Tag Archives: wrath of God

February 1, 2021 · 8:45 pm

What is it Going to Take?

Ezek. 4-10 – What is it Going to Take?

In the reading this week we find the looking back to the destruction of Jerusalem through the eyes of the prophet. We must remember that Ezekiel wrote about the same time frame of events as Jeremiah, just from a different vantage point.

In chapter 4, the illustration of lying on either left or right side relates to the number of years that Israel and Judah were in rebellion against God. There is the repeated word of the “SIEGE” in our chapters. We probably do not understand this tactic in warfare, but it was the most effective way to raze a fortified city in ancient times.

While reading these chapters I had two thoughts that prevailed: first, what was it going to take for Judah to get the message of famine, sword, and pestilence at the hand of God? Second, was the thought by Jonathan Edwards – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon. While these two thoughts prevailed; I had a third thought of “what about the American Church?” I find that we are living in a very difficult time, politically, spiritually, mentally, and culturally. I have watched the news after there has been some natural or man-made disaster. I would listen to how people would say they would rebuild their homes and lives, calling on God for hope. But lately, I find that even though there is a world pandemic and millions of lives being lost, not to take into consideration all the residual issues, that people are not turning to God in heaven, but seem bent on solving the problem themselves. While this is admirable, we fail to realize that we are not in control.

In these chapters of Ezekiel God tells of the devastation and death that will occur, yet the people continue to rebel in their idolatry against God. Now we also must remember that Ezekiel is writing to the “People of God” not to the lost world. So, we cannot say they were ignorant of God – but we can say they were adamantly rejecting God in their life.

The graphic word picture of cannibalism, plagues, famines and the like made me cringe. Yet Israel and Judah continued their adulterous and idolatrous ways, having rejected the message from the prophets. When I read of their obstinate, arrogance, and violent ways, I cannot but help think that they deserve what they get.

Then I think of 2020 and all that America and the rest of the world has been through and ask the same question of us – What will it take for us to humble ourselves before God and repent of our own adulterous and arrogance?”

The condition of Judah was not confined to the people’s private lives but saturated their public and religious lives as well. In chapter 8 we have the abominations that were going on underground of the Temple. Up top in the “Sanctuary” everything looks correct and holy, even authentic. But below the surface, or better yet in the basement there was great idolatry going on. As I think of the situation I am thrust into my own world and how the “Church” is worshiping. Has the Church become hypocritical in its form and function? In other words, are we just going through the motions on the outside, but really living an abominable life on the inside?

Ezekiel 8:17/18 gives us the inside look into God’s mind, revealing the frustration of God with His people. “He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have provoked Me repeatedly? For behold they are putting the twig to their nose. Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath.”

So many of the words found in these chapters are filled with emotion and angst. Words like wrath, profane, iniquity, famine, pestilence, arrogance, abomination, tumult, doom, disaster, and desolation. These are not positive, hope filled words. Yet Judah refuses to acknowledge the message. What about my earlier question of the Church today? Where are we? Are we listening to the Word of God? Scripture tells us these things were written for our example. [1 Corinthians 10:6-11]

Have we heeded the warnings from scripture on what happens to idolatry and arrogance? Do we understand the wrath of God upon disobedience? And Judgment must begin at the House of God – the church! [1 Peter 4:17]

What will it take for us to capture the essence and spirit of 2 Chronicles 7:14? Or will we continue in our rebellion and reenact Romans 1:18-31? Our choice!!

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August 18, 2016 · 8:52 pm

Crying Out Loud

Book of Lamentations – the five funeral dirges.  The year is close to 587 BC, the first round of captives have been taken to Babylon from Judah. All that God had said in Jeremiah, was come true in Lamentations. The book is authored by Jeremiah – the Weeping Prophet. No matter how much Jeremiah warned the Southern kingdom of Judah, the would not listen to the pending judgment of Yahweh. While there is admitted guilt about the rebellion and immorality entrenched within Judah; there is still the request for mercy or as is sometimes translated lovingkindness. Chapter 3:21-25 is a clear example of HOPE for the mercy of God. I found it interesting that while punishment was being implemented, Judah was not crying out in repentance, but in anguish for being punished. I can remember as a child that I could start crying and wiggling around even before the spanking started – crying out I wouldn’t do it again, but never admitting that I deserved what punishment I was getting. In Crisis of our lives, we too often focus on the repercussions more that the offense. In Lamentations, Jeremiah is weeping or crying out loud about the truth of God’s judgment upon the “daughter of Zion.” I had to look up “daughter of Zion” to have a more full understanding of the phrase. It has to do with the relationship of Judah [IE. Israel] to the Father. SO a relationship is being expressed in “daughter of Zion.” Since we know that God “birthed” Israel from an old and man and woman beyond child-bearing years, the Heavenly Father can call Israel not only His people, but treat her as His child.

