Increasing world tension and the present trend of events in the Middle East have always filled many with fear, and there are even sincere believers in Christ who fear that perhaps the “Great Tribulation” of prophecy, with all its horrors, is at hand.

It is true indeed that even Paul’s epistles warn this world of the judgment to come. “…The Day of the Lord”, he says, “so cometh as a thief in the night”.

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (IThess.5:2,3).

But before this time comes, the Lord will recall His ambassadors, as the apostle tells us in the following passage:

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (IThess.4:16-18).

This is the event with which “the dispensation of the grace of God” will be brought to a close. Then will follow “the day of His wrath”, but even as Paul goes on to tell about this in the passage which follows, he reassures the members of Christ’s Body that they will not be included amongst those to whom the Lord will come as “a thief in the night”.

“But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light…God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us…Wherefore comfort yourselves together…” (IThess.5:4-11).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

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