THE WRATH TO COME

Photo by B Smith from the Patio

 

 

10 - THE WRATH TO COME

February 3, 1963

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

I Thessalonians 1: 9, 10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

We said in these two verses we have two words which cover the whole Christian life— serve and wait. Notice their connection. These people served the living and true God while they waited for His Son from Heaven.

1/ And this Son from Heaven has delivered us from the wrath to come. But the message that the church has for this unbelieving world is wrath and grace. Wrath and grace comprise the message that we have for society in its sinful condition. We want the world to know it is living under the wrath of God, but grace is the answer to this condition.

2/ Some people are disturbed by the idea of a God of love possessing wrath, but do you realize any god who does not have wrath is a monstrosity? He is a crippled God. God’s attributes are balanced by His perfection. Do you know that one of the proofs of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that He knew how to hate.

Hebrews 1: 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

3/ Romans 1: 16 - 18 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

And here we see two revelations, it has to do with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ dying for our sins. First of all, the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness. It is a revelation of this—that you who have no righteousness can have righteousness through the Gospel, the cross. He is ready to bestow it by faith. But the Gospel is also another revelation, for the wrath of God is revealed.

I do not believe that any such revelation of God’s wrath has ever been given as the revelation of the cross. Where Jesus Christ was crucified and made sin for us. Where God let His wrath out against His Son that we might be saved. This is given to us in II Corinthians 5: 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

I do not believe we are really able to fathom the depths of this verse, but you listen to it. But He hath made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God.

There you will notice the two revelations. Christ feeling the wrath of God, and man being enabled to have the righteousness of God through the Son of God being made wrath for us.

4/ Let me illustrate what I mean. You have that sweet, dear little girl in your home, running about as a little ray of sunshine that you love, and actually you would be willing to die for that child. But what would ever induce you to place upon that little girl some dread disease that would paralyze her, that would put her in a place of agony, that would spoil her life and put her in excruciating pain. You say, nothing could induce you to do that. But, suppose you know that if you would have this disease put upon that little girl, a thousand other children would be spared? Would you still be willing to do it? No, I doubt very much whether even this fact would induce you to have the dreaded thing placed upon that little one you love so much. That is God’s problem. That is exactly what God did. God did what no human father would ever be willing to do. He put the wrath of sin upon His Son, so that we might have the righteousness of God as a gift.

5/ But now let’s take this a step further and notice Romans 2: 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Here He talks about the day of wrath. There is a day of wrath coming. When is this day of wrath? So let us read Romans 2: 3, 4 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Here it talks about, O, man, do you think you will escape thee judgment of God? When you despise the riches of His goodness, and forbearance and longsuffering?

And here we have God talking about common grace. You might ask, Pastor, what is common grace? The highest manifestation of Grace is found in Jesus Christ in the cross of Calvary, when God gave Himself for sinners and now gives us everything for nothing through His death.

But then there is a common grace—we have to see that God does not owe anything at all to any of His creatures. If God had taken Adam and Eve after the fall and sent them into the Lake of Fire immediately, He would have been just. Or if He had permitted the race to come from Adam and Eve just to live out in sin, not providing any plan of salvation at all, and all of this race go to hell, He still would have been just, and the angels would have been able to sing, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, all the earth is full of Thy Glory. But this is not what God has done. Even though God does not owe a thing to any man, He has manifested His common grace toward unsaved man. For example, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you are still alive on this earth, and you are still not in hell. That is the grace of God. Here you are on this earth in good health, and more than likely in prosperity, that is the common grace of God. The vast majority of those who listen to my voice this morning live in comfortable homes or apartments. That is common grace, you don’t deserve it but God has permitted it. You come home from your job and your child rushes to meet you in good health and high spirits. That is common grace. You are able to put your hand into your pocket and give the child a quarter or a half a dollar for an allowance—that is common grace. You go into your house and you sit down to a good meal, and enjoy it. That is common grace. And you know the thought is this, man takes this common grace, God giving him all this, when He should be giving him nothing but wrath and pain and tribulation and suffering, and man turns his back upon all of it and he just ignores it, and ignores Jesus Christ and His glorious Gospel.

