Saturday, September 15, 2007
2 Peter 3:7- 13 The Day Of The Lord
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
He tells the godly that God's long patience will hasten their repentance
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
and exhorts them to holiness of life
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Premill.. I believe the next great event of history will be the rapture of the saints out of this world.
Then the tribulation period in which the Antichrist sets himself up on the throne in a rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and proclaims himself as God. At the end of that 7 year tribulation period, all the nations will surround Jerusalem for war, and the Lord Jesus will return place His feet on the Mount of olives, in Jerusalem and defend Jerusalem.
He will then commence His millennial reign in Jerusalem a thousand years of peace on earth. Satan at the end of that 1000 years will lead a rebellion at the end of which he will be cast into the Lake of fire for eternity. Then will commence the eternal reign of Christ with believers in a new heaven and a new earth.
The problem with this is that Peter seems to have a different view. He says that the Day of the Lord will see the heavens and earth completely destroyed by fire.
Lord Jesus aid in John 5 25 “I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has granted Him the right to pass judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.
The old creeds said: Nicene Creed And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead.
The Athanasian Creed 39. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God [God the Father] Almighty.40. From whence [thence] he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; 42. And shall give account for their own works. 43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
Daniel 12: There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape.2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt.
Zechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
Are we stuck with an irreconcilable problem? How do we reconcile these scriptures?
Is there going to be a tribulation time? Is there going to be a thousand year reign of Christ on earth? Or will there be a total renovation of the earth. Just one big day when the whole lot ends. CH Spurgeon said of election and human responsibility, these are not enemies to be reconciled, but friends to be understood. So here. The issue is the term in 2 Peter 3 “The day Of The Lord”
The day of the Lord Joel 2:1 Blow the horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near— 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dense overcast, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great
Amos 5:18 Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will the Day of the Lord be for you? It will be darkness and not light. 19 It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20 Won’t the Day of the Lord be darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it?
Isa 61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn
Ezek 30:3 For a day is near; a day belonging to the Lord is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
The Day Of The Lord. When we read the word Day. We think wow one day very soon at one moment its all going to happen. But the term “Day of the Lord” has a very specific theological purpose and meaning. It indicates a period of time that begins on One day and extends for, I believe a little over 1000 years. The day Of The Lord includes the Rapture Ruin Revelation, reign Rebellion and renewal.
Rapture 1st Thessalonians 4:16 "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Did you get that? "The Lord Himself shall descend." Not a substitute, not a spirit, not a saint, but the Lord Himself. The angels said to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into the heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." And Jesus Himself said, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." " "the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." Who are the dead in Christ? Those believers who are now with the Lord. Why should they rise first? I don't know, unless it's because they're lower down than we are, for their bodies are in the sea and the soil. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth shall be caught up. The words "caught up" are interesting. They mean "to carry off by force." The devil, who is the prince of the power of the air, and his demons, won't want to see us go or let us go. So the Lord Himself will come down, and with supernatural force He'll snatch us out and away, and will carry us off speedily to be with Him. Are you wondering, "How long will it take for this to transpire?" The Bible answers, "in a moment." We get our word "atom" from that word. It refers to that which can't be cut in two. So the Christians will be caught up in an atomic moment, in an instant of time so small that it can't be divided. What an experience that will be! One moment in grief, the next in glory; with a body that's perfect in health, holiness and happiness. Will you be "in the clouds" with the Christians? "Every year in the city of London, on the 9th of November," said Guy King, "we have a great procession called the Lord Mayor's Show." "One time," he continued, "I met a young fellow on the evening before the Show, and I mentioned that I was going to town to see it." "Look for me," he said. "Are you going to see it?" asked Guy King. "No," he answered. "I'm going to be 'in it.'" He was one of the musicians in the marching band. Both of them were going to be there. But there was a big difference between them. One was going to be "in it," and the other "at it." Are you going to be "in it"? Are you going to be caught up? You're not, if you're not a Christian. Become a Christian now by trusting Christ, won't you?
Ruin Tribulation time. 2 Thess 2:2 not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
RevelationZechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
Revelation 19: 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. 13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and • slave, small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed signs on his authority, by which he deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Isa 2:11 Human pride will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 12 For a day belonging to the Lord of • Hosts is [coming]against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—it will be humbled—
Reign Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Zech 14:16 Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of • Hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 17 Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, rain will not fall on them. 18 And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 20 On that day, [the words]HOLY TO THE LORD will be on the bells of the horses. The pots in the house of the Lord will be like the sprinkling basins before the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of Hosts. Everyone who sacrifices will come and take some of the pots to cook in. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts.
