And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)
The parable of the unjust judge has its resolution in the final statement above by the Lord Jesus. The Lord brings a contrast between earthly, unjust judges who may pass sentences depending upon their moods and convenience (or lack thereof), and that of the just and righteous Judge of the earth. We’re told that the Lord is aware of every injustice with which His saints have been afflicted and that every injustice will be requited when He gets the cooperative cry of faith and agreement from the saints on earth. But implicit in this parable is the reality of voluntary suffering that comes to the saints through injustice. This voluntary suffering (or in most cases, IN-voluntary suffering!) is part of the training process by which He conforms us to the image of the Son, who is the epitome of One who suffers injustice. Once these remedial judgments come to the saints of God, thus bringing us into full maturity and union with the Son, we then partner with Him in releasing His judgments into the earth with the main view to bring a harvest of souls.
The saints of God have been given the honor of “executing the written judgment” (Psalm 149:5-9) that has been fully secured through the finished works of Calvary. But before these judgments can be entrusted to the saints, those same saints must be fully established in His justice. This is why the scripture states in 1 Pet. 4:17 that judgment begins at the house of God. Ours is a remedial judgment meant to bring correction and alignment with His heart, character and purposes. The judgment that will then flow to the world is meant to bring merciful conviction to turn the sinner from Satan and self in order to be saved. If this merciful work of justice to the heart of the sinner is then rejected, these same judgments will become what is known as the “wrath” of the Lamb, which is voluntary exclusion from the grace of God. When every vestige of God’s mercy and grace have been rejected there only remains a “certain fearful expectation of judgment” (Heb. 10:26-27). This is only because every loving appeal of the Lord in mercy or righteous judgment has been rejected by choosing sin, self and Satan. The wrath of God carries absolutely no mercy because mercy has been exhausted. The Lord is just in rendering the verdict on the sin-loving, self-deifying, lover of pleasure.
The Earth and Everyone in it will be Judged
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? (Rev. 6:12-17)
The Lord Jesus will judge the earth and everyone in it who has rejected Him as the only sacrificial provision for salvation.
We are living in the final season of humanity where evil and righteousness will both come to full maturity. The fullness of this evil will blossom into a resurrected conglomeration of all the antichrist kingdoms that have previously been, with the human embodiment of Satan (Daniel’s little horn in Daniel 7) at its helm. Those who refuse to submit to the Lamb and worship Him will worship this beast (Rev. 13: 8-15; 14:9-11), the penalty for which is the “wrath of God” and torment without ceasing. As this evil comes to maturity, people will give themselves to their lusts and desires and become more “beastlike” than human. These were the same circumstances in the antediluvian world when God destroyed that world with a flood. As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. Yet, the scripture also bears out that during this same time the bride of Christ will also rise in glorious maturity, fully exhibiting His truth, righteousness and power as a final testimony. The beauty and glory of the Lord as reflected through this blood-bought and Spirit-prepared bride will be completely rejected for self-rule, thus incurring the full weight of His justice for rejecting Him and afflicting His saints. Jesus’ passionate love for His bride will release judgment as Satan’s rage against Him and His saints will crescendo together. The Lord will be openly hated, as will His saints, and Satan and his counterfeit system and messiah will be embraced and worshipped. However, this does not come because God is a punitive, self-seeking deity as portrayed in the stories of the Greek, Roman, Egyptian or Norse gods. He wants to save humans and have intimate communion with us. All that He does, He does out of love.
Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. (Lam. 3:32-33)
No loving parent desires to cause pain in their child’s life, but there are times when it is unavoidable. In times of training, enforcing principles and delegated responsibilities, and even punishment for disobedience and rebellion, it is not the delight of a parent to punish, but it must be done to train a child in the way he or she should go (Proverbs 22:6). Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15). Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die (Proverbs 23:13). The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother (Proverbs 29:15). It is always the Lord’s best that we learn from heeding His word. But when that is not enough, He will bring in His remedial judgments to get our attention.
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. (Hosea 5:13-15)
To Be Continued….