Romans 2: 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath unto the day of wrath?

What is man doing? Man, as he ignores this common grace of God, accepting it and rejecting God’s Son and His glorious Gospel, He is treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.

6/ Notice, Romans 2: 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Do you? The answer, of course, is that you do. Man is by nature filled with ingratitude toward God. The English word despise, has a literal meaning of looking down upon. Man believes he has reached such a high summit that he can look down upon God and all that God has given him by His grace. And all the while man forgets that he is treasuring up wrath.

7/ Verse 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart...

Here is the reason why man does that. Do you know what the Greek word that is translated hardness is the one that doctors have adopted to describe the disease of the hardening of the arteries. And, of course, you realize that the hardening of the arteries my take you to an early grave. But, there is a far worse disease—the hardening of the heart, spiritually, will take you to this day of wrath.

8/ Why is God showering His common grace upon man? The end of the 4th verse says, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

In other words, to mend your ways and to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. But man doesn’t realize this common grace is doing this. But do you realize the common grace that God is showering upon you is bringing you to that terrible day of the wrath of God?

Every doctor knows there are medicines that will cure some people and kill others. For example, the sulfa drug—it will work wonders with certain types of pneumonia, yet there are certain human bodies that are allergic to these drugs, and when this drug enters the blood stream it will destroy the one type of white blood cells, and it will bring death to the patient. It will destroy the one thing that helps to cure infection. And so, it actually destroys the defender against the infection. And so, it is with the common grace of God. The Lord pours out His grace upon mankind. If you receive it, your sins are removed, but if you reject it, then that grace will become the wrath of God and destroy you, and cast you into the Lake of Fire.

9/ But let us go back to I Thessalonians 1: 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Now, what is the wrath to come in this Scripture? It is hell, it is the day of wrath when men will be cast into hell? Oh, no, not at all. You will notice that Paul is talking about the Appearing of Jesus Christ, the Rapture of His Church, they lived day by day in the expectation of Christ’s Appearing for them. And so Paul is not talking here about eternal judgment, but rather they look for the Lord, they know that they will be delivered from the wrath that is coming upon this world. This is not the day of wrath, the judgment, this is another time, which will be wrath upon this earth.

10/ Isaiah 28: 21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

Here is God talking about this day. In other words, strange means to vary from the usual, or ordinary. God’s work right now is saving souls, He is still trying to get men and women to turn to Him in Jesus Christ, but a day is coming when He is going to stop doing His usual work, and He will speak to man in wrath, and He will pour out His wrath upon this earth.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that the church will not go through this wrath? We have been delivered from it.

11/ Isaiah 66: 15, 16 And here is another picture, For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

Notice, this next part—And the slain of the Lord shall be many. That is not talking about eternal hell, this is talking about the time when God will pour out His wrath upon this sin-sick, sin-weary world that is in rebellion against Him, treasuring up, and misering up wrath by rejection of the common grace of God.

12/ Now let us go back to the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 1: 24 - 29 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

And here God says, because I have called and you have refused. In other words, they refused what God has presented, I have stretched out My hand and none hath regarded it. But ye have set at naught all My counsel and would none of My reproof.

Notice this, I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Does this sound like I Timothy 1: 15? This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Does this sound like God presenting common grace to man? No, this is the day when the common grace of God will be withdrawn, and it will be a day of wrath upon this earth. Then, He says in the 27th verse, When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, then notice, men shall call upon Me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, and they shall not find Me.

Here we have the strange work of God which has to do with the wrath of God. 

13/ Let us go to another Scripture.

Zachariah 14: 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Here is another description of this awful day of wrath. And then he says, Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet. In other words, flesh shall melt on their bones. This is not hell, this is the day of wrath. Then He says their eyes shall consume away in their holes. Eyes shall melt and run out of their sockets. Man shall have liquid eyeballs, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouths, their tongues shall melt in their mouths. What an awful day of wrath is coming upon this earth!

