The day of the Lord (CA)

It is clear from the scripture that the day of the Lord is a day of darkness and judgment. It is associated with woe, howling, vengeance, destruction and especially darkness.
This is a day when sinners will be destroyed and one which will bring the proud low.
It is the end

Isa 2:12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty,
and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low
Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand;
it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty
Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate:
and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it
Isa 34:8 For it is the day of the Lord 's vengeance,
and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion
Jer 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries:
and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood:
for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice
in the north country by the river Euphrates (Zeph 1:7 calls it a sacrifice as well)
Ezek 30:2-3 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen
Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand,
and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain:
let all the inhabitants of the land tremble:
for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
 A day of darkness and of gloominess,
a day of clouds and of thick darkness,
as the morning spread upon the mountains
Joel 2:11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army:
for his camp is very great:
for he is strong that executeth his word:
for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;
and who can abide it
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come (Quoted Acts 2:20)
Joel 3:14
Amos 5:18-20 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!
to what end is it for you?
the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him;
or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light?
even very dark, and no brightness in it
Obad 1:15
Zeph 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God:
for the day of the Lord is at hand:
for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice,
he hath bid his guests
(Zeph 1:14, 18, 2:2, 3; Zech 14:1)
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord
1Thess 5:2 and 2Pet 3:10 the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night

Clearly the day of the Lord is a day to be missed; The reason that that day will not overtake the redeemed as a thief in the night is that we are not appointed to wrath, but to salvation.

Daniel's seventy weeks

The following is a paper on Daniel's seventy weeks and how they align with secular history

In order to understand the final kings and kingdoms in the book of Revelation one must follow the progression presented in Daniel.

Daniel begins with the Kingdom of Babylon, learns of the coming of the Medo-Persian Empire and is given visions of Greece and Rome. The final kingdoms to come are sealed up for another day; to be revealed to John in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The timing of events are revealed in Daniel 9.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate”

There is a purpose to the time determined upon Israel; to make reconciliation for iniquity; to bring in everlasting righteousness; and to seal up and anoint. This purpose tells us a lot about the final plan of God. The Revelation shows the end of the world, details about the seventieth week and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness.

“And there shall be no more curse:but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light:and they shall reign for ever and ever” Rev 22

The time given in Daniel is 70 weeks of years; 490 years. This is broken up into 3 parts; 7 weeks; 62 weeks and 1 week. (49 years, 434 years and 7 years)

The first two parts are fulfilled; they end with Messiah being cut off, but not for himself.

Captivity of 70 years		609 BC-539 BC	Jer 25 and 29
7 weeks	49 years	539 BC-490 BC	Cyrus to Darius I
Troublous Times		487 BC-404 BC	Ezra 1:1; Neh 2:1
62 weeks	434 years	404 BC-30 AD
Interegnum	?	30 AD to present day	The Church of Jesus Christ
1 week	7 years	?	Revelation

The first 7 weeks begin when the commandment to restore Jerusalem comes by The Persian King Cyrus; In his first year as king of Babylon.

First Year of Cyrus; 

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (Ezra 1:1)

According to the best historical data the first year of Cyrus as king of Persia was 550 BC and his conquering of Babylon was 539 BC. In light of the fact that he could not restore a people captive to another nation, and that Daniel’s view is from the perspective of Babylon, we believe that the commandment to restore Jerusalem came when Cyrus conquered Babylon; 539 BC.

The Kings of Persia are as listed here.

Cyrus 550BC-530 BC

Cambyses 530 BC-522 BC

Darius I (son of Hystapes) 522 BC-486 BC

Xerxes 486 BC-465 BC

Artaxerxes (Longimanus) 465 BC-424 BC (Ahasueras)

Darius II 424 BC-405 BC

Artaxerxes II 404 BC-358 BC

Artaxerxes III (Ochus) 358-338 BC

Arses     338-336 BC

Darius (Codomannus) 336-332 BC (Conquered by Alexander of Macedon)

Another important piece of information is the identity of Darius the Mede (Dan 11:1). He is the Median ruler, under Cyrus, who conquered Babylon and ruled over a part of the empire under Cyrus. The Medians were allies with Babylon against Assyria, but joined with The Persians to conquer Babylon when it began to weaken. The relationship between the Persians, the Medes and the Babylonians is difficult to discern from historical records, but the Medes and the Persians became very closely linked with Cyrus taking over head rulership of both, but a “king” of the Medes remained.

