Prepare Yourself for Jesus’ return (part 5)

Jesus Opens the Scroll in God’s Right Hand

7.16.2023

Review

Ephesians 1:10 (JB Phillips Translation)

For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: He purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in Him.

We are living in an unprecedented time just prior to Jesus’ return.

This is part 5.

We’ve talked about the time period we are in as the time period at the close of the age of grace and the time just before Jesus returns.

It is a time of judgment.

It is a time of God’s miracle-working power helping His people in not only meeting their needs, but in helping them minister to people who have no clue what is going on.

It’s a time of getting close to God and keeping your heart clean and open to Him.

It’s a time of getting serious with the BIble and letting it fill your mind and heart!

Today

I was taking a walk and praying yesterday when the Lord spoke to me to change my message and show you what will be happening in the future from the book of Revelation!

Now this is straight from Jesus himself to John the Apostle.

What we will be covering is NOT hearsay. Jesus showed John the future just before He returns.

So, here we go!

The Apostle John was on the isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea just off the coast of modern day Turkey. He was the last Apostle of the Lamb alive on earth.

Domitian was a cruel Roman Emperor who persecuted Christians and had banished John to this island because of John’s belief in Jesus and the Bible.

While there, Jesus appears to John and shows John what will happen before His return to earth. John knew Jesus in His ministry before His death, but it must have been amazing to see Jesus in His glorified state here in the vision!

Revelation 1:10-19 (NKJV)

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Revelation 4 begins the series of events in the book of Revelation that will bring about what Jesus mentions in Matthew 24 with the birth pains, then the great tribulation, then the rapture of the church and then the Day of the Lord judgments which include trumpet judgments and bowl judgments.

So, after talking to John about the condition of the churches in Asia Minor, or today it would be Turkey, Jesus begins to show John what will happen before He returns to earth.

Revelation means an unveiling of what is hidden from sight.

We know what will happen in our future because of what Jesus revealed to John while he was on this island.

Revelation 4 (NKJV)

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

The title deed to earth is in God’s right hand!

Revelation 5 (NKJV)

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

It is amazing that hundreds of years before John, the prophet Ezekiel saw the scroll in God’s hand too!

Ezekiel 2:9-10 (NKJV)

Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

I submit to you that this scroll is God’s title deed to planet earth!

Remember that God gave mankind authority under His all authority to rule over planet earth and to take care of it (Genesis 1:26-27). When Adam and Eve sinned, this authority was immediately transferred to Satan, who at that time became the legal controller of things on the earth. Adam, in essence, committed high treason against God when He disobeyed his Creator, and his God-bequeathed authority over the earth was by default given to Satan. It was a treasonous act!

Satan’s reign of stealing, killing, and destroying on earth has created a history of turmoil and suffering that will one day end when God comes to legally stop Satan in his tracks, judge him and all the men and nations that yield to his darkened ways, and cleanse the earth from all moral and physical blemishes.

The book of Revelation is God coming to repossess the earth that rightfully belongs to Him by judging nations, men, and the demonic hosts of hell that work with Lucifer to hold the earth in bondage to darkness and rebellion.

The book of Revelation is God cleansing the earth of all contamination resulting from the fall of man and bringing it back to its pristine condition enjoyed before Adam’s sin. So again, the scroll in God’s right hand shows that He alone is owner of the earth. The scroll represents His title deed to this planet. When the scroll is opened, His re-taking of this planet from Satan and His demonic hosts of darkness begins.

Scrolls

A normal scroll in John’s days was up to eighteen inches in length, and was made of papyrus and only one side was used for writing. However, the scroll in God’s hand has writing on both sides. Some scrolls were also made of animal skins (like antelope) and were specially prepared so that both sides of the skin could be written on. These skins were then sewn together. Some of these scrolls could become lengthy, as was the one in God’s right hand.

The scroll in God’s right hand reminds us that God sits in a place of power. The seven seals tell us that the document was very important. Sealed documents were kept in a secure location and brought back out at the appropriate time.

