Just What Do You Mean... THE
JUDGMENT!
WHEN we come to this thought of God's
judgment we approach a subject upon which there has been a
fathomless sea of ignorance and misunderstanding. Contrary to
the popular opinions of the religious systems there is no
such thing as a GENERAL JUDGMENT for all men. Such a doctrine
is pagan in origin and flows from the philosophies of demons.
The idea that there is in the future one particular time
and circumstance in which all creatures, whether celestial or
terrestrial, shall be brought before the bar of Divine
Justice is contrary to the Word of God. The view generally
entertained is of Christ coming to earth, seated upon a great
white throne, and that He will summon every sinner in rank
and file before Him to be judged, amidst great convulsions of
nature - earthquakes, opening graves, rending rocks and
failing mountains; that the trembling sinners will be brought
from the depths of everlasting woe to hear their many sins
rehearsed, only to be again returned to an eternal and
merciless doom of torture; and that the saints will be
brought from heaven (of course many saints have a fear that
they may appear at that judgment as one judged) to witness
the misery and despair of the damned, and return to heaven
for eternity. I do not hesitate to say that this is a very
crude conception, and is entirely out of harmony with the
whole picture of judgment. This distorted picture arises from
a too-literal interpretation of a few verses of Scripture
which were given merely as SYMBOLS, to be understood by the
Spirit.
There are far more judgments than people
have ordinarily recognized. The fact is, the Scriptures speak
of MANY JUDGMENTS! Some judgments are already past, some are
continuously present, and some are yet future. It is
misleading to speak of "THE JUDGMENT" as though it
were only one event limited to some time in the future. A
careful and prayerful study of the Word will show that there
are judgments of unholy angels (messengers), of Satan, of
Israel, of cities, of nations, of sin, of death, of the
believer, of servants, of sons, of unbelievers, etc., etc.
Each takes place at a different time, in different
surroundings, and in a different way.
It may aid our comprehension to list a few
of the judgments of God upon sin. Before proceeding, however,
we need to understand exactly what is meant by the word
"judgment." Judgment is translated in the Old
Testament most often from the Hebrew word MISHPAT. MISHPAT
means simply "a verdict" which may be either favorable
or unfavorable. The only judgment most people
understand is the negative aspect of judgment, the unfavorable
verdict, which is unto condemnation and wrath. It should
require only a moment's reflection, however, to enable anyone
to see that the very same judge who sentences one man to pay
a fine, another to die in the electric chair, may suspend the
sentence of a third man and declare yet a fourth man
"not guilty"- acquitted! It is plain that a great
many different "judgments" or "verdicts"
may come from this one judge. Thus, the work of the judge is
not merely to condemn and mete out sentences, but to weigh
all the facts and take all the circumstances into
consideration in each case and render a just verdict,
favorable or unfavorable, as the case may demand.
Furthermore, the "judge" of a
beauty contest does not condemn or damn any of the
contestants who fail to receive the highest recognition. He
merely renders a "verdict" as to whom, in his
estimation, is "the fairest of them all"! In
keeping with these principles the Hebrew word MISHPAT
indicates merely the rendering of a judicial verdict or
decision, favorable or unfavorable, as the case may warrant.
The Psalmist spoke of this when he said, "For promotion
comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the
south. But GOD IS THE JUDGE: He puts down one, and sets up
another" (Ps. 75:6-7). The positive aspect of judgment,
the rendering of a favorable verdict, is implored of
the Lord by David in Ps. 43:1-2: "JUDGE ME, O God, and
plead my cause against an ungodly nation: for You are the God
of my strength."
The word "judgment,"
moreover, signifies even more than the rendering of a
verdict. It includes the idea of a trial, as well as
the decision based upon that trial. And this is true not only
in the English word judgment, but also of the Greek word it
translates in the New Testament. In the Greek New Testament
there are a number of terms used in connection with the
judgments of God. Each is based on the "KRI" stem
of "KRINO" meaning "I judge." There is
the word KRISIS from which we derive our English word
"crisis" and which carries basically the same
meaning as our English word "crisis." It denotes an
experience and time of crucial testing, and has reference to
the experience one undergoes out of which a decision, or
judgment, is made KRIMA relates to the condemnation of the criminal.
KRITES and KRITIKOS ("critical" in English) both
speak of the judge and his decision, while yet another Greek
word, KRITERION, refers to the basis for his decision or
sentence (as "criterion" in English).
PAST TIMES OF JUDGMENT
The first great judgment (trial and
sentence) was at the beginning, in Eden, when the whole human
race, as represented in its head, Adam, stood on trial before
God. The result of that trial was the verdict - Guilty,
disobedient, his sin being worthy of punishment and
correction; and the penalty inflicted was death - "Dying
you shall die" (Gen. 2:17, margin). And so it is that
"In Adam ALL DIE" (I Cor. 15:21-22). Most have
never thought of this as a JUDGMENT DAY for mankind, but such
it was, for there was a trial, a sentencing, and the sentence
was, and is, as we all know, fully carried out. That trial
time in Eden was the world's FIRST JUDGMENT DAY, and the
decision of the Judge has ever since been enforced. Again we
read, "The wrath of God IS REVEALED from heaven against
all unrighteousness of men" (Rom. 1:18). This wrath of
God which is revealed against the ungodliness of men may be
seen in every funeral procession. Every tomb and every grave
stone is a witness to it. Dread diseases such as syphilis,
gonorrhea, herpes and aids are a part of it. It is felt in
every ache and pain, in every tragedy and sorrow, in every
frustration and torment, in the ignorance, poverty, and fear
men experience daily - all of which are the results of the
first trial and sentence - the righteous sentence of God,
that we are unworthy of the life and blessings originally
provided for man when obedient and walking in union with God.
But, praise the Lord! mankind is to be recovered from the
sentence of that first trial, for the penalty was not to be
inflicted forever, only until the Redeemer should come and
offer Himself as one sacrifice for ALL. And so it is written
of Jesus: "Now we know that this is indeed the Christ,
the Saviour of THE WORLD" (Jn. 4:42). "The bread
which I will give is My flesh, which I give FOR THE LIFE OF
THE WORLD" (Jn. 6:51). "God sent not His Son into
THE WORLD to condemn THE WORLD; but that THE WORLD through
Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:17). "And He is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also
for the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD" (I Jn. 2:2). "God
was in Christ, reconciling THE WORLD unto Himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto
us the word of reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:19).
"Therefore as by the offence of one JUDGMENT CAME
UPON ALL MEN to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of One THE FREE GIFT CAME UPON ALL MEN unto
justification of life" (Rom. 5:18). Thus we see the
scope of man's first judgment and the provision for his
release from the penalty inflicted. Bless His name!
There have been many other judgments beyond
this general judgment that fell upon man in the beginning. At
various times in the past God has called peoples and nations
to account for their actions and executed His judgments by
bringing destruction upon them. The best known of these is
the world-wide deluge in the days of Noah of which we read:
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. And the Lord said, I will
destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth;
for it repents Me that I have made them" (Gen. 6:5-7).
The destructive judgments of God have always come as a result
of the wicked conduct of the people in their daily lives.
Sodom and Gomorrah are graphic examples of this. God
inspected those cities and determined that the sin of the
inhabitants was very heavy; He judged that the cities must be
brought to ruin (Gen. 18:20-21; 19:14). Later Jude wrote that
those cities underwent the "vengeance (Gr:
judgment)" of "fire" which brought destruction
(Jude 7). So these cities experienced a "day" of
judgment.
God conducted a legal case
against ancient Babylon, the long-time enemy of God and His
people. Because of being unnecessarily cruel to the house of
Judah, not intending to release them after the seventy-year
captivity and crediting the god Marduk with the victory over
God's people, Babylon was in line for a destructive judgment.
That came to Babylon in the year 539 B.C. when it was
violently overthrown by the Medes and Persians (see Jer.
51:36; Isa. 14:3-6,17; Dan. 5:1-4). Similarly, Jeremiah
prophesied that God would "put Himself in judgment"
with Edom, among others (Jer. 25:17-31), hence that nation
that had shown repeated hatred for the Lord and His people
experienced destructive judgment and was obliterated from the
earth. Likewise, when Judah and Jerusalem became unfaithful
and merited the Lord's displeasure, He promised to
"execute JUDGMENT in the midst of her" (Eze. 5:8).
This destructive and corrective judgment came when
Nebuchadnezzar came and plundered the land destroyed the city
and the temple, and carried the people away slaves to Babylon
(Eze. 7:19). However, another and more severe "day"
or time of judgment on Jerusalem was prophesied. Joel
foretold an outpouring of the Spirit of God which would begin
"before that great and terrible day of the Lord"
(Joel 2:28-31). Under the anointing of the Spirit Peter, on
the day of Pentecost, explained that they were then
experiencing the fulfillment of that prophecy (Acts 2:16-20).
That particular day of destructive judgment came in A.D. 70
when the Roman armies executed judgment upon the Jews,
destroying their city and temple, pillaging their land,
murdering more than a million of its inhabitants, dispersing
the survivors and catapulting them into a "judgment
day" that lasted for nineteen long and tortuous
centuries!
FUTURE
TIMES OF DESTRUCTIVE JUDGMENT
The Word of God specifically foretells a
number of yet future judgments which are destructive in their
nature. Revelation points to the time when "Babylon the
Great" or "Mystery Babylon" will be judged.
Mystery Babylon signifies the universal worldly church
system. Now, I am aware that there is even a higher meaning
of Babylon which is found in a condition within the mind and
spirit of man, which means that we have all, at one time or
another, and perhaps even until now, been partakers of her
even if we have separated from the religious systems of this
world. The Lord has special inward dealings, judgmental
processings by which He shall purge the very last vestige of
Babylon out of the hearts of all His elect sons, praise His
name. But the Spirit of the Lord makes me know that in the
framework of the prophecies in Revelation chapters 17-18, He
is specifically speaking of the CHURCH SYSTEMS, as such.
Babylon is called "a woman." A woman, used as a
symbol in the New Testament, signifies a church. The woman in
Rev. 12 is the true church, the glorious body of Christ
walking in the Spirit of God. The woman of Rev. 17 also
signifies a church, but her character is impure and
corrupted, for she is herself a harlot, and the mother of
daughters like herself.
Mystery Babylon is not limited to any
single ecclesiastical body, but is composed of many, indeed
of ALL who are walking apart from the LIFE OF THE SPIRIT and
the HEADSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. For two thousand years God has
been forming a heavenly people, born from above, filled with
the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, led by the Spirit, growing
up in the life and power of the Spirit, the workmanship of
GOD BY THE SPIRIT, the true church of the firstborn
whose names are written in heaven. Along side this glorious
company of the Spirit-born and Spirit-led the enemy has
planted the tares: the doctors of the law, the bishops,
ministers, and priests performing empty ceremonies and
rituals, and teachers poring over the dead letter of the
Word, but never being quickened by the Spirit of Truth. These
blind leaders of the blind are they who are the lords of a
vast and powerful system which calls itself "the
church," but which is not the church at all, but a
blinding, restricting, abyss of incomprehensible darkness and
confusion that holds men's spirits in such bondage to
lifeless traditions that they can never see the glory of God
nor His transcendent purpose in their lives. It is only when
the blazing fire of the Omnipotent Spirit sovereignly
penetrates the dankness and death of Babylon's walls that men
first catch a glimpse of the living Christ of God and rise up
to FOLLOW HIM. The chains fall off, the prison doors swing
open on their rusty hinges and these followers of the Lamb
behold a world of freedom and revelation and reality and life
beyond the constricting walls of denominationalism, ritualism
and tradition.
Men will never attain to sonship
within the walls of Babylon! The piercing voice of the Spirit
commands: "Wherefore comeout from among them, and
be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you, and ye shall be MY
SONS AND DAUGHTERS, satin the Lord Almighty" (II Cor.
6:17-18). Sects and denominations have absolutely nothing to
do with the true church. Denominations are ALL man-made
systems, structured contrary to the ways of the Spirit of
God, and they are ALL the prison houses of Babylon. The
church is a people related to God by Jesus Christ in the
power of the Holy Spirit. They are a people born from above,
born free. And yet, many of the Lord's precious people sit in
Babylon. Unto them our blessed Lord speaks today: "Come
out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her
sins, and that ye RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES" (Rev.
18:4).
God has decreed HIS JUDGMENT against this
idolatrous system of Babylon, and has already established by
His own counsel HOW THE JUDGMENT SHALL BE EXECUTED. "And
there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials,
and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show
unto thee THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT WHORE that sits upon many
waters: so he carried me away in the Spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored
beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, and
TEN HORNS ... and the ten horns which thou saw are TEN KINGS
(kingdoms) ... and the ten horns which thou saw upon the
beast, THESE SHALL HATE THE WHORE, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and BURN HER
WITH FIRE. For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill HIS
WILL, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast,
until the words of God shall be fulfilled" (Rev.
17:1-3,12,16,17).
How clear it is to any who have eyes to see
that this work of destructive judgment upon the harlot system
of Babylon has already commenced! The real reason behind the
ecumenical movement is not the fulfillment of Christ's prayer
"that they all may be one in Him;" the truth is
that it is a desperate and last-ditch effort to SAVE THE
SYSTEM through unity, for the pews and coffers of most of
Babylon's churches have been emptying out with ever
increasing rapidity. The communist countries have wrought
great havoc upon the organized churches, breaking their power
completely in some areas. So many of God's people today, not
seeing by the Spirit what God is doing in this hour, oppose
the Spirit of God and fear, groan, lament and demonstrate
because of what He is performing. How often, in our
blindness, we get the cart before the horse! Christians spend
great sums of money and expend much time and energy
"fighting communism" because communism persecutes
the saints and destroys religion and religious systems. But
the Christians of the early church NEVER FORMED A JOHN BIRCH
SOCIETY to fight the PAGAN ROMAN EMPIRE! They did not fear,
neither did they cry or lament the fact of their persecution,
tribulation, and martyrdom. They never lent their support to
some "opposition government" which might by
military might liberate them from the oppression of the
Caesars. The Christians did not organize or promote
demonstrations against the Jews who persecuted them. They DID
pray for them! The spirit of the saints in that day was:
"And they departed from the presence of the council,
REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for Him name" (Acts 5:41). Paul said that he
REJOICED in his sufferings, and Peter exhorted the saints:
"REJOICE, inasmuch as ye are partakers of CHRIST'S
SUFFERINGS; and when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be
glad also with exceeding joy" (I Pet. 4:13).
