We don’t like to think of Jesus ever sanctioning violence, let alone participating in it, but what we have to really understand more clearly, is that God is perfect, His judgments and decisions are always right, true and necessary.
God doesn’t enjoy violence, in fact there’s nowhere in Scripture that gives any indication of that, but we do see that there have been times when God has in fact sanctioned violence, and even commanded it.
For example, the earth was so wicked and filled with violence that God poured out judgment upon the whole earth by way of the flood of Noah’s day. (Gen 6:13) However, God will give human beings as much opportunity as possible to repent of their wickedness before they get to the point of being beyond redemption, and then and only then, does He bring judgment. God informed Abraham that his descendants would go to Egypt and be mistreated there, but that they’d come back to their promised land, but not until the sins of the Amorites was complete. (Gen 15:16) What does that mean? It means that God wouldn’t allow the Hebrews to enter the land and exact judgment on the inhabitants, until the inhabitants sins were to the point where judgment was deemed the only just response. God knew when that time would be and that’s when He deemed the Hebrews would enter the land. Two birds…one stone. God called His prophet Jonah to travel to Nineveh to issue a warning of imminent judgment unless they repented. Why? Because God would rather people repent so He doesn’t have to bring judgment. (Jonah)
The truth is, God vehemently hates violence, He hates sin and everything that results from it. Sin is the most destructive thing in the universe because it corrupts, destroys and kills everything it touches, it’s the most expensive thing in the universe because dealing with it requires the blood of innocents to pay for it.
Throughout the Old Covenant, you read about the unbelievable amount of blood that is sacrificed to cover the sins of the people. The Levitical sacrificial requirements of animals being slaughtered to provide temporary atonement and forgiveness for the people is, if we’re honest, sickening. That’s how seriously God treats sin. What was His answer to fix the problem of sin definitively? He became an infant, grew as a Man and sacrificed Himself – once and for all – a total, complete and sufficient sacrifice, enough to cleanse the entire human race…but ultimately, only for those who would come to Him with faith and trust, and a repentant heart.
Romans 6:10, ‘For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.’
Hebrews 7:26-27, ‘For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who doesn’t need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.’
Hebrews 9:11-12, ‘When Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.’
That was our suffering Messiah.
It’s been 2,000 years since our suffering Messiah hung on a cross to pay for our sins, to make atonement and for the message of His compassionate sacrifice on our behalf to travel around the world to every nation, tribe and tongue. In truth, there are very, very few places on earth where the Gospel hasn’t been preached.
But how long will the patience of God wait? How long before the sins of the world are full, complete and we run out of time to repent. We’ve waited 2,000 years so far. God has been unbelievably patient and long-suffering with us, but the day is approaching when the work and compassion and patience of Mashiach ben Yosef will be complete and the judgment and iron-handed rule of righteousness from Mashiach ben Da’vid will commence.
- Is there legitimate evidence for the need of judgment upon the nations of the world?
- Has the world for the most part rejected the Gospel of Christ? Yes
- Is there wars of greed and malice? Yes
- Is there evidence of violence? Yes
- Are Christians persecuted and murdered around the world for believing in Jesus? Yes
- Murder? Hatred? Slaughter of the unborn? Immorality and perversion? The celebration of wickedness? Idolatry and witchcraft? I could keep going, and the answer to every question would be yes.
- Have the nations of the world made it their focus to hate, persecute and attack the Jewish people and the nation of Israel? 100% yes!
So when the sin of the world – which is celebrated and encouraged – finally reaches its fill, Mashiach ben Da’vid, is going to return and He will make war with His enemies and it won’t be pretty. When Jesus quoted Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, He stopped at the line, “to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord.” That meant the time that Messiah would come to make atonement for the people.
When He comes back as a warrior Messiah, the fulfilment of the rest of that prophecy will be His mission.
Isaiah 61:2 says, “To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord…AND…the day of vengeance of our God…”
What will that achieve? It goes on…
Isaiah 61:2-4, “…To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. SO they will be called the oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He’ll be glorified. Then they’ll rebuild the ancient ruins, they’ll raise up the former devastations; and they’ll repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”
That’s why Messiah, the son of David, will come and rule the nations, He’ll deal with the world that has rejected His solution to sin, He’ll bring judgment upon a rebellious world and He’ll establish His rule over the world from the throne of His forefather David.
Shalom
Mandy
