WHY HE LOVED THE LITTLE CHILDREN - THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST

WHY HE LOVED THE LITTLE CHILDREN - THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST

Jesus loved children with tenderness and sinners with com­passion; the pure and those who stood in dire need of purifica­tion. His hand willingly caressed the floating hair of the newly weaned child and did not draw back from the perfumed tresses of the prostitute. He drew near to sinners because they often had not the strength to come to Him; but He called children to Him because children know by instinct who loves them, and run willingly to Him. Mothers brought their chil­dren to Him to have Him touch them. The Disciples, with their habitual roughness, cried out on them—and Jesus once more was obliged to reprove them, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not re­ceive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Matt. 19:14; Luke 18:16.

 The Disciples, bearded men, proud of their authority as mature men and as understudies of their future Lord, could not understand why their Master consented to waste time with children who could not yet speak plainly and could not under­stand the meaning of grown people's words. But Jesus set in their midst one of these children and said: "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little chil­dren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoso­ever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. . . . And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Matt. 18:3.

 Here, too, the transposition of values is complete. In the Old Law, the child was to respect the grown man, to revere and imitate the old man.The little child was to take the grown person as his model. Perfection was supposed to lie in years of maturity, or, better yet, in old age. The child was respected only as containing the hope for future manhood. Jesus reversed these ideas; grown people were to take their example from little children, elders were to try to become like infants, fathers were to imitate their sons. In the world as it was, as it is, controlled by force, where the only valued art is the art of acquiring riches and overcoming others, children are at the most only human larvae. In the New World announced by Christ, which will be governed by fearless purity and inno­cent love, children are the arch-types of happy citizens. The child who seems an imperfect man is thus more perfect than the grown man. The man who imagines that he has come into the fullness of his time and of his soul is to turn back, despoil himself of his complacent complexities and return to his first youth. From having been imitated he becomes an imitator, from his position as first he becomes last. "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."  Matt. 18:4; 20:16; Mark 9:35; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30.
 Jesus reaffirms His own likeness to a child, and declares with no hesitation that He is identical with the children who seek Him out, "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me." Matt. 18:5. The saint, the poor man, the poet, present themselves under this new form which sums them all up: the child, pure and candid as the saint, bare and needy as the poor man, marveling and loving like the poet.

Jesus loves children not only as unconscious models for those who wish to attain the perfection of the Kingdom, but as the actual mediums of truth. Their ignorance is more illumined than the doctrines of learned men; their ingenuousness is more powerful than the intellect which shows itself in reasoning words. Only a clear and untarnished mirror can reflect the images of the revelation.

 "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and halt revealed them unto babes." Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21. Their own wisdom stands in the way of the wise, because they think they understand every­thing. Their own intelligence is an impediment for the in­telligent, because they are not capable of understanding any other light than that of the intellect. Only the simple can understand simplicity, the innocent, innocence, the loving, and love. The revelation of Jesus, open only to the purest souls, is all humility, purification and love. But man, as he grows older, becomes more complicated, more corrupt, prouder, and learns the horrible pleasure of hatred. Every day he goes further from Paradise, becomes less capable of finding it. He takes pleasure in his steady downfall and glories in the useless learn­ing which hides from him the only needful truth.

To find the new Paradise, the Kingdom of innocence and love, it is needful to become like children who have already what others must strive and struggle to regain.

Jesus seeks out the company of sinners, of men and women, but He feels Himself with his true brothers only when He lays His hands on the heads of the children whom the Galilean mothers bring to Him as an offering.

KIDS AND CHRIST - FATHERHOOD AT ITS FINEST

KIDS AND CHRIST - FATHERHOOD AT ITS FINEST

   All men are children of the Son of Man, but no one could call Him father in the flesh. Among the disappointing joys of men perhaps the only joy which does not disappoint is to hold in one's arms or on one's knees a child whose face is rosy with blood which is also yours, who laughs at you with the dawning splendor of his eyes, who stammers out your name, who uncovers the springs of the lost tenderness of your child­hood; to feel against your adult flesh, hardened by winds and the sun, this fresh smooth young flesh where the blood seems still to have kept some of the sweetness of milk, flesh that seems made of warm, living petals. To feel that this flesh is yours, shaped in the flesh of your mate, to watch the birth and slow flowering of the soul in this flesh; to be the sole father of this unique creature, of this flower opening in the light of the world; to recognize your own aspect in his childish eyes, to hear your own voice through his fresh lips; to grow young again through this child in order to be worthy of him; to be nearer to him; to make yourself younger, better, purer; to forget all the years which bring us silently nearer to death, to forget the pride of manhood, the vanity of wisdom, the first wrinkles on the face, the apologies, the humiliations of life and to become a virgin again beside this virginity, calm beside this calmness, good with a goodness never known before; to be in short the father of a child of your own, this is certainly the highest human pleasure given to a man who has a soul within his frame.
  Jesus, whom no one called Father, was drawn to children as to sinners. Lover of the absolute, He loved only extremes. Complete innocence and complete downfall were for Him pledges of salvation. Innocence because it does not need to be cleansed; abject degradation because it feels more keenly the need to be cleansed. The people in danger are those mid­way; men half depraved and half intact; men who are foul within and wish to seem upright and just; those who have lost with their childhood their native purity and do not yet recognize the filthiness of their inner depravity.

