Benjamin Rush I have alternately been called an Aristocrat and a Democrat. I am neither. I am a Christocrat. John Jay Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. George Washington Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ. It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. The Great Day of the Lord the day of Jehovah 3 things over the next several weeks that we are going to be looking at: Today the Great Day of the Lord Next week the anti-christ The following week the Rapture Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. o What is the Day of the Lord and how does this relate to the Tribulation?
o What is the time period of the Tribulation? o What are the different names for the Tribulation and the characteristics? o What is the purpose of the Tribulation? o Why should believers, if not in the Tribulation, be concerned with the detail of this time period? The Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge sin and restore Israel to Himself He will rule over the nations I. The Time period Daniels 70 th Week Speaking of the anti-christ and the week which is the 70 th of the 70 weeks decreed for Israel (vs. 24) Daniel 9:27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. II. The various Names There are various names for the Tribulation and or the Great Tribulation. The most common is the Day of the Lord or the Day of Jehovah. Others notable names are a. The 70 th Week of Daniel Daniel 9.27 see above Zephaniah 1:14 16 alone has numerous names of this time
b. A Day of Wrath c. A Day of Trouble d. A Day of Distress e. A Day of Destruction f. A Day of Desolation g. A Day of Darkness h. A Day of Gloom i. A Day of Clouds j. A Day of Thick Darkness k. A Day of Trumpet Zephaniah 1:14 16 Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. 15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers. l. The Day of the Lord I Thessalonians 5.2 m. Jacob s Distress and or Jacob s trouble Jeremiah Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob s distress, But he will be saved from it. n. In Zecheriah 12 where that day is referred to speaking of the Day of the Lord Israel s salvation, deliverance and repentance as is recorded Zechariah 12:10 I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. o. The Great Day of the Wrath of the Lamb of God Rev. 6.16-17
Revelation 6:16 17 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Commenting on these verses, John F. Walvoord writes: The day of wrath is at the beginning of the day of the Lord, that extended period when God is going to deal directly in governing the entire world. It is significant that early in the book of Revelation the day of wrath is declared as having already come. It is another evidence that the great tribulation is already under way. Also John MacArthur writes: The Great day of their wrath is another term for the day of the Lord. There are others III. The Purpose a. To put an end to sin and the rebellious Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. See also Isaiah 24.19-20 All the Nations will serve the Lord Revelation 19:15 16 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. b. The restoring of Israel and the ushering in of the promised Millennium
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. Fruchtenbaum states A very important thing that must be noted is that the program of the Seventy Sevens does not concern the Church. It has nothing to do with God s plan and program for the church. Rather, the Seventy Sevens program concerns Israel. 6 Things stated concerning this time period specifically for the Jewish people Dealing with the sin of Israel 1) to finish the transgression to finish and or make and end of the national rebellion which is the lack of belief in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ 2) to make an end of sin Israel will no longer sin on a daily basis, as the New Covenant of God will be made with them they will be cleansed having believed in Christ Jesus see Jeremiah 31.31ff 3) to make atonement for iniquity the removal of the sin nature from Israelites Speaking of Israel s return to the Lord and the Millennium 4) to bring in everlasting righteousness speaking of the Millennium where the Lord will rule and reign 5) to seal up vision and prophecy to bring to fulfillment all that has been prophesied
i. the return of Christ etc ii. the Messianic Kingdom and or the Millennium 6) to anoint the most holy place Jerusalem and the 4 th Temple of the Millennium Conclusion: 1 Thessalonians 5:3 11 While they are saying, Peace and safety! then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. The Bible Knowledge Commentary The wrath of God that will have been building up over some time will suddenly break forth. The signs of its coming are discernible, even though the moment of its arrival is unpredictable. No more can the world escape the coming wrath of God, when it breaks out on the day of the Lord, than a pregnant woman can escape labor pains. A strong expression is used in the Greek (a double negative: ou mē) to stress that fleeing (ekphygōsin) will be futile. We are not in darkness and the day SHOULD not overtake us. We should not be surprised at the times. vs. 5 Our lives then as believers SHOULD be different than those who are unbelievers vs s 5ff
o Not of the night nor darkness vs. 5 o Should not be asleep as others are vs. 6 o Should be alert & awake vs. 6 o Put on the armor of God vs. 8 o Not destined for wrath but for salvation vs. 9