moon, they are not giving off light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, I will abase the haughtiness of ruthless, I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold. I mean, when God pours out His wrath, it is an awful thing. And you understand, as bad as the tribulation is, it's nothing like hell. And that's what follows the tribulation. They are only going from bad to worse.

Stop at Amos 8:9, it will come about in that day, declares the Lord God, that I will make the sun go down at noon. I will make the earth dark in broad daylight. There is a terror that overtakes people. You have these catastrophes, the earthquakes, everything else associated with them, perhaps massive volcanoes, whatever. All of these upheavals on the earth. Naturally then the sun is blacked out and here are people in this terrifying situation and they are reduced to terror.

So come back to Revelation 6. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, a coarse garment. Sackcloth, that dark garment worn in mourning. Now the sun is in mourning, if you will, as it is darkened. The moon became like blood. It doesn't say the moon became blood. Some try to say, how can the moon become blood? It doesn't say it became blood, it says it became like blood. And again, it may be because of these catastrophes that that's the appearance that the moon will have.

Verse 13, the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by the wind. Now we look and say the stars are such massive bodies that they overwhelm the earth. Probably talking here of bodies like meteorites showering down on the earth, the devastation they would bring. We see on news reports from time to time concern, what would we do if a large meteor would be coming toward the earth? Would we be able to blow it out of the sky, divert its course? But here you have like a large meteor shower pouring down on the earth and bringing great destruction, like the heavens are collapsing on the earth and bringing the devastation to portions of the earth that they would bring.

Now keep in mind all these judgments don't have to take place everywhere in the world at the same time. We're not told how these are broken up, which ones spread and encompass a lot of the world. But you can understand parts of the world being destroyed and bringing great devastation. And perhaps parts of the world still escaping somewhat unscathed. But with the kind of judgment and extent of the judgments, if you didn't get caught in one you get caught in another as time moves along.

Turn over to Revelation 8:12. When we get to the fourth trumpet you're going to have the sun, moon and stars again affected by the judgments. Verse 12, the fourth angel sounded blowing the trumpet and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a athird of the stars were struck so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it and the night in the same way. And that prepares the way for woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth. Because now the judgments are really going to get bad. I mean, we think it is terrible here but now heaven declares woe to the earth because there are three trumpets to sound. And that will be terrible for the earth. But you understand after the trumpets there are seven bowls to be poured out. So the magnitude of the judgments is overwhelming.

Back in Revelation 6. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places. This trend of signs in the heavens, it looks like the heavens just rolling up. Sometimes with the clouds we get that idea as we talk about the clouds rolling in, rolling out. Here is going to be the picture, they look like they just rolled up like a scroll. Being split and rolling out like a scroll could be rolled out.

Come back to Isaiah 34. We'll read the context here so you see when we get to the particular verse you'll recognize it. Verse 1, draw near oh nations to hear, and listen oh peoples. Let the earth and all it contains hear and the world and all that springs from it. You'll note God is gracious. What does He say? Listen to me, listen to what I am saying. For the Lord's indignation is against all the nations and His wrath against all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter so their slain will be thrown out, their corpses will give off their stench. The mountains will be drenched with their blood. And all the host of heaven will wear away. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll. There is what we're told in Revelation. And all their host will wither away as a leaf withers on a vine, or one withers from the fig tree. Judgment, people whom I have devoted to destruction. This is a serious matter. People like to think of God as a loving God, and He is, but we get this picture of the grandfatherly figure up there who is tolerant and easygoing, overlooks all the problems and all the sins and all the rebellion because He is a gracious God, He is a merciful God. But you understand He is just as much a God of terror, a God of wrath, a God of judgment. And there is no measuring His love, and there is no measuring His wrath. When we get to chapter 14 we'll be talking about the wrath of God unmixed with mercy being poured out. I mean, how do you measure it? Well, like the love of God, you can't measure it. Neither can you measure His wrath, His anger when it is poured out on an unbelieving world. Those who have not repented and turned to Him.

So come back to Revelation 6. You can see the message of the prophets of the Old Testament now hundreds of years later nothing has changed as God completes His revelation to mankind. He just fills it out and connects it back to what He has already said. And nothing changed. God will do what He said He will do. In verse 14, every mountain and island were moved out of their places. You have the great earthquake and in this kind of context you could have tremendous volcanoes as well bringing this kind of action in the world, this moving of the mountains, the shaking of the earth. It's massive. We've seen these kinds of things on small scale but on the level that we're talking about here it is awesome to consider. This is not the final destruction that will take place. Under the seven bowls, over in chapter 16 verse 20, every island fled away and the mountains were not found. Then we'll get the hailstones that weight a hundred pounds coming down. So you see some of the judgments are repeated but they are greater in intensity. Now some people get confused on this and say these must be the same thing. And so they fail to appreciate the unfolding sequence in the book of Revelation. Just because you have an earthquake in one part of the world doesn't mean when we talk about the earthquake we're talking about the same one. There is more than one earthquake. So here God is bringing progressive devastation to the world so that when He is done you can say the world has been destroyed, by and large. And the people of the world have been destroyed because they are scarcer than pure gold. And that's the devastation that is going on through this time.

