“When the Word of God is ignored and violated, divine judgment sooner or later is inevitable.”—Dr. John F. Walvoord, Daniel (The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries)
For the serious Bible student there can be no disputing this very basic fact: the judgment of God upon a world that chooses to defy Him is inevitable. There are no two ways about it. Need a little more proof? How about this?
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27),
The Lord will come, and it will be in His day and in His timing. We cannot rush God, He is never in a hurry. He arrives where He wishes exactly when He wishes, and His chosen arrival in our lives occurs exactly when it needs to happen.
God always shows up and He always will. We are all going to die one day (or be taken in the Rapture), and face judgment as individuals, but until that day comes for each and every one of us; are we living in a nation, in a world that will face His judgment? Of course we are.
Just look at how our society and culture is moving forward, and as we do so, how far we seem, each day, to drift further away from God’s will and way. On the good days we seem just to drift away; on the bad days we seem as a nation to run in the opposite direction from Him. As if running away works, it doesn’t, just ask Jonah.
If you do not think God punishes a nation, look at Israel in the Old Testament when the nation turned from God, look at the nations that attacked or invaded Israel. None fared well. Even when God used one nation to punish Israel, that nation didn’t make out well in the long run. There is not a good long term record in defying God.
And as you read end times prophecy, you see that the judgment of the nation of Israel is far from over; it is as if the best (by which I mean the worst) is yet to come. And it is not only Israel, but the gentile nations of the earth that face judgment, and all knees will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ.
I always get concerned when people speak of America as if we are God’s chosen. We are not the chosen nation only Israel is. And look how the Israelites were treated when they strayed from God. Not sure the average American wants to deal with that type of treatment. The more God gives a nation, the harder the judgment that seems to come against them. Something about to those who are given much, much is expected comes to mind.
There is an inevitability to God’s pronouncements of judgment, after all, God is God and that is that. I wonder if we are all ready, as individuals and as a nation, for the judgment we will face. And face it we will, for the Bible says it is so.
The only way to not face it is to escape it, for none will fare well in that final judgment. Therefore, the only way to escape it is to trust Jesus as the only way to your salvation, and in doing so avoid final judgment. How would you like to face Jesus?
As a child of God before the Bema (2 Corinthians 5:10) or before the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15). A judgment of rewards for service in His body or judgment of damnation for defiance to a holy and just God, who through mercy and grace gave you the opportunity to avoid eternity separated from Him?
It is the most exciting time to be a believer in Jesus Christ as Savior. Exciting, because prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes as we see world events continue to align as the Bible said they would prior to His return. Exciting because what is bad is good; for the bad must happen before the ultimate good of His return will occur, this is what the Bible teaches, and this is what I believe.
In Christ and Him alone, we will be able to tolerate whatever is yet to come. And the wait will be bearable because…
Jesus is coming soon!
Andy Coticchio
Rafter Cross Ministries
ancoti@gmail.com