14/ But in this same book, Zachariah 9: 12 we have another picture of this day of wrath. There will be a time when man will be given a chance to turn to God, but not those who have already heard the Gospel during this present day and age, but those who have not heard it. Notice what God says here. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

There it is, double or nothing. In other words, if the folks of that day will flee from their false hope and turn to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will pour out a double blessing upon them. If they refuse, they will have nothing of mercy, and double of wrath. You cannot win unless you play by God’s rules. If you are stubborn and refuse His Word, all that can come upon you is wrath. But, if you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, if you will turn to Him, you will be delivered from the wrath to come upon this earth, and delivered from the day of wrath when men and women who turn their backs upon God will be turned into a hell of fire and brimstone.

15/ Notice, Paul speaks of Jesus which delivered us. He is the only One that can deliver you. There is no other way to escape the wrath of God.

Acts 16: 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

AMEN

Ref: 02/03/1963 / THE WRATH TO COME / 08/27/2022

NOT NOW, BUT AFTERWARD

Photo by B Smith from the Patio

 

 

253 – NOT NOW, BUT AFTERWARD 

November 25, 1962

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

The word wait has a large place in the Christian life. We are to wait for this to happen. What we have right now is an earnest of our possession and an earnest in the olden days was just a handful. A man might buy 100,000 bushels of wheat and take home with him a handful to see that when the bulk is delivered it is the same.

I can remember a while back—a few years back, my father, when I was in Philadelphia told me to go to his tailor and he would pay that I could have a tailor-made suit. So, I went to see the tailor and my wife wasn’t along at that time, and she as back home in Altoona. So, I picked a bolt of clothe and the tailor took my measurements, and I said, I am going back to Altoona, and I would like my family to see what type of suit I’m getting. So, what did he do, but he took his scissors, and he cut a piece of material, just maybe an inch by an inch and a half, and he gave it to me and he said, “Here, you can show them what you are getting.” That literally was a piece of the suit I was getting. All I had when I came back to Altoona, because he mailed the suite to me later, was just that little piece of clothe, but it showed me what I was getting, and I could make sure the suit was of that same clothe when it came.

The word, wait, is here. We have the earnest at this present time.

Romans 8: 17 - 19 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Many folks look at the Christian life and they say, “If that is the Christian life, I don’t want it.” They see the suffering that many Christians go through. They see that folks many times shun them—they see that many folks are maligned because they love the Lord Jesus Christ, and they say—I don’t want that type of life. Many children of Godly parents have said this very thing, for they have seen that their parents have paid a price for loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is one thing you must recognize —you cannot judge the Christian life by what Christians have here and now. You cannot judge the Christian life by the things that many Christians suffer—it is true that we have been promised suffering, but the life that the Christian lives here is not the life that you judge Christianity by.

1/ When we look at this passage of Scripture that we want to study this morning, one word shouts out to us, it is the word, wait. Waiting has a large place in the Christian life—just notice what Paul says to us in Romans 8: 18. Notice, we may also be glorified together—The suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to that which will be revealed in us. This is all future, and the Christian is waiting for all this to come to pass.

2/ I remember there was a preacher I used to love to listen to by the name of James McGinley. He had a sermon entitled, “Not Now, but Afterward,” and I heard him preach it quite a few times—and I used to thrill to it as he would bring it forth in his Scottish manner. He would tell us about the time that he would get a new suit of cloths--as soon as the box was delivered to the house, he said he would cut the string, tear off the paper, and remove the lid, and then he would say to his mother, may I put the suit on now, and she would reply, “Not now, but afterward.” And then he pointed out that before meals, he had a very strong boyish appetite. He craved food, and one look at him would show that he did—and he would say, “Mother may I have a slice of bread and jam now, and, of course, he was raised in a home where the folks were very poor, and she would answer, “Not now, but afterward” and then, the parents would promise to take him on a picnic, and he would say, "Are we going on the picnic today?" And every morning when He would wake up he would say, “Is this the day?” And his mother would say, “Not now, but afterward.” Life is a good bit like that for all of us—the things we want to do, we can’t do just now. That word, wait—not now, but afterward is ever before us.