The great principles that govern our
present walk in the Kingdom of God are laid down by Jesus in
the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus declared, "BLESSED ARE
THEY which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: FOR THEIRS
IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. BLESSED ARE YE, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for My sake. REJOICE, and be
EXCEEDING GLAD! for great is your reward in heaven"
(Mat. 5:10-12). The Word of God resounds with this note of
triumph and joy in the face of trouble and tribulation. And,
yet, in this hour many Christians shrink in horror and fear
exceedingly before the advance of communism throughout the
world. But let me assure you that communism has not been
able, anywhere, to destroy THE TRUE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD,
those born from above, walking in the Spirit of God! The true
church does not need fine temples or halls, ritual-performing
priests, Sunday School quarterlies, robed choirs, tax-exempt
status, seminaries, or denominational hierarchies. Many
thousands of followers of the Lamb have taken up their
crosses, and in the underground churches behind the Iron
Curtain have become strong in the power of HIS MIGHT and are
doing exploits. I prophesy to you in the name of the Lord
that the day shall come when the mighty invincible power of
the Lord shall burst forth, even in Russia, from the midst of
a people who have been purified, made white, and tried; so
great shall be the swelling of the tide of the Omnipotent
Spirit through the saints in that day that the glory that
shall come shall literally knock the rulers of the Kremlin
off their thrones of power and bring everlasting ruin and
shame to that godless system.
In the meantime, however, we need to be
wise to the purposes of the Lord. We are not to fear
communism nor be dismayed when it comes right to our borders.
We must not be upset because of the tribulation upon God's
people in those lands, or upon ourselves should it spread
across our land. Communism can never defeat nor destroy the
chosen of God, but I declare to you by the word of the Lord
that it can, has, and shall DESTROY THE BABYLONIAN RELIGIOUS
SYSTEMS. Why is there so little religious freedom in
communist countries? Why is it the communist's objective to
remove all religion and the knowledge of God from the face of
the earth? Why have the church properties been confiscated,
the leaders killed, and the ministers jailed? Why have the
religionists of all stripes been hounded and harrassed,
stripped of their former power when the state churches
controlled the governments and dominated the lives of the
people? Why? I ask. Because the almighty God, long centuries
ago, decreed that BABYLON WOULD BE JUDGED! God has
raised up communism as one of the instruments of that
judgment. And when Mystery Babylon is obliterated from the
face of the earth God's saints are admonished: "REJOICE
OVER HER, thou heaven (those seated with Christ in the
heavenlies), and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath
avenged you on her" (Rev. 18:20).
God has His means for destroying Babylon in
America, too! For a number of years now the trumpet call has
been going forth by the spirit of revelation: "Come out
of her, My people, THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES"
(Rev. 18:4). God is even now calling out of Babylon "HIS
PEOPLE" that have so long been held captive within her
precincts, her static creeds, idolatrous doctrines, empty
rituals, dead ceremonies and programs, fleshly methods, and
unspiritual institutions. The Spirit of God shall accomplish
such a thorough job of calling His people out "unto
Himself," that the inspired apostle John was emboldened
to write: "Rejoice over her (Babylon), thou heaven
(those seated in the heavenlies, caught up in the Spirit),
and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you
on her. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of
pipers (praise and worship), and trumpeters (ministries
sounding forth a message from God), SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT
ALL I-N T-H-E-E; and the sound of a millstone
(the grinding of meal for bread, the Word of God) SHALL BE
HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE, and the light of a candle (even
the little light left in Babylon) SHALL SHINE NO MORE AT ALL
IN THEE; and the voice of the bridegroom (Jesus) and of the
bride (the elect) SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE: for
by thy sorceries were ALL NATIONS deceived" (Rev.
18:20-23).
Pointing to yet another
destructive judgment, Peter drew upon what occurred in Noah's
day and foretold a "day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men" (II Pet. 3:7). But Peter informs us not
only of the time when wicked men shall be destroyed, but
speaks of "the heavens (ruling powers) and earth (social
order), which are now," which are "kept in store,
reserved UNTO FIRE against the day of judgment and perdition
(destruction)" (II Pet. 3:7). Yes, my friend, this
present world order is coming to an end! This evil
world will end in A DAY OF JUDGMENT. Fiery judgment. It will
all pass away. Communism. Democracies. Economic systems.
Ecclesiastical institutions. Science. Technology. Lodges.
Seminaries. Schools. De- nominations. Political parties. ALL
will pass away amid great commotion! "Nevertheless we,
according to His promise, look for a NEW HEAVENS (government
of God) and a NEW EARTH (social order), WHEREIN DWELLS
RIGHTEOUSNESS!" (II Pet. 3:13).
JUDGMENTS OF THE BELIEVER
The average Christian today has the idea
that there is only one judgment at the Great White Throne;
and that there everyone, good and bad, saved and lost, saint
and sinner, will meet and be separated like sheep and goats.
It may come as a shock to many to learn that the Bible
teaches no such thing! Apart from the past and future
destructive judgments already considered, the Scriptures
reveal many, many other judgments, and also three distinct
judgments that must be experienced by every saint who
would press forward into the fullness of sonship to God. Of
these three judgments that pertain to saints, one is already
past; one is continuously present; and one is yet future. In
one we are judged as sinners; in one we are judged as servants;
and in one we are judged as sons.
The first, the judgment of our sins and of
us as sinners, is already past for every Christian. I Pet.
2:24 says, "He personally bore our sins in His own body
to the tree, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness." Again we read, "Christ died FOR OUR
SINS" (I Cor. 15:3). Christ died for our sins 1900 years
ago - and there is absolutely nothing that you or I can add
to its effectiveness except to trust in it! The sins of the
believer in Christ were judged at the cross - IN JESUS.
Whether they are the sins of the past, or of the present, or
of the future - ALL were judged at Calvary. The omniscient
God in His foreknowledge of all things from eternity laid all
of the believer's sins upon Christ as He hung there upon that
cruel tree on our behalf. Because the Father chose every one
of the elect "in Christ" before He ever made the
universe or framed the ages of time (Eph.1:4-5), He saw us
under wrath as He placed the judgment upon the Christ at
Calvary. This is why Paul could say, "I am crucified
WITH CHRIST" (Gal. 2:20). Every one of God's elect,
having been chosen "in Christ" in eternity past,
was seen to be "in Christ" at Calvary, and the
never-to-be-repeated sentence was carried out in full on the
cross and the death that followed. He who was without sin has
paid the penalty for the sins of all who believe, therefore
through faith we are absolutely without condemnation by the
grace and verdict of the all-glorious God! This is why Paul
cried out: "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to
them that are IN CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 8:1). Christ
descended, first in the incarnation, secondly in the judgment
of the cross, and thirdly into the darkness of Hades. He
descended into the LOWEST PARTS OF THE EARTH (Eph. 4:9-10),
into the deepest woe of mankind. The Son of God left His
glory, and descended to the depths of shame and reproach. He
came and took our place of disgrace. Our Lord was the Mighty
God. But He descended from that state. He humbled Himself,
and took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. He became
despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief. "For He hath made Him to be sin (a sin offering)
for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). "Sin
for us," not sinful, but a sin offering, taking unto
Himself the whole sin of our race, one vast aggregate of sin,
of all men, past, present, and future. He made our CONDITION
His own. He made our DOOM His own. He tasted of what we are;
experienced the pangs of the lowest hell into which men have
sunken. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the
law, being MADE A CURSE for us" (Gal. 3:13). He
descended into this!
Thank God, the good old Book is true! The
wages of sin is actually death, and Jesus died that death.
THE DEBT IS PAID I-N F-U-L-L. Thank God, Rom. 8:1
is actually true! "There is therefore now NO
CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus..." No
condemnation! The word in the Greek is KATAKRIMA and speaks
of an "adverse sentence, to be judged against." I
cannot be judged against! N-O J-U-D-G-E-M-E-N-T!
"There is therefore NOW NO JUDGMENT to them which are in
Christ Jesus." He does not say, "There is nothing
in them that deserves judgment," for this there is, and
they see it, and own it; but it shall not be to their ruin.
This one glorious truth should deliver a whole world full of
believers from "guilt complexes,"
"depressions," and "condemnation."
There are other judgments for the believer, but in the
judgment of sin and sinners THE BELIEVER CANNOT
AND SHALL NOT APPEAR. The judgment is past. It is
accomplished. Jesus appeared for us. The debt is paid
in full. Hallelujah!
Thank God, Rom. 3:23 is really true!
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;
BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus." Thank God, II Cor. 5:18-21 is
not an infamous fairy tale! "And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that
God was in Christ, RECONCILING THE WORLD unto Himself, NOT
IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM ... for He hath made HIM
to be sin (a sin offering) FOR US, Who knew no sin."
Thank God I shall never stand in the judgment for my sin. My
case will not even be reviewed. It is settled, forever, bless
His wonderful name! Our judgment as sinners is forever
past!
The next point I wish to present is THE
JUDGMENT OF SONS. Through the regenerating power of the Holy
Spirit God has given us new birth, making us His own
children. "For ye are all the children of God by faith
in Jesus Christ" (Gal. 3:26). "Beloved, now are we
the sons (children) of God" (I Jn. 3:2). "And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou
art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir
of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:6-7). "The Spirit
itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God" (Rom. 8:16).
It has been the Father's good pleasure to
bring us into this relationship of sonship to Himself and now
His supreme desire for us is that we may truly grow up and
become mature, that we may be SONS INDEED. He has given us
the standing of sons through faith in Jesus Christ.
But He purposes for us to become sons in state of being as
well. He wants His sons to be son like! And being the great
and faithful Father that He is, He deals with us unto this
expected end. In order to make us sonlike He brings us into
judgment - SON JUDGMENT. The prodigal son was not sonlike,
but he was still a son. So you, beloved brother, sister, if
you are in Christ by faith, you have been birthed into God's
family and so are His son. The Father plans for His sons to
be completely and exactly like unto Himself in mind, will,
purpose, power, and glory. In order to make us so He
faithfully brings us into judgment - son judgment. God wants
His sons to be sonlike. If we are not, He judges us!
Paul sets forth this judgment in I Cor.
11:31-32: "For if we would judge ourselves, we
should not be judged. But when we are judged,
we are CHASTENED OF THE LORD, that we should not be condemned
(judged) with the world." There are several
thoughts in this verse which we should note in passing.
First, when we are judged, we are CHASTENED of the Lord.
Thus, the chastening of the Lord upon His sons IS the
son-judgment of which I speak. The chastening of sons
and the judgment of sons are the same thing. Secondly,
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged (chastened). The message is clear - if we would chasten
ourselves we should not be chastened by the Lord.
Judgment and chastening; the two terms are identical. The
meaning is the same. Furthermore, when we are judged we are
chastened by the Lord THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED
(judged, chastened) WITH THE WORLD! How plain that there is
appointed a great day of judgment, chastening, and correction
for the world! "He hath appointed a day, in the
which He will JUDGE THE WORLD in righteousness by that Man
Whom He hath ordained" (Acts 17:31). The saints of God,
the members of the Corporate Son, will be the instrument
through which that judgment of the world shall be executed.
"Do ye not know that the saints SHALL JUDGE THE
WORLD?" (I Cor. 6:2). Paul emphasizes that we must be
judged now, so that we will not be judged with the world. We
must be chastened and corrected NOW, that we be
not chastened and corrected WITH THE WORLD. The
judgment, chastening, and trial of the sons of God must take
place at this present time, in this present age, because it
is the Christ, Head and body, which is to initiate and
administer the work of judgment upon the world in the age and
the ages to come. It is with this great truth in mind that
the Holy Spirit faithfully declares that if we are judged
now, by either judging ourselves, or coming under the
chastening of the Lord, then we "shall not come into
condemnation (Gr: krisis, judgment) with the
world;" we shall not share in the world's judgment day
of chastening and correction, being fully dealt with in
advance of the world, already passed from death unto life,
brought unto obedience as elect members of His body, the
firstfruits of His redemption, to be used in the disciplining
of the nations when the time is ripe for it.
So, then, this present life is to each of
the consecrated ones his "day of judgment" - his
day of trial, testing, proving, chastening, his day of being
brought to perfection in Christ. The apostle Peter's words
are in harmony with this: "Judgment must begin at
the house of God!" (I Pet. 4:17).
Let all men know that the hour has come
when judgment must begin at the house of God. Judgment
beginning at the house of God! This does not imply a
sudden visitation of catastrophes, calamities, and troubles,
but it means that there will be a concentration of divine
instruction and discipline, as the Father purifies each
individual, until He can gather to Himself a FIRSTFRUITS. He
chastises us - and chastise comes from a root word meaning chaste
or pure. As Ray Prinzing has so aptly stated,
"Those who are apprehended for this hour will find that
their ways are under the watchful eye of the Lord, He orders
every step of their path, and He will bring pressures to bear
upon them which help to turn their feet in the right
direction. In due time there will be an outreach, as this
correctional working proceeds to those who yet wait to be
called and drawn by the Spirit, for He is to be the Saviour
of all men. But remember, for us, it is a present-time
process, as we seek to be filled with His fullness, we must
be daily purged and cleansed, and there are these ordained
TURNING POINTS, CRISIS', JUDGMENTS to work His way in us.
