It’s always hardest to trust in the dark, but it’s in the dark that faith is strengthened. When we don’t understand, we trust.”
–B. N. Rundell (Journey to Jeopardy)
“Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”
“Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”
–2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
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Something caught my attention while I was reading the other day and I want to share it with you for you to ponder. It comes from a book written by Brannon McPherson,
“To end everything is to begin judgment.”
Over the years I had heard many people complain or exhort depending–why doesn’t the Lord just end this evil world? Why doesn’t He bring justice? But when you look at it, if He would put an end to the world, the next thing on the agenda would be judgment. Yes, for sure, justice would come. The writer of the Hebrews states, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this is the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV) This is for all humans who have lived on this earth.
It will not be all singing and dancing and whooping it up, nor will it be immediate torment, but first–the Judgment. All will be judged! Now I don’t understand it all, but once you die time ceases. Are we thrust immediately before the judgment throne? In one sense we are, because God is not bound by time; He is omnipresent. He is already at the Judgment and is waiting for us to join Him. I am not saying that man goes dormant after death, but there is no time for them anymore.
When your life ends–what then? The Judgment. After that the believer experiences joy unknown. There is a table spread before them waiting for the Groom to appear and dine with us. There is joy forevermore and we will be in the presence of Christ for eternity. In other words, we can face the sleep of death with boldness. The day of judgment is before us, however there is no fear because we have accepted His love.
However, what about the wicked? When they die, time ceases for them as well. They will not be RIP, but they will be at their Judgment, the Great White Throne. After death comes the judgment. There is something about the first death and the second and final death. We all die once, but those who have not accepted Jesus Christ will forever be dead, yet alive in torment.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17, NKJV) Natural, physical death would now enter upon creation. Man would die one day a physical death. But then we must look at the words of Jesus for He says, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5, NKJV) A new birth, a birth of the Spirit. This birth keeps man, not from physical death, but from the final death, the second death.
I wrote all of this to say that the reason God doesn’t end everything now is that judgment would immediately follow. He is waiting, waiting for that perfect time. He is waiting for the time of which Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV) The promise of the Lord is coming–there is a Day of Judgment, however He is waiting, waiting for that last person to accept Him. Only God, in His infinite omniscience knows the day and hour when the Son will return and hope will be lost.
———————————–
Something caught my attention while I was reading the other day and I want to share it with you for you to ponder. It comes from a book written by Brannon McPherson,
“To end everything is to begin judgment.”
Over the years I had heard many people complain or exhort depending–why doesn’t the Lord just end this evil world? Why doesn’t He bring justice? But when you look at it, if He would put an end to the world, the next thing on the agenda would be judgment. Yes, for sure, justice would come. The writer of the Hebrews states, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this is the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV) This is for all humans who have lived on this earth.
It will not be all singing and dancing and whooping it up, nor will it be immediate torment, but first–the Judgment. All will be judged! Now I don’t understand it all, but once you die time ceases. Are we thrust immediately before the judgment throne? In one sense we are, because God is not bound by time; He is omnipresent. He is already at the Judgment and is waiting for us to join Him. I am not saying that man goes dormant after death, but there is no time for them anymore.
When your life ends–what then? The Judgment. After that the believer experiences joy unknown. There is a table spread before them waiting for the Groom to appear and dine with us. There is joy forevermore and we will be in the presence of Christ for eternity. In other words, we can face the sleep of death with boldness. The day of judgment is before us, however there is no fear because we have accepted His love.
However, what about the wicked? When they die, time ceases for them as well. They will not be RIP, but they will be at their Judgment, the Great White Throne. After death comes the judgment. There is something about the first death and the second and final death. We all die once, but those who have not accepted Jesus Christ will forever be dead, yet alive in torment.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17, NKJV) Natural, physical death would now enter upon creation. Man would die one day a physical death. But then we must look at the words of Jesus for He says, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5, NKJV) A new birth, a birth of the Spirit. This birth keeps man, not from physical death, but from the final death, the second death.
I wrote all of this to say that the reason God doesn’t end everything now is that judgment would immediately follow. He is waiting, waiting for that perfect time. He is waiting for the time of which Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV) The promise of the Lord is coming–there is a Day of Judgment, however He is waiting, waiting for that last person to accept Him. Only God, in His infinite omniscience knows the day and hour when the Son will return and hope will be lost.