3/ Let us look at the 17th verse. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

I am so glad that God is not governed in His actions as man is governed. Notice, if children, then heir.

A human father can disinherit a son for many reasons—he can cut off his child without an inheritance because he thinks the child is unworthy—or perhaps he has been insulted by something that the child has said or done, and then he can disinherit a son because of just some simple whim of his own—but the heavenly Father can do none of these things—He is bound by the character of His nature. The reasoning that Paul sets forth here is purely divine. If children, then notice, then heirs.

There are two parts to the phrase—two nouns—children and heirs. There is an if associated with the first of these two words, but there is no if attached to the second word. It is true that He has to set forth a doubt in connection with sonship, because there are many of His creatures who are not His children—but once one is saved and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, he becomes a child of God then by necessity, he is an heir of God.

What does it mean to be joint-heir with Christ? A joint-heirship is something that is left and is divided. To be joint-heir is to hold whatever is left jointly and never to have it divided. What Christ has we come into the possession of, and we shall always possess it with Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ will say to us—this much is yours, and this much is mine. We will have all things together—all that is the Father’s is Christ’s, and all that is Christ’s is ours. Never to be divided.

4/ When you stop to think about this point of waiting for this—what if one doesn’t have too much on this earth—what is there on this earth that can compare with that which we will have in the future? We might compare the fortunes of men to anthills. Here is an ant who builds a little bigger hill than the other fellows. But it is still just an anthill. Compare that with the houses and the buildings and the mansions in which men still live here. What is an anthill? Not very desirable is it? Well, actually what men have down here on earth—all their fortunes, their houses and their cars. They are merely anthills when compared with what God has for those who love Him. Yes, one may get a little more than another, but he just has a little larger anthill and that is all, and it will mean nothing in eternity, and it will be just an anthill compared to what the child of God will have in eternity.

5/ It might be well if we understand that in law there is a large difference between an heir and a joint-heir. The distinction can be explained as follows. If a man dies, leaving a large farm to four sons who are four heirs—the estate is divided equally and each heir receives 25% of the whole. But if a man leaves his estate to four of his sons as joint-heirs, then each one own the whole farm, each one can say, the house is mine, the barn is mine, the fields are mine. In human division, such a procedure might be undesirable, because it would be possible for the brothers to fight over the inheritance, but in divine procedure it is perfect, for we shall all be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and each will be seeking the good of others before his own good—so this is a perfect setup. What God owns, we own, and we will share it with Him jointly—through all eternity. Certainly the suffering of this life cannot be compared with what we will have in eternity.

6/ Every time I read this Scripture, my mind goes to II Timothy 4: 7 where Paul says, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

You remember Paul was about to go and be with the Lord. He was ready to be martyred for the Lord Jesus Christ.

But notice the first word of II Timothy 4: 8 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.

Henceforth—it is wonderful to have a henceforth in your life. Do you have a henceforth in your life? That is what we have that makes the future so wonderful. Do you have just a NOW in your life, or do you have a henceforth? Yes, we look at life now, and it is nothing compared to what we will have henceforth.

7/ When we go back to Romans 8: 17 where it says, If it shall be that we suffer with Him, it may also be that we shall be glorified together.

So, it would seem that unless we suffer, we are not going to be glorified together, but that is not what the Greek language teaches us at all. This is not a matter that is conditional, that if we do something, God will do something. That is not the thought here at all. So, let us notice three things in our text--the meaning of the phrase, if so be that—and the meaning of the phrase suffering with Christ and the meaning of our being glorified together with Him.

8/ Now let us look at the phrase—if so be that. It is a single word in the Greek, and it is pronounced A-PEAR and if we look at the word, we will find that it is not a phrase implying doubt at all. Let us notice how it is used elsewhere in the Bible.

