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Day of the Lord

How Do You Know When Heaven Beckons?

            We left off with the apostle Paul teaching a new church in Corinth during his second missionary journey (see Second Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul).

            At that time, (~ 50 A.D.), he wrote two letters, with the help of Silas (also called Silvanus – a prophet and elder in the church in Jerusalem), and Timothy (a Christian acolyte whom Paul was mentoring). These letters would become the biblical books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

            Paul wrote the first letter in response to a report from Timothy that indicated the church of Thessalonica was confused about Christ’s second advent. The congregants feared that if they died before Jesus’ return, their salvation would be forfeit.

            The church was also concerned about the secular persecution that they were currently experiencing.

            The apostle begins his first letter by commending the church for their exemplary walk in Christ:

…what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 1 Thess. 2:19 NLT

            Then, Paul addresses their persecution and reminds them of their calling:

…we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through.

But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 1 Thess. 3:2, 3. NLT

            Jesus told us that we’d be hated for following Him. We are a ‘peculiar people’ in this world, who have chosen to walk the singular path that leads to eternal salvation.

Next, Paul tells them how to walk that path:

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways…Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thess. 4:3 – 5 & 8. NLT

            After the ‘don’ts’, Paul reveals the right road:

…honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peaceably with each other.

…warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.  Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thess. 5:12 – 22. NLT

         Now, Paul shifts to the main event, which is to remove the confusion in the church over the return of Jesus Christ:

…we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 1 Thess. 4:13 – 15. NLT

            Paul now tells us when heaven beckons:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. NLT

            How cool is that? God is saying that we needn’t worry about those who have died before Jesus returns, because they are the first ones Jesus will rally to Himself. Those who are still alive at the second advent then become airborne to join the eternal throng.

            Jesus’ second coming, the second advent, the ‘Day of the Lord,’ will be a wondrous event for the followers of Christ; but it will be decidedly disastrous for those who have shunned Him:

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

But you aren’t in the dark about these things…and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and clearheaded.

Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 1 Thess. 5:2 – 8. NLT

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive, when he returns, we can live with him forever. 1 Thess. 5:9, 10. NLT

God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thess. 5:24 NLT

            A ‘false teacher’ had infested the church in Corinth and was circulating a fabricated letter – supposedly from Paul, saying that the ‘day of the Lord’ had already come and gone. This prompted the apostle, (again with help from Silas and Timothy), to repudiate the false teaching with a second letter (2 Thessalonians).

            Paul begins by telling the church to endure in the face of persecution. Then, he tells them that the day of Jesus’ return will be a day that cannot be mistaken for any other. It is the day that heaven beckons:

And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people – praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. 2 Thess. 1:5 – 10. NLT

            The apostle is talking about the ‘great sifting.’ That’s definitely the time to be on the side of Christ.

            He then tells the church not to place any faith in that counterfeit letter – stressing that the day of the Lord has not yet come:

Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 2 Thess. 2:3, 4. NLT

            What Paul is saying is that there will be unmistakably distinct events that presage the second coming of Christ. One of those will be the revelation of the identity of the ‘lawless one’, (the Antichrist) – who will be worshiped by most of humanity as a god. We will extensively dig into these events in our future study of the book of Revelation. However, the apostle drops us a few teasers now:

And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed time]. For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. 2 Thess. 2:6, 7. AMP

            Who is this ‘restrainer’ that does not allow the Antichrist to reveal himself until God’s appointed time? (It’s obvious that Paul’s listeners do know). There is some controversy about this. Some biblical scholars say that God will use the Roman government, others say it is the Holy Spirit, and yet others make a fairly strong case for the archangel Michael (see Dan. 10:13 & 21; 12:1; Mt. 24:15; Rv. 12:7 – 12.)

            What you can take home from the aforementioned Scripture, is that there is already a force of evil at work in this world:

Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming. 2 Thess. 2:8 AMP

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing in the truth. 2 Thess. 2:9 – 12. NLT

            Thus, the Antichrist will be empowered by Satan himself to work false miracles – brining him the adulation and worship of a rebellious world. It is then that Jehovah will begin the extraction process of those who have pandered to themselves. They separated themselves from the children of God.

