(1Tm) Foreword
Back to The Day of The Lord
Our vision of the return of Christ to the earth affects the sincerity with which we prepare ourselves to do our Lord’s will. It is necessary that Christian people study the Scriptures concerning this supremely important event and not just accept the traditions that have been handed to us. There are widely held doctrines among Christians that are contrary to the words of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles of the lamb.
Many of us have trusted that the saints will not be called on to endure tribulation. Yet, this is not borne out by church history or by the Scriptures. One area of confusion concerns the great tribulation. The difference between tribulation and Divine wrath is not always made clear.
Tribulation is necessary for the perfecting of the saint. We enter the Kingdom of God through much tribulation. Wrath falls on the wicked and is not redemptive. God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord, Christ.
Paul teaches us in Second Thessalonians that the Day of Christ will not come until after the worldwide revolt against authority and the revealing of the man of sin. The Lord Jesus spoke clearly that He would not come in secret but His appearing would shine as lightning "immediately after the tribulation of those days."
No verse of the Scriptures speaks of a disappearing of the saints. Christ ascended in full view of the onlookers, will call up His saints in full view of the onlookers, and will descend to the Mount of Olives in full view of the onlookers.
The Scripture does not teach that when we ascend to meet the Lord we shall return to Heaven with Him. Yet multitudes of Christian believers believe this to be the case. The purpose of the Lord’s return is not to carry His Church to Heaven but to bring justice to the nations of the earth.
We are to flee to the mountain of prayer with God as we behold the rise of lawlessness, and later may be required to flee literally from the cities and towns where we live. When we Christians have been driven from the cities of the earth, God will provide for us in the wilderness until Christ returns and destroys Antichrist with the power and glory of His Presence.
The return of Christ to set up His Kingdom on the earth is the ancient hope of the saints. That original hope is being brought up to date by the burden of the Holy Spirit.
And to you who are troubled 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. (II Thessalonians 1:7-10)