Verse 15, then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 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. People from all walks of life, the rich, the poor, the powerful, the weak, they are reduced to terror in the face of these judgments. But as we'll see that scripture makes clear in the book of Revelation as we move along, they are not reduced to repentance, they are reduced to terror. They will not repent. That will become clear as we move through these judgments. We don't appreciate how awful sin is and how hardened the sinner is. We get the idea that people, if they are treated nicely they will respond. We ought to treat people nicely, but that doesn't mean they will respond. God gives them mercy, He had His Son die for them, He extends His mercy and invitation to salvation to them, He pours out His wrath in judgment and terrorizes them. But none of this brings them to repentance by and large. In His grace there are people being saved during this time, but the vast majority of the world continues in its stubborn opposition and rebellion against God.

They are looking for places to hide. You'll note here the greater number here, the upper classes are mentioned more fully—the great men, the commanders, the rich, the strong because they are usually the ones that can escape. You know famines, well the rich and powerful are the last ones to feel the effects. When Israel or a nation was going through a famine, the king was the last one to starve. So you can think of the slave, the free man, those on the lower totem pole, you understand here, the rich and powerful are just as terrorized. When the earthquake shakes, their big houses fall down just like the little poorly made houses fall down. And they live with the darkened sun like the poor do and so on. So they are overtaken by these things. And you see that when God pours out His wrath man is revealed to be nothing in his terror now.

They hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They are looking for a hiding place. What do people do when there are earthquakes and those kinds of things? They get out of their buildings, they look for a place. Where can I go? Well where are you going to go? Go hide in the rocks of the mountains when the mountains are shaking? You know it's a terrorizing time, but they are looking for a place to hide. They said to the rocks and mountains, fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. They would rather be crushed and destroyed than have to face the judgment of God. You'd think they would fall on their faces and repent, God have mercy on us sinners. But they are looking to hide from Him in whatever way they can. We saw this when we looked at Isaiah 10. Hosea 10:8 refers to the same thing. They cry for the rocks to fall on them.

Look in Luke 23. Jesus is on the way to the crucifixion here and Simon of Cyrene has been pressed into service by the Romans to carry the cross that Christ could no longer carry. There is this crowd following, mourning and weeping and Jesus, verse 28, turning to them said, daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me. But weep for yourselves and your children for behold the days are coming when they will say, blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed. They will begin to say to the mountains, fall on us and to the hills, cover us. You see He refers back to prophecy in Hosea 10, Isaiah 2 as well. He says, you don't weep for Me now because the rejection of their Messiah has put them in the context that what is in the future for Israel are the horrible judgments that we are reading here. And terrible to have to have children to care for and especially young babies. An awful time to have that because when the world is falling apart, being destroyed, how do you care for them. And that just adds to the burdens of the people in that time.

Back to Revelation 6. They said to the mountains and the rocks, verse 16, fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne. They have a sense that this is caused by the hand of God. All man's rejection of God, denial of Him, and there is awareness this is the hand of God, this is beyond natural catastrophes. And hide us from the wrath of the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain, the One who is the Redeemer. It seems like a contradiction of terms here, the wrath of the Lamb. The One who is meek and lowly, humble in spirit is the One who pours out wrath that will overwhelm the world. Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb. This word, orges, wrath, used five other times in the book of Revelation.

From chapter 6 verse 16 we go to chapter 11 verse 18, just see the context here. The nations were enraged and your wrath came. The time came for the dead to be judged and you reward your bond servants and the faithful and destroy those who destroy the earth. You see the time of His wrath came. It is sure, it is a settled fact that God's wrath will come on this unbelieving world.

Look in chapter 14 verse 10, we move here toward the final judgment and an eternal hell that will come with the Great White Throne judgment in Revelation 20. He will also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. Undiluted wrath, there will be no mercy here. We have a hard time thinking of God sending people to an eternal hell, to suffering forever and ever. You know we need to appreciate the love of God in the context of the wrath of God and what the love of God has rescued and saved us from. God is capable of an infinite love, He is capable of an infinite wrath. When He sends people to hell it will be no mercy mixed in, undiluted wrath. So the wrath of God here in the context of His judgment.

Chapter 16 verse 19, the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath, the wrath of His anger. I mean, terrible thing. When God's anger is turned loose who can stand before it. In chapter 19 verse 15, we come to Armageddon with the return of Christ to earth to establish His kingdom. From His mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it He may strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And the enemies of God are just like grapes put in the vat to be trampled and the picture of them being destroyed under His wrath.