II Thessalonians 1: 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

Paul is speaking of the tribulation through which the believers were passing in that Macedonian town, and of the judgment that shall ultimately come upon their persecutors. We read that, ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.

Suffering is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. The three words SEEING IT IS, are used to translate our word, A-PEAR, and the idea of any doubt is alien to the phrase. Actually, it could be translated, Because it is a righteous thing with God. So we may translate this, then seeing it is that we suffer with Him that we may be also glorified together. Or, because it is that we suffer with Him, that we may be glorified together.

9/ A Christian is one who suffers with Christ, for notice, Philippians 1: 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

The Apostle here enters into a discussion as to the degrees of suffering through which a Christian may pass. Some may suffer more than others, but there is appointed a ministry of suffering which the believer cannot fully escape, even if he would.

Additional verses of interest:

I Corinthians 15: 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

John 17: 5 And now, O, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Romans 8: 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Colossians 3: 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

AMEN

Ref: 11/25/1962 / 253 - NOT NOW BUT AFTERWARD / 08/25/2021

WILL THE CHURCH GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?

Photo by B Smith from the Patio

 

 

152 - WILL THE CHURCH GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?

February 10, 1963

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

I Thessalonians 1: 9, 10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

First of all God tells us here how the folks at Thessalonica were saved, they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and wait for His Son from Heaven. So you see, He tells about their Christian life, they are to serve God, and they are to wait for His Appearing in the heavens when the Church will be caught up to be with Him. Then the next thing He reveals to us, that Jesus Christ has delivered us from the wrath to come. There is a wrath, of course, that is going to be in the future—when men will be judged for their sins, and men will be cast into the Lake of Fire. But that is not the picture that we have here in the 10th verse. We are to be saved from the wrath that is to come upon this world.

1/ Not only is there a hell in the future, where all unsaved people, body, soul and spirit will be cast into hell to suffer and be tormented forever and ever, but God says, man will be punished on the face of this earth. God’s wrath will be poured out upon this world, and the people of this world.

2/ It is called the strange act of God

Isaiah 28: 21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

Let me show you a picture of the time that is to come upon this earth.

Proverbs 1: 24 - 29 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

Here God is talking about the people who will live in this day of wrath. People who will bow the knee to the antichrist and receive the mark of the beast. And God said, “I’ve called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand but no man regardeth"—these folks just didn’t care, He says, "Ye have set at naught all My counsel"—in other words, you wouldn’t heed the Word of God, the Bible. Then God says, "I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock at your fear cometh." This is strange, isn’t it? 

This doesn’t sound like I Timothy 1: 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Christ Jesus coming into the world to save sinners. Here God is doing a strange thing. He is laughing at man’s calamity, He is mocking when they are in fear, and He says, "Your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind," as a tornado. 

Then in Verse 28 He says, Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

Millions will cry out, and beg and call but there will be no answer. Who says, while there is life there’s hope?—not in this hour of the wrath of God. Those who have received the mark of the antichrist, the mark of the beast, will find that it will be too late. There is life, but there is not any hope. Why is all this?

Verse 29 gives the answer— For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:. They wouldn’t heed the Word of God, and they did not choose the fear of the Lord, and now the wrath of God is upon the face of this earth, and the inhabitants will suffer.

3/ Then we have another portion of Scripture which discusses the horrors of the great tribulation, this time of wrath upon earth.

Isaiah 24: 5, 6 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

The earth was defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, hath the curse devoured the earth. This is just what atomic warfare will do. Defile the soil so that nothing can grow, and notice the people that dwell on the earth are desolate, and the inhabitants of the earth are burned. That does sound like atomic warfare, doesn’t it? And then notice, a few men are left. My mind immediately goes to what Jesus Christ said about this same time.

Matthew 24: 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Notice, flesh be saved—in other words, people alive. God says there are but few men left.

