The Day of the Lord

About a month ago my wife, my three girls and I had the privilege to see a full arced double rainbow in the sky. In a moment of insanity this preacher thought about going and chasing down a double portion of gold at the end of those rainbows. But when the fog of financial bliss finally wore off I decided to tell my girls that those rainbows were Signs by God promising mankind that he wasn’t going to destroy the world again by the flood like he did during Noah‘s time. Their moment of relief was tempered a bit when I told them that God’s word also says that one day God will judge the world again….this time by fire (2 Peter 3). The Biblical name for this future period of time when the world’s ungodly people will once again experience God’s wrath is called, The Day of the Lord.

The identifying mark of the Day of the Lord will be God’s terrifying judgmental wrath against the earth’s wicked. The carnage left behind will by similar in scope as it was when God destroyed the world with The Flood. Just as in Noah’s day God will once again destroy all the “ungodly” men and woman (2 Peter 3:7)…...BUT THIS TIME WITH FIRE (2 Peter 3:7-10). This period of time will be initiated by the Second Coming of Christ to rescue (Rapture) the Christians, after which the ungodly people who are left behind will then be killed by God’s fierce anger. This time of catastrophic wrath by God will begin with the Seventh Seal, will include the Seven Trumpet Judgments followed by the Seven Bowl judgments. This will all culminate in the battle of Armageddon.

The Day of the Lord will be a terrifying time for those living on the earth. There will be supernatural changes in the sun, moon and stars immediately preceding the Day of the Lord which will plunge the earth’s atmosphere into total darkness. This supernatural Sign will be accompanied by worldwide earthquakes. These cataclysmic and terrifying changes in the sun, moon, and stars will occur at the opening of the Sixth Seal in the Book of Revelation, immediately before the Sign of Christ’s Second Coming is seen by the inhabitants of the world. (Joel 2:31; Isaiah 13:9-10; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12-13; Matthew 24:29-31 and about twenty plus other passages that mention the Day of the Lord).

As it was in the days of Noah and the Flood where it rained for forty days and forty nights….a careful reading of the Scriptures reveal that the day of the Lord is not just one 24 hour day but a period of time when God brings destruction on all the ungodly. Three key Bible passages describe the reaction of the people who will be living during the opening scene of this horrendous time. When the earths atmosphere plunges into total darkness accompanied by earthquakes the Bible says that sinners, "apprehensive of what is coming upon the world," will run into the nearest cave or hole in the ground and wish to die and be buried for fear of God’s coming wrath. Examples of these Scriptures are the following:

“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. …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” (Isaiah 2:19, 21)

“I watched as he opened the Sixth Seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the WRATH OF THE LAMB! For the GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH HAS COME, who can stand” (Revelation 6:12-17)?

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and the stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from the terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of man coming in the cloud with power and real glory (Luke 21:25-27).

This passage in Luke suggest that the men and woman living during this terrible time of God’s wrath will have been forewarned of the Day of the Lord. It says that they were “apprehensive of WHAT IS COMING ON THE WORLD…” When they saw the cataclysmic and terrifying changes in the sun, moon, and stars that immediately proceeds the Day of the Lord, they seem to have known what was coming down the pike. That is that God was about to unleash his blood curdling anger against them.

Folks, this information on the Day of the Lord is your “WARNING.” You can make a choice today to either experience this terrifying day (if it comes in our lifetime) or ESCAPE it. You can escape it by becoming a “born again” follower of Christ.

Not everyone will have to endure God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord. Christians will ESCAPE God’s wrath by what is commonly know as the “Rapture.” This is when, just prior to God’s outpouring of his wrath, Jesus returns the second time and “rescues” Christians from God’s wrath (1 Thess. 1:10b). He rescues them by catching them up into the clouds with Him. Christians who have passed away and have died will rise first then we which are still alive will then be caught up with Christ forever (1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Bible says that Christians are not appointed to suffer God’s wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:1-9).