And that doesn't even deal with the word anger that appears numerous times in the book of Revelation. The wrath of the Lamb. People in the world recognize this. We get further on into the judgments they will be cursing God for the judgments He is sending on them. To be terrorized is not the same thing as repenting. They are crying for the rocks to hide them, but they are not crying out for mercy, they are not crying out for salvation. They are crying out to hide from the presence of God, from the wrath of the Lamb.

Back to Revelation 6. For the great day of their wrath has come and who is able to stand. This is an awesome concept. John 3:16, that great familiar verse. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son in order that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. But you go down to John 3:36, he that has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. He lives under the wrath of God. Begins to be poured out here during this seven years. The world is destroyed, culminates in Armageddon with the destruction of the wicked. But the final consummation will be after the millennium and the sentencing to an eternal hell of the wicked. So an awesome time.

The great day of their wrath has come. I want you to note something about that. The great day of their wrath has come, past tense. We are already into the sixth seal, past tense. Some try to take this and it confuses their understanding of Revelation that we're on the brink now of the wrath of God, the wrath of God is right before us. That's not what it says, it says it has come, it has already come. We've already experienced six seals and they recognize this is the time of the wrath of God and of the Lamb. That's their wrath, the one who sits on the throne referring to the Father and the wrath of the Lamb because their wrath has come. It has already come, past tense. It is not future. We have that right. Some want to say the wrath of God does not begin until later in the tribulation, everything before that is the wrath of man or the wrath of Satan. Problem with the pre-wrath Rapture. The wrath has come, past tense, we are into the wrath of God here.

And who is able to stand. They recognize nobody can stand before the face of His wrath. It's a fight to the end. What is Satan fighting about? He can read the book of Revelation, he knows scripture. Here are these people brought to realize, maybe some of them will be saved, the result of the recognition of this wrath. Some are saved so as by fire, the book of Jude tells us. And so the fear here may bring them to genuine repentance. But for the vast majority of people it's just a terrifying time and they recognize though in this context they can't stand against the wrath of God.

We've looked at a number of passages so we're not going to go back and look at the context of some of them again. But go to Malachi 4:1, for behold the day is coming, burning like a furnace. And all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff. The day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts so it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. You will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall, tread down the wicked, and so on, under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing. Verse 5, behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And we'll talk about that as we get further into Revelation.

This awesome time, the great and terrible day of the Lord, coming destruction. You know we sometimes think, why wouldn't people repent? But think of it from another perspective. If you and I really believe this would it not cause us to overcome our embarrassment, our reluctance to tell people about the salvation that is available now? This is a day of grace, a day of salvation. He that has the Son has life, he that has not the Son shall not see life. The wrath of God abides on him, present tense the word abide there. They live under the wrath of God. If we really believed it would I be afraid to tell them that there is coming wrath. You know you live under the wrath of God, that wrath that will be poured out on an unbelieving world in the days ahead, perhaps not too far ahead. And it will then finally be poured out when men and women are sentenced to an eternal hell. But you know you don't have to face the wrath of God. Jesus Christ is the One who delivers us from wrath to come. I Thessalonians 1:9, you turn to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus who rescues us from wrath to come. There is no other escape. The world cannot fix itself, there is no true peace coming in all the plans of man. There is judgment coming and we are entrusted with a message. Any wonder Paul could say, we beg you in Christ's place, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Am I ashamed of the Word of God, ashamed to tell people what is in their future? I have bad news for you, the world is not going to get better, it's going to get worse. And that's not the baddest news I have for you. After that there is an eternal hell. But I have good news for you, there is a Savior and if you will believe in Him you will be spared from wrath to come. What do I do? Recognize your sin, recognize your guilt, turn from your sin and place your faith in the Savior who loved you and died for you, who was raised from the dead. He is alive and He'll cleanse you from your sin. He bore God's wrath Himself so you wouldn't have to. Why will you die, God asks through the Old Testament writers? Why will you die? You don't have to, I'll save you. That's the message we have.

So the question first is for us who claim to be believers, do we really believe what we just studied, that wrath is coming. Do we believe it so much that we don't want people to have to face this wrath, the wrath of an angry God. We can tell them about the Savior that we know. Somebody told us, now we can tell them. And God in His grace touches hearts and saves people even today, which is a day of grace.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your salvation. Even if we contemplate the terrible times ahead for this world, we are reminded you are a God of justice, you are a God of holiness, you are a God of anger and of wrath. But Lord you are a God of mercy and love, you extend your grace and mercy to lost sinners today. We are testimonies of that, trophies of your grace, testimonies in the world that God saves sinners. Lord, may we take this to heart, not only as we are privileged to know what you have planned for the future, but to know the salvation that delivers us from coming wrath. Lord, may we take this to heart as we have opportunity to talk to friends and family and contacts at work and in various phases of our lives, to share with them that there is a Savior. You need the Savior, you are lost in your sin, you are without hope in the world. I know, I was once, too. But Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for sin so that when we believe in Him we might have life. He is alive and we can live in Him. We praise you for this truth. In Christ's name, amen.