There are many conditions and situations, confusions and
frustrations, limitations and complications, which, if we but
knew it, are judgments. They are brought our way by the hand
of God, to hem us in, to subdue us, to bring us to the point
of complete submission to His will.
"How lovingly the Father watches over
His own. What tenderness and faithfulness are seen in the way
HE 'girds up' our way. It would be a real mark of learning
if, when we find ourselves frustrated and confused, to simply
sit down and ask the Lord for more understanding of HIS way -
to learn to USE these situations as sign posts along the way,
telling us that God would put a bend in our path, and turn us
more towards His plan for us. There seems to be so much
'fight' yet left in men. We are so determined to push our way
through, regardless of how rough the going becomes. And so
the frustrations continue to build up, the limitations are
increased, and the complications multiply until we come to
the end of ourselves, and then cry out, 'Lord, show me Thy
way.' Yes, thank God for these little measures of His
judgments, divinely used to correct us, to instruct us, to
bring us into alignment with His will and purpose.
"If these judgments are effective in
us now, then we read, 'He that hears My word, and believes on
Him that sent Me, hath everlasting fife, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life' (Jn.
5:24). The word 'condemnation' is actually the Greek word
KRISIS, the process of judgment. To yield to the mighty hand
of God NOW is to escape the future, general judgments which
will yet come. For after the HOUSE has been thoroughly
judged, and brought up to divine specifications and
qualifications, and found approved in His sight, then shall
the process of judgment pass onward to the next order" -
end quote.
The final judgment of believers is to be
judged as servants. This is a judgment that is both
present and future reality for Christians. It involves
rewards for works, not a dealing with sin or development
of character. It is reward for works, not a discipline for
the perfecting of sons. It is vital to our understanding of
this subject that we see clearly the distinction between
three important biblical terms: salvation, inheritance
and reward. Salvation relates to the sinner,
inheritance relates to sons, and reward relates to servants.
SALVATION means to be rescued from the power of sin and death
and is the free gift of God to the believer. "And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call His name
Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins"
(Mat. 1:21). "For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not
of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
INHERITANCE, on the other hand, is that which a son receives
by virtue of his relationship to the Father. It is not a
gift; it is not earned; it is his by right. "Wherefore
thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son,
then an HEIR of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:7).
"And if children, then HEIRS; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). REWARD,
furthermore, is something that is given for service
rendered. It is not a free gift, as is salvation, nor is
it bestowed because of right, as an inheritance. It is earned
by work! "For the Son of man shall come in
the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall
REWARD EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS" (Mat. 16:27).
"And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and
the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that
Thou should give reward unto Thy servants"
(Rev. 11:18).
We are aware that we were all included in
the JUDGMENT OF SINNERS that was meted out upon Jesus Christ
at Calvary. Furthermore, we know that we may each be included
in the JUDGMENT OF SONS as we follow on to know the Lord and
remain yielded unto all His processings. It is when we come
to this thought of SERVANTS that there arises a great deal of
misunderstanding among the Lord's people. When we speak of
servants, some boast that this calling does not apply to
them, for they are no longer servants, but sons. And that is
true in the spirit in which Paul argues in Gal. 4:6-7 wherein
he states, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth
the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore, THOU ART NO MORE A SERVANT, but a son; and if a
son, then an heir of God through Christ."
It is far from the truth, however, to say
that there is no sense in which those who are sons are also
servants. Paul is speaking of OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, THE
FATHER, Under the Old Testament economy the people of God had
not received new birth by the Spirit and so were not, by
spiritual generation, the children of God. They are called a
"house of servants" (Heb. 3:2-6). Their
relationship to God was the relationship of servants.
They were not sons. Now, bless His name, He has redeemed us
from the curse of the law that we might receive placement as
sons, and He has birthed into our hearts the Spirit of His
Son, the Spirit of Sonship, whereby we cry, "Abba,
FATHER!" This has brought a change of relationship to
God. To Him we are no longer servants, but sons.
However, as sons we enter not only into a relationship to
God, but we also become UNIQUELY RELATED to men.
It is here that we must be very clear in our understanding.
Unto GOD I may be a son, but unto MEN I may be a servant
- because I am a son! I cannot be a servant TO GOD, for I am
a son. But I cannot be a son TO MEN, therefore I must
approach unto men in a relationship through which I can
minister to them the LIFE OF THE SON which indwells me. The
only way in which I can minister the life of the Son unto men
is as a SERVANT. To minister means "to serve," and
both "minister" and "servant" are
frequently translated from the same Greek word.
Can a son be a servant? Jesus, the Pattern
Son declared: "Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister (serve), and to give His
life a ransom for many" (Mat. 20:28). Jesus was a Son
to His Father, but He came as a servant unto men. It
is the SON that SERVES! The Son is a Servant-Son. The very
same Jesus, the Son, of whom the Father witnessed, "This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," of Him
the Father also witnessed, "Behold My SERVANT, whom I
uphold; mine elect, in whom My soul delights; I have put My
Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles" (Isa. 42:1). Mat. 12:15-21 shows unmistakably
that this SERVANT of the Lord is JESUS. The Son came into the
world as a Servant-Son. The beloved John understood this
beautiful truth, for the same John who wrote in I Jn. 3:1,
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God,"
later penned these significant words: "The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and
signified it by His angel unto His servant John"
(Rev. 1:1). The great apostle Paul also understood this
truth, for the very same Paul who wrote in Gal. 4:7,
"Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son,"
also said in Rom. 1:1, "Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle." Is Jesus a Son or a
servant? Was John a son or a servant? Was Paul a son or a
servant? And lest we would exalt ourselves above John, or
Paul, or Jesus, we further find of the 144,000 in Revelation,
that glorious company of the manifested sons of God which
stands with the Lamb upon Zion's holy hill, that even of this
exalted company it is written, "Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed THE
SERVANTS OF OUR GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS" (Rev. 7:3). So
there you have it! The sons are the servants!
Not servants to God, of course, but sons who are servants
to men, humble ministers of the life of the Father.
At this point I wish to mention again the
divine order: Men receive salvation from God as a
GIFT; sons receive from the Father an INHERITANCE; servants
receive in consideration of their WORK, a REWARD. Inheritance
is given on the basis of relationship, while rewards are
given because of work done. All believers are saved by grace,
but rewarded for works. There is great glory and heavenly
wealth awaiting those who become profitable servants, fully
equipped to serve. As sons we shall truly receive our
inheritance, but as servants we shall in no wise lose our
reward. "For other foundation can no man lay than that
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; every man's WORK shall be made manifest: for the day
shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try EVERY MAN'S WORK of what sort it is. If
any man's WORK abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a REWARD. If any man's WORK shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
fire" (I Cor. 3:11-15).
This wonderful passage speaks so adequately
of the JUDGMENT OF SERVANTS. Paul mentions this judgment in
Rom. 14:10-12, saying, "But why does thou judge thy
brother? or why does thou set at naught thy brother? for we
shall all stand before THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. So then
everyone of us shall give account of himself to God."
Paul shows that Christ, the FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF GOD,
is being built upon by every child of God. Some of our works
which we are seeking to build on Him are referred to as
"wood, hay, and stubble." These are all works which
are built on Christ but they are not of the nature of
Christ, works of the flesh rather than works of the Spirit.
Without doubt the vast majority of the "works"
being done today by the harlot church systems fall into this
category! Wood, hay, and stubble are not sins
such as lying, drunkenness, or adultery, but so-called
"good Christian works" which are built upon THE
FOUNDATION OF CHRIST and done in His blessed name, although
they are not products of His Spirit. Constantly we are
receiving some letter in the mail telling of this great
program and that great endeavour for God; a missionary
program, a television ministry, a radio program, church
building, recording studio, evangelistic crusade, Bible
school, Christian hospital or some other GREAT WORK, with
their heart-rending pleas for financial help, with their
self-addressed envelopes into which the poor and the widows
are urged to put their offerings. With glib tongues and
plausible programs by which the world is going to be won for
God, or a cure found for cancer, well-meaning people are
urged to give to further grandiose programs hatched by
kingdom-building preachers who live in wanton luxury upon
earth, which programs are not the plan of God at all, but
merely the product of an imaginative, scheming, and
avaricious mind. Through long centuries billions of dollars
have been squeezed from God's precious people to build huge
temples, cathedrals, church buildings, Christian communities;
to promote innumerable programs and methods to do this and
that for God which, not only did God not ordain, but were in
all truth a stench in His nostrils and an abomination before
His face.
When all these good fleshly religious works
are brought into the blazing presence of the holy God they
will one and all go up in smoke! What a bonfire that will be!
I declare to you that the fires of that judgment shall be
witnessed from the farthest extremities of the universe so
that every creature in heaven and on earth may understand
once and for all that "Except THE LORD build the house, they
labour in vain that build it!" All works which are
to the glory of the creature, or the invention of the
creature, and not to the glory of HIM WHO IS THE BUILDER OF
ALL THINGS will be totally consumed.
But other works are identified as
"gold, silver, and precious stones." These symbols
speak of works of faith and righteousness wrought in and
through us by the Holy Spirit. These are the works which are
the product of HIS LIFE, wrought in union with His will. Gold
and silver are refined by fire. Precious stones are fire
resistant. These are Hebrew symbols for those works which are
made pure by the consuming fire of our great and glorious God
and, therefore, will remain for evermore. The apostle goes on
to say that every work which successfully passes the test by
fire (which "abides") will be REWARDED. Obviously,
the "wood, hay, and stubble" variety of carnal
works, which were not of the Spirit nor to the glory of God
alone, will go up in smoke. Praise the Lord! But those works
of the "gold, silver, and precious stones" variety,
which are accomplished by obedience to the Holy Spirit and to
the glory of God, will be rewarded. This is the order of the
JUDGMENT OF SERVANTS. I would point out to you, dear ones,
that it does not say a thing about being saved or
lost as the result of our WORKS being JUDGED. No, our SIN
JUDGMENT is already past, forever settled, hallelujah! We are
neither saved nor lost by the kind of works we build upon the
foundation of Christ. However, our works are judged "as
by fire" in order to get rid of those that are of the
flesh and not of the Spirit. I do not doubt but that there
will be a lot of red faces and embarrassed countenances in
that day when men who received the applause and acclaim of
multitudes stand empty-handed before God with nothing to
offer Him, and receive not even a nod of recognition from
Him!
Then Paul makes a fantastic
statement. He states plainly that a man's works may ALL BE
CONSUMED by the blazing glory of God so that he has
absolutely no reward, but the believer himself "shall be
saved." Even if a believer loses all reward, all credit
for what he did and supposedly "accomplished for
God" because he ends up with tons of empty, worthless,
vain religious works, still he shall be saved "so as by
fire," purged and purified, corrected and disciplined,
that he might serve God acceptably. God's purpose in judging
our works as servants is that He may reward (the reward is
actually the increase of glory and life from the seed of
faith and obedience we planted) our works of righteousness
and forever eradicate all that is of self!
THE NATURE OF JUDGMENT
"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit
of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear
of the Lord; and shall make Him of quick understanding in the
fear of the Lord: and He shall not JUDGE after the sight of
His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: but
with righteousness shall He JUDGE the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the
earth with the rod (authority) of His mouth (word), and with
the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And
righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and
faithfulness the girdle of His reins ... for the whole earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters
cover the sea" (Isa. 11:2-5, 9).
Through the cunning of the adversary, both
the world and the popular church have been robbed of the
blessed assurances of the time when God's RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS
break forth in the earth. Most people know that the Bible
tells of a "judgment day," but the average person,
believer or unbeliever, regards it only with a certain sense
of fear and dread. Because of this fear there is, to them, no
more unwelcome tidings than that the Lord is coming to JUDGE
THE EARTH. Many tremble inwardly at the thought of God's
judgments, and in this mind put them far from them,
preferring not to even hear the subject mentioned. They have
absolutely no idea of the wonderful blessings in store for a
sin-weary world under the glorious reign of the sons of God
filled with all the nature, wisdom, glory and power of God!
How differently did the holy prophets and
apostles regard that promised DAY OF JUDGMENT! Note the
expectation in Isaiah's spirit as he announces: "Yea, in
the way of THY JUDGMENTS, O Lord, have we waited for thee
... with my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with
my spirit within me will I seek Thee early: for when THY
JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world
WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:8-9). Here Isaiah
assures us that the day when God's judgments are in the earth
will be a most glorious and desirable day, a day in which the
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness! If
the desire of your heart is anything like the desire of my
heart, this is a blessed thought and a wonderful assurance: the
inhabitants of the world WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS! How my
ransomed soul longs to behold such a thing! Every time I scan
the headlines of the morning paper I am seized with an
intense yearning that the inhabitants of the world will
learn righteousness. Oft times as I watch the evening
newscast my spirit is mightily moved within to intercede
earnestly that the inhabitants of the world will learn
righteousness. As I drive across our great land; as I walk
the streets of our cities and towns, beholding the condition
of those about, neighbors, friends, relatives, strangers, my
spirit groans with unutterable supplication that the
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness!
What a marvelous provision of our wise and loving Father
that, to this very end, He has ORDAINED JUDGMENT to come
forth in the earth. Bless His name!
Again I would share from the rich writings
of Ray Prinzing: "Now we must examine this word
'judgment,' the Greek word, as used in the New Testament, is
KRISIS, and with the letter 'K' changed to the letter 'C' it
is brought directly over into our English language as CRISIS.
All of the pressures and trials which produce these times of
'crisis' in our life are simply a working out of God's
corrective measures, His judgments. The root from which
KRISIS comes is KRINEIN meaning, 'to separate.' And so it is,
a crisis is a critical period of time, a decisive moment, a
turning point; hence, a separating, choosing, deciding,
judging. The very purpose of judgment is to separate you from
the old, that you might come into the new. To separate you
from selfhood's rebellion, giving you a TURNING POINT, and
heading you in the right direction, in the will of God.
"The man is very sick, he is growing
steadily worse, and finally there comes a Crisis, either he
begins to mend, or else death comes. It is a TURNING POINT!
