Bible Studies
The Terror of the Lord-Part Two
By Patricia Backora, author of the book
Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium
Which you can order online from: http://www.publishamerica.com
While Christians are duty-bound to love their persecutors in this present life because they could be candidates for salvation, it will not be their duty to love persecutors in the world to come. Jonathan Edwards, one of the greatest evangelists in American history, wrote spine-tingling sermons about the judgment of God, two of which I studied: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous. In the latter sermon Edwards explicitly stated: "It is now our duty to love all men, though they are wicked; but it will not be a duty to love wicked men hereafter. Christ, by many precepts in his word, hath made it our duty to love all men. We are commanded to love wicked men, and our enemies and persecutors. But this command doth not extend to the saints in glory, with respect to the damned in hell."
At the time of the Apocalypse it will be fully manifest that the unnrepentant who perish in the seal, bowl and vial judgments poured out of heaven by an angry God are vessels fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22). Then their only reason for existence will be this: to be receptacles of the fierce wrath of God poured into them, undiluted by mercy or restraint! Having allied themselves with the evil Antichrist of the Tribulation Period, they will have sold their souls to satan and will have no further opportunity or desire for repentance.
Here are more Scriptures which warn of the fierceness of God’s wrath:
Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isaiah 26:20-21 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Jeremiah 25:29-33 For lo, I begin to bring evil on this city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of Hosts. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy (dispute) with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. (Could this be an ancient prophet’s description of a nuclear blast? If so, it is indeed a prophecy for the future, since international nuclear warfare has not yet occurred on Planet Earth.) And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. (This, despite the fact the next verse declares that the LORD is slow to anger. Yet there is no contradiction. God’s long patience with this sinful planet is not infinite, and the day of judgment against ungodly mankind will come.)
Malachi 4:1 For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Deut. 32: 39-43 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand unto heaven and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Rejoice, O ye nations with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful to his land, and to his people. Parallel verse in New Testament: Revelation 18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isaiah 63:1-6 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this is that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.trample them in my fury and will stain all my raiment.
Parallel passages to Isaiah 63:1-6 in New Testament:
Revelation 14:19-20 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God (see John 1:1 and I John I:1). And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Matt. 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Luke 12:4-5 And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him...destroy both body and soul in hell.
RELIGIOUS MYTH: JESUS IS WAY TOO "NICE" TO EVER GET MAD.
Luke 19:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me.
John 2:13-17 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them thaty sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise; And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Matt. 24:48-51 Jesus Himself says: But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 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. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
RELIGIOUS MYTH: JESUS LOVES SINNERS SO MUCH, HE WILL ALWAYS TURNS A BLIND EYE TO WRONGS DONE TO HIS FOLLOWERS, AND CERTAINLY TO HIMSELF.
Matt. 25:41-46 Then shall he (Jesus) say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away unto everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
RELIGIOUS MYTH: THE GOD OF WRATH AND JUDGMENT APPEARS NOWHERE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
If, as we established earlier, Jesus and God are spiritually One and the same, and have been since before the creation of the world, Who is going to pour out the just wrath of God upon unrepentant sinners in the Day of Judgment?
JESUS! He says of Himself in John 5:22: FOR THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN, BUT HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT UNTO THE SON.
I I Thess. 1: 7-10 And to you who are troubled (persecuted) 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; When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Rev. 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 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. 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast (Antichrist) and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; (note: This speaks of the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction) and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb (Jesus). And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev. 16: 1-11 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. (note: Remember, God the Father has committed ALL judgment unto His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who will not let Him be their Savior will have Him serve as their Judge unto eternal damnation). And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain. And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
RELIGIOUS MYTH: CHRISTIANS WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO BEAR PATIENTLY WITH EVIL MEN NOW AND FOREVERMORE IN ORDER TO BE LIKE JESUS
Rev. 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
People act like they can come to Christ any old time they feel like it. But I believe that in each person’s life there’s an expiration date on Christ’s offer of salvation known only to Himself. As II Corinthians 6:2 says: For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. This scripture is echoed in Isaiah 49:8: Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee. If anybody thinks it’s his prerogative to decide which day of his life will be God’s chosen time to save him from sin and its penalty, that’s the most dangerous form of Russian Roulette anybody can play. The stakes couldn’t be higher: either life in heaven with Jesus or eternity in a devil’s hell.
Sadly, some are counted by God as "vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction", spoken of in Romans 1: 21-28. They are predestined to eternal perdition (I Peter 2:8). God foreknew from the beginning who would finally reject Christ. He is not willing that any should perish, but those who ignore the warnings of the Word of God choose that role for themselves, to be a vessel into which God pours the unmitigated mixture of His dread wrath on the awful Day of Judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15.
Why Has Christ Been So Merciful?
Jesus offered Himself as a Sacrificial Lamb, Who willingly took upon Himself the sins of the world. Isaiah 53:6 says: All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Because Christ was suffering for our sins, He did not defend Himself. He could have called twelve legions of angels down from heaven to protect him (Matt. 26:53). Instead, He took our punishment. His disciples shared in His sufferings. For two thousand years God’s people have borne patiently with privations, persecutions and afflictions so that God could call sinners unto Himself by demonstrating His love through His people. In the coming Kingdom Age it will be Paradise on earth, even for mortal man. At that time no believer will have to suffer persecution.
The danger lies in taking God’s mercy for granted. He is under no obligation to show the same degree of forbearance toward one sinner as another. In the days of Moses one guy got stoned to death for picking up firewood on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). Centuries later, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, then made sure her husband got killed in battle. God might deal severely with Sabbath-breakers, but adultery was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:10). David suffered terribly but his life was spared. It’s God’s prerogative to decide who gets the most mercy, and so we ought all to tread before Him carefully. God does look upon our hearts, and so long as we walk before Him with a submissive, repentant heart, we can walk in confidence that the Blood of Christ covers our human shortcomings and every sin we repent of (I John 1:7).
Today only the gentler side of Jesus is presented to lost sinners by many well-meaning evangelists. Everyone on earth needs His healing love, but we do people no favor by burying the issue of eternal judgment to conform to political correctness. Eternal judgment is one of the cardinal doctrines of Christ (Hebrews 6:1-2). We are called to declare ALL the counsel of God (Acts 20:27), even the unpopular parts of it. Jesus pours out love even on the undeserving, which all of us are. But He will soon have to carry out another role He doesn’t take pleasure in: pouring out the terrible judgments of Revelation upon a world at enmity with Him. It is not enough to mention the sweet love of Jesus and the heaven that awaits the redeemed. People need to be told that they expose themselves to the wrath of God by rejecting Christ. God will not settle for partial obedience. Jude 23 says: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Paul says in II Corinthians 5:11: Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
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