By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #217 ~
1. God is a perfectly righteous judge. Because God is holy and hates sin, then He must judge sin. Throughout history, whether it’s in individuals, families, cities, countries, or the entire world, God has judged sin. Then there’s God’s eschatological wrath, also called the day of the Lord, His just judgment of the entire world, which will happen soon. What’s so amazing is that the holy God judged His own Son, Jesus Christ, who took our sins and paid for them by dying on a cross so all who repent of their sins and believe in Christ are forgiven and receive eternal life – and they will never be judged for their sins. Mark 1:14-15; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21
2. The eschatological day of the Lord, the climactic judgment of this world, takes place at the end of this present evil age, which won’t be long from now. This awesome and righteous judgment will devastate the entire planet as well as human life, the greatest global demonstration of justice since the Noahic flood. Revelation 8-9, 16
3. God’s holiness is the reason for His wrath during the day of the Lord. God is perfectly just in unleashing His wrath upon an unjust world, which will be a vivid display of His righteousness and will bring Him great glory. Rom. 3:4-6, Rev. 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
4. The day of the Lord results in the exaltation of Christ, the vindication of the saints, the punishment of unbelievers, the defeat of the Antichrist, the end of Satan’s rule on earth, and the beginning of Christ’s rule. Rev. 1:4-7, Rev. 8-9, Rev. 19:20-21, Rev. 20:1-6
5. A scroll written by God contains instructions for the day of the Lord. This scroll has seven seals, and Jesus Christ is the only One who can break these seals. Once He does, then the scroll is opened, and there is the blowing of the seven trumpets, the outpouring of God’s wrath, resulting in Christ reclaiming the earth and receiving power and great glory. Rev. 5:12-13
6. The events associated with the first six seals are not part of this “day of the Lord” wrath, but are judgments happening here and there, and they are also wake-up calls, signs that Christ is coming soon. The first four seals are the “birth pains.” The fifth seal is great tribulation which affects both Christians and Jews. The sixth seal speaks of signs in heaven and a massive earthquake, and is proclaiming to the world that the day of the Lord is at hand. Matthew 24:4-9, 29; Rev. 6:1-17
7. Christ’s coming will be like a “thief in the night” to non-Christians. Unbelievers will not know and / or not believe what will soon be hitting the world. Suddenly they will see these heavenly signs and feel this huge earthquake, and be shocked, scared to death, and try to escape, for they know God’s wrath will soon be poured out upon them. 1 Thess. 5:1-9
8. The coming of Christ and His wrath will not be like a “thief in the night” to Christians. Most Christians “are not in darkness” and are not surprised by these cosmic signs announcing the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a wicked world. They know that the signs are not just signaling the wrath of God, but also the imminent rapture of the church. Matt. 24:29-31
9. A vast number of Jews will be protected during the day of the Lord and not experience God’s wrath. Between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals there will be the sealing of 144,000 Jews. There will also be a remnant of Jews who escape from the devil (the Antichrist) when he comes chasing after them. Matt 24:15-20; Rev. 7:1-8, 12:13-16
10. At Christ’s coming the church is raptured, which happens before the day of the Lord. Thus, all Christians will escape these fierce judgments, for “Jesus… rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9). The rapture occurs between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals, and at a time completely unknown to us. Matt. 24:36, Rev. 7:9-14
11. The day of the Lord begins right after the rapture and on the same day. Luke 17:26-35
12. The day of the Lord is comprised of the trumpet and bowl judgments. The trumpet judgments (Rev. 8-9) begin after the rapture, after the breaking of the seventh seal, and during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week. The bowl judgments (Rev. 15-16) begin after the blowing of the 7th trumpet, and after the end of this 70th week.
13. The breaking of the 7th seal results in the scroll being completely opened. Once this seal is opened, there will be exactly 30 minutes of silence before God’s wrath begins on earth. This will be a most sobering and suspenseful time for unbelievers, for they will be in utter agony, dreading the destructive and deadly day of the Lord. Zeph. 1:7, Zech. 2:13, Rev. 8:1
14. Just before the trumpet judgments, the pleasing smell of incense mixed with our prayers arises up to God. Then this censer, filled with incense, prayers, and fire, is thrown down to earth, a signal to the world that God’s wrath is starting. Rev. 8:1-5
15. Seven angels, standing before God, prepare themselves to sound their trumpets. These angels are carrying out His righteous work. They know that the trumpet blasts are a battle cry for God’s justice, for His wrath to be poured out upon a very wicked world. Psalm 103:20-21
16. The blowing of the seven trumpets happens consecutively, one after another, the first, then the second, and all the way to the seventh. After the blowing of the seventh trumpet, there is the outpouring of the seven bowls, and these too do not happen simultaneously, but are consecutive, each one occurring after the previous one. Rev. 16
17. The fact that the judgments are sequential, and take place over a period of time, tells us that the entire day of the Lord is not quick and sudden. The effect on the unrepentant unbelievers will be tormenting and torturing, mentally, emotionally, and physically, resulting in great fear, great pain, and death – and rightfully so. Rev. 16:9-10
18. We do not know how long the trumpet judgments will last. They begin after the rapture, at an unknown time during the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. The fifth judgment goes on for five months, and they conclude with the seventh, at the end of the 70th week. They will last at least five months, but less than 42 months, and I’d say, much less, for the great tribulation, I believe, will go on for quite a while. Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:36
19. The first three trumpet judgments are cataclysmic, destroying plants, animals, rivers, and seas. The fourth judgment impacts the sun, stars, and moon, darkening the earth. The fifth one results in unbelievers being tormented by scorpion-like-locust stings for five months. The sixth one is the worst, for 200 million horsemen go out and kill one third of mankind.
