The Wrath of the Lamb


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Put in the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
for their evil is great.
Nicolas Bataille, tapestry, Angers Apocalypse, 1377

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Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.

The Lord roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:13-16)

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Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, 
 and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, 
and a sharp sickle in his hand. 
And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud,
“Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, 
and the earth was reaped. 
(Revelation 14:14-16)

The happiest words to me in the bible are "He is not here. He is risen!" (Matthew 28:6). O, what joy to proclaim our Savior perfect and ascended!

The saddest words to me are "the earth was reaped." The simplicity of the words are startling, he put in his sickle...and the earth was reaped. Just. Like. That. Wow.

Our Jesus is holy and loving. But He is just. He will bring justice to the earth one day, and soon, I think, and take vengeance on those who mocked, scoffed, persecuted, and blasphemed HIS HOLY NAME.

It is all well and good to focus on the love of Jesus. But not to the exclusion of His Righteousness, His Justice, His Holiness...and His Wrath. This essay is my part in reminding us all of some of the attributes fellow Christians seldom focus upon. But in failing to ponder them, we result in a skewed view of Jesus, and fail to appreciate the love He has for us all the more. We also fail to have urgency in speaking of Him and in being living Ambassadors for His name to the lost.

So think about wrath and justice for a while. It does a heart good.


Will that day be tomorrow? Will that day be today? Will that day be next week? Only God knows when He will tell His Son to get His Bride so the wrath can begin. Only He knows after that when the Tribulation will begin the vengeance and wrath. But our Jesus is not only love. He is wrath. Never forget it.


Comments

  1. Good Morning Elizabeth

    AMEN to this essay and the timeliness of the approaching autumn harvest as a reminder of the final harvest. Excellent Scriptures from Joel and Revelation to think upon Who Jesus is - every knee will indeed bow to our Lord.

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  2. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild....... A two edge sword went out of His mouth, Rev. 1:16

    Too many see one or the other, but seldom the true picture of our Saviour.

    Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

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  3. I believe it is a fake. The video heavily pixelates midway through and the people and cars look like a video game.

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  4. How long do you think befor the tribulation begins?

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    Replies
    1. happyfeet,

      The rapture will happen first. No one knows when the rapture will happen because it not tied to an earthly event. It is tied to reaching the full number of believers. God has a number in mind to make up the Bride.(Romans 11:25). When the full number is reached, we go to heaven.

      No one knows how long it will be after the rapture when the Tribulation begins. It could be right then, or the next month, or a year or more.

      Many believe it will be fairly soon after, with no long delay, but no one knows- except God (Mt 24:36).

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    2. happyfeet - interesting question. Ask an Iraqi Christian he may answer "months ago".

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    3. I believe only God knows as well. I feel so bad for the Christians suffering in Iraq, I can't imagine how desperately they must want Jesus to return and save them. I feel guilty for enjoying my life.

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  5. Amen! What people perhaps don't realize is how sudden and unstoppable God's wrath will be. He WILL deal with evil, for He is Holy. There will be no escape for those who are unrepentant.

    So for those reading this who are not saved, there is yet mercy waiting... come to Christ TODAY! Turn from your sins, abandon trusting in your good works or your religious activities, and believe in the finished, once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God the Son incarnate, whose shed blood alone satisfied the Father's wrath! You need a sin bearing substitute, and there is only one name under heaven by which men can be saved.

    I think this Proverb sums up the Tribulation well:

    Prov 29
    1 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

    That's because I think of these verses:
    Rev 9:20-21; Rev 16:9,11

    Speaking of harvest as Colette mentioned, there is a time when the fields are white unto harvest (John 4:35)...

    ...and then there's this time:
    Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. - Jer 8:20

    -Carolyn

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  6. I have studied the timing of the rapture and there are numerous verses that support both pre-trib and post-trib. There is nothing in scripture that categorically confirms either way. There is doubt around the timing.
    Obviously I hope its pre-trib but my heart and head and study of scripture say post-trib.

    But one thing is 100% clear and without any doubt whatsoever. God is coming soon for his children. God bless.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,

      It's good that you studied! I like to hear that.

      However...there are no verses that support post-trib. There are verses that support pre-trib. In addition, there is the concept. If the rapture is post-trib, God is a liar. Please refer to the many essays I've written or posted on this site to learn more.

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  7. I'm actually more comfortable thinking of God as exercising Wrath, Justice, Holiness, etc. I can't be emotionally satisfied thinking about Love, by itself, all the time. It is in fact through understanding what I deserve from His Justice and feeling my depravity compared with His Holiness that I can fathom His Love extended to me by His Mercy, and therefrom I can appreciate and stand in awe of how Good He is. It's like Law-and-Gospel evangelism. You start with the hard truth before you can appreciate the joyful truth. My conscious mind arrives at a perception of God's Love THROUGH meditation on His awesome Holiness, Justice, Power, Anger against sin, etc.

    So 'hard teachings' like these give me more comfort than any other. I gravitate toward them. Can't get enough. And that gives me a personal evidence of the Holy Spirit sanctifying me through changing my desires.

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  8. "The Blaze" just picked up the story, lends a little more credibility than the conspiracy site I sent you.

    Interesting if it's not fake, just another in a long line of huge signs. Everything is crumbling around us.

    ReplyDelete

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