Revelation 6:6:15-17 “And the kings of the earth and the great ones and the captains and the rich and the strong, and every slave and every free person hid themselves in the caves and the rocks of the hills, and said to the mountains and to the rocks: “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
From the time the World Trade Center was opened on April 4, 1973, until September 11, 2001, when it was destroyed by terrorists, the Trade Center was considered one of the most prestigious work place addresses in Manhattan. At the time of their completion, the Twin Towers—the original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower), at 1,368 feet (417 m); and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower), at 1,362 feet (415.1 m)—were the tallest buildings in the world. Imagine then, the horror of those working in the Trade Center buildings when they looked out on the morning of September 11, 2001 to see huge airplanes heading straight for their buildings! Nobody working in those offices could have foreseen the scope of the disaster that was to overtake them and to turn them to twisted smoking rubble. The world lost a great deal on September 11, 2001. In addition to the loss of lives and property, the world lost a sense of safety that it has never regained.
Yes, September 11, 2001, was a day of terror; yet, nothing that happened that day can begin to compare with the end times when God brings an end to the earth. Again, we can turn to the Jewish prophets who described the coming of the Day of the Lord. William Barclay lists some of these prophecies:
“When the Day of the Lord came, men would be afraid; pangs and sorrows would take hold of them; they would be in pain as a woman who travails; and they would be amazed at one another (Isaiah 13:6; Isaiah 13:8). At that time even the mighty man would cry bitterly (Zephaniah 1:14). The inhabitants of the land would tremble (Joel 2:1). God would come to be a witness against his sinning people (Micah 1:1-4). He would be like a refiner’s fire, and who might abide the day of his coming? (Malachi 3:1-3). The Day of the Lord would be great and terrible, and who could endure it? (Joel 2:11). Men would say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us” (Hosea 10:8), words which Jesus quoted on the way to the Cross (Luke 23:30).
This passage has two significant things to say about this fear.
(i) It is universal. Revelation 6:15 speaks of the kings, the captains, the great ones, the rich, the strong, the slave and the free. It has been pointed out that these seven words include “the whole fabric of human society.” No one is exempt from the judgment of God. The great ones may well be the Roman governors who persecute the Church; the captains are the military authorities. However great a governor a man is and however much power he wields, he is still subject to the judgment of God. However rich a man may be, however strong, however free he may count himself, however much of a slave, however insignificant, he does not escape the judgment of God.
(ii) When the day of the Lord comes, John sees people seeking somewhere to hide. Here is the great truth that the first instinct of sin is to hide. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve sought to hide themselves (Genesis 3:8). H. B. Swete says:
“What sinners dread most is not death, but the revealed presence of God.” The terrible thing about sin is that it makes a man a fugitive from God; and the supreme thing about the work of Jesus Christ is that it puts a man into a relationship with God in which he no longer need seek to hide, knowing that he can cast himself on the love and the mercy of God.
(iii) We note one last thing. That from which men flee is the wrath of the Lamb. Here is paradox; we do not readily associate wrath with the Lamb but rather gentleness and kindness. But the wrath of God is the wrath of love, which is not out to destroy but even in anger is out to save the one it loves.
You might well ask, “What happens with people who are caught at this point? Can they still repent?” Remember the thief who was being crucified with Jesus? That man was a robber and a murderer and he knew that he was receiving a just punishment. Luke described the scene: One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!” But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
That man repented and received the gift of eternal life. But the horror is the more times a man or woman repeatedly hardens his or her heart, the less likely it is that person will suddenly repent. Most people walk away from God gradually down a slippery slope that leads them progressively farther and farther away from God.
St. Paul warned all of us in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 “As God’s fellow workers,a then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” None of us is promised tomorrow! When those workers entered the offices at the top of the World Trade Center the morning of September 11, 2001, they had no idea that many of them would be dead within a few hours. DECIDE TODAY THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW JESUS THE CHRIST!
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Lord, help each of us to choose to follow you and to live for you. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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