And when God orders the Crisis, it is to turn us towards
righteousness, and bring us into HIS NEW LIFE. Ah, if we tell
you that there is a turning point, things will be corrected
and brought into righteousness, then you will rejoice. But if
we say it is a time of judgment, you say, Woe is me! But it
is all the same thing, that's what God's corrective judgments
are all about" - end quote.
Another man wrote, "Judgment, not in
the sense of vengeful retribution, but of that involved when
a craftsman working on a mass of clay, or an ingot of metal,
continually examines the results of the various processes to
which he subjects it, with a view to assessing whether or not
his skill and artistry are producing the desired
results" - end quote.
Hear the note of triumph and exaltation
when David speaks by the inspiration that the Spirit gives,
saying:
"Let the heavens be glad
And LET THE EARTH REJOICE;
And let men say among the nations, the
Lord reigns!
Let the sea roar, and the fullness
thereof;
Let the fields rejoice, and all
that are therein.
Then shall the trees of the wood
(people of the earth)
SING ALOUD AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD,
Because He comes TO JUDGE THE EARTH.
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He
is good;
For His mercy endures forever!" (I
Chron. 16:31-34).
Why will the "trees of the
forest" (people of the nations) "sing out"
when He is coming to JUDGE THE EARTH? One would think they
might weep, or shrink in fear and consternation at the
thought of His judgments, but why all the singing? Why
the rejoicing? Because God's judgments are an
expression of HIS GOODNESS and everlasting MERCY, designed to
teach the inhabitants of the world RIGHTEOUSNESS! The earth
shall rejoice because this means that we have reached the
TURNING POINT in our degeneration, and have come to the times
of regeneration. This is true even now for the church, but
must ultimately reach unto the whole world and the entire
creation. His presence, while it speaks of His utmost
holiness and will not tolerate the continuance of evil,
brings the changes needed for harmony and righteousness.
There shall surely be those severe prunings, crushing,
shattering, melting; but when they have accomplished their
desired results, His new life shall flow in restoration and
victory. Hallelujah!
This same ecstatic exclamation of joy and
gladness at the prospects of the coming of God's righteous
judgment into the earth is found all through the psalms and
the prophets. If you are truly destined to stand among the
company of the sons of God, the long-awaited liberators of
creation, you will most assuredly share the thrill of the
heavenly vibration in David's inspired song: "Say among
the nations that the Lord reigns: the world also shall
be established that it shall not be moved: HE SHALL JUDGE THE
PEOPLE RIGHTEOUSLY. Let the heavens rejoice, and LET THE
EARTH BE GLAD; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall
all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord: for
He comes, for He comes TO JUDGE THE EARTH: He shall judge the
world with righteousness, and the people with His truth"
(Ps. 96:10-13).
"Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord, ALL THE EARTH: make a loud noise, and rejoice,
and sing praise. Let the sea (raging, surging
multitudes of humanity) roar, and the fullness thereof; THE
WORLD, and THEY THAT DWELL THEREIN. Let the floods (armies) clap
their hands, let the hills (small kingdoms, third world
nations) be joyful together before the Lord; for HE
COMES TO JUDGE THE EARTH: with righteousness shall HE JUDGE
THE WORLD, and the people with equity" (Ps. 98:4, 8-9).
If you will take the time and
effort to look up the words judge, judgment, and judgments
in a good Bible Concordance, reading down the lists of scores
upon scores of passages in which these words are found, you
will quickly make the enlightening discovery that only
occasionally do these terms denote the negative aspects of
judgment: condemnation, wrath, and destruction. In the vast
majority of cases judgment is presented as something
altogether desirable, beneficial, and glorious! Consider
these examples: "But the Lord shall endure forever: He
hath prepared His throne for judgment. And He shall judge THE
WORLD in righteousness, He shall MINISTER JUDGMENT to the
people in uprightness" (Ps. 9:7-8). "Sing unto Him
a new song ... for the word of the Lord is right; all His
works are done in truth. He loves righteousness and JUDGMENT:
the earth is full of THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD" (Ps.
33:3-5). "Justice and judgment are the
habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall
go before Thy face. Blessed are the people that know the
JOYFUL SOUND" (Ps. 89:14). "I will sing of
MERCY and JUDGMENT: unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing" (Ps.
101:1). "Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect,
in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He
shall BRING FORTH JUDGMENT to the Gentiles. He shall not cry,
nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A
bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall
He not quench: He shall bring forth JUDGMENT UNTO TRUTH. He
shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have SET JUDGMENT
IN THE EARTH: and the isles shall wait (expectantly) for His
law" (Isa. 42:1-4). "The Lord lives, in truth, in
judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall
BLESS THEMSELVES IN HIM, and in Him shall they glory"
(Jer. 4:2).
THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS
Nothing is more evident in the Word of God
than the fact that God has a great and wonderful plan which
He is working out among the nations of earth. Many saints
recognize that God has a predestined purpose in the life of
each of His people, an appointed end for Israel, a wonderful
purpose for the church, and a foreordained plan for the
overcoming sons of God. We must also understand that the Lord
has a determined plan and purpose for ALL NATIONS; God is
actively dealing with NATIONS.
From the first dawn of human history God
has had the formation, development, and destiny of NATIONS in
mind and purpose. The present nations of earth had their
origins in the early days following the Great Flood. In
Genesis chapter ten is found a most remarkable and
comprehensive list of the descendants of Noah who became the
heads of the families and tribes which subsequently developed
into nations. Even so-called higher critics have often
admitted that the tenth chapter of Genesis is a remarkably
accurate historical document. There is no comparable catalog
of ancient nations available from any other source. It is
unparalleled in its antiquity and comprehensiveness. You
would do well to read the entire chapter.
Here is the one link between the historic
nations of antiquity and the prehistoric time of Noah and the
antediluvians. The grandsons and great grandsons of Noah are
listed, each of whom is identified with the city or country
established by his descendants. It has been possible in many
cases to identify the names in Genesis 10 with nations and
peoples known to antiquity, especially as revealed by
archaeology. Thus this chapter provides the link between
recorded history and the period of "prehistory"
which is, except for the Bible, preserved only in ancient
traditions.
An interesting verse is found in Gen.
10:25. "And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of
one was Peleg; FOR IN HIS DAYS WAS THE EARTH DIVIDED;
and his brother's name was Joktan." Peleg - or rather,
the event associated with his name - is of special interest
at this point. "In his days was the earth divided."
Evidently this was a most memorable event, and Eber named his
son in commemoration of it. The name Peleg means division.
Almost nothing else is said about Peleg apart from mention of
his family line and how long he lived. The fact that the
earth was divided in his days seems the only possible item of
distinction that can knowingly be attributed to Peleg
himself. The important thing concerns the meaning of this
indicated "division of the earth." It is obvious
that this division was the division of the peoples that took
place at the tower of Babel, rather than an actual splitting
of the continents. We have such statements as this:
"From these were the isles (coasts) of the Gentiles
(nations) DIVIDED IN THEIR LANDS; every one after his
tongue, after their families, in their NATIONS," and
again, "These are the families of the sons of Noah,
after their generations, in their NATIONS: and by these were
THE NATIONS DIVIDED in the earth after the flood" (Gen.
10:5, 32).
The descendants of Noah migrated over the
whole face of the earth, forming tribe after tribe, city
after city, and NATION AFTER NATION. Let all men know that it
is the Almighty God who is the designer and architect of all
the nations in the world. The time periods and localities in
which nations flourish have all been pre-arranged by the will
of Him who "works all things after the counsel of
His own will" (Eph. 1:11). The truth of this cannot be
made any plainer than it is by Moses in Deut. 32:8:
"When the Most High DIVIDED THE NATIONS their
inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He
set the bounds of the people according to the number of
the children of Israel." Paul refers to this verse in
Acts 17:26-27: "And hath made of one blood ALL
NATIONS of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, AND
HATH DETERMINED THE TIMES BEFORE APPOINTED, and the BOUNDS OF
THEIR HABITATION; that they should seek the Lord."
How plain it is that it was GOD who, from the beginning, set
the bounds of habitation or the national boundaries of ALL
NATIONS. These boundaries were established in relation to
Israel and with a view to their being able to seek after
the Lord. While there may yet be a future and more
glorious fulfillment of this, it is remarkable that the
ancient land of Palestine was originally reserved by the
wisdom and goodness of the Lord for the possession of His
ancient people and the display of the most stupendous signs
and wonders. The theatre was small, but wonderfully suited
for the convenient observation of the whole human race - at
the junction of the two continents of Asia and Africa, and
almost in sight of Europe. From this spot as from a common
center the reports of God's wonderful works, of His mighty
power and awesome glory, of the glad tidings of salvation
through the obedience, suffering, and resurrection of His
precious Son, of the wonder-filled outpouring of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost as the faithful disciples of Jesus were
set ablaze by the life and power of their glorified Lord,
might be rapidly and easily wafted to every part of the
globe. Yes, God set the bounds of habitation for all nations
and planted Israel at the crossroads, to the end that ALL
NATIONS should seek after the Lord. Out of Israel came
the Christ; out of the Christ has come the church, His bride
(Eph. 5:21-33); out of the church shall come forth the
manchild, the overcoming sons of God who are destined to
bring deliverance to the whole creation that it might be
fulfilled which God promised to father Abraham: "And in
thy seed shall ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH be blessed"
(Gen. 22:18). ALL NATIONS shall be blessed! What a
prospect! From the very beginning God not only designed the
nations of men that dwell upon the earth; He also planned and
purposed to bless them - each and every one of them!
This bespeaks not the blessing of Israel, nor the blessing of
the church, nor the blessing of the saints of God within the
nations; it is THE NATIONS THEMSELVES that must come under
the gracious hand of God in blessing and quickening.
David, the sweet singer of Israel, sang of
this hope in the spirit of prophecy: "God be merciful
unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us;
that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among
ALL NATIONS. Let the people praise Thee, O God; let ALL the
people praise Thee! O let THE NATIONS be glad and sing for
joy: for Thou shall JUDGE THE PEOPLE righteously, and GOVERN
THE NATIONS upon earth ... yea, ALL KINGS shall fall down
before Him: ALL NATIONS SHALL SERVE HIM" (Ps. 67:1-4;
72:11). It is obvious that all nations do not today serve the
Lord, neither do all kings (rulers) fall down before Him. The
godless Soviet Union does not serve the Lord, neither do its
rulers acknowledge Him. China does not serve the Lord. Iran
does not serve the Lord. Great numbers of nations do not
today serve the Lord, and few of their rulers fall down
before HIM. But the day is surely coming when all nations
shall be joined to the Lord and fulfill their obligations to
Him as their Maker and Saviour. If that day never comes, then
the Bible will have to be relegated to the scrapheap of
ancestral errors. But the promise is sure: "Arise, O
God, judge the earth: for Thou shall INHERIT ALL
NATIONS. A-L-L N-A-T-I-O-N-S whom Thou has made shall
come and worship before Thee, O Lord; and shall glorify Thy
name. For Thou art great, and does wondrous things" (Ps.
82:8; 86:9-10). And my spirit shouts a thousand Amens!
Many precious "fragments" reveal
God's ultimate purpose for mankind, when "ALL the ends
of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and ALL
KINDREDS OF TEE NATIONS shall worship before Thee, for the
kingdom is the Lord's and HE is the governor among the
nations" (Ps. 22:27-28). For further confirmation of
God's gracious intention toward the nations let us read Ps.
2:8. In this wonderful prophecy the Father is addressing the
Son, saying, "Ask of Me, and I WILL GIVE THEE THE
HEATHEN (Heb: nations) for Your inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." Surely
the will and plan of God is revealed in this most gracious
request, and surely this was the purpose for which Jesus came
and was sent. "Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners" (I Tim. 1:15). "The Father sent
the Son to be the Saviour of THE WORLD" (I Jn. 4:14).
With this divine plan in view, well may David triumphantly
sing, "O let THE NATIONS be glad and sing for joy, for
Thou shall judge the people righteously, and govern
the nations upon earth ... God shall bless us, and ALL
the ends of the earth shall fear (reverence) HIM" (Ps.
67:4-7). "ALL NATIONS shall call Him blessed ... and
blessed be His glorious name forever, and let THE WHOLE EARTH
be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen" (Ps. 72:17-19).
A most marvelous prophecy is found in Micah
4:1-3 which points to the very day in which we are now
living. "But in the last days it shall come to pass,
that the mountain (government) of the house of the Lord (the
sons of God) shall be established in the top of the mountains
(strong kingdoms, super powers), and it shall be exalted
above the hills (weaker kingdoms, third world nations); and
people shall flow unto it. And MANY NATIONS shall come, and
say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain (government) of
the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will
teach us His ways, and we (the nations) will walk in His
paths: for the law of the Lord shall go forth of Zion (sons
of God), and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (the
church). And He shall JUDGE among many people, and rebuke
STRONG NATIONS afar off; and they shall beat their swords
into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: NATION
shall not lift up sword against NATION, neither shall they
learn war anymore." Blessed beyond my feeble ability
to describe shall be that day when it shall come to pass that
"He shall sprinkle (cleanse, sanctify) MANY NATIONS; the
kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not
been told them they shall see; and that which they had not
heard they shall consider" (Isa. 52:15).
"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion:
for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, says
the Lord. And MANY NATIONS SHALL BE JOINED TO THE LORD in
that day, and shall be My people" (Zech. 2:10-11).
