Revelation 6:17

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

That is the question hanging in the air when chapter 6 closes. The earth is shaking. The heavens are rolled back. Kings and captains are hiding in caves. Men are crying to the rocks. And then comes this question: Who shall be able to stand?

It is a good question.

Because no man can stand in his own goodness.
No man can stand in his own strength.
No man can stand with his money, his power, his religion, or his reputation.

When the wrath of the Lamb comes, everything false falls down.

But here is the comfort for the child of God. We can stand. Not because we are strong, but because we are in Christ. Not because we earned a place, but because Jesus gave us one. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. That settles the matter. The believer is not headed for wrath, but for salvation.

I like that.

It means while the world is hiding from His face, we will be standing in His presence. While others are searching for rocks to cover them, we will be covered by grace. While others are terrified by the day of His wrath, we will be safe in the righteousness of Christ.

That is the difference Jesus makes.

Think about a man caught in a storm out in the open. The wind is fierce. The rain is pounding. The trees are bending. He cannot stand against it by himself. But if he is brought inside a strong house and the door is shut behind him, the storm may still rage, but it cannot touch him. That is what it means to be in Christ. He is our shelter. He is our standing. He is our peace.

And chapter 7 will show that God is not without witnesses even in that dark day. There will be others who stand as well, because the Lord always knows how to preserve those who are His. Judgment never cancels His mercy. Wrath never empties His throne of grace.

So the question is not only, Who shall be able to stand?

The question is, Where are you standing now?

If you stand in yourself, you will fall.
If you stand in this world, you will be shaken.
If you stand in Christ, you will stand forever.

Beloved, do not wait for that day to find your footing. Stand in Jesus now. Rest in Him now. Hide yourself in Him now. Because the only people who will stand then are the people who are in Christ now.