Like in the Days of Noah and the Flood, the Day of the Lord will catch the unsaved by surprise. Noah gave ample warning to the people of his time of impending destruction from the Almighty. When the floods came the doors to the Ark were already closed and the people were all washed away to their deaths. The Day of the Lord will come suddenly and the unsaved will not escape. The following verse describes all this:

“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying , ‘Peace and Safety,’ destruction (God’s wrath) will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape…But, you BROTHER, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. For God DID NOT APPOINT US TO SUFFER WRATH but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-9).

This passage tells us that the unsaved people living at the time when the Day of the Lord happens will be very surprised that it has arrived. While at the same time, Christians, because they have been discerning the signs of the times from the Six Seals, will not be surprised when this Day comes.

If you are not a Christian you will not ESCAPE God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord.

If you were to die today…would you know for sure that you wouldn’t end up in Hell?

If you were to die today…and you were to stand before Jesus and he were to say to you…”Why should I not throw you into Hell…what would you say…?

IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT EITHER OF THESE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO FIND OUT HOW TO… AND GET SAVED.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36)

P.S. “The Spirit alone makes us understand the signs of the times and He shows us that we have to stand in the gap for a world that is doomed to destruction.” (Corrie Ten Boom: The End Battle, Published by Fleming H. Revell)

A different view.

Three interesting points regarding the rapture

1) The first point is in Matthew 24:9, where Jesus tells the apostles that a great tribulation will begin and that the believers in Christ will become objects of hatred and begin to be tortured and killed.

Matthew 24:9-- "Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and they will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.

Notice that this is happening to believers during the tribulation period, because the end times is what Jesus is referring to. And we find that during this time the believers are being martyred and yet no rapture is taking place to save the souls of these believers, and that is because there is no rapture. The only rapture that is going to take place is when Jesus comes the second time, when the history of earthly man is over, and then and only then will we be whisked away into the clouds to be with God for ever.

Look also at verse 13, because that verse tells us that there is no rapture, and that the ones that are alive during this time will have to endure the entire tribulation till the very end in order to be saved. So no one is going to be whisked away in any rapture.

Matthew 24:13, "But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved".

2) The second point is that in Matthew 24:3, the apostles ask Jesus what will be the sign of his coming back and the signs that the end of this system of things is near. It is very interesting what Jesus says next. He doesn't talk about signs but instead he gives a warning, a warning about false prophets, and only after the warning does Jesus tell the apostles about the various signs. Matthew 24: 4-5 says,

Matthew 24:4-- Jesus answered them, "Beware that no one leads you astray.

Matthew 24:5-- For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Messiah! and they will lead many astray.

Only then did Jesus tell the apostles about the different signs in verses 6,7,8,9, and 10. But then Jesus is back with his warning against false prophets that are going to come onto the scene during the end times. You see this warning once again in Matthew chapter 24 in verses 11,23,24,26.

Verse 11--And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Verse 23--Then if anyone says to you, "Look! Here is the Messiah! or "There he is!-do not believe it.

Verse 24--For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Verse 26--So, if they say to you, "Look! He is in the wilderness, do not go out. If they say, "Look! He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it.

So Jesus is warning us to be very careful of false prophets, but why now. Why is it so important at this point? And this leads us to where people who believe in the rapture are in error. They look at verses 40 and 41 in chapter 24.

Verse 40--Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

Verse 41--Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.

Now verses 40 and 41 are the two verses that most say prove that believers will be raptured right off the face of the earth. First of all it says nothing about the men in the field or the women at the mill being believers.

And secondly to truly understand the meaning of verses 40 and 41 you just have to read verses 37-39 and you will see that Jesus is talking about how the people during the flood of Noah were swept away and destroyed and how he is comparing that time with the end times.

Verse 37--For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Verse 38--For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,

Verse 39--and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:40-41--The foundation for the rapture theory.

Then Jesus talks about the two men who are in the field and one is taken and the other isn't. He isn't talking about a rapture here. The one taken isn't raptured up to God, he is deceived by satan and goes with satan willingly to be lost forever just like those men who were lost in the flood during Noah's time were. Like wise the two women who are grinding at the hand mill, the one taken isn't raptured, she is deceived by satan and she also goes with satan willingly. The two that were taken, were fooled by satan because they failed to stay alert in the Word of God and were lead astray. Verse 40 and 41 can only be interpreted by first reading verse 37 through 39. Verse 39 says that the men of Noah's time took no note until the flood came and then they were swept away and so they were lost. They were deceived, fooled, tricked, and of course lost. And Jesus is simply warning people to watch out in the last days because he knows that many of them are also going to be mislead by satan and wind up lost. And one of the many ways that satan is going to deceive people is by making them believe in the rapture theory. This is the reason why Jesus spends so much time in Chapter 24 talking about false prophets and false teachers such as in verses 4,5,11,23,24,25,26, and why verses 37,38,39 concerning similar times that took place in Noah's days, becomes so extremely important in understanding verses 40, 41, and 42.

