All Evil to Be Ended. News at Eleven

Larry Kirkpatrick ++ Mentone Church of Seventh-day Advnetists ++ 22 September 2001

Magnitude. The strength of some things sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. The Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus--they are doing something very large right now. The president of the United States has dubbed the current operation against the terrorists who leveled the World Trade Center "Operation Infinite Justice." If all goes as desired, then after a long and protracted conflict and much loss of life, most of the terrorism will be ended because those places from which such attacks are staged and directed will be destroyed or occupied. "Infinite Justice" is an awfully broad title for that. God, on the other hand, is fighting an action too. He too is putting away illegitimate terror and evil.

I don't think we are going to hear in some station break, "All Evil to Be Ended. News at Eleven." God has embarked on a giant program; the magnitudes and objects . . . are different.

In God's government, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed" (Psalm 85:10). The outflow from His operation is infinite love. But His love is manifested in both justice and mercy, both mercy and truth, both righteousness and peace.

It is true, the terrorists action, the Unites States' action, it is impacting all the world. It is true that in the end of time, but one superpower has such power. It is also true that for the papacy, the deadly wound is finally healed and all the world ultimately wonders after her. The pieces for the grand end game are coming into position in this our day. If nothing else flows out from the terror attack of last week, a substantial loss of our freedoms and increase in the government's power of surveillance over the people of the world remain likely outcomes.

What I am trying to say is that giant things are happening. But they are bigger than even we think. For God is going about His plan of ending all evil once and for all. We mustn't lose this point amidst all the giant grinding noises emanating from the heavens.

In fact, if we will get a grip on some points it will help us to give the message. Today, everyone's attention has been acquired. The civilization of the planet has been jostled, and still there is more to come. Let's invest some of our time today in taking a look into how God works. People are saying this is God's anger at America, and so we need to reduce the wall of separation between church and state. Others are saying that no, this is basically a meaningless event, simply emphasizing the general manifestation of evil in the world. What's up, is that people are trying to place this event, find out where it fits in the grand scheme. But many are afraid to ascribe to God any retributive role. Satan has, after all, set out to paint God in some very false colors, to show Him to be selfish, supposedly having no material difference between Satan's character and His own. And we should be careful with that.

Sin Following to Judgment

Let's look then, at some texts. First, 1 Timothy 5:24-25:

"Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid."

This comes to Timothy as a general statement. Time reveals many things, but not necessarily everything, not in this life. Timothy as a young church leader is urged to caution in whom he appoints to leadership positions in the churches (1 Timothy 5:22). In any case, we here have some fascinating truths. The sins of some may be considered "opened" or "closed." If they are open, we may see them "going before to judgment." That is, the results of their sins will become visible in their wake.

A man robs a bank, and is shot in the pursuit immediately following. Had he not robbed the bank, doubtless there would have been no pursuit. His sins are open, his bank robbery, and the results of his sinful act are evidenced in this world. Another robs a bank, gets away with the cash, is never seen again. He dies somewhere in obscurity, never having served a day's time in prison. His sin was recorded in heaven, it was manifest on earth, but its connection to this man never seems to have brought him down. Of such an one Paul declares his sins follow him to judgment. They never seemed to catch up to him during his earthly probation, but do finally in the end. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:28).

Thus we may say that the sins of some are open before they die, "going before to judgment," while the just reward of others follows after. The significance? Just this: There are occasions where God sends judgment before; there are occasions when from heaven comes a reaction that is manifest here and now and goes along with whatever the final disposition of one's case may be.

Final Leveling in the End

Do you recall the parable of Lazarus and the rich man? What was said there? "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented" (Luke 16:25). And why did Lazarus receive the "evil things"? We don't know the details. But we know that in the parable, Lazarus is relieved from his sufferings, while the rich man, dying in apparent indifference to the fate of Lazarus, does not fare well in his new estate. Yes, true--it's all but a parable. But notice that things are leveled out at the end. Justice is served. Just as the passage from first Timothy, the judgment of the rich man may not have been apparent in his opulent life, but it followed after.

The Tower of Siloam

Let us turn our attention now to more of the words of Jesus. Turn to Luke 12:49-13:9. Shall we read together?

