Session 3 Judgment (Part 1)

During the next two sessions we want to look at two

connected prophesies. One is very obvious and the

other is “mysterious”. The obvious one is scary and the

mysterious one is comforting. While we study, I hope

we learn some important truths about the love of God.

Let’s first look at the more obvious prophesy. As you

read these verses don’t tune out because of the

fearsome description. There is another, more positive,

part of these scriptures we want to explore in the next

study (part 2). This week we begin to study the concept

of God’s wrath and a particular prophesy that has several references in both the old and new testaments.

First, we will explore a couple of instances of God’s wrath that have already played out. Let’s read

Genesis 6:5-7,11-13 to see one of the very first instances of God’s wrath we see in the bible.

1. What was troubling the heart of God?

2. What aspects of the definition of wrath do you see

most played out in this scripture?

We should look at another example of Gods wrath also

found early in the bible. Please read Genesis 18:20-21

and 19:24-25 to see this example. Now we can focus

on what is causing God’s wrath.

3. What appears to be causing the wrath of God in this

scripture?

Definition of the word Wrath

noun

1. strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply

resentful indignation; ire.

2. vengeance or punishment as the

consequence of anger.

Genesis 6:5-7 NIV

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race

had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the

thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The

Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth,

and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will

wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created

and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that

move along the ground for I regret that I have made them.”

…..

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of

violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for

all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God

said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the

earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going

to destroy both them and the earth.

Genesis 18:20 NIV

20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and

Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go

down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry

that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

Genesis 19:24-25 NIV

24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and

Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he

overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those

living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.

4. How would you describe the level of destruction of the two cities? How does that compare to the

earlier story of Noah?

5. What level of sin does it take before God expresses his wrath on a people?

Now we take a look at the first prophecy of our study. Known as the Day of the Lord. This prophecy is

referenced by several scriptures scattered throughout the bible and it is very intense. The first scripture

we should reference are words from our Lord Jesus. Please read Luke 17:28-29.

6. Interestingly, Jesus refers to the story of Sodom and

Gomorrah we just looked at. (Lot lived in the city of

Sodom). He explains what people will be doing during

the time of this prophecy, but from what we know from

the scriptures we have already reviewed in our study

what else do you expect they will be doing, “just the

same”, at a large scale?

Now let’s take a closer look at God’s wrath during this prophecy. Let’s read a group of scriptures that

present this prophecy: Jeremiah 30:6-7a, Zephaniah 1:14-15, Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:15-17, and Isaiah

13:9-11.

7. In Jeremiah 30:6-7a we see the utter distress of all

people. What is special about this time of God’s Wrath?

Luke 17:28-29 NIV

28“It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were

eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were

selling, they were planting, they were building; 29but on the

day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone

from heaven and destroyed them all. 30“It will be just the

same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

Jeremiah 30:6-7a NIV

6 Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see

every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman

in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day

will be! No other will be like it.

Zephaniah 1:14-15 NIV

14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and coming quickly.

The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior

shouts his battle cry. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day

of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of

darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.

8. In Zephaniah 1:14-15 we see a Mighty Warrior shouting his battle cry. From what we know about the

causes of wrath what do you think he is battling?

9. Also in these verses, what is the worldwide weather

prediction for that day?

10. In Joel 2:31 what do we see preceding right before the Day of the Lord?

11. In Revelation 6:15-17 we see the culmination of the

Day of the Lord. We see the span of people and the

severity of the judgment. Who will be affected and how

will they be affected?

12. In Revelation 6:15-17 we also see two persons of the Trinity particularly rendering judgment. Who

are they?

13. In Isaiah 13:9-11 the scriptures once again describe

what will be troubling God’s heart. It describes again

the darkness of that day. There is a sense of finality in

the last of the verse. Describe what you see ending.

Joel 2:31 NIV

31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Revelation 6:15-17 NIV

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the

rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in

caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to

the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the

face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the

Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who

can withstand it?”

Isaiah 13:9-11 NIV

See, the day of the Lord is coming

—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—

to make the land desolate

and destroy the sinners within it.

10 The stars of heaven and their constellations

will not show their light.

The rising sun will be darkened

and the moon will not give its light.

11 I will punish the world for its evil,

the wicked for their sins.

I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty

and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

Wrap up

So, at this point you may be depressed or concerned or perhaps even fearful about the Day of the Lord.

What is described as the Day of the Lord will be the worst time this planet has ever experienced. There

are more scriptures that describe this time and we will briefly review this prophecy later in this study.

Just don’t tune out because of the sad aspects of this prophecy. Next week in the words of famous radio

commentator Paul Harvey we see “The Rest of the story”.