Birth Pangs Author Dawn Wilson www.dawnwilsonministries.org Many would say the day of destruction, the day of disaster, the day of calamity and the day of catastrophe are the days of the wrath of God and His wrath being poured out upon the earth. According to Jesus’ own words this is not so. Jesus DOES NOT call these days the wrath of God, Jesus when speaking of these days calls them the birth pangs. We have mistakenly called these days the wrath of God. Matt. 24: 6-8 "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. The Word of God tells us the wrath of God is now satisfied/appeased through the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. This truth is found in the Word of God through the word propitiation. The Greek word for propitiation means an expiatory. The word Expiatory according to the Noah Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 means--- -- to appease -- to pacify -- to make satisfaction for -- to extinguish the quilt of a crime by the obligation to punish the crime being cancelled. -- an act which is accepted as satisfaction for guilt -- an act by which wrath is appeased The word Propitiation according to the Noah Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 means— -- the act of appeasing wrath -- atoning sacrifice offered to God to cease and make quiet his wrath and render Him propitious to sinners Romans 3: 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; Heb 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 1 John 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Paul when speaking of the wrath of God speaks of it as the wrath to come. Rom 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Col 3:6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 1Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. 1Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Why does Paul refer to it as the “wrath to come”? We are now in the season of Jubilee. This season of Jubilee is the time referred to in the book of Daniel which comes between the 69th and the 70th week. The 69th week completed the first coming of Jesus and His death and resurrection. The 70th week will be the tribulation period and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Since the resurrection of Jesus we have been in the season of Jubilee. Jubilee was the time of cancellation of all debts. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross all our debts have been cancelled. In Leviticus 25: 9-10 the priest sounds the trumpet of Jubilee during the day of atonement. The trumpet sound proclaimed forth release. Release from all debt and inheritance was restored. In this season of Jubilee the debt of sin has been completely paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus. Not only has the debt been cancelled but our inheritance as children of God who have been grafted into the covenant of Abraham has been given unto us. Jesus Himself said He came to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. These words “the favorable year of the Lord” are the meaning of jubilee. We are now in the season of Jubilee— we are in the season of the favorable year of the Lord. The wrath of God is to come – we are in the season of Jubilee. Isaiah 61: 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, Luke 4: 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." Jesus when quoting Isaiah 61 stopped in the midst of verse 2. Through His first coming He completed all of verse one and to the middle of verse two. He did not finish reading this verse because the day of vengeance of our God is reserved for His second coming. Judgment and the wrath of God will come but not till the second coming of Jesus. We are now in the season of or the year of Jubilee. Again, this season of Jubilee is the time spoken of in Daniel between the 69th and the 70th week. The wrath “that is to come” is called the wrath of the Lamb/ and the wrath of God. Rev 6: 16-17 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence 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 is able to stand? The Word of God clearly states when the wrath of God will once again be poured out upon the Earth. The Word of God states clearly upon whom His wrath will fall. Revelation 14: 7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." Revelation 14: 9-11 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." His wrath will fall upon all who receive the mark of the beast and worship him. Revelation 14: 14-20 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. I believe the reaping by the first angel is the harvest of the church/the harvest of the believers from the earth. The harvest of the second angel is the harvest of those who have rejected the gospel and the hour of judgment has now come upon them (Revelation 14:7). The wrath of God will be upon those who have rejected the finished work of Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonian 1: 7-9 confirms that the wrath of God comes in the future and will fall upon those who did not receive Jesus and His gospel at His second coming. 