"But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."  Mark 10:14

 Mark alone of the Evangelists gives us this revealing touch in connection with this story of the reception and blessing of the children. When we recite His words spoken on that occasion the tone of a great tenderness almost invariably finds its way into our voices. And that is natural, for the words are full of comfort for all those who love little children. It is nevertheless important, for our warning, that we should never forget that when our Lord uttered the words, He was angry. He was moved with indignation that any of His disciples should so misunderstand Him as to endeavour to prevent the children from getting to Him. There is no doubt whatever that these disciples meant well. They were on their way to Jerusalem, and His converse with them had been concerned with His coming sufferings. They were quite unable to understand Him in all this, but at least they knew that His mind was occupied with tremendous things, and they felt that He ought not to be disturbed by children.
The story reminds us, then, that it is possible to mean well, and to do ill; and it gives us forevermore to understand the place which the children occupy in His heart. In any way to hinder them from getting to Him is to cause Him to be moved with indignation. Conversely-to help them to Him is to give Him joy, The children are all about us, and so everywhere are opportunities for giving Him this joy.

WEALTHS DRAWING POWER

WEALTHS DRAWING POWER

 

 When the horrible mystery of wealth is deeply probed, it is easy to see why the masters of men have considered wealth the kingdom of the Demon himself. A thing which costs less than everything else is bought by everything else. A thing which is nothing, the actual value of which is nothing, is bought by giving up everything, is secured by exchanging for it the whole of the soul, the whole of life. The most precious thing is ex­changed for the most worthless.

 And yet even this infernal absurdity has its reason for be­ing, in the economy of the spirit. Man is so universally and naturally drawn by that nothingness called wealth that he could only be deterred from his unconscious search for it by put­ting a price so great, so high, so out of all proportion that the very fact of paying it would be a valid proof of insanity and crime. But not even the conditions of the bargain, the eternal exchanged for the transient, power for servitude, sanctity for damnation, are enough to keep men away from the absurd bar­gain with the powers of evil. Poor people do not rejoice that they are poor. Their only regret is that they cannot be rich; their souls are contaminated and in peril like those of the wealthy. Almost all of them are involuntarily poor men, who have not known how to make money and yet have lost the spirit; they are only poverty-stricken rich people who have not as yet any cash.
 For poverty, voluntarily accepted, joyfully desired, is the only poverty which gives true wealth, spiritual wealth. Abso­lute poverty frees men for the conquest of the absolute. The Kingdom of Heaven does not promise poor people that they shall become rich, it promises rich people that they shall enter into it when they become freely poor.

PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN - BUT BY WHOM OR WHAT

PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN - BUT BY WHOM OR WHAT

"Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing,; sell all thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou hast treasure in heaven: and come follow Me." Luke 18:22

The rich man does not belong to himself, but belongs to in­animate things. He has not the time to think, to choose. Wealth is a pitiless master who allows no other masters near him. The rich man cannot think of his soul, bowed as he is under the care of his riches, under his thirst to increase his riches, under the fear of losing his riches, under the material joys which are offered to him by those pieces of matter which are called wealth. He cannot even imagine that his sick, suffo­cating, mutilated, worm-eaten soul needs to be cured. He has taken up his abode in that part of the world which, according to contracts and laws, he has the right to call his, and often he has not even the time, the wish, or the power to enjoy it. He must serve it and take care of it,—he cannot serve or take care of his own soul. All his power of love is absorbed by these material things, which order him about, which have taken the place of his soul, which have robbed him of all his liberty. The horrible fate of the rich man lies in this double absurdity: in order to have the power to command men he has become the slave of dead things; in order to acquire a part (and such a very small part!) he has lost the whole.