4/ Let’s get another description—

Micah 7: 2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

Here it says during this time the good man is perished out of the earth. There is none upright among men, they lie and wait for blood—they hunt every man his brother with a net. In other words, you won’t be able to trust anyone in these coming days. Treachery and deceit will abound everywhere. He will not dare put your confidence in your most intimate friend. Even the wife of your bosom will betray you. And then it says, a son will dishonor a father, a daughter rise up against her mother, and so forth. And it says, a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. It will literally be hell on earth in this day of wrath.

5/ Then notice, Micah 7: 15 - 17 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee.

Here is a crystal clear statement that God will repeat the plagues of Egypt in the coming tribulation. This shows that in the book of Revelation, the plagues there are literal plagues and an awful day is coming upon this earth.

6/ Zechariah 14: 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

And this shall be the plague wherewith God will smite all the people who have fought against Jerusalem, their flesh shall consume away, while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth. Notice, the Lord will smite the people—those who fight against Jerusalem. Read this verse and tremble—if you are saved tremble for the folks who are going to go through this awful day. If unsaved, tremble because you might be in this awful experience. Flesh will melt off their bones, eyes melt and run out of their sockets —they will literally have liquid eye-balls. Tongues will melt in their mouths. What could be more horrible than the picture that God gives us here?

7/ In this same book Zechariah 9: 12 we have another picture of the day of wrath. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

There will be a time when men will be given a chance to turn to God, but not those who have heard the Gospel during this present day and age. And not those who have turned to the anti-christ, because they are eternally lost. But those who have not heard the Gospel in this day, and have not fallen under the sway of the antichrist, have not received the mark of the beast—notice what God says here—turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. In other words, if folks of that day will flee from their false hope and turn to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will pour out a double blessing upon them. If they refuse, they will have nothing of mercy, but will have a double of wrath. You can’t play and win in this game, you have to follow God’s rules, it will be double or nothing.

8/ I Thessalonians 1: 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

But here we have a glorious portion of Scripture. To recognize that we are not going through this day of wrath. God has delivered us from the wrath to come. How do I know this is about this time that is to come upon the earth? Because we are to wait for His Son, and right after His Son appears in the heavens and catches away His church, then we will recognize we are delivered from the wrath to come—so we have not wrath but rapture.

9/ Now let us notice in the 4th and 5th chapters a real minute description of being delivered from the wrath to come. Starting with verse 16 of I Thessalonians 4 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and then we—now notice—we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with those who have been dead in Jesus Christ. Notice the change in the pronoun in the 5th chapter.

I Thessalonians 5: 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Where it says, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon the, as travail upon a woman, and they shall not escape. Notice the words, they, and the word, them. He is not now speaking of the same people as He did in the 4th chapter. He is not talking about the saved. He is talking about the unsaved or those who are alive when the rapture takes place.

10/ But now you go back to the 2nd verse For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

He says, you yourselves, the saved people, know perfectly that the day of the Lord—that is this day of wrath—this tribulation—shall come as a thief in the night. So the rapture must be before the day of the Lord. The word, but, in the first verse of the 5th chapter is a real key.

11/ Notice what they will be saying when this day starts. Peace and safety—and then sudden destruction. They shall not escape, but they have been appointed to wrath, but we are not here, because we have not been appointed to wrath. Therefore, we are to comfort ourselves as we read in verse 18 of the 4th chapter, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

12/ These words, peace and safety, are beginning to ring throughout the world, aren’t they? And they will come to great climax right after the church is removed. If you go back to the book of Daniel, you will see that peace will be the keynote of the beginning of the tribulation, this day of wrath.

Daniel 8: 23 - 25 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

For by peace shall this man destroy many. This is the man who will control the communistic nations of the world, and this is the Assyrian, the rod of God who will bring peace upon the world. This can possibly be Nikita Khrushchev, or it can be one of the successors who will offer this false peace to the world, but we should not be fooled by all this for we know that the wrath of God is coming and all who go into this day will not escape, but praise God we have been delivered from this wrath.

13/ I Thessalonians 5: 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

But let us—now it is a change from them, or they, but us—in other words those who are saved, or are of the day be sober—in other words, it means just the same as it does in the Greek—not to be intoxicated, and we are so prone to be intoxicated—not by liquor, but by life—by the stimulants of this world, by its glamour, by its pleasures, by its attractions, and we are not to be intoxicated with this world, but we are to wait for the Lord from heaven and look for His Appearing in the Heavens.

AMEN

Ref: 02/10/1963 / 152 - WILL THE CHURCH GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION? / 08/23/2022

THE FOOL

Photo by B Smith from the Patio

 

 

49 - THE FOOL

July 17, 1960

Life of Triumph TV Broadcast Henry F. Kulp

 

Psalms 53: 1 - 3 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The Bible is a wonderful book. It is God’s book. It is God speaking to us. If you want to know what God has to say to you, read and study the Bible, but the sad fact is, very few read and study the Bible. It is sad because what is more important than knowing what God has to say. I want to study with you this afternoon, a passage that has been neglected, or a passage that has been misunderstood by most folks.

1/ This passage is generally believed to be about the atheist—the one who professes he does not believe in God. But when you study the sentence itself, and the context of this portion of Scripture, you immediately recognize that it is not talking about one who does not believe in God. I have come to the conclusion that men may say they do not believe in God, but all men believe in God—It is just their lips speaking. They are trying to be smart, or trying to gain notoriety through their statements.

2/ This portion of Scripture is not even talking about the man who believes in God but says he does not. God, in this Scripture, is referring to mankind in general, and they are not saying they do not believe in God, but rather, they are saying, “NO, God”. You will notice that the words, there is, are in italics and that means they are not to be found in the original, but were supplied by the translators, so actually, the fool is saying, “NO” to God. And he is saying it in his heart—it is a deliberate statement.

3/ This sentence does not tell what the fool believes or thinks, but rather what he says in his heart. He is answering God and saying, “NO, I don’t want you, or your ways”.

A Scriptures that helps to explain this portion is found in Romans 1: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Here is where mankind says, NO to God. They knew God, but they refused to glorify Him as God. And finally changed the glory of God into an image.

Romans 1: 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

He tells us they did not want to retain God in their knowledge, and this statement in the original language means to put to the test for approval. So they put God to the test and did not approve. They said, NO, to God, and made a God of their own choosing.

4/ What this passage is actually saying is that man in his sinful state does not want God in his affairs. Take BUSINESS you can’t take God into business. Business is business, you know. Sometimes you have to cut corners, sometimes you have to be unethical, but one has to earn a living.

SOCIAL LIFE

You can’t just go out and insult folks, you wouldn’t have any friends, so man says, NO, God, you can’t enter into this portion of my life.

PLEASURE

Folks always say, you have to have some fun.

POLITICS

You can’t get votes by being Godly, you have to be a regular fellow, be down on the voters level, if you want to win their votes.

5/ As God looks down from Heaven, He says the fool is saying NO to Me, and He means all of mankind. Then notice Verse 2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

This is worse than verse one. There is none that understandeth, none that seeketh after God. God scoured the earth and He could not find one who wanted His help, or was willing to cry out, “Lord, what must I do?” Mankind wants NO PART OF GOD.

6/ Remember Adam, he went into sin. And you remember what he did. He ran and hid from God—He was a sinner under the condemnation of God, and he didn’t seek God’s help—he didn’t ask God, “What must I do”—he just ran and hid. God had to call to him.

Genesis 3: 8, 9 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Adam, Where art thou? What was Adam’s explanation, “I was afraid—I hid myself”. Instead of seeking God’s help, he cried out, NO, God, and mankind has ever followed in the steps of Adam.

7/ There is no need for us to hide from God. God has approached us, and given to us the right to approach Him through Jesus Christ. For He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Don’t hid from God...He saw you there in your hiding place before your were born. You were already ON HIS MIND.

AMEN

Ref: 07/17/1960 / 49 - THE FOOL / 05/23/2022