            We also see that when Christ comes, the curtain falls for the Antichrist.

            Finally, Paul changes his focus to encourage the church to remain steadfast in their faith:

…God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation – a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ…stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you… 2 Thess. 2:13 – 15. NLT

            God chose you before you took your first breath.

…the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thess. 3:3 AMP

            If we remain at the side of God, the ‘day of the Lord’ is something that we can look forward to with rapt expectation…

Bringing Hope to the Darkness 2

            When the ancient Israelites turned their collective backs on God, they entered into a dark pagan degradation. Seeking to save His children, Jehovah sent the prophet Joel to Judah to try to get them to return to Him (see Bringing Hope to the Darkness). Unfortunately, they did not listen to his message, and chose to be ruled by a succession of three additional pagan kings as they continued to wallow in paganism themselves.

            The northern region of Israel fared no better, as they allowed the reign of three pagan kings of their own. Now, the approximate date is 760 B.C. Again, God tries to save the people by sending a prophet to Israel by the name Amos, who came to warn them that He was going to administer some serious discipline to both Israel and Judah.

He first addresses the southern kingdom:

“The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They have rejected the instruction of the LORD, refusing to obey his decrees. They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors. So, I will send down fire on Judah, and all of the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed.” Amos 2:4, 5. NLT

            God’s hands are tied. He is a God of justice. Thus, He must keep His word. This ‘fire’ will be the conquering Babylonian army that will appear in approximately 200 years.

            Next, Amos speaks to the fate of the northern kingdom of Israel regarding the consequences for their moral mortification; but it is not without anguish that He delivers His sentence. We can hear His tender heart:

“From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins.” Amos 3:2 NLT

            But deliver it He must:

“Therefore,” says the Sovereign LORD, “an enemy is coming! He will surround them and shatter their defenses. Then he will plunder all their fortresses.” Amos 3:11 NLT

“The time will come when you will be led away with hooks in your noses.” Amos 4:2 NLT

            This prophecy would be fulfilled in only 40 years, when they would be defeated by the Assyrians, who were known to lead their captives away by piercing them with fishhooks through their noses or lips.

            Well now, you might be thinking, ‘How is this bringing hope to the darkness?’ First, God is trying to scare them (with the truth) into right behavior. Secondly, He follows the sentence of discipline with a compassionate plea:

“Come back to me and live!…For I know the  vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions…Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper…” Amos 5:4, 12 & 14. NLT

            Now, just as God spoke through the prophet Joel to Judah about being in right relationship with Him, both immediately and at the end of time, He delivers a similar message through Amos, to Israel:

“You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.” Amos 6:3 CSB

            God does not beat around the bush. The immediate application is the threat of the Assyrian invasion. The eschatological (end times) implication, is that the time to get right with God is now! Why? The reason is one that I feel duty-bound to reiterate over and over: and that is that either before you die, or before Christ returns, (whichever comes first), you must already have that God-connection firmly in place, or you will never have a chance to have one.

            And just to help us to understand the urgency, Jehovah gives us a glimpse of the state of the world just before His Son comes:

“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine on the land – not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12. NLT

            One could look around in present time, and conjecture that this is happening. Just saying. You have to faithfully marinate in His word to avoid the fate of those with their focus on all things worldly.

            God gives them one more reminder that His discipline will be severe for those who won’t turn their lives around:

“I, the Sovereign LORD am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,” says the LORD. For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost.” Amos 9:8, 9. NLT

            So, you see, God metes out punishment, but offers compassion to the repentant. The true kernels. Indeed, God left His children a promise that was finally kept in 1948, when Israel was reestablished as a nation:

“I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.” Amos 9:15 NLT

            He initially scattered His faithful children to other nations, in order to save them from further moral dilapidation, and ultimately brought them home.

God cherishes His children. He left us the accounts of His rebellious children in the past, so that we could learn from the consequences of their behavior. If you look around, you will see that the world today is not much different, and we have our own rebels living amongst us.

The Bible is timeless. Jehovah’s pleas for your salvation are still ringing out today. God is always faithful. He will bring you home to Him as well, if you keep the faith. And when you don’t, come to Him in repentance, and He will make things right again…

Goodnight and God bless.

