The Day of the Lord

Emmanuel S Kladitis

• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781642585278
• eBook ISBN: 9781642585285
• Topic: Theology & Religion

The Great Tribulation is coming! This is an unprecedented time of trouble that is coming to this world.

Too many Christian leaders have told God's people that they will escape the Great Tribulation by being raptured before it. The only way to get out of the Great Tribulation is to die before it!

Christians must be warned about this "great storm" that is coming on all the earth. Their faith will be tried as never before.

I have written a book that lists in order and describes the main events that will occur on the day that the Lord Jesus Christ comes to earth in great power and glory. The Rapture is one of the main events on that day.

The day Jesus comes again is named in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is The Day of the Lord.

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?..." (Malachi 3: 2)

Chapter 1

Tribulation

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Thus, Jesus exhorted His disciples in John 16:33. How truly, how often, how forcefully, and how cruelly these words have been fulfilled!

Jesus spoke these words as He was on His way to the garden the night of His betrayal. Jesus the Lord and Master (a true leader) first tasted tribulation, then His disciples. He violently yielded His life to redeem all those who would believe in Him.

Before I proceed further, I find it important and necessary to establish the meaning of this word tribulation in the King James text by inspecting it in Strong’s Concordance.1 The Greek word used in John 16:33 is θλίψιϛ (An English transliteration based upon my own training in Greek as a child is thlēpsēs.) which is translated and defined: “afflicted [affliction], anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.”2

Yes, Jesus knew He would suffer after He ate the Passover with His disciples as He so stated in Luke 22:15. But Jesus knew furthermore that His followers would experience like evil treatment at the hands of men as He forewarned them in John 15:18–21 and John 16:1–3. Thus the wisdom of His words followed in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation . . .”

At the time Jesus spoke these words in John 16:33, He was advising the eleven disciples, also called apostles. In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, John Foxe recounts the apostles’ sufferings and martyrdom (a polite word for the murder of a person because he is a Christian). When Foxe discusses St. John, he claims, “He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death . . .”3; yes, so accurate were the words of Jesus.

But someone may object and say, “Why the tribulation that Jesus talked about was only in reference to the apostles.” I might accept this position myself if it was not for the abundance of additional Scriptural evidence affirming tribulation as a common experience of God’s people. The preachers who teach that in Christ we have peace and that we can overcome because Jesus overcame should also frequently warn Christians that in the world they will have tribulation.

In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, ten general persecutions are described as taking place under the reign of various Roman emperors. All were bloody. Christians suffered. Christians died. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Romans 8:35, 36).

In a book I read years ago called The Martyr of the Catacombs4, the sufferings of the Christians in the city of Rome are vividly described during the time of the Roman Empire. In Halley’s Bible Handbook, the catacombs are described as “vast subterranean galleries, commonly 8 to 10 ft. wide, 4 to 6 ft. high extending for hundreds of miles beneath the city [Rome].”5 Here, Christians lived, worshipped, and died in trying to escape the oppressive society and government which was persecuting them. Can you imagine the hardship and filth they had to contend with? Could you imagine Christians in New York City or any other large city in the world fleeing to live in the city sewer system to escape oppression, persecution, and murder?

The apostles and early Church experienced much tribulation. But where else besides in the Gospel of John are there warnings of tribulation to be found in the New Testament? Look in Acts 14 with me. Paul on his successful, first missionary journey with Barnabas “returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21, 22). Would it not be wise for preachers of our time to return to God’s word and exhort likewise?

Let us continue to look in the Scripture. Notice in 1 Thessalonians 3:3 and 4 what Paul says through the Spirit: “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.” Is it merely coincidence that in the following chapter, chapter 4, the rapture, or catching up, of the Church is foretold? “Yes,” but someone may argue, “Well the Thessalonian Church went through tribulation in the first century; so what?” So I would have to retort, “But they weren’t raptured, were they?” So how do you decide one experience is for you and the other is not? I must warn you now by the Spirit that before the rapture takes place, tribulation will also.

Are you still wondering if tribulation is the common experience and specific too? Although there are other relevant references, for the sake of time and space, let us skip to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. See what John said in the following clause as he proceeded to write the book: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, . . .” (Revelation 1:9). Now let us look at the message to one of the seven Churches, to Smyrna in particular: “and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death . . .” (Revelation 2:10). I can almost picture Jesus pleading and urging them with tears to be faithful. Finally, look in Revelation 7:14: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The Holy Scriptures emphatically and consistently affirm that tribulation is the common experience of the Church with few exceptions. Now, why is there tribulation? What are the causes? Notice in 2 Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The promise and prophecy are that to suffer persecution, you must be living right as a Christian. But someone may object and astutely say, “Persecution today is very subtle and different from early times.” But I must protest and earnestly say by the word of God, “If you aren’t suffering, you aren’t being persecuted” (1 Corinthians 4:12). Is this Scripture in Timothy an indictment of our generation of Christians in the prosperous areas of the world? Are all living godly? Are you? You decide. May God help all His people!

Next, let us look at the causes of suffering persecution or tribulation. In 2 Timothy 3:1–13, Paul lists various evil character traits. He tells Timothy that in the last days dangerous times will come. The first item Paul lists accounts very much for the rest of the following evils. He says first that men shall be lovers of themselves. Now Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39). So how does that first trait contribute to tribulation and the following evils listed? Well, as I understand, Paul in no way was detracting from the healthy, wholesome self-love every person ought to have. Because I love myself, I am able to have insight to treat another person with the same standard of care that I desire to be treated by. But what is so evil about the first item listed is that men shall love themselves only! When a man’s attitude is such, there is no stopping him as to the evil he will do to get his way. He will not respect any other standard or law, but that which says, “Me first.”

For the benefit of the reader, I feel compelled to quote extensively from 2 Timothy 3:1–7:

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, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Does this sound much like an indictment against today’s corrupt society? Conditions then were exactly as Paul described them during the first century even though the Church exerted a holy influence in the world. Some people have the misconception that as the world moral conditions deteriorate, a point will come where the Church will suddenly be removed from this world. Then the rapture according to their theory will take place. Subsequently they claim for seven years, or whatever amount of years they allot, the world will become a hell on earth. Based upon the clear teachings of Christ, I must reject this erroneous notion of a “pre-tribulation” rapture. I will deal directly with this subject in greater detail later in the book.

Moral conditions were very bad in the first century, but the Church and the Holy Spirit remained. And God loved the Church and all His people during the first century; but they suffered terribly, and many were tortured and murdered because of their faith. It can be said God allowed that to occur since He is omnipotent. But who causes, desires, approves, and condones tribulation against God’s faithful people? In other words, who wants to destroy God’s people? (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7). Conditions are bad now and becoming worse, but the Church and Holy Spirit still remain.

Notice in 2 Timothy 3:1–7 that Paul through the Holy Spirit ties together two major problems of our time in verses 6 and 7. In verse 6 from the description given, I understand this to mean whoremongering on the part of men and willingness on the part of the women to be so used. Is it any surprise that harlotry is a major sin in the cities of the world? If there is any doubt as to the character of these men in verse 6, look back in verse 3. “Incontinent” means not containing oneself sexually. For further proof, compare the meaning of “incontinency” used in 1 Corinthians 7:5.

The second major problem defined in verse 7 is found in secular education: “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” What an indictment! Today the emphasis in education is to learn for learning’s sake. The goal of the learning is not necessarily considered as important as the method of learning. There has been an ever increasing pressure for people from all voca...

Table of contents

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12