Nothing is ours as long as it is ours alone. Outside of him­self man can possess, actually own, nothing. The absolute se­cret of owning other things is to renounce them. Everything is given to him who has refused everything. But he who wishes to grasp for himself, for himself alone, a part of the goods of this world, loses both what he has acquired and everything else. And at the same moment he is incapable of knowing himself, or possessing himself, making himself greater. He has nothing more, not even the things which in appearance belong to him, but to which in reality he belongs; and he has never had his own soul, the one piece of property which is worth possessing. He is the most destitute and despoiled beggar of all the universe. He has nothing. How then can he love others, give to others himself and that which belongs to himself, exercise that loving charity which would conduct him so soon to the Kingdom? He is nothing and he has nothing. He who does not exist cannot change. He who does not possess cannot give. How then can the rich man, who is no longer his own, who has no longer a soul, transform a soul, the only possession of mankind, into something nobler and more precious?

 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26; Mark 8:36) This question of Christ's, sim­ple like all revelations, expresses the exact meaning of the pro­phetic threat. The rich man not only loses eternity, but, pulled down by his wealth, loses his life here below, his present soul, the happiness of his present earthly life.

  "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13) The Spirit and Gold are two masters who will not tolerate any division or sharing. They are jealous; they insist on having the whole man. And even if he wishes, the man cannot divide himself in two. He must be all here, or all beyond worldly things. For the faith­ful servant of the spirit, gold is nothing; for him who serves gold, "spirit" is a word without meaning. He who chooses the spirit throws away gold and all the things bought by gold; he who desires gold puts an end to the spirit and renounces all the benefits of the spirit: peace, holiness, love, perfect joy. The first is a poor man who can never use up his infinite wealth; the other is a rich man who can never escape out of his infinite poverty. By the mysterious law of renunciation the poor man possesses even that which is not his—the entire uni­verse; through the hard law of perpetual desire, the rich man does not even possess that little which he believes to be his. God gives immensely more than the immensity which He has promised. Mammon takes away even that very little which he promises. He who renounces everything has everything given him; he who wishes a part for himself alone, finds him­self at the end with nothing.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT - TWO COURSES TO TAKE

WEALTH - TWO COURSES TO TAKE

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Wealth is a curse like work, but a harder and more shame­ful curse. He who is marked with the sign of wealth has com­mitted, perhaps unconsciously, an infamous crime, one of those mysterious and unimaginable crimes which are nameless in human language. The rich man is either under the burden of the vengeance of God, or God wishes to put him to the test to see if he can succeed in climbing up to divine poverty. For the rich man has committed the greatest sin, the most abomi­nable and unpardonable. The rich man is the man who has fallen because of an exchange: he could have had Heaven and he chose Earth. He could have lived in Paradise and he has chosen Hell. He could have kept his soul and he has exchanged it for material things. He could have loved and he has pre­ferred to be hated. He could have had happiness and he has desired power. No one can save him. Wealth in his hands is a metal which buries him alive under its icy mass; it is the tumor which consumes him still alive in his corruption; it is the fire which burns him and reduces him to a terrible, black mummy, a blind paralytic, black mummy, a ghostly carrion which everlastingly holds out its empty hand in the cemeteries of the centuries, begging in vain for the alms of charitable remembrance.

NOTE: Wealth is the Physical resources God gives humans to control and the human tendency to lift those resources to replace God as the center of life.

• Purpose of wealth in note on Isa 23:18. To use wealth for personal desires has its own rewards and they are wholly those of self-gratification which ends with the experience. To use wealth merely for the production and accumulation of treasures of this earth is to leave the essential spiritual life poor in the ultimate issues. To look upon material wealth as a trust and to use it in such a way as to help and bless men according to the will of God is, in the most literal sense, to lay up treasure in heaven!

"And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing."