Rebellion Rev 20: 7 When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.11 Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Renovation Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer
2 Peter 3: 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day]the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. … 12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat.13 But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
RenewalRev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.”
I remember a beat-up old house that one day was torn down. It was overdue. The place was a dump. There was no point in trying to fix one more thing. When it was demolished the rubble was taken away and the builders arrived to build a mini-mansion where the old cottage once stood. It was a huge improvement. I doubt that the residents ever think about the way it used to be. That’s what God promises to do. Our earth will reach a point where God will call it quits and create “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
Peter’s Purpose is not to provided a chronology of the end times, but to remind believers that scoffers face judgement. He does this by reminding us that the world that we see is all passing away! This world does not last forever. Peter is arguing for an attitude. He’s not presenting a chronology. He is reminding us that it’s all going to burn.
Likewise, the Lord Jesus in John 5 is not presenting a plan as to how the end times will develop, He is presenting Himself as the Lord and Messiah who has the power over life and death, resurrection and judgement.
1. Be Precise About The Day Of VisitationAn Unexpected Hour Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
I know not in what watch He comes, Or at what hour He may appear.
Whether at midnight or at morn, Or in what season of the year; I only know that He is near. Matt 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
An Undelayed Hour 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"I am waiting for the dawning of the bright and blessed day,
When the darksome night of sorrow shall have vanished far away;
When forever with the Savior, far beyond the vale of tears,
I shall swell the song of worship through the everlasting years.
"I am waiting for the coming of the Lord who died for me;
Oh, His words have thrilled my spirit, 'I will come again for thee.'
I can almost hear His footfall on the threshold of the door,
And my heart, my heart is longing, to be His forevermore."
2. Be Persuaded Of The Day Of ViolenceHeaven Earth and Elements all to be renovated with fire.
1871 America experienced her most disastrous fire. It happened in Wisconsin. Some men were building a new railroad, and they started a brush fire. It was small, and no one paid any attention to it. But at noon the sun was hidden by the smog, and at nightfall a thin red line of fire was noticed on the distant hills. As the wind arose that night the smoke grew thicker. Suddenly there was a tremendous roar. The people ran into the streets and their hearts failed them with fear as the sky rained fire upon them. In a moment the sawdust streets, the pine sidewalks and the roofs of the buildings were on fire. In less than five short minutes fiery destruction rode through that lumber town. All villages in one million, two hundred eighty acres were wiped out, two billion pine trees were destroyed, and fifteen hundred people perished. But there's a worse fire that man shall witness. It's predicted in 2nd Peter 3:7, "But the heavens and the earth...are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
Mark the phrase, "the heavens and the earth are reserved unto fire." Had there been no foulness, there wouldn't have been the flood, and there wouldn't be the fire. Had there been no wickedness, no wrath would have been revealed. God is holy. Because He's holy, He hates sin. Because He hates sin, His anger burns against sin. God, who is the Sum of all excellency, can't look with equal satisfaction on good and evil, virtue and vice, wisdom and folly. He's infinitely holy, He can't disregard sin, nor drop the charges against sin. Calvary is a proof of that. By the blood that Christ shed on the cross, God says there's wrath for your wickedness.
Mark the peril. Deposits of highly flammable coal, natural gas and oil are deposited below the surface of our soil. Stores of sodium, that bust into flame on coming in contact with water, are hidden there. The deeper you descend toward the centre of the globe, the hotter it becomes. The temperature is estimated at 2000 degrees centigrade. And this is underneath the stores of highly flammable coal, gas and oil. Don't you see how the whole earth is a potential bomb! It's made up of materials that can burst into flame at any moment. Not only that, but the Bible says, "the elements shall melt with fervent heat." How can that be? Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen compose the air we breathe. There's no fire without oxygen. Nitrogen is used in explosives like TNT. Hydrogen is highly flammable. If these elements are made to explode, the destruction will be beyond description. But that's not all. There's the man-made bomb. On seeing one explode, a professor from Harvard declared, "It was the nearest thing to Doomsday that one could possibly imagine." And he added, "I'm sure that at the end of the world the last man will see what I saw." By the word of the Lord the heavens and the earth were created. And by the word of the Lord they'll be destroyed by fire. One of these days the last minute of the world will tick, and the world will melt with intense heat.
3. Be Preserved From The Day Of Vengeance
Who'll experience the flaming fire? They're described in 2nd Thessalonians 1:7 to 10, "To you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." The answer is found in verse 8 that reads, "them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's the unbeliever, not the believer.
4. Be Prepared For The Day Of Verdict
Death Be Not Proud Donne 1572-1631
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful,
for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost over throw Die not,
poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure - then,
from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke.
Why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more.
Death thou shalt die.
He tells the godly that God's long patience will hasten their repentance
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
and exhorts them to holiness of life
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Premill.. I believe the next great event of history will be the rapture of the saints out of this world.
Then the tribulation period in which the Antichrist sets himself up on the throne in a rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and proclaims himself as God. At the end of that 7 year tribulation period, all the nations will surround Jerusalem for war, and the Lord Jesus will return place His feet on the Mount of olives, in Jerusalem and defend Jerusalem.
He will then commence His millennial reign in Jerusalem a thousand years of peace on earth. Satan at the end of that 1000 years will lead a rebellion at the end of which he will be cast into the Lake of fire for eternity. Then will commence the eternal reign of Christ with believers in a new heaven and a new earth.
The problem with this is that Peter seems to have a different view. He says that the Day of the Lord will see the heavens and earth completely destroyed by fire.
Lord Jesus aid in John 5 25 “I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has granted Him the right to pass judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.
The old creeds said: Nicene Creed And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead.
The Athanasian Creed 39. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God [God the Father] Almighty.40. From whence [thence] he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; 42. And shall give account for their own works. 43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
Daniel 12: There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape.2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt.
Zechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
Are we stuck with an irreconcilable problem? How do we reconcile these scriptures?
Is there going to be a tribulation time? Is there going to be a thousand year reign of Christ on earth? Or will there be a total renovation of the earth. Just one big day when the whole lot ends. CH Spurgeon said of election and human responsibility, these are not enemies to be reconciled, but friends to be understood. So here. The issue is the term in 2 Peter 3 “The day Of The Lord”
The day of the Lord Joel 2:1 Blow the horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near— 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dense overcast, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great
Amos 5:18 Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will the Day of the Lord be for you? It will be darkness and not light. 19 It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20 Won’t the Day of the Lord be darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it?
Isa 61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn
Ezek 30:3 For a day is near; a day belonging to the Lord is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
The Day Of The Lord. When we read the word Day. We think wow one day very soon at one moment its all going to happen. But the term “Day of the Lord” has a very specific theological purpose and meaning. It indicates a period of time that begins on One day and extends for, I believe a little over 1000 years. The day Of The Lord includes the Rapture Ruin Revelation, reign Rebellion and renewal.
Rapture 1st Thessalonians 4:16 "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Did you get that? "The Lord Himself shall descend." Not a substitute, not a spirit, not a saint, but the Lord Himself. The angels said to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into the heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." And Jesus Himself said, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." " "the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." Who are the dead in Christ? Those believers who are now with the Lord. Why should they rise first? I don't know, unless it's because they're lower down than we are, for their bodies are in the sea and the soil. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth shall be caught up. The words "caught up" are interesting. They mean "to carry off by force." The devil, who is the prince of the power of the air, and his demons, won't want to see us go or let us go. So the Lord Himself will come down, and with supernatural force He'll snatch us out and away, and will carry us off speedily to be with Him. Are you wondering, "How long will it take for this to transpire?" The Bible answers, "in a moment." We get our word "atom" from that word. It refers to that which can't be cut in two. So the Christians will be caught up in an atomic moment, in an instant of time so small that it can't be divided. What an experience that will be! One moment in grief, the next in glory; with a body that's perfect in health, holiness and happiness. Will you be "in the clouds" with the Christians? "Every year in the city of London, on the 9th of November," said Guy King, "we have a great procession called the Lord Mayor's Show." "One time," he continued, "I met a young fellow on the evening before the Show, and I mentioned that I was going to town to see it." "Look for me," he said. "Are you going to see it?" asked Guy King. "No," he answered. "I'm going to be 'in it.'" He was one of the musicians in the marching band. Both of them were going to be there. But there was a big difference between them. One was going to be "in it," and the other "at it." Are you going to be "in it"? Are you going to be caught up? You're not, if you're not a Christian. Become a Christian now by trusting Christ, won't you?
Ruin Tribulation time. 2 Thess 2:2 not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
RevelationZechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
Revelation 19: 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. 13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and • slave, small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed signs on his authority, by which he deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Isa 2:11 Human pride will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 12 For a day belonging to the Lord of • Hosts is [coming]against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—it will be humbled—
Reign Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Zech 14:16 Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of • Hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 17 Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, rain will not fall on them. 18 And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 20 On that day, [the words]HOLY TO THE LORD will be on the bells of the horses. The pots in the house of the Lord will be like the sprinkling basins before the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of Hosts. Everyone who sacrifices will come and take some of the pots to cook in. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts.
Rebellion Rev 20: 7 When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.11 Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Renovation Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer
2 Peter 3: 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day]the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. … 12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat.13 But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
RenewalRev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.”