Bringing Hope to the Darkness

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 NLT

            Last time, (see Rebellion of God’s Children), we followed the fractionation of Israel after the death of King Solomon. We saw that the northern portion of Israel kept the same name, and suffered (so far), through eight pagan kings, ruling over pagan people who turned their backs on God.

            The southern region, called Judah, had two pagan kings, followed by two godly kings in the same time frame. We left off with the fourth, King Jehoshaphat. After his death, the people reverted to paganism like their northern brothers and sisters. At this time, it’s been almost one hundred years since God’s children have lived in unrepentant sin…

            Jehovah loves all people; and it breaks His heart when they live that way, because their self-destruction is assured if they don’t turn around. So, in approximately 835 B.C., He decided to get Judah’s attention by sending a plague of locusts that decimated their crops. Famine and drought follow.

            You might think Him to be a cruel God, but not so! He’s keeping the promise that He made to their ancestors:

“…if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you…Swarms of insects will destroy your trees and crops.” Dt. 28:15 & 42. NLT

            Yet God’s love never waivers. He sends a prophet by the name of Joel to Judah, to bring hope to their darkness. (I must pause here and tell you that there is some disagreement between biblical scholars regarding exactly when Joel showed up. Some believe it was at this point in time, others say it was three hundred years later. It doesn’t matter. God’s word is timeless.

            Theologians consider Joel to be one of the ‘minor prophets,’ not because his message was any less important than other prophets, but because it was brief.

            Joel begins relaying Jehovah’s message to the people by telling them not to forget His discipline, and to pass that knowledge onto their children as well. Then he tells them how to restore their relationship with their Creator:

Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there. Joel 1:14 NLT

            In other words, return to Jehovah God, which is the answer to all the troubles of humankind. When Joel next speaks, he shows us a pattern of delivery that many of the prophets utilize – that of speaking God’s word which had an immediate application, but also a future one as well:

Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears… Joel 2:1, 2. NLT

            The imminent application consists of God’s warning that the people must get their spiritual act together, or He will send the Babylonians to conquer them and carry them away captive. (Which they don’t, because the conquerors came two hundred years later and do just that).

            The future reference considers the ‘day of the LORD,’ which marks the end of time. Unrepentant sin, (which includes rejecting God’s invitation to salvation through Christ), will definitely put you on the losing end when that occasion comes.

            God is saying that time is finite. He fashioned just enough time to allow for all the people He would create, to be able to decide of their own free will to love Him and / or make the decision to return to His love, if they fell astray.

            At end of time, those who have a love relationship with Jehovah will spent eternity with Him. Those who have of themselves decided not to, will never get another chance:

The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? Joel 2:11 NLT

            The day of the LORD is awesome for those who love God, but terrible for those who don’t. Again, He is not being cruel. Jehovah has been telling all of humankind how to relate to Him for over 3000 years. Moreover, He is still reaching out to everyone:

That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is still time. Give me your hearts, come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:12, 13. NLT

            The Hebrews used to tear their garments when in anguish, to symbolize having a broken heart. Here, God is telling them to forgo the symbolism and immerse themselves in the experience of having a true broken heart, one that seeks His forgiveness that only earnest repentance can bring.

            Joel then shows them the divine restoration that their repentance could bring from the Lord:

“I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts…It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again, you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced.” Joel 2:25, 26. NLT

            Jehovah’s greatest joy, where we are concerned, comes from covering us with His love, grace and mercy – both now and forever. Even though we have made ourselves ripe for the devouring locusts, God stands ready to deliver us when we call out to Him. Furthermore, check this out!

“…I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 CSB

“The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved…These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.” Joel 2:31, 32. NLT

“…the heavens and the earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people…” Joel 3:16 NKJV

            Awesome! When we approach the end of time, (by the way, that clock started ticking off when Christ ascended to heaven), every child of God will be filled by the Holy Spirit and manifest it. In fact, 7 – 10 days after Jesus ascended (depending upon who you ask), the indwelling began on the day of Pentecost. (see Acts 2:1 – 21.)

            It is still happening today, empowering the receiver to enter into the kingdom of God and advance it here on earth.

            We can also see that Jehovah God will reshape the earth and the universe into something that will be so wondrous that we cannot yet comprehend it.