Paul thoughts on money are summarized in 2 Tim 4:13. Did Paul enter Christianity for the sake of wealth? No, all the wealth was in the keeping of those whom he had forsaken; the poverty was on the side of those with whom he now identified himself. So poor had they been, that those among them possessed of any little property sold whatever belonged to them in order to provide for the dire necessities of the rest. Indeed, one of the burdens afterwards laid upon Paul was to collect means for those who were threatened with starvation. Such was the humble condition of these early Christians, that he often refused to take anything from them even for the bare necessities of life, but labored himself to provide for his scanty needs. To the Corinthians, he writes, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and we toil working with our hands." (1 Cor. 4:11, 12, 13. See also 2 Cor. 12:14; 1 Thess. 2:4-9; 2 Thess. 3:8, etc.) In his farewell to the elders of Ephesus, he appeals to them as knowing it to be true that, "I coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me" (Acts 20:33, 34). He forsook the great Jewish hierarchy with its gorgeous temple and its overflowing treasuries, where his zeal in putting down the hated sect of the Nazarene would have been almost certainly rewarded with a fortune. He cast in his lot among the poverty-stricken disciples of Jesus Christ, among whom it was his ambition to be poor. Near the end of his life he presents to us the picture of an old man shivering in a Roman dungeon and pathetically asking for a cloak to be sent him to cover his naked and suffering limbs during the severity of an Italian winter.
Paul likewise warned against the power of money. One of the qualifications of a church officer is to be free from the love of money (1 Tim. 3:3). Deacons likewise must not be "greedy for money" (1 Tim. 3:8 NRSV). The strongest warning is found in 1 Timothy 6:10 (NRSV): "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith." Paul may be implying that people who love money will resort to all kinds of things to get it. The desire for money has a way of enslaving the person seeking it.
    The answer to the wrong use of money is to use it for kingdom purposes. Money can be used to enhance our relationship to God and bless others. Paul commended the liberal giving of the Macedonian Christians (2 Cor. 8:1-4; compare 2 Cor. 9:7).
    Hebrews encourages us to "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have." (Heb. 13:5 NRSV). Jesus admonished us not to be anxious over material things, but to trust the Heavenly Father to care for our needs (Matt. 6:25-26). Christians are to recognize that God's kingdom is more important than money (Matt. 6:33). Material wealth is given to human beings as a stewardship. God is the owner of all things, and we are given a portion to use. At all times we are to keep in mind that we will one day give account to God for the use of our wealth.
Did Paul become a Christian for reputations sake? No; those with whom he united were held in universal contempt; their Leader had been put to death as a criminal among thieves; the chiefs of the cause that he had espoused were illiterate men. On the other hand, the wisest and the greatest men in all the land indignantly rejected the teachings of this new sect. The preaching of Christ crucified was to the Jew a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. There was no reputation for the great disciple of Gamaliel in parting with his splendid honors and identifying himself with a lot of ignorant fishermen. He would only be execrated as a deserter and betrayer of the Jewish cause, and he might rest assured that the same bloody knife that slew the Shepherd of the scattered flock would soon be unsheathed against himself. All the reputation that he had so zealously built up was gone the hour that he went over to the new religion, and from that day on contempt was his portion. He was accounted as the filth of the world and the off scouring of all things.

 

For a wise man of wealth there is only one salvation: to become a poor man, a true and humble poor man; to throw away the horrible desti­tution of wealth in order to enter again into poverty. But this resolution is the hardest that the rich man can take. The rich man by the very fact that he is sickened by wealth cannot even imagine that the entire renunciation of wealth would be the beginning of redemption, and because he cannot imagine such an abandonment, he cannot even deliberate on it, cannot weigh the alternatives. He is a prisoner in the impregnable prison of himself. To liberate himself he must first be free. Christ asked the rich man to take that step.

 

Cf. Matt. 19:23-24; 1 Cor 4:13; Mark 10:25-26; Luke 16:19, 22; Luke 18:25-26; James 1:11.

 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
"Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day."
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?"
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:" "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;"
"For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?"

"For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."

POVERTY - TWO CLASSES

POVERTY - TWO CLASSES

As our graphic reveals - mankind today attempts to erase it. And Jesus had a much different view of poverty.

Jesus is the Poor Man, infinitely and rigorously poor. Poor with an absolute poverty! The Prince of poverty! The Lord of perfect destitution! The Poor Man Who lives with the poor, Who has come for the poor, Who speaks to the poor, Who gives to the poor, Who works for the poor! Poor among the poor, Destitute among the destitute, Beggar among the beggars! The Poor Man of a great and eternal poverty! The Happy and Rich Poor Man, Who accepts poverty, Who desires poverty, Who weds himself to poverty, Who sings of poverty! The Beggar Who gives gifts! The Naked Man Who covers the naked! The Hungry Man Who feeds others, the Miraculous and Supernat­ural, Who changes the men owning false riches into poor men, and poor men into those with real wealth.

There are poor men who are poor because they were never capable of acquiring wealth. There are other poor men who are poor because they give away every evening what they earned that day; and the more they give the more they have, as Jesus taught. Their wealth, the wealth of this second class of poor men, grows greater in proportion as it is given away. It is a pile which becomes greater as more is taken away from it.