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And He said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Consider these words rich in instruction for us. First, Jesus is the Prince of peace, but He comes to bring division. Consider the ratios of division given one to one and two versus three. Those speak to us not of clear majorities and minorities, but of sharp polarization and separation within families and every other social boundary.

Christ points out that they can rightly evaluate the meteorological signs, and by them mark what is coming, but urges before them their spiritual blindness. They cannot read the signs of the times aright.

He points to their injustice, defrauding one another; of their blindness in foreseeing how they will be affected by their own actions. When they cheat their neighbors, they will receive the wages of their evil, not departing from their prison-house until they have paid in full for their crimes.

Next, He speaks of the Galileans whom Pilate had slaughtered and then had their blood mingled with their sacrifices, making an abomination. Of these He asks, "Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay." Here Jesus makes a careful point. He is asking whether this despicable event happened to them--having their own blood mingled with their sacrifices--on account of their being "sinners above all the Galileans"? That is, did this happen to them because they were more deserving of judgment and moral reprisal than others? Did God permit this to happen to them because they were somehow more wicked than others that it never happened to? Consider well the answer: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Then the tower: "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Are we not then bidden by our Lord to caution in interpreting events as divine judgments? That is what I hear.

Jesus levels the field and He says, "Don't think this automatically. Rather, let these tragedies call you to weigh your own spiritual state." "But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Or do you remember the man born blind in John nine? And what were they asking? "Who sinned, that this man was born blind?" They stood by, ready to assign blame. But Jesus called them to self-examination, not to sort-out the weight of retribution others might be just in receiving.

Job's Children Slain

We could multiply these. But lets go to another place, and look at something else that's deep and along a similar line. Turn to Job, chapter one.

We read verses 6-12:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

In the beginning, God gave Adam dominion over the earth; he was to be God's manager. But he turned and obeyed Satan rather than His Maker. After that a great rift was opened between heaven and earth. Satan was a rebel in the universe of God; he had no rights. But he became, in a sense, the prince of this world, temporary ruler of a rebel planet. Yet God and the devil will do nothing in cooperation. But apparently there are times in the counsels of heaven when representatives of the varied planets in creation come before the Father. At one such time Satan had the temerity to come before the Father in heaven.

God began the conversation. "And where do you hail from?" Full well He knew the answer. But He let Satan identify himself with the planet where so much sorrow and rebellion had been inflicted through his demonic ideology. Lucifer answered, saying in essence, "I'm on the loose. I have freedom on the earth, and I'm causing havoc, right in your face."

The imp stood in the presence of God and implied he had a right to do whatever he would. All the universe watched the progress of the interview. And right here it takes a startling turn. "Have you seen My servant Job?" You wonder what the reaction was. Was there a great silence? Was Satan startled? We don't know for sure. But we know that God presented a fallen human being, Job, and told the devil that his experience was much in contrast to Satan's. Here was one human who rejected evil, and served God faithfully.

At some point, Satan replied. His reply suggests that he had an intimate knowledge of Job. Satan knew exactly who Job was. "Does he fear you for nothing?" asked Satan. "Haven't you been protecting him from me? Haven't you been pouring out all these blessing upon him?" The implications were that God wasn't fighting fair, and that Job served God from a selfish motivation. Hear then Satan's next words, and hear them carefully:

"But if you God, will put forth Your hand now, and intervene in removing everything that he has, He will curse You." Satan claimed that if God would take away the hedge of protection, if He would remove all the blessings, Job would be shown to be serving God only from those selfish purposes and motives that the devil insisted he was. A challenge had now been made. All the universe watched to see what would happen next.

Good and evil stood face to face. Two conflicting challenges stood. On the one side, God said that someone served Him and did good and hated evil. On the other side, Satan claimed that this was mere illusion, that actually there was no difference between God or Job, or even Satan himself. All were selfish and had selfish motives, so who was God to condemn Satan and oppose his moral program?

God does nothing in partnership with Satan. And again, He knows of what His people are made. We read only the outward appearance, but He knows the inward reality. His promise is, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." He knew what Job as made of. This specific promise may not yet have been inscripturized, but it was true even before it was expressed.

God responded to the devil like this: "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand." Who was lying? Soon, the universe would know!

Far from any partnership, this was a brutal moral test. And God would permit Satan to test His servant. The Father would pull back His omnipotent hand and let the devil make good on his claim if he could. All the universe would see the outcome.

