*There is a special message at the end of this article.*
The signs of the times clearly indicate the Day of the Lord is fast approaching. During this fateful time, great judgment (vengeance) will befall all who reject Christ. God has made it abundantly clear that He is fully capable of meting out this vengeance upon the ungodly all by Himself. Indeed, He has told the godly to make room for His vengeance:
Deuteronomy 32:35
“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” [1]
Romans 12:19
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
With this in mind, it is extremely important to resist the fleshly urge to rise up against the earthly, ungodly, and even demonically inspired who are clearly waging war on the godly. The better course of action can be ascertained through studying the account of Absalom’s betrayal of his father, King David. Coupling this foundation with the 3rd Psalm, this article will attempt to shed light upon the appropriate posture for those who are under attack while awaiting the rapture of the bride and subsequent judgment of the ungodly. [2]
Those who frequent Rapture Ready and other pretribulation rapture sites will find this article very reassuring. However, those who are unaware of the current state of affairs of the church/bride may find this content shocking. This is because, contrary to popular belief, the church is not here on earth to experience a better life now. Instead, the church, in the midst of growing persecution, is to continue to be salt and light, share the gospel, make disciples, and look up in expectation of the rapture of the bride, which is part of the greatest reunion the Christian will ever experience (1 Thess 4:13-18). [3]
Perhaps you have stumbled across this article, and you are currently pursuing ‘Christian Justice,’ to coin a phrase. Maybe you believe you have to do something, or the world as you know it will be forever changed for the worse. The absolute truth, according to God’s Word, confirms this change is indeed happening. In fact, the destruction of all that was normal must happen to make way for the coming one world: government, religion, and economy (Rev 13). Therefore, trying to stop this change is like trying to stop the hand of God. [4]
Please read this entire article, and like a Berean, weigh the information contained therein against the truth of Scripture before deciding to proceed on a path of vengeance (Acts 17:11).
King David is a very good example to follow when suffering persecution. Indeed, in the midst of the worst kind of betrayal, that of a son betraying a father, David did exactly what we are to do at this most perilous time in history. He sought and relied upon God to shield him; he then, like Jesus in the back of the boat, slept in the midst of the storm (Matt 8:23-27); and he turned the situation over to God, whom he implored to arise to smite his enemies (Psalm 3). Incredibly, the church/bride is in the same predicament as David, in that the faithful are being pursued and persecuted by the unfaithful. Perhaps a closer look at what King David experienced will temper our actions.
The entire account, recorded in II Samuel 13-18, is too lengthy to cover in this short article. However, the gist of the narrative is this: King David’s son Absalom desired to be king of Israel. He began to undermine the loyalty of the people by implying that he would be a better judge than his father. Absalom was so successful that Scripture indicates that he “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Sam 15:6). Verse twelve of the same chapter depicts Absalom’s actions as a conspiracy that was strong enough to continually increase those who were loyal to him.
This led to David having to flee Jerusalem to escape the evil which Absalom was to bring upon him and those loyal to him. David also knew leaving the city would spare the sword which would have inevitably fallen on Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:13-14). Remarkably, during this entire encounter, David kept in his heart a desire to spare his son Absalom (2 Sam 18:5). In fact, he wept bitterly when he heard of his death. He even wished he had died instead of Absalom (2 Sam 18:33). Perhaps this is why David is such a good example of how the church/bride is to behave right now, especially when many enemies arise.
Indeed, the New Testament clearly defines the appropriate actions of the believer toward the ungodly. First, we are to love our enemies. Second, we are to bless those who curse us. Next, we are to do good to those who hate us. Finally, we are to pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us (Matt 5:44). The question is, will we be like King David, or like Joab, who, against the king’s will, slew Absalom? (2 Sam 18). After all, David was to Joab what Jesus is to us, king. Our king, the King of kings, has told us exactly how to behave when persecuted in the aforementioned passage, which contradicts any form of Christian retaliation.
So, how did David navigate such a bewildering circumstance and emerge the victor? In three words, he trusted God. The 3rd Psalm deals with this same situation and, in a very concise manner, outlines the most appropriate actions of David:
Psalm 3
1 {A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.} “LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”
> Notice, David recognized (like we do) that many enemies are rising.
> Those who came against David are like those who come against us; each group disbelieves that God will help the faithful.
