ONLY HIS ENEMIES WILL BE JUDGED

Every child of God was once in violation of His holiness because of their sins, but all who repent and look to the cross in true belief are saved. Those who recognize they are a sinner needing forgiveness, and rest their faith in Jesus to save them, will be saved. All who turn to Jesus will be clothed in His righteousness.

{I want to interject a definition of the word “repent.” There are some folks who do not understand what the word “repent” means.

The Greek word is “metanoeo.” It means [1] to change one’s mind, i.e., to repent or [2] to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.

Peter used this word in Acts 2:38, 3:19, and 8:22. Paul used this word in Acts 17:30 and 26:20. They were simply saying, ‘Change your mind’ or ‘change your mind for what is better.’ Those who have put their trust in Jesus have changed their minds about Him and now believe.}

For those who are saved: if Jesus paid the debt for our sins, and He did; if He clothed us with His righteous, and He did, we are positionally (the cross) without sin because God looks at us (true Christians) and sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His Son. All of this being true, why would He administer judgment and wrath (the Tribulation) upon those He has forgiven and clothed in His own righteousness? Why would Jesus administer His wrath (the Tribulation) upon those He has predestined, called, justified and glorified? (Romans 8:30-39).

Everyone, the Church included, will suffer tribulation (small “t”) in this world, but that tribulation is brought on by man, not by God. The Tribulation (large “T”) is God’s wrath, not on His bride, the Church, but upon the world.

For those who are in Christ: ALL of our sins are paid, and we are clothed with His righteousness. Therefore, there remains no reason for judgment. Jesus took our judgment upon the cross and accepted God’s wrath upon Himself for us.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

The bride of Christ, the Church, “does not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” because every true believer is filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

BLESSED HOPE

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” is speaking of when Jesus comes FOR His bride prior to the Tribulation; i.e., the Rapture. It is not referring to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation when He returns WITH His bride, because then it would mean that Jesus has lied and will take His wrath out also upon His bride, the Church. That is impossible. He cannot lie. This “hope” is not a “blessed” hope if we are waiting to be judged by His wrath (Tribulation). Once again, He, Jesus, has already taken our wrath upon Himself.

HOLY SPIRIT REMOVED

Satan would love to have free reign upon the earth … right now, but the Holy Spirit is restraining him. God will not allow him to be revealed until his set time during the Tribulation.

“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time” (2 Thessalonians 2:6).

Satan is working in the world now in opposition to God, but until God says so, he is being kept on a short leash. When the time is right, God the Holy Spirit (He who now restrains) will return to Heaven with the Church and work through only a few individuals as He did prior to the Church age.

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He assured the Church through His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be sent to be another helper (of the same kind as Jesus), abide with us forever, and dwell within us. Jesus also promised that He would not leave us as orphans but will come to us.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).

We are also promised the Holy Spirit to be a guarantee that we are always His beloved possession.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

Once the Holy Spirit of God is removed (with the Church), Satan will be revealed in the Tribulation and eventually consumed by God.

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

BRIDEGROOM LOVES HIS BRIDE

Anyone acquainted with the Jewish engagement and marriage can instantly identify with the necessity of Jesus’ return for His bride prior to the Tribulation. There is simply no other way it can fit. Why? The Tribulation is a time of His wrath (Revelation 6-18) upon this unbelieving world. Jesus must remove His bride from harm’s way first. They will be married in Heaven while Israel and the remaining world are being judged upon the earth during the Tribulation. The Church will return with Jesus at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus will intercede at Armageddon, end the Tribulation, and prepare for the Millennium.

If you are interested in reading an in-depth account of the Jewish engagement and marriage, Zola Levitt wrote an excellent booklet called A Christian Love Story. The ISBN is 1-930749-26-0. Every step of this beautiful love story will be fulfilled.

Think about it. There is no way a groom is going to beat his bride to a bloody pulp (the Tribulation), then say, ‘Okay Sweetie, now let’s get married. Love you.’

Also, in their marriage customs of that day, they were the same as married in their faithfulness to each other when they became engaged. We haven’t arrived at the marriage ceremony as yet, but Jesus, our bridegroom, is faithful, and He is not going to leave His Church on earth to suffer His wrath.

JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH, HIS BODY

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5).