Seals

On most documents, the seal was a piece of twine wrapped around the scroll and then fastened by a piece of hot wax or clay. The wax while hot, or the clay while soft, was impressed with the signet ring of the person who wrote it. This protected the message from being read by anyone other than the person to whom it was sent. The seal could not be broken without being detected, since it was sealed by the person it was from.

In the 1^st century, wills, deeds to land, slave owner records, or military documents or scrolls were sealed. Under Roman law, to break a seal without permission was punishable by death. It was a capital offense.

A scroll with seven seals was very unusual. Seven in the Bible is the number of perfection. So, this was a scroll of high significance to God. A museum in Jerusalem has an exhibit of ancient scrolls in the Middle East, and it is extremely rare to find one with seven seals. Many scrolls have one, two or three seals, and rarely can you find one from that era of time with seven.

This scroll had seven seals, so ALL of the seals had to be broken before the scroll could be unrolled and the contents read.

So, in Revelation the seven seals had to be broken before the scroll could be read, and when the seventh seal was broken, then the trumpet judgments found in Revelation 8-11 began. At the last trumpet judgment the bowl judgments are poured out found in Revelation 16.

Sequential

The seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments do not run at the same time as many commentators assert. They run one after another, and form a sequence of events as God cleanses the earth of the discordant elements of sin before Jesus returns.

Without this understanding, the book of Revelation is very difficult to understand. But, if you understand this, then it begins to gel together and form a clear roadmap for Jesus’ return.

Revelation 5:2-4 (NKJV)

Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

The strong angel with a loud voice indicated that this scroll was very important, and needed to be opened by a person with the authority to do so. A person had to have the authority to open the scroll. To have the authority to open the scroll means the man had to have the ability to carry out what was written in it.

Had to be able to perform the contents of the scroll.

He had to first of all have the authority to break the seals. In the first century, only the person the scroll was sent to could open it. That person alone had the authority to open it. That means that he must be the person the owner of the scroll sent it to. Then, he had to be able to perform what is written in the scroll.

A wide search

There was a universe-wide search for the person who had the authority to open the scroll, but none was found. John wept because no person could open the scroll. In fact, the original text mentions strong crying, or you could say uncontrollable sobbing.

John knew that the important scroll with seven seals, written on inside and out, was God’s title deed to planet earth, and that it MUST be opened by a worthy person. It contained the events of the rest of the book of Revelation. The scroll would bring to pass the Millennial reign of Christ and would cause the earth to be renewed, freed from the curse. And then the earth would enter the eternity that God created for it.

If the scroll could not be opened, then Christ could not return, and all of the injustices of the ages would not be corrected, and Satan could not be dismissed from his tyrannical reign. If the scroll was not opened, then the earth could not be freed from the curse placed on it when man sinned. And the new heavens and earth would not come about. John was despondent to the point that he could not even look at the scroll.

No one was found worthy to open the scroll because no one was found who had the authority to carry out the contents of the scroll. The person opening the scroll had to be able to break all seven seals and bring to pass what would happen when the seals were broken. If all the seals were not broken, then the seventh seal would not be broken and the trumpets could not be blown and the bowl judgments would not be emptied out when the 7^th trumpet sounded.

Revelation 5:5 (NKJV)

But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

The Lion of the tribe of Judah speaks of the tribe from which the Messiah was said to come. Jacob prophesied before he died about where the Messiah would come from:

Genesis 49:10 (NLT)

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.

The symbol of the tribe of Judah was the lion. God promised that from David’s descendants would come a redeemer that would sit on Israel’s throne for eternity. This descendant would fulfill God’s promise to Abraham and to David:

Jesus begins to break the seals on the scroll in Revelation 6. Matthew 24 is a parallel chapter to Revelation 6.

We will find in chapter 6 that when the first seal is broken, a rider on a white horse is shown, pointing to false christs. This is the antiChrist, who seeks to make the world a controlled utopian place. His plans will fail!