"And the city had no need of the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did
lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the
NATIONS of them that are saved shall walk in the light of
it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and
honour unto it. And they shall bring the glory and honour of
THE NATIONS into it ... and there shall be no more
curse" (Rev. 21:24-27; 22:3). As Jerusalem was the seat
of the empire, the center of government under the Old
Testament typical kingdom of God, so the New Jerusalem must
occupy the same position and be the "city of the Great
King" (Ps. 48:2; Mat. 5:35). A city is a symbol of a
kingdom or dominion, and so God's Kingdom is symbolized by
the New Jerusalem, the new dominion coming down from heaven
to earth. This is the heavenly city, the heavenly spiritual
government, the city for which Abraham looked, "a city
which hath foundations" - a government established in
righteousness, being founded upon the sure rock foundation of
the righteousness and authority of the Christ. This city is
composed of a heavenly and spiritual people in and through
whom the mind, nature, glory, will, and power of God is
expressed. This governmental city is being built now as God
brings a people into union with Himself, conformed to His
image, filled with His life. It is this overcoming body of
the Christ that shall so demonstrate the fullness of the
power and glory of the Lord that ALL NATIONS shall be swept
into the embrace of the Kingdom of God. Glory to God!
Glorious City of Peace! Whose
walls signify salvation, protection, and blessing to all who
enter it, whose foundations laid in righteousness can never
be moved, and whose builder and designer is God! It is in the
light which will shine from this glorious city (kingdom) of
God that the nations will at last walk on the highway of
holiness, up to perfection and harmony with God. It is clear
as crystal that the nations shall be saved, brought under the
dominion of Christ's Kingdom, for in vision John not only
beheld the nations walking in the light of the city, but he
saw the kings of the earth enter it in glory.
Yet none can enter who would defile it. None can enter into
it - not a nation, not a king - who has not been transformed
by the Spirit of God. None can become identified with that
holy city who have not been "sprinkled" - cleansed
and made whole by the inworking of His life. None who would
work, or love to work, deceit and unrighteousness; only those
whom the blessed Lamb shall prepare as He arises with healing
in His wings. "And the leaves of the tree (the Word of
God) are for the HEALING OF THE NATIONS" (Rev. 22:2).
Blessed day! Blessed deliverance! Long milleniums ago the
prophet Jeremiah saw this day in spirit and rejoiced:
"At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of
the Lord; and ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED UNTO IT, to
the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they
walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart"
(Jer. 3:17).
GOD'S PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH
There is no Scriptural truth stated in
simpler or more convincing language than that God, omnipotent
and omniscient, has, from the beginning, both formed and
marked out the path of destiny for every nation of men upon
the face of the whole earth. Unceasingly and untiringly God
has been working out His purpose, shaping all things through
successive generations and ages. In the age after the Flood,
beginning with Abraham, men were divided into two special
groups - men in general, plus a Chosen Family. Later we
recognize these two groups as Israelites and Gentiles. the
Chosen Family or Israelites were selected to bear witness to
a wicked and idolatrous world of the truth of the One, True
and Living God. They always remembered that they were chosen,
but quickly forgot what they were chosen for. Instead of
bearing witness to the heathen, they only hated them! And,
worse yet, copied them and became corrupted by their wicked
practices and idolatrous religions.
Beginning with Pentecost another group has
appeared, a group called the church (ecclesia), the body of
the Christ. Its very name denotes that it is a "called
out" group, composed of both Israelites and Gentiles,
chosen especially to proclaim, not only the power and wisdom
and righteousness of God, but particularly His GRACE. They
are to proclaim to the world God's solution of the problems
of sin, sorrow, and death, the solution God wrought out in
Christ.
The apostle James made a statement to the
council at Jerusalem in which he clearly defines the outline
of God's purpose for the Church in this present age, and in
the age and the ages which are to follow. "Simeon hath
declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to
take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree
the words of the prophets; as it is written, AFTER THIS I
will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down ... and I will set it up: that THE
RESIDUE OF MEN might seek after the Lord, and ALL THE
GENTILES (Gr: nations), upon whom My name is called, says the
Lord, Who does all these things" (Acts 15:14-18).
Dispensationally, this is one of the most important passages
in the Bible. It gives God's great purpose for this age
and the next age. James says that God's purpose during
this present age has been to visit the nations TO TAKE OUT OF
THEM a people for His name. I cannot emphasize too stongly
that it is to the selection and training of that chosen
group that the activities of God in the world are now
devoted. God is not dealing with nations at this time,
rather, He is calling a people out of the nations and dealing
with this called out company. It may come as a shock to some,
but it is absolutely true that God's plan for this present
age has never been the conversion of the world! It has
never been to "sweep nations into the Kingdom of
God" as some of the missionary enthusiasts love to say.
World-wide salvation was never in God's mind or purpose for
this dispensation, and God has not been "trying" to
save the world, as some ignorant souls would have us believe.
Wherever the Gospel has gone it has always saved some,
but never all. God's purpose, then, during this church
age, is to "call out" a people for His name. Out
from among the billions of earth God is choosing an ELECT
COMPANY to bear His name, to be formed into His nature, to
reveal His glory. God has been forming His church, the body
of Christ, the called out ones. Precisely this has been in
progress since Pentecost.
It is here, in the true church, that Jesus
Christ first establishes His government to rule and
reign on the throne of men's lives. God's purpose in His
church is not merely to save men from sin and hell and carry
them off to some far-away heaven somewhere. God's plan is to
first establish His dominion in the hearts of His Elect,
imbuing them with the glorious MIND OF CHRIST until they become
His nature and will in the earth. Sadly, most Christians
never come to this! They are too busy playing church, waiting
for their mansion over the hilltop, or blundering around in
the carnal programs, foolishness, and shame of a wretched,
fleshly, babylonian religious system. But even as the
dispensation of the law, at its consummation, brought forth
that which it typified and pointed to - Jesus Christ, the Son
of God - so this present church age must, in the latter days,
at its consummation, bring forth even that unto which it
pointed - the many membered BODY OF THE CHRIST, the CORPORATE
SON, matured, overcoming, conformed unto the exact likeness
of its glorious Head and so filled with the fullness of
HIMSELF that it can be said in all truth, "As HE IS, so
ARE WE in this present world" (Eph. 4:11-16).
God never intended that either Christ or
His body should rule over an nations during this present age.
His reign is confined entirely to that little company of
footstep followers who have heard His voice and who follow
the lamb where ever He goes. These are the blessed sons of
God who become the very embodiment of His divine government.
This may seem to be an extremely slow method and a very small
and insignificant Kingdom for such a great and eternal King,
but I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this lowly
beginning for a government whose authority is destined to
"subdue ALL THINGS." May God grant us vision to see
that not only is He establishing His divine government in the
hearts and lives of an Elect company of believers, but
through His faithful dealings with them He is actually
FORMING THEM INTO A GOVERNMENT - a ruling body of sons!
God is calling out a people to bear his
name. But WHY? WHEN? WHERE? To bear His name merely to a
small handful of people through their short lifetime in the
flesh during this age? NO WAY! James says, "AFTER THIS
(after the Lord has completed His work of calling out and
forming His special people) I will return and build again the
tabernacle of David ... THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN MIGHT SEEK
AFTER THE LORD, AND A-L-L THE GENTILES (NATIONS) ... says the
Lord!" The "residue" of men denotes "all
the rest" of men, all who were not included in the
"called out" firstfruit company. Our wise and
gracious heavenly Father is even now forming His government
of faithful and obedient sons whom He shall raise up as Kings
and Priests in due time to bring His Kingdom to pass in all
realms. God, through 1900 long years, has slowly, surely, and
wisely been choosing this company, preparing them through the
fiery furnaces of trials and afflictions, purgings and
processings, to reign with Him in righteousness and power.
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with
Him
(II Tim. 2:12) ..... You were slain, and has
redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; and has made us unto our
God kings and priests: AND WE SHALL REIGN OVER THE
EARTH" (Rev. 5:9-10). "To Him that overcomes ... to
him I will give POWER OVER THE NATIONS: and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall
they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My
Father" (Rev. 2:26-27).
In this age salvation is unto
"as many as are ordained unto eternal life" (Acts
13:48). But in the ages to come there shall be a displaying
of God's matchless grace through His beloved sons that
"the residue of men shall seek after the Lord,
and all the nations over whom My name is called." If
this is not true then "reigning with Christ" is
absolutely ridiculous and purposeless. But, blessed be God!
the word is sure: "...the God of heaven shall set up a
Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom
shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume (take into itself) ALL THESE
KINGDOMS, and it shall stand for ever" (Dan. 2:44).
JUDGMENT AND RESTORATION OF NATIONS
There is a two-fold ministry of the sons of
God: Judgment and mercy. On the one hand they
shall exhibit His surpassing grace, while, on the other hand,
they shall bring judgment in the earth. The more the spirit
of revelation unfolds the truth, the more we see God's
judgments in proper perspective, that they are corrective in
nature and used to bring forth a state of rightness in the
earth. They shall not be executed in unholy vengeance, for mercy
and grace shall balance the score. Judgments are
desperately needed, but they are ever tempered with mercy,
and when they have fulfilled their purpose, the judgments
end, and the whole earth shall be full of His mercy, life,
and glory. Mercy recognizes the need of justice. Mercy knows
that every mountain and hill must be brought low, but mercy
is there to FILL UP THE VALLEY once the subduing has taken
place. As the Psalmist wrote, "Justice and judgment
are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth
shall go before Thy face" (Ps. 89:14). And again, "I
will sing of MERCY and JUDGMENT: unto Thee, O Lord, will
I sing" (Ps. 101:1).
With this thought of judgment and mercy in
mind, let us consider some certain and indisputable promises
of God to specific peoples and nations. We all know the awful
magnitude of the sin and judgment which came upon Sodom and
Gomorrah. Jude tells us that they are "set forth for an
example, suffering the vengeance of eternal (Gr: age-during)
fire" (Jude 7). The fire was not quenched until it had
finished its work and these cities were so completely
destroyed that today there is no remaining trace of them to
be found. Archaeologists can only conjecture as to where they
may have been located. One would think that after such a
complete work of judgment you could just forget about Sodom
and Gomorrah and "write them off." And yet, the
Lord holds forth the promise of the eventual restoration of
such an infamous city-state as Sodom! Not only that, but His
engagement to do this is linked up with His promise to
restore the people of JUDAH! Speaking to backslidden
Jerusalem as to a harlot, God declares to her in His great
mercy, "As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom thy sister
hath not done, she or her daughters, as thou has done, thou
and thy daughters.
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister
Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness
was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen
the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and
committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them
away as I saw good. Neither hath Samaria committed half
of thy sins; but thou did multiply your abominations more
than they, and has justified thy sisters in a your
abominations which thou has done. When I shall bring
again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom
and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her
daughters, THEN WILL I BRING AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF THY
CAPTIVES IN THE MIDST OF THEM. When thy sisters, SODOM and
her daughters ... SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER ESTATE, then
thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.
For thus says the Lord God; I will deal with thee as thou has
done ... nevertheless I will remember My covenant with thee
in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an
everlasting covenant. Then thou shall remember thy ways, and
be ashamed, WHEN YOU SHALL RECEIVE THY SISTERS, your elder
and thy younger ... and I will establish My covenant with
thee; and thou shall know that I am the Lord" (Eze.
16:48-62).
Has this wonderful thing been accomplished?
History shouts aloud that it has not - not yet! But, fear
not, dear ones, for the same God of faithfulness and
omnipotence who declared, "And so ALL ISRAEL shall be
saved," also promises, "SODOM shall return
to her former estate." Not their former estate of
wickedness, certainly, for then the long ages of judgment
would prove fruitless. Jesus saw this coming restoration of
Sodom when He announced to the people of Capernaum, "And
thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works that have been
done in thee, had been done in Sodom, IT WOULD HAVE REMAINED
UNTO THIS DAY. But I say unto you, that it shall be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment,
than for thee" (Mat. 11:23-24). When these two cities
rise up in the day of judgment, under the ministry of the
sons of God, it will be far easier to bring the people of
Sodom into obedience to the Kingdom of Christ than the people
of Capernaum. According to the estimation of Christ, although
the people of Sodom were extremely wicked, yet, if the mighty
works which were done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom
THEY WOULD HAVE REPENTED. Capernaum, therefore, will have to
be dealt with much more severely! These verses can have no
other meaning. And if the judgment is the same for the people
of both of these cities - eternal damnation in hell-fire -
then Christ's promise that it will be "more
tolerable" for the people of Sodom in the day of
judgment is meaningless. How unscriptural and ridiculous the
ignorant traditions of men!
A. P. Adams has written a masterful
monograph on the restoration of Sodom and I here share a
portion of his scholarly wisdom: "I need not dwell upon
the history of the destruction of Sodom, all are familiar
with it, or may very easily make themselves so. We know that
the city was so wicked that ten righteous persons could not
be found within its walls and God destroyed them all by a
horrible tempest' (Ps. 11:6) of 'fire and brimstone.'
'Terrible!' you exclaim, 'what extraordinary sinners they
must have been to have deserved such a fearful visitation as
this!' Why, no, 'they were not sinners above all men' (Lk. 1
3:4); in fact they were very ordinary sinners, not near as
bad as many cities that are referred to in the Bible. Their
sins were just the ordinary transgressions of all populous
and wealthy cities, ancient and modern. What were they?
'Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom; pride, fullness of
bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, neither did she
strengthen the hand of the poor and needy; and they were
haughty, and committed abomination' (Eze. 16:49-50). These
are not extraordinary, unusual sins. What city ever existed,
or does now exist, that could not be truthfully charged with
every one of the sins enumerated above? Many a city has been
far worse than this. The above language would not begin to
describe the 'iniquity' of Paris, London, or New York. But
more surprising still, Sodom did not begin to be so bad as
the so-called 'holy city of David,' proud and magnificent
Jerusalem. The sin of Sodom was 'a very little thing'
in comparison with the sin of Jerusalem (Eze. 16:47). Think
of it! We know that the sin of Sodom was 'very grievous'
(Gen. 18:20). What then must have been the sin of highly
favored Jerusalem, if in comparison therewith the sin of
Sodom was 'a very little thing?'
