When Jesus Comes Again, He Will Judge

                                                Copyright (c) 2002  Jordan White

 

 

            "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

 

            "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. And if he is thirsty, give him a drink: for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.

 

            “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”                                                                                                                                                           Romans 12: 19-21(NAS)

            “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me...I saw...one like a son of man...And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire;

 

            “And His feet were like burnished bronze...and His voice like the sound of many waters.

 

             “And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

 

            “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man."

 

                                                                                                            Revelation 1:12-17a (NAS)

 

            Both of these New Testament passages of Scripture deal with a future time.

 

            "I will repay," says the Lord in the Romans passage. (Italics mine.)  Notice the future tense.  God is not saying, "I am repaying."  Judgment day has not yet come.

 

            In the Revelation passage, see Christ in all of His splendor, the risen, ascended Christ returning to earth in power and glory!  What majesty!  What awe-inspiring glory!

 

            But, once again, this is a passage dealing with future times.

 

 

            Christians, you are very quick to decide to take vengeance on the Muslim world for the September 11th attacks.

 

            You are very fast in deciding that God cannot do anything other than bless His "chosen people", Israel, and therefore, the Palestinians must realize that they must vacate their lands in order that "God's will be done". 

 

            In other words, you are quick to pass judgment on other human beings.

 

            But, if Jesus Himself has not yet returned to earth in power and in glory and in judgment, who are you to be taking His lawful place?

 

            Aren't you running ahead of Him, who has already said that He will exact revenge and judge those who have wronged Him?

 

            Is it your job to judge those whom you imagine to be God's enemies?

 

            Remember the parable of the unrighteous judge! (Luke 18-2-8).  Have we been ordained by God to decide the fate of the Muslim population of this world?  Has the nation of Israel been given a mandate to ethnically cleanse its Palestinian inhabitants, paid for and cheered on by evangelical American Christians, because we are behaving in an unscriptural manner by taking over Jesus' future  role of judge of the nations?  Or can the parable of the unrighteous judge serve as a warning to us to beware of such behavior?

 

            When did we see our Savior last, here on earth?  Oh, I don't mean when did you or I see Him last.  I mean, when did mankind see Him last?  And what were His last charges to us?

 

            Let me take the last question first.  His charges to us were that we were to behave in a humble manner; that we were to wash each others' feet, that we were to serve others and, of course, deliver the Gospel to the world.

 

            I think He was saying that judgment was His job.  Our job is to spread the Gospel!

 

            But, where indeed, did we see Him last, here on earth, before he ascended into heaven?

 

            Let's take a look:

 

            I remember that He was walking on the road to Emmaus, instructing two of His disciples about the meaning of His death (Luke 24: 13-28).

 

            He was talking to the women who came, grieving, to his tomb, telling them not to weep, but to go to His brethren, telling them that He would return to the Father, who was their Father as well (John 20: 15-17).

 

            He was telling Thomas that He was, indeed, his Savior and urging him to take advantage of Jesus' presence with him to assuage his doubts (John 20: 27-29).

 

            All these things, and more, illustrating that the risen Christ was still showing us that the way of instruction, of tenderness, and love are the way are to be operating, at least until He returns with "eyes...like a flame of fire".

 

            Christian friends, do not be "jumping the gun" of God's timetable by judging and waging war, spiritual or literal against people who happen to be Muslim, or happen to have been born on lands you think belong to any other group of people.

 

            The risen, glorified Lord did not judge.  He knew that judgment awaits.

 

            Should we be running ahead of Him?

 

 

            "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him."  

                                                                                                            John 3:17 (NAS)

           

 

 

            "What shall we say then?  There is no injustice with God, is there?  May it never be! 

            "For He says to Moses, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I

            WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.'  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy."                                                                                                                  Romans 9: 14-16 (NAS)