And in verse 42 Jesus gives another warning to the people of the end times to please stay alert in the Word of God right up till the time that Jesus comes back so you are not deceived by satan and wind up being eternally lost.

Verse 42-- Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Then if you go down to verse 43 Jesus is telling us one last time that if we are not going to be on our guard against satan then we are going to be like the householder who fell asleep and allowed his house to be broken into. In other words if we don't keep alert we are going to let satan mislead and trick us and steal our eternal salvation right out from under us.

Verse 43--"But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into".
It is just incredible how much time and effort Jesus took to warn us of being mislead by false teachers. Of their ability to take the truth and twist it and reshape it, so it is no longer the words of God but is now the words of men.

3) The third point is that it's interesting that there is a place in the Bible where God himself tells us that he is against the catching away or the rapturing of souls so that they might be saved from punishment. It is found in Ezekiel 13:20.

Ezekiel 13:20--"Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, Here I am against your cushions, with which you are hunting down the souls as though they were flying things, and I will rip them from off your arms and let go the souls that you are hunting down, souls as though they were flying things".

If you are not a Christian you will not ESCAPE God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord.
I need to ask you two questions:
If you were to die today…would you know for sure that you wouldn’t end up in Hell?

If you were to die today…and you were to stand before Jesus and he were to say to you…”Why should I not throw you into Hell…what would you say…?

Just out of curiosity, what is this obsession with a vengeful God (or Lord) "casting" non-believers into the fires of hell? It seems to me such a negative message by which to spread one's faith.

I would think that one would have better success by spreading a more positive message. The "follow me or you shall die a horrible death" message is a real turnoff to those who might otherwise be made believers with a more positive message.

In fact, I get the impression that some of the more ardent Christians are almost in rapturous glee over the prospect of the non-believers (including a lot of very decent people) being condemned to an eternity of fire and damnation. Why is this? Maybe somebody could explain it to me.

There are many Christians who spread a more positive message. They do not believe in a vengeful and even hateful God who is going to sweep to Earth someday and throw millions of good people into the fire.

It Is The Season Of Explosions
Susan Cummings

It is the Season of Explosions. For I have began the release of My Purposes in many arenas and areas. It is time to focus and stand firmly.

The explosions will occur in many levels and dimensions for I am birthing forth and establishing My government and Order again.

I am exploding within My House. I am uncovering all that is covered, hidden, and entrenched within My people, and within My House. I will have a Holy People, who serve Me freely and without any hindrances, control, or wavering.

I am exploding within My Remnant Church. I am bringing all the idols down within the hearts, the minds, and the lives of all. There will be no idols within her, or she will not be Mine.

I am exploding in the religious systems of men. I am bringing Truth to the inward parts, and what is not Truth will fall before Me. My Holiness is now burning across the Land and it will consume all the dross and sin, and bring down the structures of men. What is not founded and built upon Me, will not stand before Me. The clean and the unclean will no longer agree.

I am exploding in the earth and in the heavens. Great signs will be seen in both, as I move within the realms of men, to deal with the sin. The shaking has not yet even fully began, but only the birth pangs. Men will know that I AM. Creation travails to give birth, and will release the pressure, for it cannot be held back any longer.

I am exploding in the government systems of men. What was hidden will become open. The hidden plans will be disclosed and men who are looking for Truth will see the truth of it all. Men will have their final day to rule, but it will swiftly come to an end, as I bring all things to completion.

I am exploding in the reaping and the sowing. Both natural and spiritual.