"Suppose we take the orthodox view of
this case and see how well it will stand investigation. The
case of Sodom is clear-cut and unequivocal. We know that the
Sodomites were exceedingly wicked sinners (Gen. 13:13). We
know that when they were destroyed there were no righteous
persons among them, 'no, not one' (Rom. 3:10), for if there
had been the Lord would have saved him with Lot, and thus the
Sodomites were a fitting type of the whole race. We know that
they perished in their sins, and that none of them escaped, all
were destroyed (Lk. 17:29). Hence it is positive that these
wicked sinners have all gone to an ENDLESS hell, if the
orthodox view is correct. Is such a view in harmony with the
Bible teaching in regard to Sodom? As we have already
noticed, the sin of Sodom was comparatively 'a very little
thing.' If the doom of Sodom for this comparatively 'very
little' sin is endless torment WHAT OUGHT TO BE THE
DOOM OF JERUSALEM? What ought to be the doom of Capernaum,
and of the cities that reject the Gospel? for they also are worse
than Sodom (Mat. 10:14; 11:23-24). Sodom did not sin against
light; they knew nothing of the true God or of Jesus Christ
the Saviour. I know that Lot was among them, a righteous man,
but we have every reason to believe that he was more
interested in his worldly prosperity than in the moral
welfare of those around him. At any rate rejection of the
truth is not mentioned in the enumeration of the sins of
Sodom. Would their guilt have been any greater, if they had
committed that sin? Certainly it would, for it is on that
very account that other cities are spoken of as worse than
Sodom. This was the very reason why Jerusalem was worse, -
because it sinned against great light; this was the very
reason why Capernaum was worse; and this was the very reason
given by Jesus Christ Himself why it should be 'more
tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment' than for those
cities that rejected the Truth. How does the idea of its
being 'more tolerable' for one than for another in the future
state of punishment, comport with the idea of endless torment
for all? Not at all; it is arrogant nonsense to talk about more
or less tolerable endless torment, and any one ought to
be ashamed to believe or advocate any such absurdity. But
graver still is the question, - how can we vindicate the
justice of God in His dealing with Sodom if the orthodox view
is correct? Jesus plainly tells us that if Sodom had had the
light and advantages that other cities had, IT WOULD HAVE
REPENTED; that light was withheld, through no fault of
theirs, and they perished in their sins and are lost. Why did
they not have that light? Why did not Sodom have as good a
chance for salvation as any other class of human beings? That
they did not, Christ plainly declares, and now their
doom is sealed and they are hopelessly lost, according to the
popular view, when if they had had as good an opportunity as
others they would have been saved. You cannot reconcile this
case with justice and equity on the ground of the prevailing
theology. I will show presently how fully it harmonizes with
the grand truth of probation after death, but it is certainly
out of joint in every particular with the teaching of the
nominal church.
"But now how easy to understand and
how reasonable this declaration in regard to Sodom becomes in
the light of the Word of God. The 'judgment day' is the
period of man's probation. Within the scope of the judgment
day every one receives according to his desserts 'few stripes
or many' (Lk. 12:47-48). At that time it shall be more
tolerable for those like Sodom, who in ignorance and mere
animalism have only committed the crimes common to all
mankind, than for those who, blessed with great light and
large opportunities, have added to the ordinary sins of man
the wilful and persistent rejection of that light, and the
ungrateful abuse of those favorable opportunities; highly
favored Jerusalem, exalted Capernaum, and the cities blessed
by the preaching of the apostles, shall be cast down into a
deeper hell, than Sodom and Gomorrah, or Tyre and Sidon,
though these latter cities were exceedingly wicked in their
pride and cruelty, and intensely filthy with heathen
corruptions and nameless abominations. It would be well if
modem Jerusalems and Capernaums, in this most civilized,
refmed, and intellectual of eras should take warning,
remembering that, 'Unto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall much be required.'
"The foregoing rational and Scriptural
explanation of the case of Sodom, clears up all the
difficulties of the orthodox view. Turn to the 16th chapter
of Ezekiel's prophecy and read it all through. You win notice
that the first part of the chapter is highly figurative. The
origin of Jerusalem is represented as that of a poor
neglected female infant cast out as a low-born waif,
friendless and ready to perish. God represents Himself as
taking pity on the babe, caring for it, and rearing it for
Himself. The figure moves on, growing more and more intense
and striking. The child grows up to a beautiful womanhood,
and the Lord says, 'I spread My skirt over thee (compare Ruth
3:9), and covered thy nakedness; yea I swear unto thee, and
entered into a covenant with thee, says the Lord God, and
thou becomes Mine.' Thus Jerusalem is represented as
being married unto God. Then the figure goes on to represent
the magnificence and beauty of the bride; 'T'hy renown went
forth among the heathen for thy beauty; for it was perfect
through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, says
the Lord God.' But self-trust, pride, and unfaithfulness
follow. In language most intensely significant the surpassing
wickedness of Jerusalem is represented under the abhorrent
figure of an unfaithful, corrupted wife, who not only plays
the harlot herself, but teaches her children (vs. 20, etc.)
to commit like abominations; 'Woe, woe, unto thee! says the
Lord God;' a terrible heap of corruption and crime is piled
up against this shameless harlot, and then the Lord declares
her punishment. 'Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the
Lord! because of thy filthiness and abominations I will bring
shame upon thee before thy lovers, and I will judge thee as
women that break wedlock, and destruction, and ruin, and
shame, and war shall come upon thee, and thou shall be robbed
of thy wealth of thy fair jewels and the beautiful rainment,
and thou shall be stripped and stoned, and thrust through
with the sword, and burned with fire; and I will pour out My
fury and anger upon thee. 'Then the Lord goes on to declare
that Jerusalem had followed the tendencies of her heathen
origin, and, like the Amorite and the Hittite, and other
Canaanitish nations, had wrought all manner of
'abominations.' Samaria, the capital of the wicked kingdom of
Israel (the ten tribes), and Sodom, the principal city of the
plain, are her elder and younger or rather her greater
and lesser (see margin) sisters. It is not the age of
these cities that is referred to in the Hebrew terms rendered
'elder' and 'younger,' but their comparative guilt.
Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem are represented as three
sisters of one common, corrupt parentage. Sodom is called the
'lesser' because the least guilty of the three, having had
the least light and fewest privileges. Samaria is next in
guilt, the greater or 'elder' sister of Jerusalem,
being next in favorable advantages; while Jerusalem is far
worse than any of the others, having had the greatest
blessings and opportunities. Therefore, God says to
Jerusalem, 'Thine elder sister is Samaria, and thy lesser
sister is Sodom. Yet has thou not walked after their ways,
nor done after their abominations; but as if that were a
very little thing, thou was corrupted more than
they in all thy ways. As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom thy
sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou has
done, thou and thy daughters. As I live, says the Lord God,
Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as
thou has done, thou and thy daughters...thou also which has
judged thy sisters, bear your own shame for thy sins which
thou has committed more abominable than they; they are
more righteous than thou.' This is a most terrible
charge. So great and overshadowing was the sin of Jerusalem
that the sins of these other wicked cities sink into utter
insignificance in comparison; the immensely greater iniquity
of Jerusalem even seems to justify (excuse altogether) the
comparatively trifling transgressions of Sodom and Samaria.
When we think, again, of the great enormity in itself of the
iniquity of these two exceedingly wicked cities, and yet are
told that their sin was 'as a very little thing,' and even
'justifiable' in comparison to the far more enormous sin of
Jerusalem, we can perhaps form some faint idea of the
tremendous guilt and deep corruption of this latter city. Now
then ... if there is MERCY and BLESSING in store for
Jerusalem, 'the chief of sinners,' SURELY WE NEED NOT BE
SURPRISED OR INCREDULOUS WHEN WE ARE TOLD OF FUTURE MERCY AND
BLESSING FOR THE LESS GUILTY CITIES OF SAMARIA AND SODOM!
'I will bring again their captivity,
the captivity of SODOM,' says the Lord. 'Thy sister SODOM and
her daughters shall return to their former estate.' What does
the personal, plural pronoun their refer to? the city
or the people? The people, of course. So all through
the latter part of this chapter, the most cursory reading
will show that by the term Sodom, is meant in every
case the inhabitants of that ancient city. The pronouns
'their,' 'they,' and 'them' in verses 47-55 cannot refer to
the city nor to the land but to the people.
This prophecy may be fulfilled, though neither the land nor
the city ever be restored, as it has nothing to do with
either, but applies entirely to the inhabitants of
Sodom.
"I will conclude with noticing one
more thought. A future probation for Sodom such as is taught
in this prophecy would not be a second probation, or another
chance, as some say, but the only probation, the only
chance that the people of Sodom ever had! Probation is the
period of education, breaking, training, enlightenment, and
development through correction; we cannot have such probation
until we have the true light of God; Sodom was destitute of
all such light, hence has had no probation. Thus this
prophecy of Sodom stands as a bulwark against error and for
the protection of the truth. It is a most remarkable
prophecy, utterly out of joint with all the denominational
creeds, and all other beliefs that would narrow down the plan
of God for man's redemption to the present life and the
present age. But it is in full harmony with the views of
those who see that the present life for the vast majority of
the race is not their period of probation or trial for
eternal life, but that such probation will come 'after
death;' and that the present age, and all the ages past, are
but the preparatory stages to the great work in 'the ages to
come,' even the 'ages of the ages,' of creating man, the
entire race, in the image and likeness of God. This latter
view is in harmony with ALL Scripture, and is thus marked as
the truth of God" - end quote.
Another striking example of God's dealings
with nations and His future plans for them is found in the
ancient nation of Assyria. It was once one of the six great
empires that have ruled the civilized world, preceding
Babylon. In Zeph. 2:13-15 the Lord pronounced His judgment
against Assyria, saying, "And He will stretch out His
hand against the north, and DESTROY ASSYRIA; and will make
NINEVAH (the capital of Assyria) a desolation, and dry like a
wilderness. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly,
that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me:
how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie
down in! every one that passes by her shall hiss, and wag his
hand." Today there are only some dirt mounds covering
the site of Ninevah, nor does the kingdom of Assyria exist
any more at all! How thoroughly does God execute His word!
But now, hear this! "And the Lord shall be known to
Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day ...
yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. And
the Lord shall smite Egypt: He shall smite and heal it: and
they shall return even to the Lord. In that day shall there
be an highway OUT OF EGYPT TO ASSYRIA, and the ASSYRIAN shall
come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the
Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall
ISRAEL be the third with EGYPT and with ASSYRIA, even a
blessing in the midst of the land: WHOM THE LORD OF HOSTS
SHALL BLESS, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and ASSYRIA
THE WORK OF MY HANDS, and Israel Mine inheritance." To
say that there will not be a restoration of the nation of
Assyria and that God will not save that nation would be a
blatant repudiation of the Word of God. And notice, too, that
today EGYPT is a MOSLEM NATION, but, according to the above
prophecy Egypt also shall come to know the Lord and shall
SERVE HIM AS A NATION along with Israel and Assyria. What
anticipation this stirs in our hearts! Glory to God!
Now hear the words of the Lord against two
other peoples, Moab and Ammon: "Therefore as I live,
says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall
be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah,
even the breeding of nettles and saltpits, and a perpetual
desolation" (Zeph. 2:9). This judgment would seem to be
final, and would be IF THE JUDGMENT OF SODOM IS FOR EVER
SEALED IN ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, but it is only final till the
judgment is completed. For God says of Moab in Jer. 48:47,
"YET will I bring again the captivity of Moab IN THE
LATTER DAYS;" and in Jer. 49:6, of Ammon He promises,
"And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the
children of Ammon, says the Lord." If one reads only a
portion of God's word, the facts are too few to calculate
rightly the curve of God's purposes. May the spirit of wisdom
and revelation from God enable us to see beyond the weeping
of the night that we may behold the JOY THAT COMES IN THE
MORNING; when every judgment shall have fulfilled its
purpose, the judgments end, and ALL NATIONS are filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover
the sea. "And He will destroy in this mountain (the
Kingdom of God) the face of the covering cast over all
people, and the veil (of blindness) that is spread over all
nations. And he will swallow up death in victory; and the
Lord will wipe away tears from off all faces. And it
shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have
waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we
have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in HIS
SALVATION" (Isa. 25:7-9).
"The Lord is King! Lift up your
voice,
O earth; and all ye heavens, rejoice:
From world to world the joy shall ring,
The Lord Omnipotent is King!
"The Lord is King! who then shall
dare
Resist His will, distrust His care,
Or murmur at His wise decrees,
Or doubt His royal promises?
"The Lord is King! Child of the
dust,
The Judge of all the earth is just;
Holy and true are all His ways:
Let every creature speak His praise.
"One Lord, one empire, all
secures;
He reigns, and life and death are yours:
Thro' earth and heav'n one song shall
ring,
The Lord Omnipotent is King!"
THE JUDGMENT DAY
The apostle Paul, speaking on Mars Hill,
told the Athenians, "...God ... hath appointed a day, in
the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that
Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance
unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead"
(Acts 17:31). This passage sets forth four wonderful truths:
(1) God has appointed A DAY
(2) In that DAY He shall JUDGE THE WORLD in
righteousness
(3) lie shall JUDGE THE WORLD by that MAN whom
He has ordained
(4) This ASSURANCE is given unto ALL MEN.
The judgment day is not a day of eternal
doom, but a blessed day of ASSURANCE TO ALL MEN. But how is
that assurance given unto all men? In just this way. God has
appointed a day, an indefinite period of time in which He
will in righteousness JUDGE THE WORLD by a MAN whom He has
ordained for that purpose. That Man of course is His Son, and
His Son died the death of all humanity, but this assurance
lies in the fact that GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. The
assurance given UNTO ALL is, that as God dealt with His own
Son in this particular, He will also deal with ALL HUMANITY.