Jesus was one of these poor men. Compared to one of them, men materially rich, rich as the world esteems wealth, rich with their chests of talents, mina, rupees, florins, shekels, crowns, francs, marks, and dollars, are only lamentable beg­gars. The money-changers of the forum, the great feasters of Jerusalem, the bankers of Florence and Frankfort, the lords of London, the multi-millionaires of New York, compared to these poor men are only unfortunate beggars, corrupted and needy; unpaid servants of a fierce master; condemned every day to assassinate their own souls. The wretchedness of such poverty is so terrible that they are reduced to pick up the stones that are found in the mud of the earth, and grope about in filth. Theirs is a poverty so repugnant that not even the poor succeed in bestowing on them the charity of a smile.

THE PUNISHMENT THAT PROCEEDS FROM THIS THRONE OF JUDGMENT

THE PUNISHMENT THAT PROCEEDS FROM THIS THRONE OF JUDGMENT

• The Place of Everlasting Punishment is Described as the Lake of Fire

Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8; 22:15 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

"For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

 

The name of this place is Hell or Gehenna.

Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:47 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

"And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."

 

• The Purpose of Everlasting Punishment is to Experience the Full Penalty of Sin Which is Death

Gen. 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Rom. 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

 

Rev. 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

 

This death is two-fold:

Physical in that it is repeated and made permanent.

Spiritual death is continued and made permanent.

• The Properties of Everlasting Punishment Consist of Conscious Torment

The greatest being having no body to perform the lusts developed during the lifetime.

Rev. 14:10-11; 19:20; 20:10; 21:8

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

l. There is the outer darkness - expulsion of all light. Matt. 25:30

"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

2. There is the undying worm - the constant self-condemnation arising out of memory. Mark 9:48

"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

3. There is the fire unquenched, burning on forever. Mark 9:48

"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

4. The proportion of everlasting punishment is commensurate with the deeds that have been committed.

Rev. 20:12, 13 "According to their works"

James 3:6 helps to describe the spiritual fire. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

Without a body through which to express the evil passions (gnashing of teeth - Matt. 25:30),  these grow worse and worse in proportion to the passions. There is no rest or cessation of this torment. Rev.14:11 "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

5. The permanence of everlasting punishment is guaranteed by the change of order.

Death and Hades are merged with the Lake of fire. Rev. 20:14

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

The experience of physical death will never be repeated. 1 Cor. 15:26

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

 

Those who are cast into the lake of fire are guilty of an eternal sin. Mark 3:29

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."

The Scriptures clearly call this everlasting punishment. Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 14:11

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

"And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

THE PROCEDURE OPERATIVE AT THIS THRONE OF JUDGMENT

THE PROCEDURE OPERATIVE AT THIS THRONE OF JUDGMENT

• There is the Restoration of the Wicked to Previous Conditions

Rev. 20:5, 12, 13 "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

This means that by means of physical resurrection the wicked are again joined to the bodies in which they once lived.

Every aspect of human consciousness will be restored so that they can experience again, remember, and comprehend the events associated with judgment.

 

• There is the Removal of any Possible Mistake as to Identity and Nature

Rev. 20:12, 15 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The book of life is present to verify identity and nature. The names of the saved are in the book of life. Not one who appears before this throne has his name in the book of life.

 

• There is no Respect of Persons Exercised at this Throne of Judgment

Rev. 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

The small and the great appear here. Nothing of prominence or outward show of wealth or position can prevent one from appearing at this throne. Those who appear here are numbered among the wicked, those who have rejected the only Savior and the Lord of Life.

• There is a Record of all Past Performance in the Lives of these People

Rev. 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

 

The books were opened. A book is a method of recording and there are many ways of doing this.

l. The book of God - the Bible. John 12:48 "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

This provides the inflexible principle.

2. The book of memory. Luke 16:26; Mal. 3:16 "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name."

This is the conscious record in the lives of people.

3. The book of conscience. Rom. 2:14-15 "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)"

This is the moral evaluation given by man himself.

 

4. The book of character. Luke 19:22; Jer. 17:1 "And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:"

"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars."

All men do is written into their characters. Jer. 17:1

Out of this, will come evidence against them. Luke 19:22

5. The book of nature. John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Luke 19:40 Even the stones will cry out.

Isa. 65:6 It is written before me.

There is the resolution of judgment for each person on his own merits. Rev. 20:13 "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

"Every man," Greek - ekastoV hekastos hek'-as-tos

6. There is the regulation of punishment according to the works of each person. Rev. 20:12, 13

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

THE PERSON WHO SITS ON HIS THRONE AS THE GREAT JUDGE

THE PERSON WHO SITS ON HIS THRONE AS THE GREAT JUDGE

 

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."
Rev. 20:11

• This Person is God. Rev. 20:11-12

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. Consult Rev. 1:12-16, cf. 22:1, 3

"And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:"

• This Person is Man.

