"Let all of the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming, it is close at hand." - Joel
2:1
The coming "Day of Wrath"
- also known as the "Day of the Lord" and the "Tribulation"
- is one of the most pervasive subjects in the Bible. Yet, the organized
churches often give it only a cursory examination. Or, worse, they short-change
much of what is integral to an adequate understanding. This page will attempt
to give the reader a basic foundation upon which to build.
First, it is important to note that God's Day of Wrath will be the most distressing and cataclysmic event in the history of the world (Matt. 24:21). But, it will NOT be the end of the earth. Rather, it will be the end of the "world". The distinction being: the planet earth will not perish. Civilization, governments, cities, armies - all the "works" of man in this world - will be destroyed in preparation for the return of God's Messiah and a righteous theocracy under Christ.
The predominant theme of the Tribulation is one of judgement. This is established irrefutably by the prophet Zephaniah: "And I will bring distress upon men....because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung" (Zeph 1:17 Amplified). However, even the righteous will suffer during this time as God will use it to "test, to refine, to purify and to make those among God's people white..."(Dan. 11:35 Amplified).
What will this period entail ? The prophets foretell that this event will be truly worldwide in its scope: "The slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth to the other" (Jer. 25:32-33) and that most of mankind will perish: "the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few people are left" (Isa. 24:6). Jesus even states that "except those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved" (Matt. 24:22). An earthquake will occur that will be so severe that "...every island [will flee] and no mountain [will] be found" (Rev. 16: 18-20). It will be a time of "clouds and thick darkness" (Zeph. 1:14-15) and the remnant that survives will be tormented by plagues to such a degree that they "will seek death and not find it" (Rev. 9:6). Clearly, there is no way to overstate the severity of what is going to befall mankind on that day.
God will use heathen and hostile nations to effect His punishments (Ezek. 38:4); unlike events after the Millenial Reign when He Himself will slay the wicked from above (Ezek. 38:22). The Tribulation will last for 3 1/2 years (Dan. 12:7, Rev. 11:2-3) and will come in the midst of a week (Dan. 9:27). This "week" - like the Rapture - is a subject of much debate within the church. However, rather than try and sway the reader, this author suggests that PREPARATION IS PRUDENT.
Despite the horrific nature of these pending events, there is hope of survival for God's people in numerous Bible passages: "Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while till the Lord's wrath is past" (Isa. 26:20). In Jesus' parable of the ten virgins, we are given hope in an exhortation to prepare for His return by taking extra "lamp oil" (Matt. 25: 1-13) and by "fleeing" when the End is near (Mark 13:14). The key is to watch (Mark 13:35-37) for signs the wrath of the Lamb is about to unfold.
NOTE: Eschatological news and analysis of current events involving the nations of prophecy is available by joining the INNER CIRCLE email group. If you wish to be placed on the IC mailing list, send an email to jeck1335(at)yahoo.com. You may also request a sample email first, if you are unsure of what these mailings entail.