When the second seal is broken, it is pointing to a time of war.

When the third seal is broken, it shows a black horse and rider, referring to famine.

Then a fourth seal is broken, showing a pale horse and rider, meaning disease and death come upon the earth.

The fifth seal reveals martyrs slain because of their faith in Christ and His Word. This seal will be opened during the midpoint of the seven years we call tribulation and begins the Great Tribulation.

The sixth seal reveals cosmic disturbances where the sun, moon, and stars darken, which are a sign that the Day of the Lord is about to begin.

The sixth seal cuts short the Great Tribulation. It is not found in the Bible that the Great Tribulation is 3-1/2 years. It is cut short by this sixth seal.

The seventh seal begins the Day of the Lord in Revelation 8 when God’s wrath is poured out and the seven trumpet judgments begin.

From Daniel 9 we learn that there are 7 years of time where God deals with Israel that are not yet fulfilled. God showed Daniel 490 years of Israel’s future, of which 483 are fulfilled. And that time clock stopped when Jesus was crucified.

An undetermined time of 2000 years now has elapsed and we may be the generation to see the last 7 years fulfilled.

Some kind of (peace) treaty between Israel and its neighbors is enacted, which starts the last 7 years before Jesus’ return, and hardship will intensify during those 7 years.

War, inflation, famine, death,persecution , martyrdom, and solar disturbances are a part of this time.

A one-world government will come into force.

A Jewish temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

The world leader we call antiChrist will violate the rebuilt temple and break his agreement with Israel.

This will begin a time of great persecution of Jews and Christians. It will probably be because of our moral stance against sexual sin.

Several years into this 7 year period, the wrath of God begins. Nature turns violent. This is called the Day of the Lord.

Revelation 8 begins the trumpet judgments on earth after the antiChrist begins his reign. This is the beginning of the wrath of God, which begins with the Day of the Lord

Meteorites hit the earth. This begins the wrath and judgment of God. These things are coming. Judgment is coming. We must pray and share Jesus with people!

I believe we will see a prewrath rapture.

We leave in the rapture of the church when the sun, moon, and stars darken with some kind of cosmic disturbance.

Thomas Horne had a vision about 4 years ago with a date and name of an asteroid (apophis- the Greek god of destruction) that hits the earth – April 13, 2029. That could be the fulfillment of Revelation 8.

Thomas Horn – The Wormwood Prophecy.https://www.amazon.com/Wormwood-Prophecy-Cover-up-End-Time-Proportions-ebook/dp/B07VLKTHS6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26RP64B5J6LJT&keywords=The+Wormwood+Prophecy&qid=1689358537&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+wormwood+prophecy%2Cdigital-text%2C104&sr=1-1

Thomas Horne – The Messenger.

https://www.amazon.com/Messenger-Towards-Carrying-Americas-Tomorrow-ebook/dp/B08RL6857J/ref=sr_1_11?crid=2EYHOABOVO1N0&keywords=The+Messenger&qid=1689358608&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+messenger%2Cdigital-text%2C108&sr=1-11

Be ready. Don’t just think about today. Think about your future in eternity.

Action Points:

1. Get close to the Lord. Be involved in daily Bible reading, prayer, and in regular attendance in a local church.
2. Pray for your family and friends to come to know Jesus as Lord.
3. Encourage others with the hope of Jesus’ return!

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Additional Information

I believe that the seven years of Daniel’s seventieth week (commonly called The Tribulation) are divided up into three specific periods that are shown in scripture.

 

Chart of the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church

 

The first period is called by Jesus the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:4-8).

It is also spoken of in Revelation 6: 1-8.

This period will begin with some kind of peace treaty made by the antiChrist between Israel and her enemies.

Daniel 9:27 (NLT)

The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

Many believe that when the antiChrist makes this peace treaty we will be raptured immediately. I believed this for a long time. I preached it. But now I see there is simply not one scripture in the Bible that confirms that belief.