Consult John 5:22, 27; cf. Rev. 22:1, 3

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" "And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:"

• This Person is Lamb. Consult Rev. 20:11

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

Rev. 21:23; 22:4

"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 they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."

Rev. 1:16

"And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."

Rev. 6:16 - The wrath of the Lamb.

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."

 

As the Lamb of God He bore punishment for men.

As the Lamb in demeanor He now breaks forth in wrath.

THE PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND BEFORE THIS JUDGMENT THRONE

THE PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND BEFORE THIS JUDGMENT THRONE

•  They are Referred to as "the dead," Without Discrimination as to Person. cf. Rev. 20:5 and 1 Cor. 15:24

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

That portion of the dead who were saved and were raised a thousand years before (Rev. 20:5).

This is the end resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:24.

The word dead lays emphasis upon the bodies, and therefore denotes a physical resurrection.

• They are referred to as the wicked from all ages. These are the ones who can be hurt of the second death (Rev. 2:11; 19:21; 20:14-15; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:6).

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."

"And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

• They are lost people whose destiny is sealed forever. Therefore the issue to be decided is not their destiny, Rev. 21:8; 22:15, but the degree of punishment.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

"For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

Their destiny was decided when they rejected Christ and elected to bear their punishment.

THE PERIOD WHEN THIS JUDGMENT THRONE IS ENACTED

THE PERIOD WHEN THIS JUDGMENT THRONE IS ENACTED

 

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."
Rev. 20:11

• The Flight of the Earth and the Heaven Marks the Transition to the Eternal State. Rev. 20:11 with 21:1

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."

• The Standing up of the Dead Constitutes the Final Resurrection. Rev. 20:12 with 20:4-6

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

• The Merging of Hades and Death with the Lake of Fire marks Final Conditions. Rev. 20:14 with 21:4

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

THE JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED DEAD

THE JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED DEAD

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
 Rev. 20:11-15

• The Sovereignty of this Judgment is Marked by the Fact that this Throne is Great

The adjective "great" though appearing in the positive degree has the super­lative sense. This means that there is no higher court, and therefore the pronouncements of this throne are final, and beyond which there is no appeal.

 

• The Austerity of this Judgment is Marked by the Fact that this Throne is White

It is completely white. There is no other color to relieve this awful whiteness. Whiteness speaks of the holiness of God. At this throne no mercy will temper its wrath. Those who appear at this throne will have passed beyond the point of mercy, and from this is no return.

•  The Finality of this Judgment is Marked by the Fact that this is a Throne

Without the article the emphasis is upon the nature of this throne. A throne always signifies an area of responsibility and authority. Here the very enormity of the task at hand, and the destiny of a vast segment of created intelligences poses a responsibility that could be performed only by an In­finite Person. Such is the Judge who sits on this throne.

THE DISCHARGE OF PUNISHMENT WILL BE EFFECTED UPON THE WORLD AT THE APPOINTED TIME

THE DISCHARGE OF PUNISHMENT WILL BE EFFECTED UPON THE WORLD AT THE APPOINTED TIME

• The Prime Minister and the False Prophet will be Dealt with First. Rev. 19:20

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

 

 

This is final for them. There seems to be no formal hearing for the evaluation of deeds.

This may indicate that their deeds are so flagrant and so well known, that no such evaluation is necessary. 

The infliction of wrath comes from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

  

• The Prince of this Entire World System first Experiences a Three-fold Judgment

 He is cast out of the heavenly regions into the earth (Rev. 12:12).

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

 

At conclusion of a war (vs. 7-9).

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

 

 

He is Cast into the Bottomless Pit for a 1000 Years (Rev. 20:1-2).

God still wants to make use of him.

 "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years."

 

He is finally cast into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:7-10). Hell was prepared for him.

 "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

 

 

• The Principalities and Powers of this World System are also Judged at this Time

 The sentence has already been passed upon them. Matt. 25:41

 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

 

 They have been reserved for judgment under punishment. 2 Peter 2:4

 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment."

 

 The great day is the time for the infliction of the sentence. Jude 6

 "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

 

 Conclusion:

 

 At last, every knee in the universe of created intelligence will have bowed to the Lord Jesus Christ and will acknowledge him as Lord. Phil. 2:9-11

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

THE DEGREE OF PUNISHMENT WILL BE EVALUATED FOR THE WORLD BY THE SAINTS

THE DEGREE OF PUNISHMENT WILL BE EVALUATED FOR THE WORLD BY THE SAINTS

"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? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"
1 Cor. 6:2-3

The context where this statement appears suggests that this function of the saints has to do with the evaluation of deeds and the degree of punishment. This is performed in some subsidiary capacity to the Lord Jesus Christ. cf. vs 4-5.
"If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?"

