Revelation 6:12-17 - "Who is Able to Stand?"

The Seven-year Tribulation will be a terrible time on earth to say the least! Revelation 6 gives us an overview of this time when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, opens the seals on the seven-sealed book He has taken from the hand of God on the throne. But before John gives a picture of the wrath of God, he lets us in on a beautiful worship scene in heaven in chapters 4 and 5 to remind us of God’s love, grace and mercy, as the saints worship God as their Creator and the Lamb as their Redeemer! If men and women will not yield to the love of God, and be changed by the grace of God, then there is no way for them to escape the wrath of God. Rank and wealth will not deliver anyone in that terrible day. John's list included kings, captains, and slaves, the rich and the poor. "Who shall be able to stand?" The phrase "wrath of the Lamb" seems a paradox. We would think that the "Wrath of the lion" would be more consistent. We are so accustomed to emphasizing the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Remember in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invited those who are burdened and heaven laden to come to Him for rest and we can learn from Him Who is meek and humble. We so picture a meek and humble Savior that we forget His holiness and justice. The same Christ who welcomed the children also drove the merchants from the temple. God's wrath is not like a child's temper tantrum or punishment meted out by an impatient parent. God's wrath is the evidence of His holy love for all that is right and His holy hatred for all that is evil. Only a soft and sentimental person would want to worship a God who did not deal justly with evil in the world. Furthermore, the people mentioned here are impenitent. They refuse to submit to God's will. They would rather hide from God in fear. After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and realized what they had done, they hid from God rather than run to Him in faith. They are proof that judgment by itself does not change the human heart. Not only will men seek to hide from God, but they will blaspheme Him as well! (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21) As we look at the conditions of the world today and watch the wickedness and violence increase more and more, we also are reminded of what happened just before the flood in Noah’s day in Genesis 6:5-13: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Then we think of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Noah and his family were saved from judgment because of God’s grace! The rest of world ignored or rejected God’s message of coming judgment and suffered the consequences! Today, we should be praying that many would turn in repentance to Jesus Christ before His judgment comes in the Tribulation. God bless!