Day of Joy / Day of Destruction

A Biblical View of the Last Day on Earth

Daniel P Krueger

• Publisher: Daniel P Krueger
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781087910796
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Philosophie
• Subtopic: Religionsphilosophie

The Biblical end of the world apocalypse is a powerful event filled with both terrifying horror and shouts of jubilant elation.

Modern global catastrophic fears like zombies running amuck, meteor strikes, ecological disasters or nuclear vaporization are tame compared to the universal destruction predicted in both Old and New Testaments.

This book explores explore the descriptive verses of various Biblical authors spanning centuries of history.It is divided into two major sections:

• The biblical prophecies listed in the approximate chronological order they were given.
• The same prophecies grouped by category, illustrating the various perspectives surrounding the events of a truly unique day in the future of mankind.

The author's commentary on the passages is given to assist with context and encourage the reader to evaluate them for themselves. What impressions/concerns come to mind when you read the biblical account?Does it make sense when you look at the world around you?What did Jesus say regarding the Judgment Day?

The book provides insight on the almost universal concern that the world as we know it will come to an end.For Christians, and perhaps non-Christians as well, this book will prompt them to ask what the experience will be like.There are only two options.

3

The Last Day Assured

It’s not uncommon for casual bible readers to think the Old Testament is about some angry God or is only full of rules and regulations made by men. They might think the prophet’s visions of the future were the workings of mad men. Those rare but powerful miraculous punishments from heaven and the ‘purge the evil from among you’ directives sound too harsh for a loving God. Even after Jesus resurrection, casual observers of that day wondered if Christians were some kind of new cult unassociated with ancient Judaism.

Yet, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ was first uttered in the Old Testament and Jesus cited it multiple times as he instructed people on how God wants them to live. He quoted the Old Testament dozens of times in the gospel accounts. He was thoroughly familiar with the scriptures of old and consistently taught people how to apply or understand them. Let’s see how he viewed the notion of a day of judgement, the fiery wrath of God and the kingdom that never ends.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus here describes a conversation that will take place between him and those people who look like they are part of the Christian church but, in fact, are not. They do not do the will of God the Father as Jesus did. Rather, they use Jesus name and the Christian church to serve themselves. They profit from their Christian appearance, using God when it fits their needs and rejecting his words that call them to account.

Did the conversation take place while Jesus was on earth or in the future during some millennial reign? No, the context of Matthew 7 fits judgment day perfectly. “On that day” describes the day when people will be ushered into God’s eternal kingdom of heaven. Just as in a courtroom, there will be a moment during the sentencing when the accused are permitted to speak. And on that day many people will try to enter heaven by telling Jesus about all the great things they did as members of earthly Christian churches. But even some people who do miracles in the church will be told to go away for eternity and be called evildoers! No one can enter paradise except by pleading the merits of Christ’s body and blood.

This makes it clear how important it is for churches to spread the gospel of God’s free forgiveness rather than a man-made notion of how to be worthy of paradise. It also underlines how dangerous certain teachings are when they imply that by appearing to be a good church member or ‘having a spiritual experience’ you can earn your salvation. Our outward acts are only useful if they stem from inward faith and obedience. God looks for repentance, faith and love in the hearts of His people, not fancy words and miraculous deeds.

Next Jesus has something to say about the separation of believers and unbelievers.

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said. “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field ” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:36-43

Most of the words spoken by Jesus in the gospels clarify the teachings handed down by word of mouth in Old Testament times and judgment day is no exception. Here it is called the ‘end of the age’ or the end of time. He points out that angels will have the task of ‘harvesting’, i.e., removing people from the earth and carrying them to the judgment throne and beyond. This ‘weeding out of the kingdom’ is what some prophets referred to when they talked of the angel army coming down to destroy unbelievers. The ‘harvesting of the righteous’ was like the prophetic ‘rescuing of the lame’ and deliverance of people from this sinful world.

One aspect of this harvest is that anything causing sin will be removed and burned, like weeds cast into a furnace to be burned. That ‘furnace’ will be horrible, full of pain, anger and sorrow. Yet, it sets up the ultimate and everlasting solution that people of all philosophies or beliefs seek – a world without suffering, cruelty, hatred and neglect. The other aspect is that the ‘productive plants’ will be called righteous (right with God) and will shine with beauty and perfection. Like beautiful flowers in bloom they will constantly live in love and continuously care for others.

How can anyone who claims to be a Christian deny that there is a place called hell? Here and elsewhere Jesus clearly speaks of that ‘fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’. While some are weeded out and sent to the furnace. others shine brightly in God’s kingdom. Sadly, the very people who deny the existence of hell are the ones who should fear it most.

We are all familiar with the devilish thoughts, lies and violence that a very real devil sows among humanity. But how does Jesus sow good seed and create ‘sons of the kingdom’? The same way he did it when he was on earth – spreading the good news that God will forgive all for the sake of one holy sacrifice. He planted the seed by announcing that God has provided the cure for sin and urging all to take hold of it.

Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and the throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:47-50

Once again Jesus points out that judgment day is the climax in the battle between good and evil. The two sides will be separated once and for all.

Again, we see that the purpose of the day of the Lord is to create a world without ‘bad fish’, without sin and evil. As we grow older we are tempted to think that such a place is impossible. It can be hard to imagine a world where everyone will be good. But paradise is not a place of dreamers or wishful thinkers. It is real, and God wants to give it to all of us.

Does it sound too casual, that description of sorting fish on shore and simply throwing away the bad ones? Does God not care about the people being tossed? Remember that the fisherman works long and hard up to that moment. A fisherman is disappointed in finding bad fish as the result of his efforts but there is nothing during the sorting that can be done to save them.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us”, they said, “when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great sign and miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightening that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the distress of those days “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation (race?) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Therefore,keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you mustbe ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:3-44

In this large section Jesus encapsulates the New Testament era. He tells the disciples what will happen to them as they look for His second coming, what the signs of the end will be down through the centuries and what the signs will be immediately before the last day. He then describes the last day in fuller detail and gives insight to everyone who wonders when that day will come. To keep thi...