DISCERNING THE TIMES #2

 

A TIME OF JUDGMENT

 

1Chr. 12 ³² From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. NLT

 

Do you know where you are in time? Last week we learned we are in the time of the Gentiles in which salvation is offered to all.

 

What you have just heard is coming in the near future.

 

Matt. 16 ² He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; ³ red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! NLT

 

Jesus said that people can observe the sky and predict the weather but don’t know how to interpret what is happening in the realm of the Spirit.

 

We are all approaching a storm of judgment.

 

Play the CD with sounds of thunder, wind, earthquakes, fire, and galloping horses.

 

I.                   The judgment of man in the tribulation

 

When God judges a situation it may not be with his actions but rather allows the consequences of ones behavior to serve as the judgment. This is how God will judge the earth before the day of his wrath.  When the world gets what it wants it may not want what it gets.

 

God has spoken concerning a coming judgment through his prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, Jesus, Jude, and John the Revelator have spoken concerning a coming storm of God’s judgment.

 

John tells us of coming judgment in Rev. 6.

 

1. White horse rider- antichrist, a man of peace who

    conquers.

Rev. 6 ^2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

 

All the events in Revelation connected to the oppression of the human race follow this man antichrist.

 

2. The fiery red horse rider- war and terrorism.

^3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ^4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

 

3. The black horse rider- famine, scarcity of food.

 

^5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ^6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

 

4. The pale horse rider- death and disease

^7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ^8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. NIV

 

Top Deadly Diseases of the Developing World

 

These things occur as “trimmers or as a woman in travail”.

This is the beginning of sorrows!

The first 3 ½ years of the tribulation are from the rise of the antichrist, false prophet, and satan himself.

 

II. The judgment of God- His wrath

 

Rev. 14 ^7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” NIV

 

The last 3 ½ years of the tribulation are the wrath of God.

 

The angels with the 7 bowls are pouring out the wrath of God.

Rev. 15 ¹ And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. KJV

 

Those who receive these plagues will be those who take the mark of the beast.

 

Rev. 16 ^2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. NIV

 

·       Boils- Rev. 16:2

·       The sea to blood- 16:3 (every living thing in the

                                            sea dies)

·       The rivers and wells are turn to blood- 16:4-7

For shedding the blood of the righteous they will

be given blood to drink.

 

           * Great heat- Rev. 16:8-9   The sun will scorch men

                                yet they refuse to repent.

 

·       Darkness- Rev 16:10-11 Pain will cause them to

                      chew their tongues. They will also have

                      sores. Sounds like a nuclear blast.

 

·       The Euphrates River dries up preparing the way

                     for the armies of the east to march

                     against Israel. It is the prelude to

                     Armageddon.

 

·       A great earthquake and hail- Rev. 16:17-21

                      The earthquake will divide Jerusalem

                      into 3 parts. John said this will be the

                      greatest earthquake since man was on

                      the earth.

                      Hailstones from heaven will weigh more

                      than 100 lbs.

 

III.              The effect of judgment on those who are wicked.

 

Rev. 9 ^20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. ^21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. NIV

 

Rev. 16 ^9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. NIV

 

Rev. 16 ^{11 }…and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. NIV

 

Those who have refused the gospel, have taken the mark, and worshipped the image of the beast will suffer untold misery.

 

Do you know where you are in time? Judgment is coming on the earth shortly.

Before this happens there will be a rapture of all believers before the tribulation begins. We have not been appointed to wrath.

 

1Thes 5 ^9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ^10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. NIV

 

You time is now. Today is the day of salvation.