This pretribulation rapture is believed because those who believe it see the entire 7 years of what is called tribulation as the Day of the Lord and as an outpouring of the wrath of God.

We will be here for the first part of Daniel’s 70th week (the tribulation) and will endure the wrath of man – the persecution of the antiChrist…

1 Thessalonians 5:9, and Romans 5:9 both tell us that we as Christians are immune from the wrath of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NKJV)

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:9 (NKJV)

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

The wrath of God in this 7 year period does not start until near the end of it during the day of the Lord. And we will be raptured before that time…

But not one scripture tells us that we are immune from persecution…

This persecution starts with the period of birth pains – the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:4-8 (TPT)

Jesus answered, “At that time deception will run rampant. So beware that you are not fooled! 5 For many will appear on the scene claiming my authority or saying about themselves, ‘I am God’s Anointed,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 “You will hear of wars nearby and revolutions on every side, with more rumors of wars to come. Don’t panic or give in to your fears, for the breaking apart of the world’s systems is destined to happen. But it won’t yet be the end; it will still be unfolding. 7 “Nations will go to war against each other and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be terrible earthquakes—seismic events of epic proportion, horrible epidemics and famines in place after place. 8 This is how the first contractions and birth pains (KJV-the beginning of sorrows) of the new age will begin!

The second period is called The Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:9-28).

This is the period when the antiChrist breaks his covenant of peace with Israel, desecrates the rebuilt Jewish temple, and then begins to kill Jews and Christians in the Middle East on a wide scale. This great tribulation is also mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11.

Matthew 24:9-26 (TPT)

You can expect to be persecuted, even killed; for you will be hated by all the nations because of your love for me. 10 Then many will stop following me and fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many lying prophets will arise, deceiving multitudes and leading them away from the path of truth. 12 There will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold. 13 But keep your hope to the end and you will experience life and deliverance. 14 “Yet through it all, this joyful assurance of the realm of heaven’s kingdom will be proclaimed all over the world, providing every nation with a demonstration of the reality of God. And after this the end of this age will arrive.” 15 “When you witness what Daniel prophesied, ‘the disgusting destroyer,’ (abomination of desecration) taking its stand in the Holy Place [let the reader learn], 16 then those in the land of Judah must escape to the higher ground. 17 On that day, if you happen to be outside, don’t go back inside to gather belongings. 18 And if you’re working out in the field, don’t run back home to get a coat. 19 It will be especially hard for pregnant women and for those nursing their babies in those days. 20 So pray that your escape will not be during the winter months or on a Sabbath. 21 For this will be a time of great misery (great tribulation) beyond the magnitude of anything the world has ever seen or ever will see. Unless God limited those days, no one would escape. 22 But because of his love for those chosen to be his, he will shorten that time of trouble. 23 “And you will hear reports from some, saying, ‘Look, he has returned,’ ‘The Messiah is over here,’ or ‘The Messiah is over there!’ Don’t believe it. 24 For there will be imposters falsely claiming to be God’s ‘Anointed One,’ and false prophets will arise to perform miracle signs to lead astray, if possible, those God has chosen to be his. 25 Remember this, for I prophesy it will happen! 26 So if someone says to you, ‘Look, the Anointed One has returned! He’s in the desert,’ don’t go chasing after him. Or if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s here in our house,’ don’t believe it.

Matthew 24:27-28 ()TPT

27 The appearing of the Son of Man will burst forth with the brightness of a lightning strike that shines from one end of the sky to the other, illuminating the earth. 28 How do birds of prey know where the dead body is? They just know instinctively, and so you will know when I appear.

The antiChrist will begin to persecute Jews and Christians on a large scale…In the Middle EAST And maybe beyond…

His terrible time will be cut short…

Next, the rapture of the church occurs. You could call it a pre-wrath rapture. It’s just before the Day of the Lord begins.

There will be cosmic disturbances that will precede the rapture of the church and will signal both the rapture of the church and the beginning of the Day of the Lord (Matthew 24:29-31).