"your shame"  The Greek word translated “shame” is entrope, which means “turning inward” or “inversion.” See also 1 Cor. 15:34, where Paul uses the same rebuke. The modern scientific word “entropy” is essentially the same word. In science, entropy is a measure of disorder or confusion.

The character of the saints will then be made perfect. There will be nothing lacking in them. They will be confirmed in holiness so that they cannot sin, and they will then be provided with all the needed information to carry out this responsibility.
1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 13:12
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

• The Government of the Saints will be in Close Relation with Christ

Rev. 3:21 Will sit with Christ in His throne.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Rev. 2:26-27 Rule nations with rod of iron.

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I 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."

1 Cor. 6:2-3 Will judge world, and angels, demons, Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet.

"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? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"

THE DEMONSTRATION OF DESTINY WAS DISPLAYED BY THE WORLD IN ITS CAREER

THE DEMONSTRATION OF DESTINY WAS DISPLAYED BY THE WORLD IN ITS CAREER

• As to the World of Men, the Sin of Unbelief is an Eternal Sin, for Which there is no Forgiveness   Mark 3:29

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."

• As for Satan, his Career has ever been Down, for he Sinneth from the Beginning

1 John 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

 Ezek. 28:16c  He was cast out of the Holy of Holies in heaven.

"By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire."

Ezek. 28:16b - out of the holy mountain

"By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire."

Isa. 14:12 - out of the general precincts of heaven

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

Rev. 12:12 - out of the aerial heavens

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

Rev. 20:1-3 - into the earth from earth into bottomless pit

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."

Rev. 20:10 - and at last into the lake of fire

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

• As for Angels and Demons, their Career Indicates their Destiny. Matt. 8:28-29; 2 Peter 2:5; Jude 6

"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

"And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

• As for the Accomplices of Satan, Antichrist and False Prophet, their Career is Sin  2 Thess. 2:3; Rev. 3:8, 11; Rev. 16:13

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"

"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet."

THE DETERMINATION OF DESTINY WAS SETTLED FOR THE WORLD IN THE JUDGMENT AT THE CROSS

THE DETERMINATION OF DESTINY WAS SETTLED FOR THE WORLD IN THE JUDGMENT AT THE CROSS

By this statement I mean that the sentence was passed at the Cross. The execution of the sentence was to wait till the appointed time. The sentence involved destiny, not degree of punishment. The degree was to be settled at another time.

• The Destiny of the Entire World System including Satan and his Accomplices was Involved
• Satan was defeated and his destiny was determined  John 12:31-33

"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die."

 

The Destiny of Angels was also Settled by the Judgment of the Cross.

Defeated and destiny determined.  Col. 2:16

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days."

THE JUDGMENT OF SATAN, ANGELS, ANTICHRIST, AND FALSE PROPHET

THE JUDGMENT OF SATAN, ANGELS, ANTICHRIST, AND FALSE PROPHET

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it."

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness."

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Luke 4:5-6; 1 John 5:19; Rev. 16:13-14; Eph. 6:11-12

• These are all Linked Together in the Scriptures.

They all are a part of this world system.

• These are all Linked Together with Respect to their Origin.

Gen. 3:lff; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 12:3-4; 13:2, 11
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?....."

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."

• These are all Linked Together with Respect to their Nature.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."

John 8:44; Eph. 6:11-12; Rev. 13:1, 5, 11

 

• These are all Linked Together in the Area of Judgment.

"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die."

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."

John 12:31-33; Matt. 25:41; Col. 2:16; Rev. 19:20; 20:1

I will therefore be using the term world in its widest sense to include all these various intelligences in the following articles.

THE RECOMPENSE RESULTING FROM THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

THE RECOMPENSE RESULTING FROM THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

•  There will be Retribution upon the Wicked in Israel. Matt. 25:24-30

"Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not scattered any seed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scattered any seed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

As to moral condition, they are rotten at heart.

Matt. 25:26 "wicked"

As to mental conclusions, he was erroneous.

Matt. 25:24-25 Knew the Lord was hard and austere.

 As to the measure of conduct, he was slothful (vs. 26) and unprofitable (vs. 30).

"...'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no seed."

""And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

As to the retribution that falls upon him - He is cast into outer darkness - expulsion from all light.

Weeping - remorse at the loss of all that is good.

Gnashing of teeth, violent and confirmed hatred. Thinking he did not deserve this punishment as in Matt. 7:22-23.

