The Church and the Tribulation II: Delivered from the Wrath to Come

And a very pleasant good day to each and every one of you.

I'm Brother James.

I greet you once again in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, and I welcome you once again to the Preaching of the Cross radio broadcast.

You know, isn't it wonderful to know that whoever you are, wherever you are in this world, that you can be saved by the grace of God through the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that the world have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but that Christ died for sinners.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

And that certainly is the wonderful good news of the Bible, that whosoever will may come and be saved with eternal, everlasting life, the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We're going to conclude, uh, God willing, we're going to conclude a series today that we began uh three broadcasts ago.

This will be the fourth message in a series on the great tribulation in relation to the church.

We showed you, first of all, that uh one must note the distinction between the New Testament church and the nation of Israel to ever hope to understand the Bible.

And then we have been discussing with you, uh, already having given you eleven proofs from the word of God, not from my opinion, not from our denominational creed, but eleven proofs from the word of God why the church will be taken out of this world before that dreadful time known as the Great Tribulation.

Now, reason number twelve, and we can't possibly go back and review all these matters.

We'll just have to allow you at the close of the broadcast to get our address and rate for the remainder of this study.

We can't review all the material.

The twelfth reason why the church will not be here during the tribulation is because that we are told that Jesus will deliver us from the wrath to come.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse number 10.

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

Now there are many passages in the Old Testament that designate the tribulation as the outpouring of God's wrath.

For example, Isaiah 13:9, Behold the day cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate, and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Isaiah 13:9

Zephaniah 118, Zephaniah 3.8, or other verses in point.

And since the book of Revelation unfolds the details of this tribulation, it is consistent to find much there about the outpouring of that wrath.

As in chapter 6, verse 16, where we read of the awful wrath of the Lamb.

Ten times in Revelation we hear of this wrath of God.

Now keeping this in mind, it is surely most significant that the believers of this age are repeatedly told that they shall not taste this wrath.

Yea, they shall not be on earth when it breaks loose.

First Thessalonians chapter 1, verses 9 and 10 state, ye turn 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 shall deliver us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:9

Now, since at his coming, he takes us up to heaven.

The scripture plainly affirms that in so doing he delivers us from the wrath to come, which wrath revelation shows to be the tribulation judgments.

Hence, the church shall not be on earth during the tribulation.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 1 through 8, the apostle describes the forthcoming day of the Lord, which includes the great tribulation, and then in verse 9 positively asserts that God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–8

Hence here also we clearly see that we shall not be here when God's wrath smites this world.

By then we shall have received our salvation, which, as many scriptures show, includes our glorified bodies, which we receive at the rapture.

Now, the same truth is conveyed in Romans 5, verses 8 through 10.

Romans 5:8–10

And this is a wonderful passage because it presents the threefold nature of biblical salvation.

In these verses we read, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life.

Verse 8 deals with the past, when Christ died for us.

Verse 10 deals with the present, the now, as Christ lives for us, is our great high priest.

And verse 9 speaks of the future, when the wrath of God deluges this world, but we shall be saved from wrath through him, which is exactly what the apostle said in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse number 10.

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

Isn't it highly significant that while both the Old and New Testament, or both the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation, I should say, stress so much outpouring of the wrath of God, the New Testament epistles with one voice declare that the believers shall have been taken up to glory before.

There's only one conclusion.

The church has been raptured before the wrath breaks forth, and shall be above the storm in the sunlight of his glorious presence in heaven when the wrath breaks upon this earth.

Number thirteen, Israel and the Gentile, that is the heathen nations, pass through the tribulation to be blessed at its close, as seen in Revelation chapter seven.

Now this proves the church will not be on earth, for in this full of grace the Jew and the Gentile are merged by the cross into one body.

In the first part of Revelation 7, we read of 144,000 sealed, and are informed that they are Jews, twelve thousand out of every tribe.

The Old Testament says much of this remnant that shall be saved and inherit the earth under the reign of Christ.

But those those who compose the vast multitude of the second part of Revelation 7 are an entirely different group.

One of the elders even asked John about this.

John confessed ignorance.

Now these are clearly not the heavenly saints, for the elder was one of those.

See Revelation 4 3, Revelation 5 8.

And yet he knew not who these were.

They therefore are earthly saints, which is proven by a study of the context.

It's said that they serve God day and night in his temple.

This proves they are on earth, for Revelation 21 shows there is no temple in heaven, and they couldn't serve him day and night in heaven, for there's no night there.

