"He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." - 1 John 4:8
This Inspirational weekend post continues, in part, the discussion begun about the Tribulation Period
from last weekend (scroll down one post). World events are still happening as the Bible predicted -- and close to home here in the United States with attacks on innocent people in California, for one instance. I highly recommend that you thoughtfully and prayerfully read Matthew 24 about the signs of the end times.
Let me also quote from 2 Timothy 3: 1-5 : "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
The good news is, we are so far into the last days that all such evil will not last much longer and true believers have a wonderful hope to look forward to with the Lord in heaven. Take heart and wait patiently for the Lord.
As to why, since God is love, He will unleash His wrath relentlessly in the Tribulation period, the above Scriptures help answer that question; we must remember that God is Holy, pure perfection. He is also a God of justice and cannot leave sin unpunished. God's vengeance is perfect and holy and His wrath is fearsome and something to be terrified of, unless you are saved by grace. In which case the blood of Jesus shed at Calvary has made atonement for your sins and God's wrath will not come upon you then. "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." - Romans 5:9
Another reason (besides justice and vengeance from God) for the Tribulation period is to bring people to salvation. God's wrath can bring people to repent and to turn to Him. "For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." - Isaiah 26:9
Just like now, when God will use trials and heartaches to get our attention for us to turn to Him in faith and repentance, so during the Tribulation God's wrath will cause many to turn to Him.
It reminds me of the verse at 2 Peter 3:9 , "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
One thing I did not make clear enough in last weekend's post is that the Mark of the Beast referred to in Revelation 13:16-18 means the Mark of the antichrist; beast is another term for the antichrist in Revelation. A rather fitting term for someone so evil.
Like I have stressed before, believers have a hope and a future; they will not be around during the Tribulation but will be in heaven then with the Lord. It is time to get right with the Lord if you have not done so before now. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
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