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

• There will be Reward for the Righteous in Israel. Matt. 25:19-23

"After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

This will be in proportion to merit. Five talent man made ruler over many things (vs. 21) and the same for the two talent man (vs. 23). And they enter the joy of the Lord.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

 

By their conduct they displayed ‑

1. Their moral condition - good

2. Their mental conclusions - the Lord was good.

3. Their measure of conduct - faithful, profitable.

• There will be Recognition of High Function they have Served. Dan. 12:3

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

Wisdom will be exhibited like the brightness of the firmament.

Conversion will constitute them as luminaries like stars shining forever.

THE RESTORATION WHICH FOLLOWS THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

THE RESTORATION WHICH FOLLOWS THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

• The Restriction Upon the Rebels in Israel

Zech. 13:8 Two parts shall be cut off and die.

"And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein."

 

Ezek. 20:38 These are the ones who do not enter.

"And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

NOTE: The main passage is Ezekiel 20:33-38, which is reproduced here in full as it appears in the American Standard Version: "As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you. And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face. Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, saith the Lord Jehovah. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me; I will bring them forth out of the land (Ezek. 20:34-35) where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."
 First, the time of the event here described is set very definitely. It will immediately follow the regathering of Israel out of the countries unto which they have been dispersed. And the context clearly shows that the judgment will precede the actual entrance of Israel back into the land.
 Second, the place is specified as "the wilderness of the peoples" (Ezek. 20:35). Certain of the commentators argue that this wilderness is a "spiritual" description of the Jews' present condition where they are now among the nations. But this introduces a flat contradiction into the prophecy. How can God gather Israel "out of the countries" and bring them into the "wilderness," if the latter is merely another name for the former? The comparison drawn between this event and that which took place during the historical march from Egypt to Palestine, fixes beyond question the geographical location. It is the well-known wilderness of the Sinaitic peninsula, which to this day is occupied by various "peoples" (Ezek. 34:3 5, ASV).
 Third, the action of God here is judicial in character. He will "enter into judgment" with regathered Israel "face to face" (Ezek. 34:35). And the comparison with the historic events that occurred "in the wilderness" (Ezek. 34:36) is highly significant. For there, after God had established the Mediatorial Kingdom of Old Testament history at Sinai, organizing it as a true theocratic government, He proceeded to purge out all dissidents. Even so, in the establishment of the future Kingdom, God will renew His "face to face" dealings with Israel (cf. Deut. 5:4).
 Fourth, the results of this judicial event are clearly indicated. The rebels will be purged out from the regathered nation. They shall be brought out of whatever country where they reside, but they "shall not enter into the land of Israel" (Ezek. 20:38, ASV). These rebels may desire to submerge their identity by full integration with other nations and their idolatrous ways (Ezek. 20:32), but all such attempts will be suppressed by the "mighty hand" of God (Ezek. 20:33). On the other hand, out of this judicial separation will-come a cleansed remnant who will humbly and joyfully submit to the King, and these shall enter the land as the people of God (Ezek. 20:40-44).
 Finally, throughout this divine action, it should be observed that the Lord is acting in His regal capacity. His judicial work in the regathered nation is based on His determination to be their King. "As I live," He declares, "will I be king over you" (Ezek. 20:33). To this end, nothing essential will be left undone. And judgment must begin with the chosen nation.

• The Reentrance of the Righteous in Israel. Matt. 25:1-13

"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."

The five wise virgins are the righteous in Israel.

The virgins are Israel. cf. Rev. 14:1-5

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

THE SEPARATION TO TAKE PLACE IN THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

THE SEPARATION TO TAKE PLACE IN THE JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL

"And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD."  Ezek. 20:38-44

• There will be Segregation Because of Rebellion. vs. 38-40

"And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things."

There will be a Purging out of the rebels and them that transgress. They shall not enter into the land of Israel. This probably means that they shall suffer death.

All who enter into the land shall serve the Lord, bring offerings, firstfruits, holy things.

•  There will be selection because of reception. vs. 41-42

"I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers."

They will bring sweet savor offerings which the Lord will accept. The Lord will be sanctified in this people before the Gentile nations. The people of Israel will know the Lord; they shall recognize who He is when He brings them into their land.

• There will be Salvation Because of Redemption. vs. 43-44

"And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD."

• They shall Remember and Repent of their Past with all its Sin and Cor­ruption. Isa. 53 (vs. 43)

"And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed."

• They Shall Know the Lord when they have Experienced the Restoration and the Salvation Wrought by the Lord . vs. 44

"And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD."