What a beautiful prospect: the future millennial kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. It will be an age of moral and material blessing on earth unknown before—a greener garden than any man-made climate change initiative can achieve (Jer. 31:12).

But Isaiah 61 begins with a verse the Lord Jesus applied to Himself in the synagogue at Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach glad tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to preach to captives deliverance, and to the blind sight, to send forth the crushed delivered, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18–19). He omitted Isaiah’s words: “and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 61:2). Why? Because He was presenting Himself as the One who would institute the day of grace—undeserved spiritual, heavenly, eternal blessing—which has followed His death, resurrection, and exaltation in heaven for nearly 2,000 years.

Yet, today, many people, especially in western countries that owe so much to Christianity, reject the glad tidings of grace. Thus, God will have to act in judgment. Yes, “the day of vengeance of our God” will precede the Millennium. Other Old Testament prophets, the Book of Revelation, and the Lord Himself (Mt. 24:21), warn us of this time of tribulation.

If anyone reading these words is not yet a believer, we appeal to you to turn to the Savior now, for there will be no second chance after death or the Rapture, both of which could happen at any moment (Prov. 27:1; 2 Th. 2:7–11).