Let's see what happened next. Consider verses 13-19:

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

In every case but one, the servants were slain, the material wealth removed. But that was not all. the climax was what happened to Job's children. They were slain in an event, perhaps a tornado. We know that everything connected to Job was opened to Satan to attack. The fire from heaven, the tornado or whatever it was, doubtless were manipulations of the elements and the weather by an adversary with deep knowledge of how to use science to work them to our destruction. To Job, it must have appeared almost as if yes, God had struck him. Here was a convergence, all these things happening at once. Such a series of events could never have been merely coincidental. God and Satan were having a dispute, and it overflowed into the life of Job the servant of God.

Job's reaction? "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:20-22).

Were the events that slew Job's children the judgment of God? Really, they were the malice of Satan. Satan had moved God to operate against his own people, but He had refused. Look at verse eleven of chapter one: "Put forth thine [God's] hand now, and touch all that he hath." But He didn't do it. Instead, He withdrew His hand of protection part way, and Satan's hand was stretched out to destroy. Was God angry with Job? No. He had brought up Job as an example of how Satan's way of life was being rejected by the people of God.

None of us would really want to be singled-out by God for an experience such as what Job went through. But that's not the question. Maybe the question is, were God to search all of planet earth for an example of fealty to His Law, could He point to you or me, and say, "Have you seen My servant ___?"

Broader Judgment Affecting the Innocent

Do you remember a fellow in the Bible named Joseph? Sold into slavery, living in prison for many years, finally he rose to prominence in Egypt, becoming second only to Pharaoh. His brothers treated him unjustly, and for this he suffered for years. But God turned the evil to good.

Do you recall an individual in the Bible named Daniel? Here is one who was absolutely faithful and true. When the nation of Israel experienced God's judgment because of the unfaithfulness of her leaders, many, including Daniel, were carried off into captivity in Babylon, few ever to return home. It was not their fault. But they were carried away just the same. Among those taken into captivity in Babylon were the guilty, and the unguilty. Those accountable suffered with those not accountable. And God let them be carried away.

God does His work, often at the level of nations. Remember Jeremiah 18:7-10?

At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

This makes for an interesting text when it is put side by side with Revelation 13:11-17, a text in the Bible speaking of the United States of America in prophecy:

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. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles [sameia, "signs"] which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

It is evident that our nation has not accomplished all of this yet. Our country is a precious land, of precious freedoms. Its principles, largely, are wonderful, and harmonious with heaven. And yet we know that although looking lamblike and even acting lamblike (more or less) in her youthful years, still this mighty nation will "speak as a dragon." Still her moral accountability throughout her experience ever rises up before God in heaven. She will, under the influence of a softened and ungodly coalition of nominally Protestant religious-entities unite with the Papal power, and repudiate the principles of religious freedom which we hold dear. Could it be that our God might one day act, and pull back His hand, and let us be jostled to waken us, and turn us to repentance?

I am not quick to pronounce what as happened as a judgment upon America. At the same time, I find thoroughly irresponsible those who in peace-and-safetyism so lightly proclaim this to be no judgment sent from heaven in any way. While our government has yet to fully repudiate her principles and leave herself open to full national ruin, heaven's word for this hour surely is, "except ye repent, ye shall all surely likewise perish."

Conclusion

It is evident that the great controversy is ripening. What happened last week in New York and in our world affected both, the evil, and the servants of God. The latest numbers say that at least nine SDAs perished in the attack. One was a church elder, one a deacon, one a pathfinder leader--a whole variety of things. Many of them were noble workers for Jesus. Now they are dead.

Let's remember the tower of Siloam. It may have fallen on 18 no more wicked in particular than their neighbors and associates. But where was their trust? Had they given their hearts to Jesus? We will all likewise perish forever unless we are faithful. A call goes out today. Let's be faithful. Today, let us be real Christians, real Seventh-day Adventist messengers of truth and hope. Today let's be thoughtful when we talk to our neighbors in a shaken nation. Perhaps some of these things will give the right color to what has happened, and leave hearers interested in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God grant us an appealing persuasion as we share in a world hurting. All evil will soon be ended. Sin and Satan will be destroyed forever more. The suffering will close, and tears will be replaced by joy. How important that our neighbors be there, in the kingdom. Let us be about our father's work. We do not know how much time we have.

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