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| Chapter 4 A Day of Judgment |
| How does God view the righteous and the wicked? Does God hate the wicked and love only the “good?” Although there are texts and even lengthy passages in Scripture that would seem to affirm this line of reasoning, can we so easily disregard faithful proclamations such as “God is Love” and “The Lord...is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish...” “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” Can we so easily condemn God for that which may seem to be true, when He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life?” And do we overlook the passages that speak of the fact that “God is no respecter of persons...” or “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” God loves all of mankind as though each one were the only one for whom His blessed Son died.
In Isaiah 1:8, God says, “Come let us reason together... though your sins be as scarlet, I shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”In Genesis 18:23 is recorded a query from the lips of the “father of our faith” when he said, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" It is a question put to God concerning His Character; not coming from a heart of doubt or disobedience, but from a concern for God’s good name. In verse 18 of this same chapter, Abraham continues, "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”An important consideration revealed in the lines of this text is that it was “far” from God to slay the righteous with the “wicked” that were “far from” Him. And the last question in this passage is, of course, rhetorical and the answer is, “Yes, the Judge of all the Earth shall do right.” But what is right in God’s eyes, may not be readily seen through our finite eyes of flesh. The Bible teaches what God considers “right.” Each of His promises manifest his desire to do what it right, for us. For instance: He would not promise to make us “joint-heirs with Christ,” unless it were possible for Him to keep that promise. But as we read the second part of this same verse we find that we may have to share in His sufferings, as well as His glory. And it is most likely that we will have a share in His sufferings if we accept the fact and believe that, “...all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” As we read on in this same passage and into the next chapter, other connections are made in regard to God’s dealing with the righteous and the wicked. In this case the term “quick and the dead” It states that “...the Lord Jesus Christ…shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom...” We are admonished to: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” And then, we are warned, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” A challenge is then issued to: “...watch...in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” Paul was a man who not only thought about his relationship to Christ, the head of the church, but spoke and wrote constantly of his beliefs. He states in verse 6: “...I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” This “departure” refera to Paul’s “earthly” death. He continues to reveal his dedication and commitment to the cause of Christ, when he says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:...l” and he speaks in verse 8 of the reward that Christ has prepared for him saying, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” The term “at that day” obviously refers to the previous term “at His appearing,” and he states that a crown of righteousness is also “laid up” for all of those who “love His appearing.” Hebrews 9:27 reveals that, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:...” The previous verses considered in 2Timothy, communicate the fact that the judgment takes place “at His appearing,” and the verse in Hebrews tells us that it is after a man dies. In the papers that accompany this introduction, a scriptural framework is presented to show that the Bible is intended to be a guide through the closing events of the age. There are undeniable proclamations in the Holy Writ, many of which have come to pass, just as they were announced, in advance, by God. There are also those that have not been fulfilled, still to be unfolded. The marvelous works of God are being made manifest just as it has been testified. The plan of salvation is drawing to a close and will culminate in the next coming of Christ as “Lord of lords and King of kings.” In Ecclesiastes 3:17, Solomon declared, “I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” And just as surely as God will do right he will judge the righteous and the wicked. This verse does not speak of when, however, other verses of Scripture do. As we study "The Next Coming of Christ," let us seek to answer three vital questions, 1) What is the manner of Christ’s Second Coming (Is it silent? 2) Is it at the end of a thousand year period or at the beginning?) and 3) Is anyone alive, on Earth, after Christ appears a second time? In the next portion of this study, we will look at the events that precede the Second Coming and the thousand years, we will discover, from Scripture, what takes place during the thousand years, and God will make plain to us what happens "when the thousand years are expired." |
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