Unless a person has been living on a desert island in the middle of nowhere, without any way to get news from the outside world, we have all been shocked and outraged by the events, over the last year, occurring around the world and in our own country. The deeper we look, the more and more corruption we find. Evil people committing heinous acts against other human beings. We are seeing bribery, quid pro quo, murder, stealing, lying and more, all without any just punishment or conviction through the legal system.
Perhaps the most unbelievable is the attack on the people of Ukraine by a Russian dictator. It almost seems surreal, yet we’ve seen the pictures and videos. How could anyone be so heartless, cruel, uncaring and stone-cold evil? Yes, evil.
In our own country, stealing up to $1500. 00 has been declared to be “okay” in certain cities. Rioters who have burned down buildings, injured or killed police officers, looted and destroyed businesses (that didn’t belong to them), all without prosecution due to district attorneys who refuse to press charges using the excuse that “They were just a part of a peaceful protest.” What? Do they hear themselves? Do they not have ANY moral compass or conscience whatsoever? Clearly not!
All of these atrocities are not only sins against humanity, they are also sins against God.
On a much more individual level, what about sins of disobedience against God and the clear commands found in His Word? People, ever since the beginning of creation, have been rebelling against God. Jesus put it this way in John 3:19, “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were [and are] evil.”
Paul, in Romans 3:10-18, uses Ps. 14:1-3 and 53:1-3 to indict ALL of humanity, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God; 12 all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. 13 Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they keep deceiving; the poison of asps is under their lips; 14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; 15 their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Did you catch that? “NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” There it is, the explanation for why we see the injustices and corruption all around us. There is no fear of God before their eyes. And yet, God will judge and He will mete out His wrath to all those who have rejected His Son and the amazing grace that He has freely extended to humanity.
There is a theology out there that likes to focus in on the “God is love” passages of Scripture, while ignoring the parts that clearly talk about the wrath of God to come. Here are a few of those passages describing God’s judgment on humanity during the Great Tribulation, from The Revelation of Jesus:
Rev. 14:9-11, “And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Revelation 16:1-12, “And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.’ 2 And the first angel went and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 3 And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. 4 And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous art Thou, who art and who was, O Holy One, because Thou did judge these things; 6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou has given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ 7 And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.’ 8 And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues; and they did not repent, so as to give Him glory. 10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. 12 And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east.”
God is patient and longsuffering, but He will NOT be so forever.
A day is coming when the Lord Jesus will return for his bride, the Church, (1 Thes. 4:19-18), “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words”.
When that day happens, the clock will start for the seven years of the Great Tribulation and God will, unquestionably, pour forth His wrath upon all those who have rejected His Son, Jesus, the Messiah, whether before the Rapture of the Church, or afterwards.
Believers need to continue to share the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection; that there is forgiveness for our sin and eternal life for all who believe and receive Jesus as their Savior.
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart” (Hebrews 4:7).
By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.