The very language of the book is descriptive of the prophetic message given Jeremiah before the captivity and exile. I do not know why we wait so long before we pay attention to the trouble that will be ours when we sin. Of course Israel, Samaria were deserving of the m=punishment they received, but Judah, it seems to appear was appalled that they were being punished.

Clearly represented in the “anger and wrath” of the LORD on Judah. Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed and ransacked by the enemies. Things were so bad inside the walls of the city, women boiled their children and ate them to stay alive. Famine, sword and pestilence just as they had been warned would occur, did – yet they still are complaining about their situation rather than acknowledge there is justification for their plight.

In each of the funeral messages, we find the depth of the punishment and wrath of God. The people of Judah were compared to the sins of Sodom, but considered worse, this being because they knew better.  While reading of the lament and sorrow of Jeremiah, I couldn’t help but think of 2 Chronicles 6 & 7, where Solomon prays to the LORD about the sin of rebellion Israel would potentially get entrenched in. Solomon asks the LORD to remember and forgive the people. The LORD answers Solomon’s prayer with an emphatic YES in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The exile and destruction of Judah is only comparable to the destruction of Jerusalem again in  70 AD. The land had become so polluted with the excesses of sin and immorality, God was compelled to “cleanse the land.” the Message to us [Americans] we cannot think we are above Israel and exempt from punishment. Arrogance and pride caused the fall of Judah and Israel; it will be the downfall of America as well. In our day we are hearing warning after warning to repent and return to the LORD. Will we heed the warnings or will we relive Lamentations “Crying out Loud” in sorrow for our unrepentant hearts over the judgment of God upon us?

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December 24, 2015 · 6:09 pm

Parallelism in Revelation

Revelation 11-15; I am deviating from the normal five chapters from our weekly reading because the content and context of these chapters are different from chapters 16 and 17. The thought of Seals and Trumpets from last weeks blog revealed that much of the events or judgments released via the seals and trumpets reflect an ongoing tribulation which if it dare be said are “normal” for life on earth. The hope of God for the seals and trumpets is that mankind will repent of their evil and rebellion and turn back to Him as Yahweh! In the chapters I identified for this blog we find a sort of sitcom episode occurring. What I mean by this is the events and description of the characters in these chapters are ongoing the same time as the seals and trumpets are being released. I know that this will not bode well with many who read this blog; that is because we have been overwhelmed with bible prophecy and “scholars” understand that has been tainted by the compulsion of the pre-trib rapture and dispensation. I find that it is interesting that only is American Christianity do you find this overwhelming desire to project future cataclysmic events from the perspective of “escapism” of the tribulation. I would think anyone who has been living on planet earth for the last few years has discovered we are now living in a “tribulation period.” However, this is normal when forces of evil and the Holy Spirit are resident on earth. The martyrs for the faith are often overlooked by western Christians. Part of the problem with understanding the end times events is where one places the snatching out or 1st resurrection. Most dispensationalist try to put the “rapture” event early on, even after the discourse of the Seven Churches. However, if we realize the significance of the seven seals and trumpets as God’s way of “inviting” repentant souls to embrace Jesus as Savior, then the Rapture cannot occur until after the last Trumpet – which makes sense for Paul says this as does Jesus.  [Rev 11:15-19; 1 Cor 15:52; Matthew 24:31] In Rev 16 we read of the Wrath of God being poured out on all ungodliness. The Wrath and Judgment are two different things. Wrath of the Bowls is poured out, but not with a purpose of getting mankind to repent, for they refuse to do so [ 16:9, 11]

With Parallelism in a book we find that many events are going on at the same time; yet we also find that there are varied perspectives of the same thing. The struggle with modern-day “Prophets” is that they try to make every scene fit into a chronological sequence. Much of the modern prophecy is given from the vantage point of the news as heard on CNN or Fox News. Very interesting since the media serves itself, not God.

In chapters 12-14 we have a continuing picture of what is going on in the world during the seals and trumpets. The battle between the forces of evil and the saints. If we could fold these chapters into the seals and trumpets dialogue we could see that the scenes are synonymous with each other. God and the angels at war with Satan who has been cast down to earth. In chapter 12, we have to see that this is a reflecting backwards at what has happened in times past – Satan being cast down to earth has made war with mankind. The main objective of these episodes is to reveal the war of Satan and the messengers of God to men. I see the 144,000 as an innumerable host of mankind who are martyrs for the Gospel.