The timing therefore is as follows:

Jeremiahs prophecy of 70 years of bondage fits from 609 BC until 539 BC. 609 BC is when Pharaoh Necho takes Jehoiakim and replaces Jehoahaz as king. Jehoiakim serves Nebuchadnezzer. (These dates may be moved slightly later to when Jehoiakim actually chooses to serves Nebuchadnezzar.) see Jeremiah 25 and 29

And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations (Jer 25:11-12)

Dan 9:2; Daniel Understand by books the seventy years of service to Babylon and asked when this should come to pass; the vision of seventy weeks was the answer.

The first period of 7 weeks (49 yrs) is from 539 BC-490 BC. (Or somewhat later) This goes into the time of Darius I. There seems to have been a halt on the work in Jerusalem after this because of the trouble caused by the people around about Jerusalem who wrote letters and spoke against Israel. This pause continued until Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Haggai came and pushed them through. Everything was set for the 62 week period to begin in 404 BC.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:4-6).

Darius I finds the command of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem in Achmetha (Ecbatana). (Ezra 6) Ecbatana was and is a city in Media; now western Iran.

Specific letter to Artaxerxes I (Ahasueras) in his first year (465 BC) requesting that he stop allowing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:11).

Ezra receives letter from Artaxerxes I, in his 7th year, (458 BC) commending him to fulfill the command to rebuild Jerusalem. (Ezra 7)

Haggai prophesies:

In the second year of Darius the king, (422 BC) in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying…(Haggai 1:1)

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying (Zech 1:1)

The time of Nehemiah; beginning in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, 445 BC; rebuilding the wall in troublous times. Nehemiah became governor for 12 years. (Neh 5:14) (445 BC-433 BC)

The beginning of the 62 week period (434 yrs) is 404 BC, and it ends in 30 AD.

404 BC is the first year of Artaxerxes II. This is based on the crucifixion of Jesus being in 30 AD; when Messiah was cut off, but not for himself. (Jesus crucified in 30 AD; born in 4 BC.)

The final week begins with the catching away of the church and the free reign of the destruction of sin in the earth until the final end and restoration of righteousness.

Esther is not absolutely worked out, but clearly Mordecai was in the captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon and ended up in Shushan a city of the Medes in that province of the greater Babylonian empire.

“Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away” (Esth 2:5) (About 597 BC).

Esther’s Ahasueras must have been within a timeframe for Mordecai to still be alive. Shushan is the palace in the province of Elam which borders Babylon.

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, In the third year of his reign (Esth 1:1-3)

A Change of Government (CA)

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. Jn 12:31

Jesus declared in this statement that the prince of this world has been defeated. Jesus defeated him in his death, burial and resurrection, no more could Satan lay claim to all men. Because of Adam's sin and abdication of his responsibility to dress and keep the garden, Satan had dominated men and held them in bondage. As in Adam all died, so in Jesus all who believe are made alive! The change of government casts Satan out and he cannot rule as he did in times past.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Eph 2:1-3

Everyone, whosoever will, has been called out of the darkness of the former days and given opportunity to come into the light. This change is one more reason for understanding the catching away.

How do we go from here to the catching away? Because this major change in government is what keeps the world from being as bad as it otherwise would be.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isa 9:6-7)

The ruler spoken of is Jesus, and his government is now active. The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. (Matt 3:2; 4:17; 10:7) Jesus rules and there is no end to his government. Saul made havoc against the church and Jesus asked him why are you persecuting me? The church is Jesus' representative on earth, and it is also the hinderer of lawlessness. (2 Thess 2:5-8)

When the church is removed there will be an increase of lawlessness such that we would be shocked, we see its description in the Revelation as the wrath of God is poured out upon it. But thankfully today we live in the Government of the Prince of Peace, and that complete acceptance into his beloved body, the church, is available to all who would call upon him. The love of God calls out to whosoever would hear to come into this kingdom and be free from the wrath that is to come, but more importantly to receive all the fulness of what God has freely given in Jesus.

An End Times Calendar (CA)

Chapter 5

An end times calendar

Some have argued that we should not force the book of Revelation to follow a prescribed calendar; this section is meant to discuss the fact of calendars which God used in the past, and how they inform us about the future.

During one of most important events of Abraham's life, The Father proclaims that his seed will spend 400 years serving in a land that is not theirs.
Gen 15:13-16
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge:and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

This foretelling came to pass and the children of Israel left Egypt with mighty signs and wonders in an event we commonly call the exodus. This is a primary example of God foretelling what would come to pass regarding his people and accomplishing what He promised.
Ex 12:40-42
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
See also Acts 7:6; Gal 3:17

(There is an explanation which easily accounts for the year difference from 400 to 430 which we may describe in a later post.)

In a subsequent time Jeremiah prophesied to the descendants of those same people that they would serve the king of Babylon because of their sins.