            It will be a frightening, chaotic time for those who chose to reject God; but for those who choose Him, regardless of their past, they have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and cherished by His Father, and that time for them will be the beginning of heaven…

            Next week, we’ll continue to watch our Creator, as He keeps bringing hope to the darkness.

            Goodnight and God bless.

Judgment is Coming

After King Solomon died, Israel fell into chaos. Solomon’s son took the throne and tried to rule with an iron fist, prompting one of King Solomon’s army officers to revolt that resulted in a country divided. Ten of the twelve tribes of Israel formed the northern partition, referred to as ‘Israel;’ and the remaining two tribes formed the southern kingdom of Judah. 

Both Israel and Judah reverted to paganism. Israel suffers through eight corrupt and pagan kings and Judah is having their own problems as well. Despite having a few good kings, their own corrupt kings lead Judah to pagan worship as well.

God made a promise to King David that the Messiah would be a descendant of his lineage and that His kingdom would last forever. Well, that lineage was part of the kingdom of Judah. To keep His promise, God was going to have to intervene in a big way, to keep Judah from self-destruction.

So, in approximately 835 B.C., God decides to get their attention by sending a plague of locusts that decimates Judah’s crops. Famine and drought follow. Is God being cruel? No! He’s keeping the promise that He made to His children 600 years prior: 

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes…that all these curses will come upon you…Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land.” Dt. 28:15 & 42. NKJV 

Thankfully, God never runs out of love. He sends His prophet (‘one who speaks for God’) Joel to wayward Judah, to try to convince the people to return to Him. Joel begins by telling Judah to remember God’s discipline (the plague of locusts) and tell it to their children as well. Then, he reveals God’s instructions for returning to Him:

Consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Joel 1:14 NASB

In other words, the answer to their (and everyone else’s) problems lies in returning to God. Next, Joel presses home the dire seriousness of their present situation:

Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all of the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand; a day of darkness and gloominess… Joel 2:1, 2. NKJV

Joel has delivered a two-fold prophecy: the immediate warning regards a future invasion by the Babylonians, should the people of Judah persist in their disobedience; the second part describes the ‘day of the LORD,’ which occurs at the end of time. 

The disobedience God is referring to here is not about the sin traps we fall into throughout life, those that through His mercies, are forgiven (through the blood of Jesus) when we confess and repent. No, God is referring to purposeful, unrepentant sin, which always leads to death. 

God (Love) is eternal. However, the time for making the decision to connect or re-connect with God is finite. We must reach out for God before we die. Seeing as how we cannot know exactly when that time will come, we can’t put off for another minute establishing or re-establishing our connection. 

For that day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? Joel 2:11 NKJV

Great and terrible. The day of the LORD will be great for those who love God, but terrible for those who don’t. This is not an exercise of divine capricious cruelty. God laid out these rules to us over three thousand years ago. Yet because of God’s great love for all the people, He continues to reach out for them, even if they have walked away from Him: 

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” Joel 2:12, 13. ESV

The Hebrews used to tear their clothes in times of anguish and sorrow because it symbolized having a broken heart. Here, God is asking them to get into a real experience of sorrowful repentance so that He can lavish His love and mercy upon them. To motivate them, He paints a picture of their potential restoration:

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied; and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.” Joel 2:25, 26. NKJV

God wants to ensure that His children are covered with HIs love, grace and mercy – now and forever. And even though it is we who bring the locusts into our lives, God wants to help us clean them out of it, to deliver us into His love: 

“It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophecy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 NASB

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Joel 2:31, 32. NKJV

“…the heavens and the earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people…” Joel 3:16. NKJV

Wow! When we approach the end of time, every child of God will be filled with the Holy Spirit. This process actually began to happen shortly after Jesus’ ascension to heaven, on the Day of Pentecost. The exciting thing to see, is that it is still progressing – empowering the recipients to both enter the kingdom of God and to advance it. 

We also see that God is going to reshape the earth and the universe it sits in into something so wondrous that we cannot yet comprehend it. 

It will be a chaotic time, frightening and final for those who turned their backs on God; but for those whose hearts are bent towards Him, it will be the beginning of heaven…

Goodnight and God bless.

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