When we capture the event described with the reapers in chapter 14; we discover the “harvest reaped” the saints of God. Jesus spoke of how the wheat and tares would remain until the harvest – this harvest [14-16; a different harvest is seen in 17-20; the first is the saints, the second is the lost. When we get to the scene in chapter 15; we find a great rejoicing; after the rapture event in chapter 14; there is great celebration; again God’s deliverance of His people from WRATH – this hold true to Old and New Testaments of God releasing His wrath; but only after His saints are delivered. [1 Thess 5:9]

The major problem that most interpretation of end times is that too often the tribulation times are not identified with the saints – this is a false theology, for we find that many preachers say the same from the pulpits – the Christian life is one of suffering and tribulation, to try to deny that such is the life of a believer, is heresy. If the believer is intimately identified with his Savior, then that which the Savior endured will be the life of the Follower.

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December 17, 2015 · 10:58 pm

Seals and Trumpets – What?

Revelation 6-11; when we look at these chapters so many ideas and opinions that we have heard collide. So how do we look at these prophetic chapters and glean some understanding? We must first start with the scroll that is mentioned in chapter five. The fact that no one was able to take and open the scroll caused great remorse and tears. However, we read that One Like a slain lamb came forward to take the scroll from the Father. In that moment, Jesus the slain Lamb becomes the Lion of Judah. Questions of when was the earliest time that the Lamb could take the book as the Lion of Judah? It could not have been before Christ’s resurrection; for up until that time; Jesus was not proven worthy – His obedience of the Cross. At His resurrection there is the completion of His worthiness. The second question that comes to mind, How long was the Father holding the scroll? I think that the Father held the scroll from the foundation of the world and that it was only at the completion of salvation’s plan that anyone [Jesus] could even think of opening the scroll. No why would all of Heaven rejoice at the opening of the scroll containing the seals, trumpets and bowls, they are judgment? Until Jesus was found worthy, and ascended to the Father, the END TIMES could not end. In other words there would have been no end to evil and Satan. In Jesus salvation Plan is authored and put in place. With the seals and the trumpets we find that there is a “natural” tribulation that causes crisis to happen to mankind, in each of these crises we find that there is opportunity to repent.  As the scroll is unfolded we are faced with an interpretation problem; too often when we look at prophecy we think of a chronological sequence of events – this is not necessarily true. In other books such as Daniel and even Joel we find that there is often a reflective look at what has been happening all along, not a sequenced event of this happened then that happened. Jesus is Matthew 24:4-8 talks about tribulation days, but from a point of what would be happening in the world, then He adds; but this is only the beginning. My approach to the Seals and the Trumpets is one that follows them through an ongoing matter rather than 1st seal, then a 2nd seal and so on. The nature of the seals reflect mankind’s effect on his world and his existence. From wars, conquering, famine, death, terror and the such – these things happen as a result of mankind in his greed and rebellious state against God. Wars and rumors of wars; these things have been going on forever, yes they have increased, but these are not signs that the end is near. In the Trumpets we find that a shift has occurred; the effects of the blowing trumpets are natural disasters. Each time there is an invitation to repent – similar to what God did with Pharaoh and Egypt – allowing them to repent. I have lived long enough to see both man-made and natural events unfold that caused a “temporary” turning to God. God uses these things in the course of world history in an attempt to bring people to Himself. At the end of the seals and trumpets we have an interlude; it is my thought that because these two stop at the same time, and the Seventh Trumpet looking at the Reign of Christ, that God is allowing the world conditions to continue in attempt to bring man to God; until enough is enough – He knows when that will be. A little ahead of myself, but when the Bowls are released, no invitation, no repentance [even though man wouldn’t do it anyway] – I see this as the wrath of God being poured out on the remaining humanity that was not part of the 1st resurrection.[Rev 20:11-15]

Again my view is Revelation is a book that captures End Times in a parallel fashion not in a chronological manner. In other words there are many things going on at the same time, like a sitcom will have multiple stories. In chapter 11 there is a snap shot of praise and worship in Heaven; also chapter 7:9-17; in both cases we get a scene that reflects heavenly deliverance. I know many people think of a specific Tribulation – but when we look at the Fearful Day of the Lord, and Jacob’s Trouble we find a wrath, not a tribulation. Jesus – In the world you will have tribulation! Yes martyrs, the church has been going through the Last Days since Jesus ascended. We are in the Last Days now – the Last Days began when Jesus took the scroll from God in chapter 5! If we advance to chapter 15; we find that the Bowls indeed are the Wrath – not tribulation. So in closing – God is merciful and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish has been “using” man-made and natural disasters to bring conviction and salvation to the world. We are living during the Seals and the Trumpets now; especially while salvation and repentance present themselves!

 

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