RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-12-28	Tribulation Versus The Wrath of God
		DESCRIPTION 1. “Tribulation” refers to hardship or suffering brought against God's people. The source is life's circumstances or by evil forces. 2. The “Great Tribulation” refers to a specific end time trouble which appears to be more intense than typical suffering. The source of the trouble is evil. 3. “Wrath of God” refers to God's righteous anger against sin and evil. The source is God not evil forces. This is also known as the Day of the Lord. It is important to recognize that tribulation and the wrath of God are not the same. Tribulation relates to the entire church age, but the wrath of God will begin after Christ comes to take us home. Nowhere in Scripture is the believer promised to not endure tribulation or suffering. TRIBULATION In the New Testament the word usually translated “tribulation” (Gk. thlipsis) occurs more than 40 times. Sometimes the word is translated as affliction, trouble, anguish, or persecution. The word is used in the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and the book of Revelation. It refers to the pressure or difficulty God's people ordinarily expect throughout life. • Now “tribulation” is a process God uses to produce endurance and other virtues (Ro.5:3-4). Rom 5:3  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; Rom 5:4  and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Paul says these are an occasion of rejoicing, and not despair. They help us to grow (2Co.6:10; 2Co.4:8; 1Th.3:3-4; 2Tm.3:12). • Suffering is working for us a great reward in heaven that will make up for every loss here a thousandfold (2Co.4:17). This light affliction is doing something that will affect our eternal weight of glory. 2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. • Suffering reminds us that God sent his Son into the world to suffer so that our suffering would be used for our purification (Ph.3:10). Php 3:10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. • Suffering is a call to trust God and not the props of this world (2Co.1:8-9). 2Co 1:8  For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 2Co 1:9  Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. These, and other NT passages, teach us the value of suffering is character growth and faith growth. WRATH OF GOD (The Day of the Lord) The Wrath of God is also known as the Day of the Lord (Jl.1:15; 2:1-11; 1Th.5:1-9). The Day of the Lord is a large theme in the Old Testament where the indignation of God is poured out upon unbelievers (Jl.1:15; 2:1-11; Zc.14:1-15). These unbelievers will blaspheme God (Re.16:9, 11, 21), and refuse to repent for their evil (Re.9:20-21; 16:9, 11). Believers are promised that we will not see or experience the wrath of God (1Th.1:10; 5:10). 1 Th 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. 1 Th 5:9   For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us several events must occur before the start of the Day of the Lord (Jl.2:30-31; Ml.4:5; 2Th.2:1-4; 1Th.5:2-3; 2Pe.3:3-4,9-10). SUMMARY CONTRASTS Tribulation has a PURPOSE of character and faith growth, but wrath is for unbelievers with the goal of repentance (salvation). Tribulation has a SOURCE from life's circumstances and evil forces, but wrath comes directly from God upon unbelievers only. Tribulation has a TIMEFRAME during the church age, but the wrath of God is specifically a future time of unknown duration. God can and does use tribulation in the life of believers to produce endurance (Ro.5:3-4), work a greater reward in heaven (2Co.4:17), purify us (Ph.3:10), and help us learn to trust Him more (2Co.1:8-9). So we as believers should expect to see trouble in this life, but we will never see the future Day of the Lord wrath poured out. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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