I remember a beat-up old house that one day was torn down. It was overdue. The place was a dump. There was no point in trying to fix one more thing. When it was demolished the rubble was taken away and the builders arrived to build a mini-mansion where the old cottage once stood. It was a huge improvement. I doubt that the residents ever think about the way it used to be. That’s what God promises to do. Our earth will reach a point where God will call it quits and create “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
Peter’s Purpose is not to provided a chronology of the end times, but to remind believers that scoffers face judgement. He does this by reminding us that the world that we see is all passing away! This world does not last forever. Peter is arguing for an attitude. He’s not presenting a chronology. He is reminding us that it’s all going to burn.
Likewise, the Lord Jesus in John 5 is not presenting a plan as to how the end times will develop, He is presenting Himself as the Lord and Messiah who has the power over life and death, resurrection and judgement.
1. Be Precise About The Day Of VisitationAn Unexpected Hour Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
I know not in what watch He comes, Or at what hour He may appear.
Whether at midnight or at morn, Or in what season of the year; I only know that He is near. Matt 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
An Undelayed Hour 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"I am waiting for the dawning of the bright and blessed day,
When the darksome night of sorrow shall have vanished far away;
When forever with the Savior, far beyond the vale of tears,
I shall swell the song of worship through the everlasting years.
"I am waiting for the coming of the Lord who died for me;
Oh, His words have thrilled my spirit, 'I will come again for thee.'
I can almost hear His footfall on the threshold of the door,
And my heart, my heart is longing, to be His forevermore."
2. Be Persuaded Of The Day Of ViolenceHeaven Earth and Elements all to be renovated with fire.
1871 America experienced her most disastrous fire. It happened in Wisconsin. Some men were building a new railroad, and they started a brush fire. It was small, and no one paid any attention to it. But at noon the sun was hidden by the smog, and at nightfall a thin red line of fire was noticed on the distant hills. As the wind arose that night the smoke grew thicker. Suddenly there was a tremendous roar. The people ran into the streets and their hearts failed them with fear as the sky rained fire upon them. In a moment the sawdust streets, the pine sidewalks and the roofs of the buildings were on fire. In less than five short minutes fiery destruction rode through that lumber town. All villages in one million, two hundred eighty acres were wiped out, two billion pine trees were destroyed, and fifteen hundred people perished. But there's a worse fire that man shall witness. It's predicted in 2nd Peter 3:7, "But the heavens and the earth...are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
Mark the phrase, "the heavens and the earth are reserved unto fire." Had there been no foulness, there wouldn't have been the flood, and there wouldn't be the fire. Had there been no wickedness, no wrath would have been revealed. God is holy. Because He's holy, He hates sin. Because He hates sin, His anger burns against sin. God, who is the Sum of all excellency, can't look with equal satisfaction on good and evil, virtue and vice, wisdom and folly. He's infinitely holy, He can't disregard sin, nor drop the charges against sin. Calvary is a proof of that. By the blood that Christ shed on the cross, God says there's wrath for your wickedness.
Mark the peril. Deposits of highly flammable coal, natural gas and oil are deposited below the surface of our soil. Stores of sodium, that bust into flame on coming in contact with water, are hidden there. The deeper you descend toward the centre of the globe, the hotter it becomes. The temperature is estimated at 2000 degrees centigrade. And this is underneath the stores of highly flammable coal, gas and oil. Don't you see how the whole earth is a potential bomb! It's made up of materials that can burst into flame at any moment. Not only that, but the Bible says, "the elements shall melt with fervent heat." How can that be? Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen compose the air we breathe. There's no fire without oxygen. Nitrogen is used in explosives like TNT. Hydrogen is highly flammable. If these elements are made to explode, the destruction will be beyond description. But that's not all. There's the man-made bomb. On seeing one explode, a professor from Harvard declared, "It was the nearest thing to Doomsday that one could possibly imagine." And he added, "I'm sure that at the end of the world the last man will see what I saw." By the word of the Lord the heavens and the earth were created. And by the word of the Lord they'll be destroyed by fire. One of these days the last minute of the world will tick, and the world will melt with intense heat.
3. Be Preserved From The Day Of Vengeance
Who'll experience the flaming fire? They're described in 2nd Thessalonians 1:7 to 10, "To you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." The answer is found in verse 8 that reads, "them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's the unbeliever, not the believer.
4. Be Prepared For The Day Of Verdict
Death Be Not Proud Donne 1572-1631
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful,
for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost over throw Die not,
poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure - then,
from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke.
Why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more.
Death thou shalt die.
# posted by Groseys messages @ 5:03 PM 