The chapter closes by saying that the Lamb shall feed and lead them, which surely can't be in heaven, where neither of these are needed.

Now the fact that they are mentioned in distinction from the Jews argues that they do not represent the church, for there Jew and Gentile emerged, as we've already discussed.

Thus they are believers from among the Gentile nations, as verse 9 says.

That's chapter 7, verse 9.

Now, in short, these believers are still members of their respective nations, which again proves that they are not in heaven.

For nationalism does not exist up there.

These Gentile believers have passed through the Great Tribulation, verse 14.

They are saved and blessed on the earth, of which John is shown a preview.

There is no difficulty in identifying them, for numberless passages in the Old Testament speak of many Gentiles to be blessed with Israel here upon the earth.

You can read Isaiah 60, 1 to 3, Isaiah 49, Deuteronomy 32, 43, which, by the way, is quoted in Romans 15 10.

Both Old and New Testament scriptures show that these Gentile converts are one to God through the witnessing of the Jewish people during the tribulation rose.

Matthew 24 14 and Isaiah 66 19 are but samples.

Now one thing to a careful student is crystal clear.

That is that the church is not on earth during this tribulation.

For Jews and Gentiles shall not be dealt with separately as long as the church has the gospel of the grace of God committed to her charge.

Number fourteen.

The church cannot pass through the tribulation simply because there must be an interval between the blessed hope and Christ's appearing.

We have shown that the rapture does precede his appearing.

Secondly, it must precede it by a considerable lapse of time.

That it precedes the appearing is clear because it is symbolized in the rising of the morning star, Revelation 22, 16, the appearing of the rising of the sun, Malachi 4.2 symbolizing the second coming of Christ.

The morning star rises long before the sun does, of course.

Again in Luke 12, 38, Jesus said that he might come in the second or in the third watch at the latest, while in Matthew 14, 25 he came to his Jewish disciples in the fourth watch of the night.

Now the fourth watch, according to Mark 13, 35, was a cock crowing, which answers in time of day to the rising of the morning star, which is given as the hope of the church.

But Matthew speaks of his coming to Israel as being in the fourth watch, which answers to the rising of the sun.

Now it's clear, therefore, that there is a space of time between these two comings.

They cannot take place at the same time, as some so erroneously claim.

Colossians 3 4 says that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.

Now it's evident that we cannot come with Christ unless he first come for us.

So also in Revelation 19 we see the heavenly bride in glory, being united to our Lord in marriage, and this happens before he comes forth to judge the world, as the latter part of Revelation chapter 19 portrays.

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

It but remains to prove there must be a length of time of some years between these two phases of our Lord's coming.

They cannot take place simultaneously, for that would pose an insoluble dilemma.

For remember that at the rapture our Lord takes out all his saints, both those who have died and those alive at the time of his coming.

That's what 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 to 17 clearly teaches.

Now, by taking all believers out of the world of the rapture, only the unsaved, of course, would be left here on earth.

Now, if the rapture and the appearing followed upon one another immediately, as some are so foolish as to believe, where do the millions of saints come from which Christ finds on earth at his second coming?

For that he does find many saints here is clearly shown many, many places in the Bible.

For instance, Matthew 13, 49, so shall it be at the end of the age, end of the world.

At the end of the world, the angels, not Christ himself, the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.

There just has to be a long interval between the rapture of the saints and his appearing to account for the saints Christ finds on earth at his appearing.

And of course, Scripture clearly accounts for such an interval.

Romans 11 shows us that when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then Israel shall turn to the Lord.

Out of Zion shall come the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This was God's covenant with them, made with their fathers, and promising them they would never cease to be his earthly people.

These converted Jews, after the church has been removed at the rapture, will go forth to preach the gospel to all nations, as Matthew 24, 14 declares.

The results of this preaching are seen in the judgment of the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25, 31 to 46, already mentioned.

They are also seen in Matthew 13, 47 through 50, where the good are gathered in the vessels and the bad cast away.

Thus it is plain that there is a space of time between the rapture and the appearing, and it is occupied with the horrors and sufferings of the tribulation time, the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom by the Jews to all lands, and the subsequent ingathering of myriads of Gentile converts who shall be blessed with Israel in Christ's earthly millennial reign.

To give the Scripture verses for all this would be impossible in the time that we've got on this broadcast.

But it's so clear, so crystal clear from those fourteen reasons, biblical reasons, that the church will not be present during the time of great tribulation.

Now, as we said when we started this study, wrong conceptions on this subject are due chiefly to the failure to distinguish between Israel and the church.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

The first one, because in Matthew 24, 31, the Lord at his coming gathers his elect from the four winds from one end of the heaven to the other.