Jer 25:11-12
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations
He also declared that the end would be good!
Jer 29:10
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place

Daniel, about 70 years later, is praying because he read the prophesy of Jeremiah and instead of taking it complacently, took the matter to the relationship he had in prayer before the Father. His prayer is an outstanding example of a man praying for the sins of an entire people as if they were his own, and calling out to God to accomplish what he had promised.

Dan 9:1-2
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

It shortly came to pass that the people of Israel were allowed to return to their home under the rule of the Persian empire. This return is detailed primarily in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Malachi.

These examples give us an understanding that God is not adverse to declaring a calendar of events.

Thirdly, there is another significant foretelling. Moses prophesied of a prophet to come, (Deut 18:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37) the name used to refer to him is Messiah. Daniel prophesied (Chapter 9) that 70 weeks were determined upon Israel, and that 7 and 62 weeks (483 years) would be fulfilled before Messiah was cut off. At the time of Jesus, Messianic fervor was clearly gripping Jerusalem and the people of Israel. They understood that the time was right and there were some who gained followers claiming to be somewhat and then falling by the wayside. (Acts 5:33-40) This fervor was a result of the calendar specified in Daniel. They believed that Messiah would destroy the Romans and bring about the end of the world, He showed up at the right time, but His mission turned out to be somewhat different, He died to pay the price for the sin of all men and then rose from the dead, conquering the much more important foes of Hell and Death.

What is waiting to be fulfilled is the seventieth week determined upon Israel. Some have argued that this time has passed already, but according to Matt 24 there will be the final end immediately after those days. The seventieth week must be like the first sixty nine; a week of years. A seven year period in which to finish the seventy weeks determined upon Israel. What better candidate than the 7 year period noted in months and days in Revelation 11-12

Dan 9:26-27
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate
Matt 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
Matt 24:29-30a
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven
Matt 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only

After the days of the abomination which makes desolate shall be intense signs in the heavens; and it will happen in the midst of the seventieth week.
Our purpose here is to note the fact of the end time calendar, and that it is not inconsistent for there to be one, and that it is of the same type as others which are now in the past. The key is that the exact day is known only to the Father, so we speak only of a coming day and a clearly defined time period beginning at some time known only to him. Once that time begins, all the events are logically laid out. These facts are important to our understanding of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and as a context for the catching away.

The End of All Things (CA)

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer 1 Pet 4:7

As we come to understand that the time is soon and that we are to watch and be ready for the return of our Lord Jesus, prayer should be increasing in our lives. We have seen that the day will come on the unrighteous like a thief in the night, they will not be ready for it. We however are not of the darkness, but of the light, and that day should not take us like a thief. One way that we can assure ourselves before him is to watch unto prayer.

In 1 Thess 5 the exhortation was to watch and be sober. here it is to watch unto prayer. In Jude it is building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. All these exhortations are for the believer to walk in the spirit. Jesus said to deny yourself and to take up the cross and to follow him. He taught us to avoid the cares, riches and pleasures of this world and to set our heart on heaven.

As we see the upheaval in the east we do not say that the resurrection has passed already and therefore overthrow the faith of some (2 Tim), nor do we live in apprehension of that day, but we are comforted with the words of Paul:

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and 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:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1Thess 2)

The knowledge of the first resurrection and the catching away is a comfort.
Likewise the knowledge that we are saved from wrath is a comfort:

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do" (1Thess 5)

Many today are teaching that Jesus has delayed his coming or that he is not coming to deliver us from the times of tribulation which are coming. The thought of being here is not a comfort and the need all the more to watch unto prayer and to preach the gospel weighs heavy in the hearts of those who know God. For Paul the day could come at any moment, for Peter the end of all things was at hand; how much more is it at hand now.

Watch unto prayer!

The Coming Wrath (CA)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come, (Matt 3:7; Luke 3:7).

John the baptist was very aware that there is a coming wrath. In John 3:36, we hear John the disciple show us that wrath is reserved for the unbeliever. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  Paul states, in Romans 2:5, that wrath is appointed to the unrepentant. "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."  In Eph 5:6, he declares that because of sin wrath comes on the disobedient. "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

The unbeliever, the unrepentant and the disobedient, all groups which obtain wrath and not salvation.

In Romans, Paul writes the following:

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, Rom 5:9.

To the Thessalonians, he twice makes note of salvation from wrath.

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come, 1Th 1:10.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Th 5:9.

More than anything else we see the dichotomy of those who repent and obey the truth and those who are contentious and refuse to repent. For the first group, there is salvation and deliverance, for the second group there is wrath and the righteous judgment of God.

Returning to Rom 2:5-9 we see this separation clearly:

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God."

We saw in the section on the thief in the night that there is a swift and sure judgment appointed for those who do not obtain salvation. This judgment, explained in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, is the wrath of God, the day of the Lord or the day of Christ. 

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,” Zephaniah 1: 14-15.

