The Day of the Lord: Is God’s Wrath Justified?

Who are the key players in the Day of the Lord

1. Jesus Christ who returns to earth to execute the judgment of God.
2. Firstfruits (church/saints/sealed/martyrs/redeemed/called out)
3. Satan who is the present ruler of this world and age,
4. The Beast which represents the government(s) of man which derives their authority from Satan,
5. The Harlot which represents the false teachings and religions of the world which have deceived mankind and obscured the truth of God
6. Mankind - who are deceived by Satan and complicit with him in a world built on bad principles

What happens on the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord is the time of judgment & reward from God executed by Jesus Christ. The firstfruits receive resurrection unto eternal life and their reward for their faith and obedience toward God. The misguided governments, false religions and wayward practices built from man’s own human reasoning are judged, condemned and destroyed permanently. And finally, Satan the adversary and deceiver cast into the pit.

Note: individuals do not receive their judgment at the second coming of Jesus Christ although many are caught up and destroyed as the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth. They will be part of the second resurrection and the Great White Throne judgment at the end of Jesus 1000 year rule over the Kingdom of God.

Where do the key events of the Day of the Lord happen

The Day of the Lord takes place on planet earth. This understanding is vitally for a good grasp of scripture. Although the events of the Day of the Lord affect every corner of the earth they begin on the Mount of Olives about a mile east of Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:1-9

Why does the Day of the Lord have to come

Because the source of deception, evil and injustice must destroyed and evil deeds must be punished.

• Isaiah 9:6-7 establishes a kingdom based on righteousness and justice
• Isaiah 11:1-5 replaces the current rulers of the earth with one who has the spiritual insight and character
• Isaiah 13:9-13 administers punishment and retribution to the nations
• Isaiah 14: 12-19 removes the source of spiritual deception (Satan)

Is God’s Wrath Justified?

God’s wrath is a subject that people of our age tend to reject. We prefer to dwell on God’s love, compassion, forgiveness and when we are in trouble we like to appeal to his miraculous power. But fully understanding God (and proclaiming His gospel) means we have to come to grips with His wrath.

One mistake we make is thinking of God’s wrath as being like our own. For you and me visible wrath and anger are usually telltale signs of having lost control… You don’t have to look far to see examples of human anger… Turn on CNN: Riots. Protests. Lawsuits. Road rage. Hate crimes. Terrorism a Wrath reigns!


But God’s ways are not our ways. Unlike us God’s wrath is the out flowing of his desire for righteousness and his insistence on holiness. God’s wrath is never capricious, self indulgent, irritable, immoral as it so often is with humans. Ask yourself; “Would a God who did not respond firmly and decisively against evil in His… world be morally perfect and Holy? Would He be righteous? Would there be justice in the universe? a NO!

But the average man on the street wants to know why don’t we see that justice, HERE…NOW…WHEN WE NEED IT! Why is righteous judgment not meted out quickly, decisively and publicly for all to see? Where is God when crimes go unpunished, when people are oppressed and abused? And if He is going to do something about it like He says He will why is He taking so long?

The meting out of justice is something God expects us to do ourselves. He has given us His laws and commands and says to us… Judge righteous judgment. We do not see justice meted out swiftly, decisively and publically because we fail to fulfill the commission we have been given to rule the earth and judge righteously.

But God promises to avenge injustice doesn’t He? Well how come I’m not seeing it?

• II Peter 3:1-16 - because He wants us to figure it out on our own, to repent and judge righteous judgement
• Psalm 73: 2-13 not visibly seeing justice can cause you to stumble (why do the wicked prosper?)
• Mathew 24:12 -perceived lack of justice causes many to harden their hearts against God at the end time

But ironically that frustrated desire for justice leads to increased lawlessness. Everybody else is doing it… why don’t I? Everyone else is bending the rules, grabbing their piece of the pie… none of them has been struck down with lightning… why shouldn’t I grab my slice before it’s all gone? II Tim 3:1-5


And it is to just such a world that Jesus returns… at the sound of the 7th trumpet.

When does the Day of the Lord Occur

The Day of the Lord comes at the end of man’s allotted time to misrule the earth. The end of his time to judge righteous judgment (or not), to acknowledge God’s authority over him (or not) and then end of this time to accept the truth (or believe a lie). The time of the seventh seal.