20. Three things result from the blowing of the seventh trumpet: 1. Daniel’s 70th week comes to an end (Dan. 9:27). 2. The mystery of God is finished, and many Jews are saved. (Rev. 10:7). 3. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). This important point in history enables Jesus Christ to establish His reign on earth.
21. The Antichrist is present on earth during the day of the Lord. He is given authority to rule for 42 months, lasting from the midpoint to the end of Daniel’s 70th week. At the sound of the seventh trumpet his role as world ruler is over. The bowl judgments are a transitional phase from the Antichrist’s rule to Christ’s rule. Rev. 13:4-5, 16:12-16, 17:14, 19:20-21
22. The bowl judgments are the final phase of God’s wrath on this earth. These bowls, being wide and shallow, are quickly poured out, meaning this aspect of God’s justice happens fast, for only 30 days, yet it’s terribly destructive, wiping out the Antichrist’s kingdom. Rev. 16
23. The bowl judgments are extremely painful and deadly. The first bowl judgment results in unbelievers receiving “loathsome and malignant” sores. The second one causes the seas to become blood, resulting in the death of all sea creatures. The third turns the rivers into blood. The fourth causes the unbelievers to be “scorched with fierce heat.” The fifth results in the Antichrist’s kingdom being darkened. And the result is that the unbelievers “gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven…” Rev. 16:11
24. No one repents of their sins. It is incredibly sad that after all these hard-hitting judgments there are still all these hard-hearted sinners who won’t repent of their sins. Not only did they not repent but they were angry and blamed God – “they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.” Rev. 16:1-11
25. The battle of Armageddon. The pouring of the sixth bowl prepares the world for the battle of Armageddon. But there’s no battle. God’s enemies don’t have a chance, not against the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” The Antichrist and false prophet are quickly seized and thrown into the lake of fire, and “the rest were killed with the sword” of the Lord. Rev. 19:11-21
26. “A loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’” The most destructive bowl judgment is saved for last. There is a mighty earthquake, and all the cities collapse. Hundred-pound hailstones rain down from the sky, killing millions of sinners. Indeed, God’s righteous wrath will be poured out upon a most wicked world. Rev. 16:17
27. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Rev. 18:2). There’s Rev. 17-18, which give more detail about the devil’s world system and the Antichrist’s kingdom. We read about Babylon the Great, which refers to the religious and economic systems of the world. And we learn about the Antichrist’s evil and ungodly empire. These are all destroyed by God’s catastrophic judgments.
28. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God’s wrath is completed. The Antichrist’s authority comes to an end at the blast of the 7th trumpet, but it is by the pouring of the 7th bowl that the Antichrist is fully defeated, the world system is destroyed, and Christ’s authority is finally established on earth. The saints and angels in heaven will wholeheartedly praise God for His awesome victory over the enemy. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” Rev. 19:1-6
29. The greatest world war is between God and Satan, and God is the winner. Since the sin of Adam, there has been a great battle, raging between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan, between the forces of God and the forces of the devil (Gen. 3:15, Eph. 6:10-13). We are now close to that time when God’s plans for believers and planet earth will be completely carried out, and we will see the “summing up of all things in Christ.” Eph. 1:9-11
Let me summarize what we can expect in the years ahead: we will see this spiritual battle intensify, from the birth pains to the Antichrist to the great tribulation to the rapture (Matt. 24:4-31) to the outpouring of God’s wrath (Rev. 8-9) to the salvation of a remnant of Jews (Rom. 11:25-26) to the defeat of the Antichrist (Rev. 16, Rev. 19:20) to Christ reigning over the earth – “The Lord will be King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). You are wonderfully blessed to be part of God’s eternal plans, and to be on earth at this momentous time in history. Rev. 1:6-7
30. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth” (Psalm 98:9). Be excited and thankful, for we are close to the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church. Don’t be fleshly or worldly, and don’t be ignorant of what will be happening on earth (Rom. 13:11-14). This is our time to live for God and do the work He wants us to do. Tell sinners to turn from their sin to Christ. Warn them that if they don’t, then they may be here for that dreadful day of the Lord, and from there, descend to a fiery hell (2 Thess. 1:9). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:58
Note: This post is a shorter version of an article I just posted. When you get time, I strongly encourage you to read this article, entitled: “God’s Wrath on Earth at the End of This Age.”
P.S. As a pastor, I teach from the Bible every Sunday. I have been going through 1 Peter, one of the most important epistles on suffering – which makes it extremely relevant for Christians living at this time. I encourage you to go to Sermon Audio, and there you will find and be able to listen to these messages and download my notes. The last three messages are on the importance of humility, and how to get victory over anxiety.
P.P. S. I would encourage you to look the charts that are linked in points 2, 3, 6, 7 & 30. They will be very helpful to you in seeing the big picture in regards to the wrath of God.