Yesterday was quite exciting, reviewing the three prophetic terms of the end times:
The Day of Christ — the next event on God’s prophetic calendar. This is the rapture of the Church, the Bride of Christ. Philippians 1:6,10, 2:16; 2 Thess 2:1-2 (Ephesians 5:25-33 gives us understanding concerning our relationship to Christ — the mystery of the relationship we have with Christ, as his betrothed) 1 Thess 4:13-18 is the description of the general harvest of the Church Age saints.
The Day of the Lord (mentioned 26 times in the Bible)– the 2nd Advent, physical return of Messiah King Jesus to establish the messianic physical kingdom of heaven on earth. Isaiah 2:11-12 is the first mention of the Day of the Lord.
That Day (mentioned 107 times in the Old Testament, beginning in Isaiah, the first book of the prophets) — is the series of events and circumstances in the tribulation that lead up to the actual time of the 2nd Advent.
Isaiah 2:11-12: The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
Zechariah 14:1-4: Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Looking into 2 Thessalonians 2 this morning, and seeing the day of Christ — the coming of the Lord, and our gathering together unto him, the rapture (V.1-2), and then the events of the tribulation, clearly separate the rapture from the 2nd Advent by Daniel’s 70th week, the seven years of time for the repentance and restoration of God’s wife, Israel. Revelation 12 gives us a great look into how Israel will be protected by God when she flees into the wilderness, in obedience to Christ, after seeing the abomination of desolation in Matthew 24:15-21.
We touched on the raiment of the Church Age saints and the robes of the tribulation saints near the end of our discussion this morning. I want to clarify the issue. The raiment the church age saints receive is a cloak, or a mantle, or vesture, an outer garment, that goes over the robe, and will reveal the reward we receive at the judgment seat of Christ. The fine linen we are adorned with is the same raiment! We will be identified as the royal priesthood by our raiment, almost like a badge of rank or authority, based on our reward at the Bema Seat judgment.
Revelation 3:18: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Revelation 19:7-8: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
2 Corinthians 5: 1-10: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good (of eternal value, our stewardship of the mysteries accompluished in the Spirit in humility and obedience: gold, silver, and precious stones) or bad (of temporal value, our stewardship of the mysteries accomplished in the flesh for personal glory: wood, hay, and stubble).
1 Corinthians 4:1-2: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Our goal should never be to serve, in order to receive reward, but that we may please our Lord and Savior! As Paul stated in 2 Cor 5:9: Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.