But this cannot be the case for Christians have suffered terrible times of torture and death by fire and sword from the earliest of days right up to the present. Nero used have Christians covered in pitch and tied to stakes and set on fire to provide light at his drunken orgies. Unspeakable acts of torture were perpetrated by the Church of Rome on believing Christians because of their faith in the infamous Inquisitions. Even today, believers are dying at the hands of evil men in places such as Nigeria, Sudan and Indonesia.
So when the scripture speaks of a coming day of Wrath or of a Great Tribulation that is to befall the earth, it is speaking of a specific time, so terrible are the events, that no other time has ever been like this on the earth or ever will be.
Speaking of wrath, there are 3 distinct wraths spoken of in Revelation. In chapter 6:16 we read:
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne (God) and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of THEIR wrath is come (God and the Lamb), and who can stand?”
“He (Jesus) treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God almighty.”
Rev. 19:15
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea. For the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knows he has but a short time.”
Rev 12:12
These are some of the examples of wrath mentioned in Revelation. We have the wrath of God; the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus), and the wrath of the Devil.
In the very first article written in this series, I pointed out how accurate the word of God is. I showed that if Jesus had gone beyond a single comma, and read the next phrase, your Bible would fall apart as it would have contradicted itself. We read in Hebrews 4 that “the Word is sharper than any two-edged sword.” Time and again the Word refers to itself as being the truth of God.
So the Word cannot contradict itself. The world will pass away but not one jot or tittle will fail until all the Word is fulfilled. Bearing this in mind and remembering that the time of the end is also the time of wrath or the day of Wrath, we read what the apostle Paul wrote concerning this time. Romans 5:9:
“Since we know have been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him.” (NIV)
Paul reiterates this again in 1 Thessalonians 1:10
“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”
Should some say that Paul spoke of his own volition and we should not pay much attention to him, let me remind you of what he wrote in another Epistle:
“I want you to know brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it: rather, I received it BY REVELATION FROM JESUS CHRIST.” Gal 1:11,12
It is patently evident from reading through the Book of Revelation, that the Christians in that time will suffer terribly. They will be hunted down and beheaded and murdered because of their refusal to take the mark of the Beast and because of their faith in Jesus. Countless multitudes are spoken of that will suffer in this way.
But the Church of God is not involved in the Tribulation. We are saved from the coming wrath because we are assured by Paul that the Church will be gathered together and caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the day of the Lord begins. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The Word cannot contradict itself. When Paul says we are saved from the wrath to come, or Jesus rescues us from the coming wrath, he is speaking on behalf of Jesus. For he wrote the Church Epistles by revelation from Jesus himself.
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