The ultimate expression of his wrath is revealed in Revelation.

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand," Rev 6:16-17.

His wrath has clearly been expressed so that no man can mistake it. His wrath is against all sin and ungodliness,

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness," Rom 1:18.

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him," Jude 14-15.

Again, in Jude, the dichotomy is presented, those who suffer wrath versus those who keep themselves in salvation;

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life," Jude 20-21.

Though his wrath is clearly presented, testified of and reserved, and it serves as a warning to us. It is not the message for today. God has declared to us that we should not give ourselves unto the wrath of men. The wrath of men does not work the righteousness of God, (James 1:20) but God will pour out his righteous wrath and he will repay; a reserved wrath, a coming wrath.

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Rom 12:19

Be warned, though today is a day of universal call, a day to bring rebellious men to repentance, God's wrath has not changed. To declare that God will not show his wrath against sin cannot be supported. We who live in the righteousness of Christ are not appointed to this wrath, but to obtain salvation. Be comforted by the fact that whether we live unto the catching away or fall asleep, that we shall be saved from this coming wrath by the resurrection from the dead. Warn men, teach men, God will not wink at sin.

Like a Thief in the Night (CA)

In Matthew 24-25, Luke 12, and Mark 13 we find the words of Jesus; "no man knows the day or the hour". These words are spoken in context to his return, and it is not a day of salvation for the ones he finds on his return, but a day of judgment. He likens it to a thief coming to break into your house. Both Peter and Paul relate the coming of the day of the Lord as the coming of a thief in the night. (1Pet 4:15; 1Th 5:2)
The day of the Lord is not a glorious day for those who are found in rebellion and to be impenitent, it is a day of wrath. Many have confused the coming as a thief to be the rapture or catching away, but you clearly do not want to be the one taken in this time. It does not speak of the catching away.

In Revelation 3:3 the church at Sardis is warned; "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Watch and be ready for if you do not you will be included in those taken as by a thief. In Revelation 16:15 we hear the call of fulfillment: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame"
The sudden destruction falls upon those who are not watchful.

In 1 Thess 5 Paul gives hope of another way for those who are watchful:
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."

Those who are children of light are not taken in this sudden destruction. We are to be watchful and aware of our Lord's soon return. So, if we are not to be surprised by the coming, yet no man knows the day or the hour, how can this be? When Paul wrote in 1 Thess "we which are alive..." He clearly included himself in the group who could be caught away in the resurrection; within his lifetime!
The answer is clear; the catching away can happen at any time, and after it does, sure and sudden judgment will appear to those who were found not ready. Those of us who walk in the light will be removed prior to the events which will overtake many like a thief in the night.

Why is this important? We want to be always ready, denying our selves and following Jesus. We want to be walking in the light, not in the darkness, and we want to be ready to give an account. This constant expectation encourages us not to be slothful, but diligent to keep ourselves in every way in which we are exhorted to do so. Keep yourselves in the love of God, praying in the Holy Ghost. Gather yourselves all the more together as you see the day approaching. Bless and curse not, forgive, hate evil and love righteousness...and so on.

To take away this expectation removes urgency in the lives of believers. If there is no catching away, what are we expectantly waiting for? We expect the final salvation that Paul earnestly contended for, to obtain the resurrection of the dead, not the wrath which will come upon the world and all the rebellious and impenitent ones as a thief in the night.

The Catching Away (CA)

The importance of the doctrine of the catching away is often misunderstood. Many will claim today that it is not a doctrine of the first century, but a doctrine of the nineteenth century. In actuality it is the scripture which tells us of the resurrection of the righteous dead and the changing of the righteous who are alive.

1 Thess 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and 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:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Cor 15:50-58 tells a similar story

It is a comforting thought, not a fearful thought. The fact of the resurrection is fundamental to the good news in Jesus Christ. If Christ is not raised than we are yet in our sins, and there is no hope. (1Cor 15:17)

The key points to the importance of this fact are as follows:
Paul lived his life expecting that this event could happen at any time. He fully expected the return of the Lord in his lifetime; we know this because he says WE which are alive and remain...
We need to be watching at all times, to suggest that his coming is in some way delayed is a place we would rather not find ourselves; 2 Pet 3:3-4. Being watchful and ready for his return is a common admonition to us.
The wrath of God will be poured out upon sin, whatever your particular belief about its form and manner, it will come and salvation from that wrath is promised to those who call upon the name of Jesus.
The end of the church age will come when the church is removed, and though God will always have his witness, the church will have finished its course. The end of this time is the catching away.
Many will say that Rapture is a poor choice of word for this event, but it is simply an english transliteration of the latin word for catching away.

I will be expanding on these thoughts over the next few months to work on a book on this subject.