Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger – Zephaniah 2:3.

Divine judgment is a major theme in the Prophets. Many prophets warned of the coming judgment, and many, like Jeremiah, paid a heavy price for faithfully passing on God’s warning; if His people continually rejected His law it would bring disastrous consequences on God’s chosen people.

So many ministers are teaching about the love of God, but not the wrath of God. Even though God loves us, if we reject His laws, we will be judged by those known as nonbelievers.

Zephaniah was a prophet God chose to warn His people of the coming judgment upon the nation. Apostasy from the true faith was widespread. False religion was prevalent and justice was hard to find. Materialism dominated people’s lives just as it is today, and people turned from God to the god of the world. Satan is the god of this world, he’s influencing people through unbelief, religion, false doctrines, hypocrisy, fame, riches, and busyness.

Just as it was in the Old Testament, the people didn’t want to hear what the prophet was saying, they were saying the words he spoke were not from God because it condemned them of their sins. Christians and nonbelievers don’t want to hear the true prophet of God because it is not going to be words that satisfy their souls but what God is calling His people to be!

God hasn’t changed, His Words remain the same, but the prophets aren’t speaking what God is saying to His people. Love has dominated the messages of the gospels, and yes, God does love everyone, His love is unconditional, but the repercussion of denial and rejection of His written Word is disobedience and will cause the wrath of God to come upon His people. God speaking through the prophet, the Lord said, I will stretch out my hand upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. God’s outstretched hand symbolized His preparation for punitive actions. Every man and woman in the land was to feel the weight of His hand!

Jesus’ return will be the day of the Lord’s judgment. He’s coming to get His church, the body of Christ those that have followed the written instructions of His Father. To follow Him is to seek righteousness in our lives, to be just in all our actions, and to conform to His perfect standards. One must be humble to do this, acknowledging that God’s standards are to be accepted and sought rather than our own which are tainted by sin. The word Rapture does not occur in the English Bible, the idea is expressed in the words “caught up”. The Rapture is the first phase of Christ’s return, involving every Christian alive at that time. Christians will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so  shall we ever be with the Lord. – 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17

To be caught up, we must remain living according to the Word of God.

Everyone professing Christianity will not be caught up in the Rapture, only those who have submitted themselves to the written Word of God. Then shall the tribulations begin for those who are still alive, but didn’t accept salvation.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened. – Matthew 24:21-22.

Through the tribulation, many will repent and accept salvation, this is why the days of tribulation will be shortened because of the elect. Each day we are getting closer to the return of Jesus, each day we are closer to death. We need to be prepared people for which everyone comes first, sin is not entering heaven. The actions Christians do in the world will not be entering into heaven and neither will they when their actions, desires, and cravings conflict against the Word of God!

The Day of Judgment is coming to the earth, no one knows the day of Jesus’s return, but while we’re waiting for His return, we should be preparing ourselves, by reading and studying the Bible so that we will know what is required of us as Christians, and apply the instructions.