Showing posts with label wrath of god. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrath of god. Show all posts

Monday, August 18, 2014

THE WRATH OF GOD

“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth” (Revelation 16:1).

There is a time coming when God will judge the world for rejecting His Son and for sin. It will be a day of wrath and judgment. In the Bible, this time is descriptively called the Wrath of God (Colossians 3:6; Revelation 14:9-10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1). In some passages, it is called the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15; 2:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). It will be a day of vengeance when God’s wrath will be expressed in the form of seven plagues poured out upon the earth. There will be much physical pain and trouble for the inhabitants of earth at that time. Some have taught that the plagues of God’s wrath are part of the Great Tribulation. That is not the case according to the Bible (see Tribulation or Wrath?).

The seven plagues in the Book of Revelation constitute the outpouring of the Wrath of God (Revelation 11:18;16:1 with the following references). The plagues unleashed by the seven trumpets described in Revelation 8:6-13, 9:1-21, and 11:15-19 are not the same as the seven plagues described in Revelation 16:1-21. Only the seven bowls poured out by angels of God are called “the seven bowls of the wrath of God” (Revelation 16:1). These plagues described in the Book of Revelation are the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a sinful world (Revelation 18:4, 8). Since the Great Tribulation is demonic persecution (under the direction of the Beast) rather than godly judgment, it should be clear that the seven plagues of God’s wrath are not part of the Great Tribulation.

Failure to recognize only as the “wrath of God” the last seven plagues described in the Book of Revelation can lead to confusion about end-time events. Some believe and teach that the trumpets and the bowls are the same seven plagues described twice in the Book of Revelation. Even though the plagues unleashed by the trumpets and those poured out from the bowls describe slightly similar judgments, the two different descriptions for each plague can be compared to see that both descriptions not apply to the same event. There is only one set of seven plagues that is identified as the wrath of God, and it is not described twice in the Book of Revelation, but once - in Revelation 16:1-21. (See Appendix C: Two Different Sets of Seven Plagues Compared for more information on the seven plagues of the Wrath of God.)

Christians are not destined to suffer the Wrath of God (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 18:4). Through faith in Christ Jesus, He has delivered us from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Therefore, Christians will not suffer the Wrath of God.

The Beast and non-Christians will suffer terribly during the Wrath of God (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; Revelation 9:3-6; 16:9-11). Even though they refuse to repent, they will be forced to acknowledge that Christ Jesus is the Lord of all (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9, 11; 11:13; Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11). Since no one repents during the Wrath of God, it would appear that no one is saved during the Wrath of God (Acts 3:19; 11:18). Like the flood of Noah’s days, the Wrath of God is a time of punishment, not a time of correction (Matthew 24:36-39; Genesis 6:5-8, 13, 17; Genesis 7:13-24).

SUMMARY

Term Definition:

The Wrath of God is a scriptural term referring to a specific period of time when God will punish the Beast and those who worship him (Revelation 14:9-11). This outpouring of God’s wrath will take the form of seven plagues (Revelation 16:1-21). The Wrath of God is sometimes called the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15; 2:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9).

Significance of the Wrath of God:

The Wrath of God is a time of punishment for the Beast and all those who worship him and take his mark during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 14:9-11). The Wrath of God is God’s judgment upon sin and sinners (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6).

Source of the Wrath of God:

The Wrath of God comes from God (Romans 2:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 15:6-7). It is performed by angels under His command (Revelation 16:1).

Length of the Wrath of God:

The length of the Wrath of God is not explicitly given in the Bible, though it is found “between the lines” by comparing the length of the Great Tribulation (3 ½ years = 1,260 days) to the timing provided by the prophet Daniel (12:11). 30 days seems to be the length of the wrath of God. (See the diagram below, How long is the Great Tribulation and The 70 weeks of Daniel for more information on the subject.)




Events Prior to the Wrath of God:

The Great Tribulation occurs before the Wrath of God. Immediately after the Great Tribulation (but before the Wrath of God) certain signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-14; and Appendix D). Also, the Lord Jesus will be seen by the people on earth as He returns to gather His people (Matthew 24:27, 30-21; Revelation 6:15-17).

