Though few people realize it, the Old Testament forms the foundation of the New Testament–the New Testament is the Old Testament with a spiritual context added. In many cases the doctrines of God found in the New Testament have their genesis in the old Testament. Read Matthew 5:21-48 where Jesus tells us that “You have heard ….” from the Old Testament something that applies to the New Covenant Church as is proven by Jesus’ following words: “But I say unto you ….” Many New Testament Scriptures speak of the final days of this age–the death and destruction that will accompany the return of the Son of God. Such passages are also presented in Zephaniah 1:14,15;2:2,3/Isaiah 13:6,7/Ezekiel 7:19 which foretell of the wrath of God that will come upon rebellious mankind, millions of whom will have been among the most religious of professing Christendom. Notice the similarities between what was written thousands of years ago in Zephaniah, Isaiah and Ezekiel and what God says to us in Revelation 6:15-17. Here we find Him speaking of the plight of mankind, great and small, mighty and weak who will hide in caves and among rocks while crying out for the mountains to fall on them in a vain attempt to hide themselves from the face of the Son of God who has returned to earth with spiritual blood in His eye: “… the great day of His wrath has come” and none of the world’s people will be able to stand in His presence. Though most church people know nothing about the “great and terrible Day of the Lord,” that Day is written about more than 30 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. That “Day” is the final installment of supernatural wrath being poured out on the inhabiters of the earth–a year when God will express His anger. This “Day” will follow 2 1/2 years during which  Satan’s wrath has been unleashed on mankind.

The Day of the Lord is a time of great conflict when the Great One will make war with His enemies–all sinners, including those supposedly “saved by grace.” Read Romans 5:10 and Philippians 3:17-19. That Jesus–the “Lamb of God”–will return to earth to wreak havoc is brought out in Revelation 19:11 where it is written that Jesus will “judge and make war” with sinners upon His return. Note that He does not make allowances for those in “the church.”

Just as a father punishes his rebellious children as an expression of his love for them, God, Who is love (Jn. 4:16) and Who loves mankind (Jn. 3;16), is coming to punish sinful man. He will do so in love in the hope that man will turn to Him in total surrender during the tribulation period. Many will and will be beheaded for doing so. See Persecution and The Resurrections.

Incredibly, the nations of the world will not welcome their potential Savior when He returns and will resist His call to embrace Him. We find that the people of the earth will actually fight against Him and His saints: “And the nations were angry, and Your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should give reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them who fear Your name, small and great, and (that You) should destroy them which destroy the earth” (Rev. 11:18). “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings; and they that are with Him (His saints) are called, and chosen and faithful” (Rev. 17:14). Many, perhaps millions of those who will make war with the Messiah will be those who today are upstanding members of Catholicism/Protestantism. See The Ingathering. To be continued. L.J.