In this study we should like to address the following statements made by one of our forum members:

“Following the Lord’s Second Advent the earth is to be destroyed, empty, darkened, silent, and devoid of all life (except for Satan and his demons).”

Likewise his statement that:  “All those verses like in Isaiah 24, Jeremiah 4, etc. which describe a desolate, empty, uninhabited Earth refer to the destruction that happens in “the day of the Lord” when He comes “as a thief in the night” according to Peter, when the heavens and earth pass away and burn up, leaving behind nothing but a bunch of ashes on a desolate rock for a thousand years.”

“When Jesus comes back, ain’t nothing on this planet going to have a pulse until after the 1,000 years.

“Jeremiah also says “the slain of the Lord in that day shall be from one end of the Earth even to the other end” (Jer 25:33)…They’re not going to be lamented or gathered or buried…because nobody is going to be here.”

Is this true; is the earth to be made desolate devoid of all human life for a thousand years following our Lord’s return?

NO! This is completely contrary to many statements found throughout the Scriptures concerning the Day of the Lord.

Now before we take a look at some of these scriptures we need to make sure that we all understand precisely what “the Day of the Lord” is, what it consist of. First of all it is not a literal 24 hour day as some imagine, nor is it simply in reference to the “Day of Vengeance” (Isa. 61:2; 63:1-4), the great time of trouble, the period of time in which the present heavens and earth are to pass away with a great noise. Already the noise and turmoil, which shall eventuate in this worldwide trouble (anarchy), is distinctly heard in every nation; for the Day of the Lord has indeed begun, and the heat of human passion is growing daily, yet even this period alone does not comprise the day of the Lord.

The Day of The Lord encompasses the entire millennial age, a period of one thousand years; it began immediately upon the conclusion of the first 6000 years since the creation of Adam with the invisible Parousia (presence) of our Lord in A.D. 1874. This is the day appointed; the day in which God will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained the Christ, Jesus the Head and the Church His body. (Acts 17:31) However certain other works must transpire prior to this. In our next post we will mention a few of these as well as consider the length of the great tribulation to come.

In considering the Day of the Lord we should like to note a few of the various works to be performed on this day, remember the Day of the Lord encompasses the entire thousand years of his Parousia.

Shortly following the arrival of our Lord the first work was the raising of the sleeping saints, these being subsequently joined by those who die in Christ hence forth, that is all who make their calling and election sure and are proven faithful even unto death (Rev 14:13; 2 Pet 1:10; Rev 2:10). This will continue to take place until the predestine number composing the body of Christ is complete, the last of these being taken up as a group together in the clouds (just as the great time of trouble erupts) there to meet the Lord in the air (the atmosphere of this earth). 1 Thess 4:16, 17

Note closely that the statement in (Rev 14:13) is, “Blessed are the dead (in Christ) who DIE in the Lord from now on”, this statement completely contradicts the erroneous idea put forth by our rapture friends who believe (should they be accounted worthy of membership in the body) they will be taken without seeing death.

We must ALL die, but “we shall not ALL sleep.” In the case of all those now living who die IN Christ, who make their calling and election sure, there will be no need to sleep (in the state of death) instead at the very moment of death (“in the twinkling of an eye”) they will experience their resurrection change.–Psa. 82:7; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52.

Another work which took place shortly after our Lord’s arrival was the judgement of the professing church, the church nominal and as was the case in regards to the nominal Jewish house so too the nominal spiritual house, both were found wanting, and as such declared desolate, the Lord’s true people called to depart (Rev 18:4). As there was a harvest work at the end of the Jewish age so too  here at the end of the Gospel age, both harvest overlapping the succeeding age, viz. the Jewish harvest extending into the beginning of the Gospel age and the Gospel harvest extending into the beginning of the Millennial age. The harvest work is even now separating the true Christians (the consecrated) from the nominal Christians (the un-consecrated); the means of this separation is the truth.

The next item to take place during the Day of the Lord will see the Hour of Trial (Rev 3:10; Matt 24: 23, 24; 2 Thess 2:9), which is coming upon the whole world followed by the great time of trouble (the final climax of which is Armageddon) and the Time of Jacobs Trouble.

Although the hour of trial will for the most part be reserved for Christendom (the professed Christian nations), its true intent however is to try the consecrated people of God to separate the last of the wheat from the tares, but more importantly to separate the ripe wheat from the un-ripe wheat, the “wise virgins” from the “foolish virgins”, the “Little flock” from the “Great Company”, all who are still living here at the end of the age. Sometime during this event the last of the feet members of the body of Christ will make their calling and election sure and pass beyond the vail, and the Church (the spiritual phase of the kingdom) will be complete, the “new heavens” (powers of spiritual control) will be established.

With the salt of the earth removed from the earth, the only true persevering element left to the present order, society will quickly begin to corrupt and putrefy.

But what about the Great Company that remains are they not considered “salt” likewise?

What remains of the Great Company class at this time are mere babes, “babes in Christ”, undeveloped lacking in both the graces and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, “foolish virgins”, and therefore not of sufficient influence to stem the tide of what is to come, and thus with the true salt of the earth removed there shall come a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time (Dan 12:1), the Day of Vengeance. This period of trouble will be the worst time that has ever befallen mankind.

How long is this trouble speculated to last?

First of all a distinction must be made here between the great time of trouble itself, as whole and the final event of that period which the scriptures referred to as Armageddon, the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

It is our contention that we are already in the great time of trouble and that it began in A.D. 1914 with the pouring out of the first plague (WWI), and has ever since then been gradually progressing, and like birth pangs upon a women who is about to give birth, so the pangs (travails, troubles) have not only increase in intensity, but likewise in frequency, leading up to what is to be the climax of the event, the birth itself, Armageddon, a time of trouble such as has never been nor shall ever be again, a time when the present order of things shall “pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat”, and the mountains (the kingdoms of this world) shall be carried into the sea (the anarchist masses) shaken and removed. (Matt 24:21; 2 Pet 3:10; Psa 46:2-6)

It has been suggested that this final event might last between five to twenty years (remember the point of this trouble is to be so through as to totally destroy the present order of things in order to make way for the new order, how long this will take we know not), however we don’t believe that it will last too long as we are informed by the Prophet Isaiah that the Lord will “make a short work of it” (Isa 10:23; 28:22; Rom 9:28), that due to its severity He has promised to shorten it less “no flesh should be saved” (Matt 24:22).

When this time of trouble has accomplished it’s work of removing the old order then will begin the Medeatorial phase of the kingdom, to reconcile all men to God, and to establish the earthly phase of the kingdom, (the “new earth” or society, one which is to be based upon righteousness), then will commence the resurrection of judgement which will last until the restoration of all things has been fully accomplished.

Thus the answer to our question as to how long the trouble will last depends upon whether you are speaking of the period of trouble as a whole or the final event of that period, Armageddon, whose limit only God knows.

In our next several posts we hope to prove conclusively that there will not only be people (both good and bad) living during the final event, but likewise living on after it into the millennium.