2004-02-13
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, I was led to begin discussing the Olivet discourse because of what we learn about Christ’s second coming, also known as the Glorious Appearing. One of the issues that comes up in Scripture is the difference between the terms “Day of the Lord” and “Day of Christ.” I will investigate what the Bible has to say about these terms and then return to writing about the Olivet discourse, because it too, has more to say. My Bible teacher, Les Feldick, whom I mention often in these devotions because of His competence as a teacher and devotion to God, brought this issue to my attention. Let’s look at some of the Scriptures that mention “Day of the Lord” first. IS 2: 12-18, “On that Day the Lord Almighty will humble everyone who is powerful, everyone who is proud and conceited. He will destroy the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the oaks in the land of Bashan [ancient kingdom of Og located east of northern Israel in modern day Jordan]. He will level the high mountain and hills, every high tower, and the walls of every fortress. He will sink even the largest and most beautiful ships. Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that Day.” IS 13: 9-13, “That Day of the Lord is coming-that cruel Day of His fierce anger and fury. The earth will be made a wilderness, and every sinner will be destroyed. Every star and every constellation will stop shining, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will give no light. The Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on the earth and punish all wicked people for their sins. I will humble everyone who is proud and punish everyone who is arrogant and cruel. Those who survive will be scarcer than gold. I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place on that Day when I, the Lord Almighty, show my anger.” MT 24: 21, “For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there be anything like it again.” It becomes clear then, that the term “Day of the Lord” really refers to Christ’s second coming. This event is clearly delineated in ZECH 14: 4, “A that time He will stand on the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west by a large valley. Half of the mountain will move northward, and half of it southward.”
At this juncture it is necessary for me to state that I believe in pre-tribulation rapture, realizing that this is only one of several theories explaining the events of the end times. Others, such as mid- or post-tribulation rapture and amillennialism, believe that the rapture will take place in the times indicated. As for amillennialism, this theory doesn’t accept that a chronological series of events is given in Revelation and doesn’t separate the rapture from the second coming. The pre-tribulation theory does accept that a chronological series of end times events is given in Revelation, and that the rapture and the second coming are indeed two separate and distinct events. This theory accepts that all the true believers will be taken up to heaven in a meeting in the air discussed in 1 THESS 4: 13-17 before the antichrist makes his appearance and the tribulation begins. You will notice that there is no mention here of catastrophic geological events as with the citations on the second coming. People who disagree with me are just as righteous and justified as I hope I am. Since this is a non-salvation based issue, it’s perfectly okay for us to disagree. We will all eventually find out which theory is truth in God’s perfect time.
Space limitations this week aren’t going to permit me to write everything there is to say about the Olivet discourse, but I promise it will be the subject of next week’s message. But, I do want to finish up on the other term “Day of Christ.” As Les Feldick explained it, this is clearly the day when Christ calls believers to a meeting in the air [1 THESS 4 ;13-17]. Of course everything said here about both the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord involves God’s supernatural power to do things that defy the laws of physics. I write this message with deep and abiding faith in Him and in His supreme sovereignty over all. I urge each of you to reflect on how blessed we are when we live sanctified lives of holiness, lives that are borne out on His teaching. Our awesome God is loving, compassionate, kind, good, and all of the things that He wants us to model in our lives. Everyone alive at the time on earth will see Christ’s second coming. All believers will be raptured up into heaven by Him at the appointed time. MT 24: 36 reminds us that we don’t know when that time will be, so it’s imperative that we get our spiritual houses in order as soon as possible. I truly believe that the rapture will be the time when we will be given our resurrection bodies, the ones that are immortal spoken of in 1 COR 15: 42-50. I also believe that this will be the carrying out of our special invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb [REV 19: 5-10]. Imagine, He will meet us just as we are, imperfections and all. He will escort us to that table, and we will never suffer or be miserable again. Instead, we will become joint-heirs to God’s Kingdom with Jesus Christ. Now, who could ask for anything more wonderful than that?
PRAYER: O Lord, we stand before You today hungry for even more knowledge of You and Your teaching in the Scriptures. You convince us repeatedly how important this is to our being invited to that “meeting in the air” with Your Son and being able to dwell forever in bliss with You. While nothing is more important to us than that, we recognize we are sinners with much work to do to live according to the standard Christ set for us. We keenly remember Your wise words through Paul in RO 12: 1-2, words which we should never tire of repeating. “So then, my brothers, because of God’s great mercy to us, I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.” The love of Your Son is what makes this possible. The words of Paul’s prayer in EPH 3: 16-19 reverberate in our hearts. “I ask God from the wealth of His glory to give you power through His Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make His home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. Yes, may you come to know His love –although it can never be fully known-and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.” Dearest Abba, we eagerly await both the rapture and Christ’s second coming, knowing that these events will bring us closer to You. We proudly acknowledge Your justice, supreme sovereignty, love for those who refuse to reject You-even in the face of pain, suffering, loss, and temptation. The devil may try to prod us into sin, but Your power is greater than his by far. Because You love us so much, You have given us the power to fend off the adversary and to be victors in Jesus Christ. We are reminded by 2 COR 2: 14, “But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.” Thanks and praise go to You, Dear Father. We look forward to making worship of You our main occupation. In Christ, we pray. Amen.
As I said above, next week’s message will continue on the Olivet discourse. What a great gold mine it is for knowledge God wants us to have about His glorious appearing. Once again, I don’t confuse God the Father with God the Son. They are one and the same, only the former is transcendent (invisible, transcending the material universe) and the latter is visible (in the form of Jesus Christ). These words from JL 2: 28 and 32 give us so much hope. “Afterward [after the tribulation] I will pour out My Spirit on everyone: your sons and daughters will proclaim My message; your old men will have dreams, and your young me will see visions…But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved. As the Lord has said, ‘Some in Jerusalem will escape; those whom I choose will survive.’” My great desire is that each of you and I will be together living in blissful closeness and joy with the Lord forever.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn