Hi Silvia,
Here are a few excerpts from articles that speak about Christ's rule and judgments on the nations.
http://bible-truths.com/lake16-D4.htm ---------
One other major point: Clearly this verse and others show that Christ returns "after the tribulation of those days." "But in those days, after the tribulation... shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His Elect..." (Mark 13:24 & 27).
And Jesus is said to come in wrath:
"...hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come..." (Rev. 6:16-17)
"And the seventh angel sounded... [the seventh trump is the last trump, I Cor. 15:52] ...and Thy wrath is come..." (Rev. 11:18)
The days of "great tribulation" end at Christ's presence, and the day of "His wrath" begins at His presence. They are two separate and different events, and different judgments on different people for different purposes. If you have not seen or do not understand the absolute differences in Scripture between tribulation and affliction versus wrath and indignation, then be sure to read my ten-page section dealing with it in detail, in my paper "Exposing the Secret Rapture Theory."
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INDIGNATION: "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath" (Rom. 2:08). Strong's #2372, "thumos passion, fierceness, indignation, wrath." There are several words translated indignation, but they basically mean the same thing.
Interestingly, indignation is defined as "wrath" and wrath is defined as "indignation." Notice that in our first verse on "justification," we learned that being justified saves us from wrath. That is because God is CONCILIATED to the world, and we who answer are RECONCILIATED to God through Christ which is our PROPITIATION for sins, thus our sins are REMITTED and forgiven leaving us JUSTIFIED and under no CONDEMNATION, thus we will not be appointed to INDIGNATION/WRATH (I Thes. 5:9).
http://bible-truths.com/lake6.html ----------
When God purges the hearts and minds of the wicked with His all-consuming spiritual fire, they will be UTTERLY ASHAMED! Notice what God says in Revelation 14:10 regarding anyone who is a part of this one world religious system:
"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God [seeing that "For ALL nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of HER fornication…" Rev. 18:3], which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented [UTTERLY ASHAMED—spiritual and mental torment] with the fire and brimstone [God DIVINE spiritual fire] in the presence of the holy angels, and in THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMB" (Rev. 14:10).
They are going to have to face their sins and wickedness and hypocrisy, NOT in the presence of GOD ALMIGHTY, but in the presence of "the LAMB!" How embarrassing and shameful it will be for all those being purged in the God’s spiritual consuming lake of fire to see and acknowledge their whole life of sin in the very presence of the Lamb of God Who DIED FOR THEM! Every heart in the universe will melt like snow in a furnace when they face the LAMB OF GOD in their judgment!
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I think that we can all agree that the Bible uses the word "fire" in a figurative way on many occasions. I am certain that none would consider the following verses as using fire in a literal way:
SCRIPTURAL USE OF FIGURATIVE FIRE
"His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of FIRE" (Rev. 1:14).
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes though it be tarried with FIRE, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:7).
"And the tongue is a FIRE…" (James 3:6).
"And of the angels He says, Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of FIRE" (Heb. 1:7).
"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" (I Cor. 3:13).
"For our God is a consuming FIRE" (Heb. 12:29).
"Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of FIRE on his head" (Rom. 12:20).
"John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with FIRE" (Luke 3:16).
"For EVERY ONE shall be salted with FIRE, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt" (Mark 9:49).
"But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s FIRE, and like fullers’ soap" (Malachi 3:2).
"…for all the earth shall be devoured with the FIRE of my jealousy" (Zeph. 3:08).
"For in My jealousy and in the FIRE of My wrath have I spoken" (Ezek. 38;19).
"From above has He sent FIRE into my bones…" (Lamentations 1:13).
"Is not My word like as a FIRE? saith the Lord" (Jer. 23:29).
"Who makes His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming FIRE" (Psalm 104:4).
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=7414.0 -----------
Isa 13:5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.
This is a declaration of God. God said this. What’s He going to do? Destroy the whole land.
Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
They’ll use Scriptures like that, and they will pull them out of context and say this is what happens to sinners, ‘He is going to destroy them out of the land.’ This is not the end! Does this happen… will this happen? Yes. Is this the end? Is this what God has declared the end? No it is not.
Isa 30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
v. 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
v. 12 Wherefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
Isa 30:13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
…And just smashes them to smithereens. Is that the end, God’s declaration of the end of all things? No.
Isaiah 1, a very powerful chapter. It talks about Israel is sick, “the whole head is sick,” from the crown of the head to the balls of their feet. Boy I’m telling you if you can’t see that in the world today…
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Isa 34:1 Come near, ye nations (what happened to Judah and Israel, now we are talking about nations…), to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
v. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter.
v. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
v. 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
All these things are going to happen, they are prophesied events. Notice how we left Israel and we left Judah and now we are talking about all nations, all armies and all the inhabitants of the world here. It is broadening out isn’t it. These are end time prophetic statements, declaration.
Isa 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
v. 6 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.
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Now we read that this desolation is coming, it’s definitely coming. But now we read something else.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Well how about them apples. Now without reading everything in context, context context… let me ask you something. Was there ever a time when there was no destruction in God’s holy mountain and His seat of government and the entire earth was filled with the knowledge of God, the true knowledge of God like the waters cover the sea? Was there ever such a time? No. Was there such a time when all this destruction we read about happening to Israel and Assyria? Yes. Then this must come afterwards. The Bible doesn’t teach that the earth was going to be filled with the knowledge of God like the waters cover the sea and then He is going to destroy everybody. No it’s the other way around. God declared all of these destruction and desolation, but then we are not to the end yet and God said I have declared the end from the beginning… they shall not destroy. There is coming a time when they will not destroy, when the knowledge of God is over the whole earth like the waters cover the sea.
Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the LORD.
Has that ever happened in the history of Israel or Judah? No it has not. But this is a declaration of the end, it will happen. There is coming a time.
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Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass (when?…) in the last days, that the mountain (that’s the government, the power) of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains (over all the other governments and nations and strongholds), and shall be exalted above the hills (the smaller nations); and all nations shall flow unto it.
Has that ever happened? When has that ever happened in history? Never. Will it happen? God has declared it! If He declared it and this is what is going to be in the end, then it has to be! There is just no getting around it, it has to be. It will come to pass.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat