Leslie M. John M.A
Continued from Previous Page
God protects His followers
When God decided to protect his precious ones whom He considered are upright
and his followers he called in to a secure place before destroying
the wicked who rejected Him. Noah was just and perfect in the sight
of God and he walked with God. Therefore, God commended Noah and his family to get into the Ark and be secure while he poured out his wrath against those who
rejected Him. Noah and his family were saved from the wrath of God. In
similar way when God pours out His wrath against those who rejected him
as their Savior he protects the Church and keep the believers away from
his wrath. He saved them from destruction. He grants them eternal life
to be with Him always. (Genesis 6:9, Genesis 7:16 and 1 Thessalonians
4:17). Surely the indignation shown by those who rejected Jesus as
their Messiah will be paid for while those who are saved and protected
are asked to be patient until He deals with them in His wrath.
"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". (Isaiah 26:20-21)
The comfort and security provided to the believers in Christ is seen in
Zephaniah 2:3 where the prophet calls for repentance in order that they may be
saved and hid during the period of Lord's anger. The prophet asks them
to seek the LORD and His righteousness, and meekness in order that they
may be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
Speaking to Jewish audience Jesus warned them not to be taken away by enticing
words of any one who would say that here is Christ or there! He said many will come in
His name and will teach false doctrines and prophesy false. He said Antichrist,
the son of perdition, will call himself as
Christ. Jesus said to them to be careful and not believe him because the Son of man will come as a lightening
out of the east, and shines even unto the west.
"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not
forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together". (Matthew 24:26-28)
John saw in his vision a great multitude whom no one could number. They
were from all nations and they stood before the throne of the Lamb.
He saw that a great voice from heaven called those who are saved to
"Come up hither" and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud while their
enemies watched them. Those who were caught up were from all nations,
kindred, and people of all tongues and they stood before the throne of
the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands. (Revelation
7:9, Revelation 11:12)
The man child in Revelation represented Lord Jesus Christ in whose blood our
sins are cleansed. The loud voice said that the salvation, the kingdom of our
God and the power of Christ is come. The accuser, Satan, who is also called the
great dragon, that old serpent, the Devil, who deceived Eve in the Garden of
Eden, was cast out into the earth along with his fellow evil angels. Those who
were overcome by the blood of the Lamb were saved and are asked to rejoice. It
will be the time when Satan who will have very little time pursues and
persecutes the nation of Israel during the Great Tribulation period.
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters
of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw
that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the
man child". (Revelation 12:9-13)
Jesus himself said that he will come in the clouds of heaven with power of great
glory and then all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see his coming.
It is at that time that he shall send his angels with great sound of trumpet
and they shall 'gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other'(Mathew 24:30,31). John also saw in his vision the Son of
man coming in the cloud with a golden crown on his head. 'And he that sat on the
cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped'
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto
the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to
him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come
for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the
cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped". (Revelation
14:14-16)
We will be caught up
Second prophesy is from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, wherein it was prophesied that
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" The
Scriptures reveal to us that we, the believers will be caught up in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air, and thereafter we will be with the Lord for ever.
Israel is still in enmity with the Lord and are still disobedient. God concluded
them in unbelief.
Romans 11:28-32 “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but
as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts
and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have
these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all”.
During the 'great tribulation' period Israel will cry for the Lord's mercy. This
period is also called, "Jacob's Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is
great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he
shall be saved out of it.)
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn”.
Lord Jesus pointed to the "...abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place..." (Matt 24:15). This prophesy is about the
time period of the 'great tribulation' and it is seen in Daniel 9:26, and 27,
and in Daniel 12:11. There it is mentioned about the abomination of desolation'.
"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the
abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred
and ninety days.
Jacob's Trouble
The time of Jacob's trouble, is the time of 'great tribulation' when Israel will
mourn for the Lord, whom they crucified and this will make a way for the
national repentance. God will have mercy on Israel and will restore to them
their lost kingdom. The second coming of Jesus as seen by the left- behind Jews
and unbelievers is the second appearance of Lord Jesus Christ on this earth.
Then will the feet of Lord Jesus' stand upon the Mount Olives and thereafter He
will rule for one thousand years literally from the throne of David.
The Lord is jealous God, and He shall not tolerate any one, who worships the
idols, much less he tolerated the children of Israel. The troubles and curses
they heaped upon themselves by worshipping idols, and making graven images and
by doing evil things in the sight of the Lord God, provoked him to anger. God
swore saying, ".. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that
ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to
possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be
destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be
left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you."
Deuteronomy 4:24-27 Even as they are scattered if they repent of their sins and
call upon God as their Savior, He said He will deliver from the tribulation and
gather them as one nation. The great tribulation will be such as was never
before in the whole history of mankind upon this earth, and this is the time
when the children of Israel will surely confess that the Lord Jesus is their
Messiah, and God will not go back on His words of restoring them their land, and
every one's name will be found in the 'book'. (Dan.12:1)
Even though many Israelites have returned to their land, and also the nation of
Israel was declared independent on May 15th, 1948, yet the complete gathering of
the tribes from northern kingdom that were scattered after the Assyrians had
taken them captive and the tribes from southern kingdom, who were taken captive
by Babylonians, and thereafter by Persians is not complete. Also, the children
of Israel living in Israel are not all saved. God will use 'great tribulation',
which comes under the 'the time of Jacob's trouble', for calling upon their
Savior, Lord Jesus as their Messiah.
God warned beforehand that when they are in tribulation, and when all those
troubles come upon them in the latter days, and if they turn to the Lord God,
and be obedient to Him, He will not forget the covenant that He made with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and swore to them. (Ref. Deut. 4:30,31). In Deut.
30:1-3 God said, that when the Israel realizes that He had driven them out of
their country for the sins they committed, and call upon Him for mercy, obey His
voice according to all that He had commanded, He will have compassion on them
and gather them from all the nations, where He had scattered them. Apostle Paul
confirms in Romans 11:20 that because of their unbelief they 'were broken off',
but when they repent of their sins, and realize that Lord Jesus is their
Messiah, God will have compassion on them and 'All Israel shall be saved'. Ref.
Rom. 11:26. The time of this great tribulation is two fold. Firstly, it is for
heathen to realize that God will judge man for his sin, and secondly for the
house of Israel to realize that Lord Jesus Christ is their Messiah for ever.
God named Jacob as Israel and loved Israel more than we can imagine. He has
called Israel as His first born son. To understand fully what God has done, it
is necessary to go back to the beginning to see His purposes in choosing Israel.
Israel's beginning occurs, not with Jacob, but with the calling of Abraham.
Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew
thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the
earth be blessed”.
It is not a name given by human but the name that is given by God; it is
"Israel", which in Hebrew means God has striven, or God has saved. "And he said,
Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou
power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Genesis 32:28 The descendants
of Jacob are Israel, and to be specific, the tribe of Judah, and the tribe of
Benjamin, and those, who are from the tribe of Levi are called, 'Jews' and the
rest of them are called, "Israel". God has given great privilege to the "Israel"
to be called as His first born. "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the
LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn" Exodus 4:22.
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