2 Thessalonian 1: 7-9 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, The Word of God clearly tells us who the wrath of God will be poured out upon!!! The Word of God states clearly the wrath of God is to come. The Word of God states clearly when the wrath of God will be poured out. Revelation 15: 1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. Revelation 15: 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. Revelation 16: 1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." The Word of God tells us clearly when the wrath of God will once again be poured forth on the earth. The wrath of God will once again be poured out through the seven bowl judgments. These are the last seven judgments that are to come during the tribulation. In them the wrath of God is finished—completely poured out. Revelation 16: 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." The wrath of God is poured out and completed/finished through the seven bowl judgments of the tribulation. We are not in the midst of the wrath of God being poured out. Jesus Himself tells us we are in the midst of the birth pangs. Jesus speaks to us commands to obey in the midst of the days of destruction, disaster, calamity and catastrophe/ He speaks forth commands for us to obey in the midst of the days of the birth pangs. These are the days we are in the midst of right now. Luke 21:9 "When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately." Jesus’ first command is for us to not be terrified in the midst of these things. I believe the disturbances are described in verses 10-11. This is proved by the words “He continued by saying.” Jesus continued on to tell them what would come and what they were not to be afraid of. Luke 21: 10-11 Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. We His body are commanded by Jesus to not be terrified in the midst of these disturbances— earthquakes, plagues, famines, terrors and signs from heaven Verses 25-26 describe the terrors and signs from heaven. Luke 21:25-26 "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. It says men will faint from fear at these sign but we His people have been commanded to not fear—to not be terrified in the midst of these signs / these birth pangs. Jesus’ second and third commands for this hour are given in verse 28. Luke 21:28 "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Jesus’ second command is to straighten up. The Greek word for straighten up is “anakrisis” and means to unbend, rise. It fig. means be elated. Jesus commands us to rejoice/ to be elated because our Redeemer is coming soon. During the day of destruction, despair, calamity and catastrophe we are to rejoice. We are to recognize that these are the birth pangs and Jesus is coming soon. Jesus commands us to unbend and rise— to straighten up!!! God reminded me of a vision He gave me. I had this vision as I was asking God to remove from me all fear of man. In this vision I saw a person bent over in double. They were bent over because of the fear of man in their life. As they lifted their eyes off of man and placed their eyes on God they began to stand straight. As they were set free of the free of man they were able to stand up straight. God in this scripture is commanding us to stand up straight. Be set free and delivered from all fear of man. We are to fear God and Him alone. The third command of Jesus is to lift up our heads. The Greek word for lift is “epairo” and means to raise up. The Greek word for heads is “kephale” and means the sense of seizing the head as the part most readily taken hold of. Who is our head but Jesus Himself. Jesus is commanding us to raise up---which I take to mean as exalt, glorify and magnify our head. Jesus is commanding us to seize, take hold of our head. He is the one who is most readily taken hold of. I believe we will not be terrified during the days of the birth pangs as we seize Him, as we lay a hold of Him. The fourth command that Jesus gives us is in Verse 34. Luke 21:34 "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; Jesus’ fourth command is to be on guard. We are commanded to guard our hearts. God wants to deal not only with our flesh but with our hearts. God is serious about us guarding our hearts so that they not be entangled with the things of this world, not entangled with sin and the busyness of ministry. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Jesus said we must guard our hearts from this entanglement lest the day come upon us suddenly like a trap. Lot’s wife’s heart was entangled with the sin of the city of Sodom. Because of this entanglement she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Entanglement with sin in her heart became a trap to her. We too will be trapped if we do not guard our hearts from entanglement with sin and with the world. Jesus’ fifth and sixth commands are given in Verse 36. Luke 21:36 "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Jesus’ fifth command is to keep on the alert at all times. We as warriors can not afford to lay our weapons down! We as warriors can not afford to rest!!! We must remain on our posts and ready for war at all times. We must always be on the alert. The word “alert” has much meaning to me because of being in the Air Force. When the military goes on alert they are ready to be sent into war at a moments notice. Their bags are packed, their shots have been given, they are ready and prepared to go. We are commanded by Jesus to be on the alert. We are to be prepared, armed and ready for war at all times!! Jesus’ sixth command is to pray that we may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place. We must pray!! We must seek Him intimately through prayer and be strengthened for the hour that is about to take place on the earth. We will receive strength to walk through these birth pangs through prayer. Through prayer we are strengthened to escape---our prayers will help us guard our hearts from being entangled with sin and with the things of this world. When we pray the Holy Spirit will speak and convict us of sin. When we pray the Holy Spirit will convict us of any entanglements that we have in our hearts. Through prayer we will not be overtaken suddenly and trapped. We are to heed these commands of Jesus as we are in the midst of the day of birth pangs. We are to heed these commands in the midst of the disturbances that are now taking place in our land and throughout the earth. Look up, Rejoice, Our Redemption is at hand!!! |