This is the point that is overlooked by the
vast majority of preachers and teachers and churches in this
day. Today, all depends upon whether or not the person
accepts the teaching of a particular church, submitting to
its ordinances and rituals, embracing the doctrine which is
held by all its members. Having done that, the particular
church then assures the new member that he is a Christian and
that he is going to a place called heaven. But the assurance
of God does not rest upon any such frail foundation. God's
assurance rests upon the FACT of the resurrection of His own
Son, and that assurance is given not to a select few, but to
ALL MEN.
The term "day," both in the
Scriptures and in common usage, though most frequently used
to represent a period of twelve or twenty-four hours, really
signifies any definite or special period of time. Thus, for
instance, we speak of Abraham's day, Noah's day, Luther's
day, Washington's day; and thus in the Bible the entire time
of creation is called a day, where we read of "the day
that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens" (Gen.
2:4) - a long, definite period, which includes the six other
"days" of creation listed in Genesis chapter
one. Then we read of "the day of temptation in
the wilderness" - forty years (Heb. 3:8-9); "the day
of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2); also the "day
of vengeance," the "day of wrath," and
the "day of trouble" - terms applied to a
period of forty years at the close of the Jewish nation, and
to a similar period of trouble when the times of the Gentiles
are brought to a close at the end of this age. Then again we
read of the "day of Christ," the "day
of judgment," and "His day" - terms
especially applicable to the glorious triumph of the Kingdom
of God in an realms, as the Christ, Head and body, reigns
over, rules and judges THE NATIONS in righteousness, granting
wonderful blessing as well as rendering binding sentences.
And of that period it is written: "He shall judge the
world in righteousness, and in HIS DAY shall show who is that
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of
lords" (Acts 17:31; I Tim. 6:15).
Ah, God has appointed a day in which
He will judge the world in righteousness by THAT MAN
WHOM HE HATH ORDAINED, and that MAN is the Christ, Head and
body! When giving his preview of the wonderful work of this
time the apostle John wrote: "Then I saw thrones, and
sitting on them were those to whom authority to act as JUDGES
and pass sentence was entrusted. Also I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for their witnessing to Jesus and
for the Word of God, and who had refused to pay homage to the
beast ... and they lived again, and ruled with Christ
a thousand years. Blessed is the person who takes part in the
first resurrection Over them the second death has no power or
authority, but they shall be ministers of God and of Christ,
and they shall rule with Him a thousand years" (Rev.
20:4,6).
"Thrones" occupied by them to
whom the authority to "act as judges" is given! Is
this a glorious and exciting prospect, or does it cast a dark
shadow upon what would otherwise be a bright picture? Judges!
Decisions handed down! Judicial decisions! Authority! How are
we to view such a prospect? In conjunction with this vision
John says, "Then I saw an angel (symbol of a MINISTRY)
descending from heaven (the governmental realm of God); he
was holding the key of the abyss - the bottomless pit - and a
great chain was in his hand. And he gripped and overpowered
the dragon, that old serpent of primeval times, who is the
devil and Satan, and securely bound him for a thousand years.
Then he hurled him into the abyss and closed it and sealed it
above him, so that he should NO LONGER LEAD ASTRAY AND
DECEIVE AND SEDUCE T-H-E N-A-T-I-O-N-S..."
(Rev. 20:1-3). Talk about judgment! Sentencing! Judicial
authority! Power from heaven! Spiritual power! A burning word
of authority! John beheld this whole present world-system
passing away. After six milleniums of sin, sorrow, tyranny,
war, oppression, pain, and death mankind needs DELIVERANCE!
The NATIONS need a change! For six-thousand years the earth
has been governed by the will of carnal men and the will of
man has been usurped by the mind of Satan. The nations have
been governed variously by kings, emperors, dictators, prime
ministers, and presidents, but the net result has always been
the same, for the corrupt nature of man ever asserts itself,
seeking its own purposes, fulfilling its own desires, and
doing its own will.
Are the people not deeply disappointed and
perplexed today by the political and judicial system that
operates in this hour, even here in the United States of
America? Truly I can say to you that in our time, as at no
previous time, is when the words of the Psalmist have come
true as a prophecy in respect to men in a political and
judicial capacity who are like "gods" but have
betrayed the people in their office: "They know not,
neither will they understand: they walk on in darkness: all
the foundations of earth are out of course" (Ps. 82:5).
Or, as the Amplified Bible so aptly translates, "The
magistrates and judges know not, neither will they
understand; they walk on in the darkness; all the foundations
of the earth (the fundamental principles upon which rests the
administration of justice) are shaking."
Can anyone possibly imagine what would
happen to a nation if all the members of its government were
completely selfless instead of completely selfish, if
they were sons of God WALKING IN THE MIND AND SPIRIT OF
CHRIST, instead of handshaking, baby-kissing politicians
seeking to curry the favor of men for personal advantage, or
if the judges judged by the spirit of wisdom and discernment
from God instead of by the tricky technicalities of the law?
What if the leaders of the world were filled with the Holy
Spirit of God and moved under the power of His anointing
turning men to God instead of building larger armies and
navies, more sophisticated missiles, and more destructive
bombs? What if judges and social workers had the Word of God
in their mouths and power to cast the demon spirits out of
men instead of carrying them off to some ungodly
psychiatrist, mental hospital, or prison? To even contemplate
such things in this age of darkness only serves to bring a
sad smile to our faces, but I can assure you in all
confidence that this present day of darkness is even now
merging into God's great DAY OF JUDGMENT and perdition of
ungodly men. The whole system is rapidly sinking and
collapsing around us and God is even now preparing a
righteous government of holy sons of God to replace it.
Destruction of the demonized
systems of this world will certainly call for a change of
judgeships over mankind. In the proper course of things,
then, new thrones of judgment come into existence. Nothing
else but a BETTER BODY OF JUDGES could be expected to occupy
those new thrones of judgment, which are established by God's
authority in the heavenlies. God's judges will not be men in
judicial robes sitting on a bench in a smoke-filled
courtroom. God's judges shall be men possessing the mind
of Christ, clothed with the wisdom and power of God,
speaking the words of God great authority. Mighty DELIVERANCE
can thenceforth be expected to come to misled, misruled, and
misjudged mankind! Two thousand years ago Jesus designated
the first twelve of this new order of judges. On the night of
His betrayal and arrest and unjust trial by the highest court
in Jerusalem, Jesus said to His small handful of footstep
followers: "You are those who have remained and
persevered with Me in My trials; and as My Father has
appointed a Kingdom and conferred it on Me, so do I confer on
you the privilege and decree that you may eat and drink at My
table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones, JUDGING the twelve
tribes of Israel" (Lk. 22:28-30). Those were merely the
first appointed to this realm of authority and ministry, for
Daniel said, "I beheld, and the same horn made war with
the saints, and prevailed against them; until the ancient of
days came, and JUDGMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE SAINTS of the Most
High; and the time came that the SAINTS possessed the
Kingdom" (Dan. 7:21-22). And Paul adds further light in
I Cor. 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that THE SAINTS SHALL
JUDGE THE WORLD? And if the world shall be judged
by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest
matters?"
THE MINISTRY OF JUDGING
In the Bible the ones whom God raised up as
judges for His people did more than just settle disputes
between individuals or hand down and execute judicial
decisions. Those judges were actually THE DELIVERERS OF GOD'S
PEOPLE! There is one book in the Bible that is specifically
named "Judges." As a book it is a thriller! Therein
we read of the fearless exploits of those mighty men whom
God, "the Judge of an the earth," raised up for the
salvation and deliverance of His oppressed and afflicted
people. Hail the day of judgment that began when God raised
up a judge to execute judgment for His afflicted ones! for
these judges were, indeed, "saviours" of Israel by
a special anointing of the Spirit of the Lord.
Throughout the administration of the judges
the people were blessed. Note, for instance, how, when under
oppression by their enemies because of transgression against
the Lord, Israel was again and again released and blessed by
the raising up of judges. Thus we read: "When the
children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a
DELIVERER, who delivered them ... and the Spirit of the Lord
came upon him, and he JUDGED ISRAEL, and went out to war ...
and prevailed ... and the land had rest" (Judges
3:9-11). And again, "The Lord raised up judges that
DELIVERED THEM out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
And when the Lord raised up judges, then the Lord was with
the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their
enemies all the days of the judge" (Judges 2:16, 18).
Those wonderful judges were
raised up long millenniums ago for the deliverance of Israel;
but now, in this glorious age, God is preparing a mighty
COMPANY OF JUDGES whose responsibility it shall be to JUDGE
THE WORLD in righteousness! "And he that overcomes ...
to him will I give power over the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron" (Rev. 2:26-27).
"To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in
My throne" (Rev. 3:21). "And I saw thrones, and
they sat on them, and judgment was given unto
them..." (Rev. 20:4,6). So, though the church and the
world have long been under the power and oppression of the
great adversary, yet He who paid for the sins of all with His
own precious blood will take His great power and reign in
blessing over realms that hitherto have not known Him. He
will judge and deliver ALL THOSE WHOM HE SO
LOVED AS TO REDEEM. With this ALL the prophetic declarations
agree. It is written, "With righteousness shall He JUDGE
THE W-O-R-L-D, and the people with equity" (Ps.
98:9). Thank God! The very thought of an age governed by the
sons of God who are filled with the seven-fold intensified
Spirit of the Lord leaves me absolutely breathless! Words
become totally inadequate and human ability to articulate the
wonder of such a thing fails completely. Our faltering minds
cannot totally appreciate nor comprehend the wonder of
Isaiah's prophecy: "But with righteousness shall He
judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the
earth: He shall smite the earth with the rod (authority) of
His mouth, and with the breath (Spirit) of His lips (Word)
shall He slay the wicked. The earth shall be FULL of the
knowledge of the Lord, AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA"
(Isa. 11:2-9).
THE MINISTRY OF REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION
The day which God has appointed, in the
which He shall JUDGE THE WORLD, is now at hand. The judges
for this day are now m preparation for their awesome task.
Yes, you shall judge the world, saints ... but you will do it
in humility and with a broken heart full of compassion and
love. The first aspect of the ministry of the judges in the
coming age is judgment. This work, however, shall be
swiftly followed by the second ministry of mercy and restoration,
for God's judgments are ever unto correction and redemption.
Praise God! Let us now consider the processes involved in
this wonderful work of redemption and restoration.
To Israel, two millenniums ago, the hope of
their coming Messiah, the Deliverer, was the fervent prayer
and burning desire of the devout. When Jesus came God's
people Israel were baffled and perplexed in mind, because
they had learned to look only for a Messiah who would come to
deliver them from their enemies and from the hand of all who
oppressed them. The prophecies plainly declared that a
DELIVERER would come out of Zion. Of this they were confident
and assured, but their unregenerate hearts and unspiritual
minds did not comprehend that the first work of the great
Deliverer would be to DELIVER THEM from the awful curse of
THEIR OWN SINS and to transform THEIR WICKED HEARTS by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which deliverance could only be accomplished by the shedding
of His righteous blood and the renewing of the Holy Ghost
within them.
Israel wanted to be delivered from ROME! In
their clouded minds and distorted vision they could see only
the flashing of Roman swords and the snapping of the heels of
the Roman legions as the source and substance of their
bondage. But of what value would it have been had the blessed
Redeemer come only to deliver them from the power and
authority of Rome if there was to be no change in their
wicked and rebellious hearts? God's Word is full of accounts
of His mighty acts of deliverance on their behalf, but no
sooner were they delivered from their enemies than they
utterly corrupted themselves and forsook the Lord.
The book of Judges records how Israel
corrupted themselves utterly before the Lord. "And the
children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and
served Baalim: and they forsook the Lord God of their
fathers, and followed other gods and provoked the Lord to
anger. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and
He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled
them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies so
that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
Where ever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against
them for evil. Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which
delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they
went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto
them. And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord
delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days
of the judge. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead,
that they corrupted themselves more than their fathers; they
ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn
way" (Judges 2:11-19).
What a sordid state of affairs! Do you get
the picture? Again and again, over and over, time after time,
repeatedly, the cycle goes on and on..."And the children
of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord ... and the anger
of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them
into the hands of their enemies ... and the children of
Israel cried unto the Lord ... and the Lord raised them up
judges ... the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them
out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge
... and it came to pass, when the judge was dead that they
corrupted themselves more than their fathers ... and the
children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord ... and
the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He
delivered them into the hands of their enemies ... the
children of Israel cried unto the Lord ... and the Lord
raised them up judges ... and the Lord was with the judge,
and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the
days of the judge ... and it came to pass, when the judge was
dead, that they corrupted themselves more than their fathers
... and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the
Lord ... and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel,
and He delivered them into the hands of their enemies ... the
children of Israel cried unto the Lord ... and the Lord
raised them up judges..." DO YOU GET THE PICTURE, N-O-W?
How unmistakably evident that it was not their enemies from
whom they needed deliverance - they needed DELIVERANCE FROM
THEMSELVES! Their great problem was that they continually
cried unto the Lord because of the oppression of the king Of
Mesopotamia, or the Moabites, or the Canaanites, or the
Midianites, or the Ammonites, or the Philistines; BUT NEVER
ONCE DID THEY CRY MIGHTILY UNTO GOD BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN
DESPERATELY WICKED AND REBELLIOUS HEARTS! How like human
nature that is! Great masses of people today in the
Charismatic Movement want God to solve all their problems and
pour out upon them lavishly of His blessings, but they do not
want to change their life style, there is no deep work of
repentance, they stoutly refuse to separate themselves from
the idolatrous and wicked harlot church systems at whose
polluted tables they feast, and they have no desire whatever
for God to come in blazing, consuming fire to purge and
purify their hearts from the wicked and idolatrous spirit of
this present age.
The book of Judges is a wonderful book.
Over and over again it records the loving kindness and tender
mercy of God on the one hand and the incredible corruption of
the human heart on the other. The corruption of the human
heart is beyond belief and it would have been completely
useless had the Lord sent His Son to be the Deliverer of His
people from Rome, or from any other external circumstance or
situation, while leaving their wicked hearts unchanged and
their carnal natures not destroyed. As in the days of old
they would no sooner have been delivered from their enemies
than they would have turned back to heathen gods and to the
lusts of their own flesh. Is this not what the unregenerate
are doing now? Is this not what the "blessing
seeking" crowd is doing, those who preach a message of faith
and power and blessing, but not balanced by the
message of the inworking of HIS CROSS? Do they not worship Mammon,
the god of PROSPERITY and RICHES? Are they not lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of GOD? Do men not worship the
god of self and the god of lust and sex?
No wonder the Lord said, "Ye draw nigh to Me with your
lips, but your heart is far from Me" (Isa. 29:13). How
well did James proclaim: "Draw nigh to God and He will
draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify
your hearts, ye double-minded" (James 4:8).
In this age and in the glorious age and
ages to come what good would it be to raise up righteous
judges to judge the people: to settle disputes between
individuals and nations, to pronounce verdicts and sentences,
to execute judicial decisions, while the heart of man remains
deceitful and corrupt and his mind more nearly the mind of a
devil than the mind of God? If ever the world is to be judged
and ruled in righteousness, righteousness must first of all
be established WITHIN THE HEART OF MAN and the rule of God
removed from the external and brought into the very tables of
his heart and mind. There must be a new birth, even a
birth from above. The wickedness of man demands it. There
must be a conversion, a total change wherein evil men
who once were afar off from God are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. The very well-spring of that conversion must
be a birth from above by which a new heart and a new spirit
are placed WITHIN THE MEN OF ALL RACES AND TRIBES AND
NATIONS. This is why Jesus, when He appeared on the world
scene, came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God,
and the very first word of that Kingdom Gospel is this:
"REPENT, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
(Mat. 4:17). "Godly sorrow works REPENTANCE TO SALVATION
not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works
death" (II Cor. 7:10).
The whole problem with Israel as a nation
in the Bible times was that they were unconverted. While they
willingly made covenants with God and swore allegiance and
obedience to Him, their hearts remained unchanged. There was
no birth from above! All the while they were forcing
themselves to do God's bidding, their unregenerate hearts
were wandering after Baal or Ashtaroth or Mammon, because
these gods catered to their flesh and to every abomination
that is common to the human heart. They did not serve the
Lord because their hearts were not attuned to a life of
holiness which begins when Jesus comes into the heart. This
same condition still exists all about us in the realm of the
unregenerate and unconverted people who fill the pews of our
so-called churches every Sunday morning. With their lips they
serve the Lord, but their hearts are far from Him! They sing,
"Holy, holy, holy," while their unconverted hearts
dream of business and pleasure and oft times unholy things.
The world does not yet understand this truth, but the first
essential step in the life of any man entering the Kingdom of
God is briefly stated in these words: "Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (Jn. 3:7).
"Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he
CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (Jn. 3:5).
I have no desire to be sarcastic or
cynical, but if we aspire to be of that glorious company of
God's sons who shall judge and reign over the earth-realm in
righteousness and power, then we must learn first and
foremost that "the time is come that judgment must begin
at the house of God" (I Pet. 4:17). The sooner we learn
that the human heart is utterly corrupt the sooner we
will come to the fountain of His precious blood, not merely
for mercy and pardon, but for CLEANSING and DELIVERANCE that
through the grace and power of Christ we might be soundly
converted and made an entirely New Creation in Him. I can say
without fear of contradiction that most christians have come
only to know what it means to be saved in their
sins," but the sons of the Most High must now become the
firstfruits of them that are "saved from their
sins." Out of the midst of all the empty form and ritual
of man-made religion, the violence and war, the cheating and
lying, the drugs and heathenish rock music, illicit sex and
filth of lesbians and homosexuals, and the plague of every
abominable eastern cult and devilish religion, God shall
bring forth a blessed "firstfruit company" of
people who are UNDEFILED BEFORE GOD. These are they that have
repented of sin and every work of the flesh. With Christ,
their victorious Head, they have died to all the desires of
the flesh and mind. They are a people who have fixed all
their hopes in Christ the Lord. Their hearts cry not for the
tinsel of the world, nor yet for the trinkets of popular
religion, but their prayer ascends to God day and night,
"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is
in heaven" (Mat. 6:10). Purged of all Pride,
self-interest and filthiness of flesh and spirit these shall
be accounted worthy to reign with Christ as kings and judges
from the spirit realm, and those who will rule from
henceforth are a royal priesthood like unto their Lord, after
the order of Melchisedek.
We have noted that it is utterly useless to
deliver men from their external enemies unless first they
have been delivered from their own corrupt and wicked hearts.
All mankind desperately needs DELIVERANCE, and the sons of
God, the righteous judges to be raised up unto all nations
SHALL BECOME THE DELIVERERS. Hallelujah! "And saviours
shall come up on Mount Zion (the government of God) to judge
the mount of Esau (flesh); and the kingdom shall be the
Lord's" (Obad. 21). The "mount of Esau"
typifies the RULE OF THE FLESH. Let all men know that the
triumph of the Son of God begins within, then, that which is
first accomplished in the midst of our own being shall be
wrought out in the midst of the earth, and that which is
being wrought out in the midst of the earth shall also be
fully wrought out in the entire universe, for "He
planned for the maturity of the times and the climax of the
ages to unify ALL THINGS and HEAD THEM UP and consummate them
in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth"
(Eph. 1:10, Amplified).
The salvation of the nations shall
not be accomplished upon principles nor by processes other
than those that are now working in the firstfruit company for
our redemption and perfection. The process for us is clear:
"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins
in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto
God" (Rev. 1:5-6). And again, "And they sung a new
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open
the seals thereof: for Thou was slain, and has redeemed us by
Thy blood ... and has made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10).
The glorious God of power and holiness who has constituted us
"kings and priests" is the One who first of all
"washed us from our sins in His own blood."
Zechariah prophesied of a day, saying,
"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the
house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin
and uncleanness," and Isaiah spoke of that fountain of
cleansing performing its redeeming work upon MANY NATIONS:
"So shall He sprinkle (wash, cleanse, sanctify)
MANY NATIONS; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for
that which had not been told them shall they see; and that
which they had not heard shall they consider" (Zech.
13:1; Isa. 52:15). In Rev. 21:6 John calls the cleansing and
life-giving stream of the blood of Christ a "fountain of
the water of life." The words of the old hymn are so
appropriate: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the
blood of Jesus! What can make me PURE WITHIN? Nothing but the
blood of Jesus!" Washed by His blood - cleansed and
quickened by HIS LIFE! This is the process for the firstfruit
company. And then in proportion as the sons of God learn, in
their own experience, how far-reaching and all inclusive the
effects of the blood are, their hearts are opened up to long
for the ultimate and complete experiencing of the power of
this blood in the world around them. If the blood can so
redeem, cleanse, and perfect the firstfruits that they
are suitable to be made KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD, then
surely nothing less than the power of this blood must be
ministered to the hearts and lives of the sin-blighted
creation unto whom they are sent as kings and priests and
judges. Truly it is the blood-washed PRIESTS OF GOD who shall
SPRINKLE THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB upon MANY NATIONS in the
glorious age and ages yet to unfold before our eyes!
This is the plain teaching of Scripture.
"It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness
dwell; and having made peace through the blood of His
cross, by Him to RECONCILE ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF, whether
they be things on earth or things in heaven" (Col.
1:19-20). The power of the blood avails for every creature.
The experience of what the blood can accomplish for those who
believe, will teach them to regard their fellow men as living
under the tender mercy of God, under redemption, and under
the call to salvation and deliverance through the precious
blood. It will fill them with an irresistible impulse to
consecrate their lives, which have been bought and
transformed by blood, to be blood-sprinkling PRIESTS OF THE
MOST HIGH, fellow-workers with God for the deliverance of all
nations, that the blood may ultimately have the full honor
which belongs to it.
Hear it! "And I beheld, and, lo, in
the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders stood a LAMB as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are THE SEVEN
SPIRITS OF GOD SENT FORTH INTO ALL THE EARTH" (Rev.
5:6). The seven Spirits proceed from the SLAIN LAMB. The
seven Spirits from the slain Lamb are sent forth INTO ALL THE
EARTH. The seven Spirits are nothing short of the FULL AND
COMPLETE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. The blood is the life
of man; the Spirit is the life of God. "The life is in
the blood" (Lev. 17:11). This is why we find, in
Scripture, that what in one place is ascribed to the spirit,
is in another place ascribed to the blood, and the
work of sanctification and cleansing is ascribed to both the
blood and the Spirit. Life is also ascribed to both. Our Lord
said, "He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood hath
everlasting life," adding, "It is the SPIRIT that
quickens (makes alive); the flesh profits nothing" (Jn.
6:54,63). We find similar expressions in the epistle to the
Ephesians. After having said, "Ye ... are made nigh by
the BLOOD of Christ," a little later Paul declares that
"We ... have access by one SPIRIT to the Father"
(Eph. 2:13, 18). So also in the epistle to the Hebrews, the
contemning of the blood and of the Spirit is treated as one
act. We read of those who "counted the BLOOD of the
covenant an unholy thing, and have done despite to the SPIRIT
of grace" (Heb. 10:29). The blood and the Spirit proceed
together from the slain Lamb, for the blood of the Lamb and
the seven Spirits of the Lamb are the fullness of the
redeeming, cleansing, quickening, and perfecting LIFE OF GOD!
And, bless His wonderful name, this stream of divine life is
SENT FORTH INTO ALL THE EARTH, a mighty river of life to
cleanse and revitalize the whole of creation.
Where does this cleansing take place, and
what is it that the life-giving blood washes? It is the
heart. It is the deep, hidden, inner life of man that
experiences the effect of the blood. Jesus said, "The
Kingdom of God is within you." Sin has penetrated
into the heart, and the whole nature of man has become
saturated with it. The blood too must penetrate the heart; as
deeply as the power of sin has gone, so deeply must the inner
being be cleansed by the blood. We know that when some
article of clothing is washed, the water with its cleansing
power must soak in as deeply as the stain, if it is to be
removed. Even so must the blood of Jesus penetrate to the
deepest roots of our being: our heart, our entire personality
must be reached and quickened by His divine life. Where sin
has reached, there too must the blood follow it; where sin
ruled, there His life must rule: the entire heart must be
cleansed by the blood! However great may be the depths of the
human heart, however manifold and lively its activities may
be, the life of the Lamb is just as wonderful and
penetrating. It is INTO ALL THE EARTH that the seven-fold
fullness of THE POWER OF THE BLOOD is sent. Blessed thought!
Blessed deliverance! Blessed reality!
And so we read of the seven Spirits of God:
"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
... with righteousness shall He JUDGE ... the wolf shall
dwell with the Lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the
kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and
the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down
together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the
sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the
weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den ...
for THE WHOLE EARTH SHALL BE FULL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE
LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:2-9).
As the seven-fold Spirit of the Lord flows
over the earth from the many membered body of Christ, what
peace, what joy, what blessedness this will result in for the
earth-realm! What changes shall be wrought, what altering of
attitudes, what changing of personalities, what transforming
of lives! Imagine the human personalities and characteristics
that are here symbolically likened to the wolf, the leopard,
the lion, the bear, the asp, the cockatrice! And while God
could certainly alter the whole constitution of the animal
kingdom if He so chose, our present application of the type
must be to the peace and life of the Kingdom of God on a
higher level where men of the most wicked, corrupt, and
fierce dispositions have their natures so entirely
transformed by the matchless grace of Christ that they live
in love and righteousness with the meekest of men and those
who formerly were an easy prey. Christ, who is our peace,
came to establish PEACE IN THE HEARTS OF MEN! Thus the asp
and the cockatrice (poisonous serpents) cease to be
venomous, so that parents let their little children play
with them. In other words, a "generation of vipers"
shall be so converted and made a "seed of saints"
that the "little ones" of the Kingdom of God shall
be trustingly committed into their care! Matchless grace!
Glorious triumph! Wonderful peace! Precious blood! "The
seven Spirits of God SENT FORTH INTO ALL THE EARTH." Who
would not desire it?
The nations shall indeed be saved! All
creation shall be gloriously reconciled to God! I know
some do not believe it, but I do not hesitate to tell you
that their unbelief shall not make the faith of God of none
effect, nor shall it hinder God's program one bit. Their
refusal to embrace God's glorious plan shall only disqualify them
from being a part of that wonderful company of the sons of
God through which the redemption and restoration shall be
effected. I feel a great pity for those who cherish the
beautiful hope of sonship, yet fail to permit the perfect
work of God's grace and mercy to all men to be fully inworked
in their lives. They would still damn men who failed to
believe in this life, and the fact that they would consign
them to eternal torture without mercy disqualifies them
from ministering deliverance to those poor souls for whom
Christ died. It is my deep conviction that none who
oppose and reject the precious truth of the ultimate
salvation of all men and the reconciliation of all things to
God will stand in the company of the MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD.
For this company of DELIVERERS to have within its ranks men
who shut the mercy of God up from men, who have not
sufficient faith to believe that Christ can and will save
all, and who would damn men to eternal hell would mean the
destruction of the MINISTRY OF THE SONS TO ALL CREATION.
The nations shall be saved. All creation
shall be set free. God shall, in His great mercy and love,
raise up JUDGES, DELIVERERS unto them. At long last, thank
God! deliverance shall come to the great masses of mankind.
And it shall not be merely a deliverance from Communism, or
Nazism, or Fascism; not a deliverance from Moscow, or Peking,
or Washington; not a deliverance from taxes, or tyranny, or
bureaucracy, or joblessness, or hunger; but deliverance from
SIN and SELFHOOD and SATAN: a powerful cleansing which
strikes at the root of all the multiplied sorrows and
tragedies of mankind. Deliverance from WHAT WE ARE, blessed
be His name!
"Joy to the world! the Lord is
come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
"No more let sins and sorrows
grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
"He rules the world with truth and
grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love."