This is also seen in Revelation 6:12-17.

Matthew 24:29-31

“Immediately after the anguish of those days (the great tribulation), the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. (30) And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world —from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

This is NOT the Second Coming of Christ. This is the Rapture of the church to heaven.

Revelation 6:12-17

I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one 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 survive?”

Revelation 7:1-17 (NKJV)

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NKJV)

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

The third period is called the Day of the Lord, and is the beginning of the wrath of God being poured out on the enemies of the kingdom of God.

The Day of the Lord is when the wrath of God begins to be poured out on the earth. Those who believe that the rapture of the church will occur at the beginning of this 7-year period we call tribulation also believe that the entire period of 7 years is the Day of the Lord, but it is not! The Day of the Lord starts after the rapture of the church which is right after the cosmic disturbances happen.

This period is mentioned clearly in Revelation 6:17, and in Revelation 8 with the breaking of the seventh seal and the blowing of the seven trumpets that start the Day of the Lord judgements.

After the rapture, the Trumpet Judgments begin after the 7th seal is opened in Revelation 8. This signifies the beginning of the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord is the outpouring of the wrath of God on God’s enemies.

Because Jesus suffered God’s wrath for us, we are immune from wrath!

The Day of the Lord is spoken of frequently in scripture:

According to scripture, the day of the Lord is more than a 24 hour period. It is a time period that moves through a sequence of events where God judges through wrath the disobedience of mankind, the nations that reject His plans, and Satan as the thief that ruined His plan for a Father and His family. This Day of the Lord culminates in the Second Coming of Christ to earth, and ushers in the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth which ends with us living in the New Heavens and New Earth with God as our Father and we His sons and daughters.

 

The Day of the Lord begins with the opening of the 6th seal in Revelation 6:12, and the Cosmic Disturbances that occur.

 

In the darkness of that hour, Jesus comes in the brightness of His Glory, lights up the sky, and takes us to heaven in the Rapture of the church…

 

After we believers are Raptured (Rev.7:9), the Day of the Lord begins.

 

It’s a time of intense judgment. There is nothing nice or positive about the Day of the Lord…

 

Listen to what the Bible says about the Day of the Lord…

Isaiah 2:12-22 -NIV

The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), (13) for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, (14) for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, (15) for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, (16) for every trading ship and every stately vessel. (17) The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, (18) and the idols will totally disappear. (19) Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. (20) In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. (21) They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. (22) Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

 

Isaiah 13:6-13 -NKJV

Hail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. (7) Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, (8) And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. (9) Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. (10) For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. (11) “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

 

Isaiah 34:4,8 -NKJV

All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree. (8) For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Joel 1:15-20 -NKJV

Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty. (16) Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? (17) The seed shrivels under the clods, storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, for the grain has withered. (18) How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, because they have no pasture; Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. (19) O Lord, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field. (20) The beasts of the field also cry out to You, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the open pastures.

 

Joel 2:10-11 -NKJV

The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (11) The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it?

 

Joel 2:30-32 – NKJV

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. (32) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

 

Joel 3:14-16 -NKJV

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (15) The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. (16) The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

 

***Amos 5:18-20 NKJV

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. (19) It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! (20) Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?

 

Zephaniah 1:14-2:3 -NKJV

The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. (15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (16) a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. (17) “I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.” (18) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land. (2:1) Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, (2) Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! (3) Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Zechariah 14:1-4 -NKJV

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. (2) For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. (4) And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

 

Acts 2:19-21

I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. (20) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. (21) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

 

2 Peter 3:10-13 -NKJV

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

(12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

(13) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 – NKJV

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. (2) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (3) For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 -NKJV

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

 

The day of the Lord encompasses a period of time that immediately follows the rapture of the church, and includes God’s wrath, judgment on, and repossession of the world system that has been stolen by Satan from Adam. It is an intense time. There is nothing nice or positive about it from a believer’s perspective.

And the good news is, the church will be in heaven during this time of God’s wrath.