Today was Week 96 of Rightly Dividing the Word of truth…our study / overview of Paul’s epistles to believers in this dispensation of the grace of God.
In the first 11 verses of this letter, Paul outlines how to pray for fellow believers in these verses, as well as giving us one of the great doctrines – the Day of Christ, to ponder and study. There are three general phases of Christian growth and maturity that we see in verses 9-11:
Knowledge – receiving truth through the study of God’s Word
Understanding – application of knowledge into your daily walk
Wisdom – the ability to share knowledge with others encouraging their personal growth. This is also called discipleship.
Philippians 1:9-11: And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (discernment / understanding);That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Proverbs 4:5-7: Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Solomon made it clear that wisdom is the chief goal we are to seek. We began our study of the three great days that are yet to occur. The first is the Day of Christ, the rapture of the Church Age saints, which is not found in Old Testament prophecy, because it is the end of the Mystery, the dispensation of the grace of God, known as the Church Age, which has been hidden from the beginning of time.
Romans 16:25-27, Ephesians 3:1-9, Colossians 1:25-27
1 Corinthians 15:50-54: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The three great days revealed in the Bible that are yet in our future:
- The Day of Christ, also known as the Rapture of all church age believers. This is the next great event on God’s celestial calendar of events. It ushers in the seven year tribulation period. Paul mentions this mystery at least 18 times in his letters. Romans 13:11-14, 1 Corinthians 1:8, 3:13, 5:5, *15:50-54*, 2 Corinthians 1:14, Philippians 1:6,10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Timothy 1:12, 4:1,8, 1 John 2:28, 3:1-3
2 Timothy 4:1,7-8: I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (the spirituallly alive – Ephesians 2:1) and the dead (the spiritually dead) at his appearing (the day of Christ – the rapture) and his kingdom (the 2nd Advent, the physical return of Messiah King Jesus) ; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (the day of Christ – the rapture).
Remember – Things different are not alike. Things different are not the same. Christ’s appearing and Christ’s kingdom are separated by the seven year tribulation period.
- The Day of the Lord, also known as the 2nd Advent, the literal, physical return of Messiah King Jesus to establish his everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 9:6-7) beginning with the 1,000 year millennium. He will purge the world of all wickedness, beginning with the battle of Armageddon and ending with the judgment of the nations – Matthew 25:31-46. Every book from Isaiah to Malachi, except Daniel, specifically mentions the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is mentioned 24 times, and “that day”, a synonymous phrase , is mentioned 107 times from Isaiah to Malachi. Malachi 4:1-6, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 19:11-16, Daniel 2:42-45 Revelation 17:12-14: And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 16:16: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The ten toes of Daniel 2:42-45 are the same ten kings of Revelation 17:12-14, who will make war with Messiah King Jesus when he returns with the armies of heaven in Revelation 19:11-16! All of these prophetic scriptures point to a single moment in time still in our future.
- The Day of God, that moment in eternity future, after the millennial kingdom is finished, and the Great White Throne Judgment is in progress, or completed, when God destroys this world, and creates new heavens and a new earth, as pure as original creation completely without the curse of sin. 2 Peter 3:10-14
Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 66:22: For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (The nation of Israel will once again be the head of all the nations in eternity future!)
We will continue our exploration these three great days this coming Sunday.