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

In Ephesians 5:22-33, the apostle Paul speaks to husbands and wives, then says in verse 32, “This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” Jesus and His bride are one. We are the bride and body of Christ. The Church is exempt from the Tribulation since we are His body and His bride. To think He would beat up on His bride, His own body, is foolish, to say the least.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

The Tribulation is a 7-year period that God has reserved for Israel’s discipline and for His judgment upon a decadent and unbelieving world. It is known as: the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12, 13:6-9; Joel 1:15, 2:1-31, 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2) and the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). It is also called “trouble, tribulation and wrath” in Zephaniah1-3, then “time of trouble” in Daniel 12:1.

Daniel 9:24-27 speaks of 70 weeks (or sevens), 490 years that God has declared for the Jewish people [1] to finish the transgression, [2] to make an end of sins, [3] to make reconciliation of iniquity, [4] to bring in everlasting righteousness, [5] to seal up the vision and prophecy, and [6] to anoint the most Holy.

This period began with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25 and fulfilled in Nehemiah 2), then stated that after 69 weeks, the Messiah would be cut off (Jesus’ death on the cross). Daniel 9:26 prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus. Then the remaining one week (7 years) is mentioned in Daniel 9:27 with the Antichrist confirming a covenant for one week (7 years). Revelation 6-18 describes in detail this remaining one week (the Tribulation), or seven years, that will come upon the whole world.

This rather short description of the Tribulation is to emphasize God’s wrath during this time upon a corrupt and unbelieving world and also upon the Jewish nation of Israel.

FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES

For nearly 2,000 years, mankind originally consisted of just Gentiles, from Adam to Abraham. With Abraham began the Jewish nation of Israel. Then there were two groups of people: Gentiles and Jews. At Pentecost, nearly 2,000 years from Abraham, another group of people was introduced by God called the Church. Now we have three groups of people: Gentiles, Jews, and the Church.

The Church is composed of anyone who will put their faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to God the Father, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. At first, the Church consisted of all Jews who came to Christ, and then Gentiles also came to Him to be saved. Today, most all who are of the Church are Gentiles, but all may be saved, Jews and Gentiles, if they believe upon the name of Jesus.

God initiated the Gentiles through Adam via creation. He initiated the Jewish nation with a promise to Abraham, and then finally He initiated the third group, the Church, with a fulfillment in Jesus Christ: His death, burial and resurrection.

Since Israel (the Jews) rejected their Messiah, God temporarily put them, as a nation, on the backburner (Romans 11:7-12) and is now calling out the Gentiles to come to Him through the same Messiah that Israel rejected. When the number of Gentiles in His Church is complete, He will remove the Church at the Rapture and return to His dealings with Israel during the Tribulation (Romans 11:26-32).

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).

GOD’S WRATH

Without a doubt, the Tribulation is a time of God’s wrath that will come down in full force upon all humanity … except for the Church. The Church is the bride of Christ, and Jesus has made it very clear that His bride, the Church, will never suffer His wrath.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

His wrath will come down upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness, but not on those clothed with the righteousness of their Savior Jesus Christ.

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:9-11).

Every true Christian is a part of the Church and, therefore, the bride of Christ. Having been justified by His blood, we are reconciled to God and saved by His life from His wrath.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Notice the “past tense” in these three verses: “were dead,” “once walked,” “once conducted.”

All true Christians, before they were saved, were also once children of wrath, as others who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord. We are no longer children of wrath.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6).

Those who make up the true Church are children of God, not sons of disobedience.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

Again, all true Christians are not of the sons of disobedience and children of wrath but instead are children of God.

“Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them” (Colossians 3:6-7).

Once again, this verse is not referring to the children of God.

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

Those who have turned to God through Jesus Christ are not under wrath but delivered from wrath.

“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).

The enemies of God will face His wrath, not the Church. He says in the next verse:

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

Jesus died for His bride. He is not going to show us His wrath. He shows us His love.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Jesus made a clear promise to His Church, His bride, that she would not be a part of the “hour of trial,” the Tribulation … His wrath.

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'” (Revelation 6:15-17).

Only those who have rejected Jesus will hide from Him to avoid His wrath. To the contrary, the Church, His bride, longs to see Him and bow before Him in love.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html