It is taken for granted that these elect here mentioned are the believers of the present age, because such are spoken of in the New Testament as God's elect in Romans 8.33.

Now, it needs to be remembered that Israel was called God's elect people long before this was recorded of the church.

Speaking of the future in gathering to their land, in Isaiah 65 and verse 11, we read of Israel as God's elect.

He said, I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah, inherited my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

I hope I uh quoted that right.

Let me turn and look, make sure.

We don't want to mislead you.

Isaiah 65, verse 9.

Isaiah 65:9

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

It is this very return to their land that is in view in Matthew 24.

In Isaiah 45, 4, Israel is definitely called God's elect.

And as we noted earlier in our study, at the rapture the Lord Himself comes, while in connection with his appearing to Israel, he gathers them by his angels.

So, the elect of Matthew 24 is clearly Israel and not the church.

Secondly, another passage some use to prove that the church will pass through the tribulation is Luke 17, verses 26 through 30.

Luke 17:26–30

Luke 17, verses 26 through 30.

Luke 17:26–30

And let's read that together.

As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Now it's argued that Noah and Lot are types of believers of the church passing through the time of destruction known as the tribulation.

But the very use of the title Son of Man ought to warrant against that interpretation, for it is a title never employed in connection with the church.

Indeed, it never occurs at all in the New Testament epistles.

It is Christ's title as universal Lord when he reigns supreme.

And this cannot be until after he has caught us up to glory.

Now, Noah passing through the flood is a type of this world passing through the great tribulation deluge, a type of those who pass through it alive and will inherit the new earth.

Neither Noah nor Lot were taken up to heaven, but remained here upon the earth.

So how could they possibly be types of the church?

For such a type we must look to Enoch, who walked with God and was taken home to heaven before the flood came, as praise God, all true Christians will be.

So, let's begin to wrap up this matter.

Let's begin to wind down to the close of our study.

The blessed hope is just that.

It takes no account of the awful storm of wrath that shall burst over this world in the great tribulation, but it is full of comfort and challenge to the church which he purchased with his own blood.

It holds the never failing thrill of the possibility of his immediate return.

It is the divine cure for heart trouble.

Let not your heart be troubled.

Ye believe in God, believe also in me, my father's house or many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.

It is the prescription for permanent joy.

John 16, 22, and now therefore ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

It is the incentive to remember him in the breaking of bread.

First Corinthians 11 26.

As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come.

Not only that, but it stimulates, this blessed hope stimulates to earnest, patient service for Christ.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Be ye therefore steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

It holds out the great prospect of absolute conformity to Christ, spirit, soul, and body.

Philippians 3, 20 to 21, for our conversation is in heaven.

From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body?

This blessed hope is our deliverance from divine wrath poured out on this world.

In 1 Thessalonians 1 10, we wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead.

Even Jesus shall deliver us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16 through 18 tell us it's a source of deepest comfort.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18

The Bible says, For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God.

And the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

Our blessed hope teaches the believer to live a Christ-honoring life.

In Titus 2, verses 11 to 13.

Titus 2:11–13

The Bible declares, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

And the blessed hope induces pure, holy living.

In first John three, verses two and three, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Do you believe, my friend, that Jesus Christ could come today?

If not, your belief is not a biblical belief.

Your faith is not a scriptural faith.

The blessed hope that Jesus Christ left for his New Testament church, the blessed hope that the scriptures hold forth to all those who have put their faith and trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is that soon, soon, Jesus Christ Himself will descend from heaven.

And soon and very soon those who have been washed in his precious blood will ascend from the earth.

And there is going to be a meeting in the air, in the sweet, sweet by and by.

We'll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Yes, there'll be the judgment seat of Christ.

Yes, our works shall there be tried to determine our rewards in his kingdom.

But then we'll come with him as he returns in power and great glory to the earth, to punish his enemies, to establish his throne, to judge all nations, and to rule for one thousand years, as we enjoy together with him that blessed marriage supper of the Lamb.

My friend, do you know this Lord Jesus Christ?

Have you ever been born again?

Have you ever been washed in his precious blood?

If not, you'll never see him, you'll never go to be with him when he comes for his own.

May I ask you to put your faith, your trust, not in any works of righteousness which you have done, but in the finished, the finished salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which he purchased for his church.

You have been listening to the preaching of the cross radio broadcast.

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I'm Brother James.

May the Lord richly bless you and good day.