> We must trust God like David did to be our shield (protector), glory (ever-present help), and lifter up (God works all things to our good – this brings relief in time of grief).
> In this time of great trial, we must emulate David and cry out to the Lord until we are certain that He has heard us.
> Like David, when we are sure God has heard our plea, we can be assured that He has our situation in hand, which affords us rest.
> We can also know that regardless of the odds stacked against us, we have no reason to fear. David understood this perhaps better than any other; remember, he started his kingly career by slaying a giant in the name of the Lord.
> David then does what many are afraid to do today. He turned the vengeance over to the Lord and asked God to deal with the wicked. We should do likewise.
> Finally, we should be like David and call for a blessing upon the children of God while trumpeting that God is still the God of salvation, so the lost may be found.
The Lord has made it abundantly clear that He is the one who will bring judgment upon the ungodly during the Tribulation. This is why it is absolutely crucial that the body of Christ is acting appropriately in the closing moments of the age of grace. The scriptures we started with make it very clear who is going to deal with the wicked of the earth:
Deuteronomy 32:35
“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”
Romans 12:19
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
This brings us to the final part of this discussion. Like David, the church/bride is to give place to God, who will repay. Nowhere are we encouraged to take things into our own hands and deal with the untoward. On the contrary, God wants us to move out of His way so He can deal with those who despitefully use us. Our part is to be like David, who interceded for Absalom.
Unfortunately, in this time of great selfishness (2 Tim 3), many are marching to the sound of pied pipers (false prophets) who are calling on men to avenge themselves and set things right by the arm of the flesh. [5] The problem is, this activity is extra-biblical, as God has already told us to stand down and move out of His way. Think about this for a second: if God is bringing vengeance, do you really want to be in His way when He metes it out?
Fortunately, those who are awaiting the rapture will not be in the way of the coming judgment since the rapture will happen before the Tribulation comes upon the ungodly. [6] However, we must watch, warn, and win souls while we still can; this is our reasonable service. [7]
Conclusion
God is bringing the greatest judgment ever known upon the ungodly who are now arising. This judgment will last the entirety of the Tribulation, and this is followed by hellfire for all of eternity for those who fail to repent (Rev 20). The church has nothing whatsoever to do with the coming wrath of God. In fact, God wants us out of the way, and He will ultimately accomplish this at the rapture, at which time nothing will stand between the disobedient and a just God. [8]
With this in mind, we should be remorseful for the lost and continue to love them, bless them, do good for them, and most importantly – pray for them. This must continue until that fateful moment that we are called upward to meet our King in the sky.
Luke 6:27-36
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
“For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Special message for Christians:
Many voices are clamoring for the ‘religious right’ to rise up and retaliate against the ungodly who seemingly have the upper hand at the moment. If you are listening to these voices, I implore you to consider the actions of King David in this article. When he fled the city, he did so in order to spare the city. Put another way, he did so to avert civil war, which would have destroyed Jerusalem. Remember, Jerusalem was later destroyed, but it was by the hand of God.
Since we do not have the ability to flee in the manner that David did because this circumstance involves entire nations, I once again implore you to stand down and look up. If not, civil wars may ensue, which will rip countries apart. If your country is to be judged in this manner, let it come from the hand of God. and not the arm of man’s flesh. Never forget, vengeance belongs to the Lord. Make room (by getting out of the way) for His wrath.
Remember, while pursuing with the intent to kill the righteous King of Israel (his father David), Absalom was snared by his hair which had become a great symbol of his pride. So too will those who pursue the righteous be snared by their own pride, leading to their utter destruction, even though they may prosper for a season. [9]
Lastly, one thing is absolutely different from David’s time to ours; the signs of the Lord’s coming abound in our time. In fact, the things which Jesus specified as those which should cause us to look up are being fulfilled daily. Therefore, we do not flee to the wilderness as David did. Instead, our way of escape is up by way of the rapture, and our time of departure is at hand.
Website: In His Commission
[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”
[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “While We Wait.”
[3] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”
[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Great Awakening – The Grand Deception.”
[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Rise of Many.”
[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “Only the Ready are Raptured.”
[7] For greater understanding, see the article, “Watch – Warn – and Win Souls.”
[8] For greater understanding, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.”
[9] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Coming False Flag of Pride.”