Mention of a seventh seal means there are six other seals that come before it. These seven seals found in the sixth chapter of Revelation are and overview of man’s misrule of earth under the influence of Satan.

The opening of the first four seals unleash the horsemen of the apocalypse and outline a long tragic history of war, famine, pestilence and death that gets worse and worse until they come to a head at time of the end.

The fifth seal introduces the persecution of the church, the suppression of God’s truth and the killing God’s servants which has always taken place but intensifies until the great tribulation when Satan takes out his wrath upon the people of God attempting to destroy them.

These events are not the day of the Lord they preceed the Day of the Lord.

Next come the sixth seal which causes great signs in the Sky creating a cosmic event in space and time separating that which come before from that which will follow.

Finally the seventh seal is opened and now the Day of the Lord begins Revelation 8:1

Half an hour of silence… because this is one of the most important moments in the history of the universe!

And now begins a sequence of 7 mighty trumpet blasts

Events Leading Up to the Day of The Lord

Revelation 8:1 The seventh seal is opened and the Trumpets begin to be sounded

• First Trumpet a 1/3 of the earth, trees & vegetation are destroyed
• Second Trumpet a 1/3 of all marine life and ships on the ocean are destroyed
• Third Trumpet a 1/3 of all fresh waters are destroyed
• Fourth Trumpet a 1/3 of all light from the stars, moon and sun are blocked or destroyed
• The power of God over all nature is graphically and dramatically demonstrated. DO YOU REALIZE WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH?
• Fifth Trumpet a all restraints placed on Satan and the fallen angels are removed
• Sixth Trumpet a all restraints placed on mankind’s destructive power are removed
• The cruelty of Satan and the destructive potential of mankind are dramatically demonstrated and 1/3 of all human life is destroyed. DO YOU REALIZE WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE CHOOSING TO FOLLOW?

How does man respond Revelation 9:20-21 Mankind’s defiant response
How does god respond Revelation 11:3 Gods sends yet another messenger to mankind (repentance)
How does maN respond Revelation 11:7 They murder yet another of God’s messengers

Seventh Trumpet aJesus Christ appears/the second coming Revelation 11:15

Revelation 14:1-5 first fruits resurrected and begin to enter into their just rewards, salvation, eternal life, glorification with Jesus, positions in the Kingdom of God which is now come.

Finally… God’s Wrath is Released Upon the World

Revelation 14:6-11
3 Angels issue God’s final warning and call to repentance

• Angel 1 a call to repent and acknowledge the authority of God over all things in heaven and earth
• Angel 2 a announces the sentence upon the governments of the world / typified by Babylon
• Angel 3 a informs them about what is about to happen to those who do not repent

The 7 Bowls of God’s Wrath Are Poured Out - Revelation 16

• Plague 1aPainful sores on those who worship the Beast
• Plague 2aALL marine life is destroyed
• Plague 3aALL fresh water is destroyed
• Plague 4aHumans are scorched by the heat of the sun
• Plague 5a Darkness… not just 1/3

Stop at verse 11

Bad as they were the first 6 trumpets were only a warning of God’s wrath to come. Previously God’s wrath was vented in partial measure affecting only a third of the earth in a worldwide effort to get mankind to repent… now His wrath is poured out in full measure.

The wrath of God is God’s justice. These events are not acts of self indulgence or frustration. God has not lost control. God’s wrath is just reward… its unjust governments, its false religious institutions, its stubbornness, its lawlessness and upon its true spiritual leader Satan the devil. The door for repentance is still open, but still man rejects God and God’s authority over him.

This world says it wants justice, it wants righteousness, it wants truth… that it wants a trustworthy ruler. But when push comes to shove what man really want is to have our own way. What is Man’s reaction to God’s visible and decisive justice? Defiance, blasphemy… BUT WAIT THERE“S MORE!

Defiance and blasphemy are not enough… Man will attack God, gathers all the armies of the earth on a huge flat valley called Armageddon. Where they will march down to confront Jesus Christ in the valley of decision… the valley of Jehoshaphat.

Revelation 19: 11 - 20:3
Man’s armies are destroyedaBeast/Harlot are destroyed permanentlyaSatan is removed from his throne as the ruler of the world and of this age

The Day of the Lord comes upon the earth quickly but the people of God will not be caught off guard because they have already headed the call to repentance and obedience I Thessalonians 5:1-9