Events of the Wrath of God:

The primary events associated with the Wrath of God are the seven plagues poured out in judgment upon the earth and its inhabitants (Revelation 16:1-21).

God During the Wrath of God:

God’s judgment and punishment will be poured out as seven plagues upon those who remain on the earth after the Rapture. God will be a shelter for His people (Joel 3:9-16).

Christians During the Wrath of God:

Most Christians will be in heaven during the Wrath of God (Revelation 7:9-17; 15:1-4). There will be 144,000 Israelites who are sealed to protect them against the plagues of the trumpets (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5). Two witnesses will participate in the outpouring of the plagues of the seven trumpets while they witness against the people of the earth (Revelation 11:3-13). The Beast will kill God’s two witnesses between the sixth and seventh trumpets (Revelation 11:7). The people of God will not suffer the plagues of the Wrath of God contained in the bowls (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1:9-10; Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 7:2-3).

Satan During the Wrath of God:

Satan (the dragon) will gather the people of the earth at Armageddon to fight against God during the Wrath of God (Revelation 16:13-14).

Beast During the Wrath of God:

The Beast will suffer severe punishment during the Wrath of God (Revelation 16:10-11). The Beast, Satan, and the False Prophet will gather the people together at Armageddon to fight against God (Revelation 16:13-14).

Non-Christians During the Wrath of God:

Non-Christians will suffer punishment during the Wrath of God (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; Revelation 9:3-6; 16:9-11). They will blaspheme God (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). They will refuse to repent for their evil (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9, 11). They will be forced to give God the glory due Him (Revelation 11:13; Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11).

Events Following the Wrath of God:

Satan will be bound for 1000 years and the Millennium will begin (Revelation 20:1-4).

Scripture references for the Wrath of God:

Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 17:22-30; Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5-9; Romans 5:9; Romans 14:11; Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 6:12-17; Revelation 14:7-12, 17-20; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 18:4, 8; Revelation 19:11-21; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1-11, 28-32; Joel 3:12-16; Zechariah 14:1-15; Isaiah 2:10-21; Isaiah 13:1-16; Isaiah 24:1-23; Isaiah 26:20-21; Isaiah 63:1-6; Ezekiel7:1-27.



Wednesday, August 6, 2014

TRIBULATION OR WRATH?

For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know” (1 Thessalonians 3:4 NKJV)).

“…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10 NKJV).


As mentioned in the first chapter, all events of the Great Tribulation occur before any events of the Wrath of God. Therefore, the first step necessary for understanding end-time events is to get a clear understanding of the difference between the Great Tribulation and Wrath of God. Unless this difference is clearly understood, it is virtually impossible to understand end-time events. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the major differences between the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God. (Each of those time periods are covered in detail in following chapters.)

The Great Tribulation

An important clue to remember when studying end-time events is that the Great Tribulation is demonic in origin. It includes the persecution and killing of many people by Satan‘s emissary—the Beast. The Beast (also called the Antichrist) will reign during the Great Tribulation. He will demand worship and conquer many countries. The Great Tribulation will be a time of intense evil. The source of the Great Tribulation is Satan (Revelation 13:2-4). Satan‘s purpose for the Great Tribulation is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). A major characteristic of the Great Tribulation is the deception of those who do not love the truth (2 Thessalonians2:9-12).

The Wrath of God

The Wrath of God is godly judgment against evil. This judgment takes the form of seven plagues poured out against the Beast and those who worship him. These seven plagues are administered by the angels of God. The purpose of the Wrath of God is to punish the Beast and his followers (Revelation 14:9-10). The major characteristic of the Wrath of God is severe punishment of those who do not belong to God.

The Difference

The Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God are two separate events coming from two different sources for two different purposes. The Great Tribulation is a time of intense persecution. It is instigated by Satan through the Beast in an effort to deceive people and cause them to worship him instead of Christ. The Wrath of God is a time of judgment which will be poured out upon the world by God. Its purpose is to punish the Beast and those who have taken his mark during the Great Tribulation.


The differences between the Great Tribulation and Wrath of God have been summarized in this chapter. More details about each of these time periods are given in later chapters.