Natural reaping will bear the weight of sin, as increased pestilence and plagues sweep across the lands. Men have experimented with and have changed my natural laws for their own uses, and will reap their folly. Men have waited to release many things for their own purposes and wickedness. They love the darkness more than the Light. But My Own will know My Hand upon them as the waves move across the land.

Spiritual reaping will also occur as Mine will reap from their intercessions. Great spiritual advances will occur as Mine are launched forth and into their places and they will set free many from the captivity. It is time for reaping that which is Mine, from that which is not. I AM Jealous over Mine, and will release them from their chains and draw them to Myself.

It is time for the Horses to run and Mine to mount their steeds. For the days of Fire have begun.

-Susan Cummings

7-21-05

1:01 pm

Kaleidoscope

Mary Clark

In a vision, I was looking through a kaleidoscope and all I could see were lovely patterns of gold. Why did You show this to me, Lord?

I want My beloved to look on the goodness of the living God and exclaim over My great beauty. I want you to know Me from an up close vantage point. I want you to savor My presence. I am not a God Who stands afar. I am a personal God, Who delights in drawing His beloved close – close into His arms of love. It is My desire for you to know Me. It is My desire for you to follow My will into all that I have for you. Never doubt My goodness toward one who delights in serving Me. Never doubt that I would EVER hold back a good thing from My beloved.

You are entering into a new era of delight in the living God. You are about to see some things that will delight you, enabling you to walk with a fixed purpose. Never doubt My ability to get you to this place. Never doubt My ability to sustain you in this place of delight in Me. I want you looking at things from My perspective. I want you looking at things with an eye to bless others being all that I have called you to be.

I am calling you into a place of much delight in Me. Many of you will look on the things that I am presenting and think that they are different from what you expected them to be. You will think that they are better than you EVER imagined. You will thank Me for My generosity. You will exclaim over My goodness to you. You, beloved, are entering an hour in which much delight will be made known to your heart. You will see, but your mind will not quite believe what I am presenting. You will exclaim over what I am showing you, stating: “Father, this is not what I expected at all. I expected something like the words that I have read about Your past endeavors. I never dreamed that Your work would take on this glowing look. I never dreamed that Your work would look like this! My Lord, whatever can all of this be about? You have strictly outdone Yourself in my opinion. Yes! You have strictly taken down all barriers in my mind and presented something that I can only declare mind-boggling. You, my dear Lord, are amazing in every aspect of the word. You are something more than a great, eternal God of love – you are EVERYTHING a heart could EVER long for, and I am so pleased to know that I belong to You and that You take delight in Me. ‘What is man that You are mindful of him,’ dear Lord? Oh, my! Oh, my! Oh, my! Just let me say this, dear Lord, ‘You are too wonderful – too awesome – for words. You, Beloved God, go beyond any description that I could EVER speak. You and Your works are unspeakable and full of glory – Your glory – Your amazing glory is what I am seeing. Your glowing, amazing glory is what this work is all about. Thank You, thank You, thank You, for being all that You are to me – all that You are to this world!!!’”

Yes! That will be your response to My great work that is soon to appear in your midst, beloved. Get ready to behold something quite different from what you EVER expected. Get ready to behold My essence, and know, dear child, that I saw fit to present this hour for a good reason, the reason being to bless you with My immeasurable presence – to bless you with My wonderful love!!!

Mary Clark

"Listening Ears"

barnabessie@earthlink.net

The wicked are to be removed.

BOOK OF ENOCH

Chapter 1

1 The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be 2 living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed. And he took up his parable and said -Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is 3 for to come. Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them:

The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling,
4 And the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai, [And appear from His camp] And appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens.

5 And all shall be smitten with fear And the Watchers shall quake, And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth.

6 And the high mountains shall be shaken, And the high hills shall be made low, And shall melt like wax before the flame

7 And the earth shall be wholly rent in sunder, And all that is upon the earth shall perish, And there shall be a judgement upon all (men).

8 But with the righteous He will make peace.

And will protect the elect, And mercy shall be upon them.

And they shall all belong to God, And they shall be prospered, And they shall all be blessed.

And He will help them all, And light shall appear unto them, And He will make peace with them'.

9 And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly:

And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

Malachi 4
1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ That will leave them neither root nor branch.

2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.

Matthew 13
40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

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