The fifth seal is opened and Christians are martyred. This is the persecution of the saints. This is the end.

That’s followed by the sixth seal opening. There’s an earthquake. The sun becomes black. The full moon becomes like blood. The sky vanishes like a scroll being rolled up. Mountains and islands are falling out of their places. People are hiding in caves. They are hiding from Jesus. The day of wrath has come.

Christians are not destined for wrath. That’s Scripture. Christians face persecution and tribulation. That’s Scripture.

Wrath and tribulation are two different things. Christians will live through wars and violence and economic calamity and persecution against them. They will not be suffering God’s wrath poured out.

The descriptions of the day of the Lord should sound familiar. We read in Matthew that immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. What happens when those signs happen and the Son of Man appears? The rapture. The elect are gathered. We’re not here for the wrath.

But we are here for tribulation and persecution. Why? Why not escape us a little sooner?

The bride has to be made ready. Jesus is coming for a spotless bride. Do you want ease and comfort or do you want to be holy and righteous?

Many Christians have gone through horrific things. Many Christians have been killed. They were not raptured away and spared it.

It’s not at all like God to spare us tribulation. What is like God? To go with us into the fire. He goes through it with us and the floods come, but they don’t overwhelm; they don’t destroy us.

What do we learn in tribulation? That we have a God. That we need and have a Savior.