Chapter 14 discusses the three reapings and some of the events that will take place during the Great Tribulation, including the fall of religious Babylon. In the first verse, this Mount Zion is the heavenly one. The 144,000 is the 144,000 mentioned in Chapter 7, the 12,000 Jews from each tribe of Israel. The name “His Father” on their foreheads signifies that they are one with Him. The voice is tumultuous yet solemn and pleasant. No one can learn the new song because they don’t have the same experiences of Christ as these first overcomers. When verse 3 says “from the earth” it proves that they’ve been raptured at this point. They were “purchased” by God when He sealed them and they will be raptured before everyone else.
The Three Angels
Now we see three more angels, each with a different message to those still on earth. The first angel proclaims the eternal gospel. It tells man to return to worship God and not be deceived by the Antichrist. He will begin the eternal judgment on the world. The second angel brings forth the message that Babylon has fallen. “Who has made all the nations drink” indicates that the Babylon being mentioned here is Rome, which is again mentioned in Chapter 17 and 18. Babylon the Great is a reference to Dan 4:30 when Nebuchadnezzar congratulates himself on his achievement: 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' Immediately he became a beast and was driven from men. Rome has always influenced the rest of the world. The fury refers to her fury when the saints do not consent her fornication. The third angel brings forth the message of what the punishment will be if man does not heed these warnings. “Mixed undiluted” in verse 10 means that God won’t be light in His judgment and wrath. He’ll give to each what they deserve. Torment will not cease to exist in the lake of fire. The endurance to suffer the Antichrist’s persecution will be needed by the saints who remain on earth. There are two peoples who make up the saints at this time: the Jews who keep the commandments and the believers who keep the faith of Jesus.
The Harvest of the Earth
The dead in verse 13 are those who are martyred under the persecution of Antichrist during the great tribulation. At this point, Christ is no longer clothed by a cloud but now He is on the cloud. The Lord’s coming is now in the open and everyone will know. He is still the Son of Man, therefore He is qualified to execute God’s judgment on everyone (John 5:27). The golden crown is His crown of glory and the sickle indicates that He is the one who will reap God’s people. All believers, who since Christ’s coming have received His seed of life, make up God’s harvest. They are made ripe through their sufferings in the great tribulation so therefore they will be reaped and raptured. In verse 16, the sickle represents the angels sent by the Lord to reap the harvest (Matthew 13:39).
This next angel in verse 17 has a sickle to reap the ones who chose not to follow Christ and chose to worship the Antichrist. In the bible, the Jews are likened to the fig tree (Matthew 24:32), the believers are likened to wheat (Matthew 13:25, 30), and now the wicked are likened to grapes, which is a counterfeit of the true vine made of Christ and His followers (John 15:1-6). The grapes, being composed mostly of water, indicates that these wicked are ripe because they are filled to the brim with sin. The great winepress in verse 19 is the war at Armageddon in Chapter 16, which is the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:9-16). All the Gentile worldly forces will be gathered there, and the Lord, with His overcoming saints, will destroy them there (Isaiah 63:1-6). The city that is mentioned in verse 20 where the winepress was trodden is Jerusalem. one thousand and six hundred stadia is one hundred and eighty-two miles, which is the distance from Bozrah (Isaiah 63:1) to Armageddon.
In this segment I will be discussing Chapter 13, the Beast out of the Sea and the Beast out of the Earth. The beast out of the sea is the Antichrist. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. When saying he will come out of the sea, it is telling us he will come from two sources: his spirit from the abyss and his body from one of the Gentile nations around the Mediterranean. The sea signifies Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15, Isaiah 57:20). The ten horns and seven heads are those of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); the beast is therefore one with the dragon. The ten horns are the ten coming kings (Daniel 7:24) and the seven heads are the seven Caesars (Revelation 17:10). The ten heads correspond to the ten toes in Daniel 2:42-4. The Roman Empire, Antichrist, and ten kings (represented by the ten crowns) are one with Satan. The seven Caesars, symbolized by the seven heads, claimed deity and ordered their people to worship them, which is a blasphemy against God.
A leopard, characterized by swift and crucial movements, was the symbol of Alexander the Great, king of Greece. The bear, characterized by its destroying feet, was the symbol of the monarchy of Medo-Persia. The lion, characterized by its devouring mouth, was a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The Antichrist will have their characteristics. He’s the totality of all evil powers in human history. Giving his power, throne, and authority to the beast, he makes the beast one with him so he can resist God and persecute God’s people on earth. Verse 3 refers to one of the Caesars who will be resuscitated, causing the earth to marvel. He is one of the Caesars who was assassinated or murdered because it says his face was slain. During the last three and a half years he will terminate all Jewish worship and service to God (Daniel 9:27), persecute the saints, and destroy Jerusalem. The saints that he will make war with are the believers that remain on earth.
The Beast Out of the Earth
13:11 brings our attention to the beast out of the earth. This other beast is the false prophet mentioned in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. Since the earth signifies Israel, the false prophet will most likely come from the Jews. By saying that he looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon this verse is indicating his falsity. He is the ultimate of all the false prophets that we were forewarned about. He helps persuade people to worship the beast from the sea. He will be able to do what Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:36-38 by bringing fire out of the sky. People won’t be able to distinguish the truth from the lies. In his being able to give breath to the statue of the beast of the sea he is doing something that has never been done before in human history. Psalm 115:5 tells us that no idol made by human hands has ever been able to speak.
Chapter 11 reveals the two witnesses to us and the seventh trumpet, which produces the seven bowls that we will see further in chapter 16. In verse 1 John is given a reed like a rod to measure the temple. This is most likely meant to preserve the temple during the time of supernatural calamities and physical danger or for the reformation of the temple, while in Ezekiel the measuring of the temple was for the rebuilding of it. The altar mentioned here is the incense altar because the altar of sacrifice is in the court outside of the temple. The court is on earth. The holy city is the earthly Jerusalem. At the end of this age the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews for one week (7 years) during the last week of the 70 weeks (490 years) God appointed the Jews in Daniel 9:24-27 to end sin. During the last three and a half years, or forty two months, he will break the covenant and end the worship of God (Daniel 9:27). He will blaspheme God and persecute His people. He’ll destroy Jerusalem. This will be the Great Tribulation.
The Two Witnesses
1,260 days is three and a half years. The two witnesses here are Moses and Elijah. The reason they wear sackcloth is because it’s funeral clothes. It’s a warning to mankind not to worship the Antichrist so they can escape eternal damnation. In verses 5-6, the actions are the same as what Moses and Elijah did. Moses had turned water to blood and brought plagues among men. Elijah caused the rain to stop due to his great faith. By saying they have the power to do these things again tells us they won’t do it but it lets us know their identity. Malachi 4:5 predicted Elijah’s mission.
“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and
dreadful day of the Lord comes.”
The prophet Zechariah, in Zechariah 4, received a vision of two olive trees at either side of a golden light stand. 4:13 says they are the two anointed to serve the Lord. In Matthew 17:1-3 both Moses and Elijah appeared before the Lord on the mount of transfiguration. Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets (Luke 16:16). Olive trees produce oil for the lamps (like mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13). Oil signifies the Holy Spirit. Lampstands produce light through use of the oil. During the church age the churches are the lampstands for God’s testimony. During the 42 months the witnesses are the source of the Holy Spirit and the testimony. The Antichrist will kill these two witnesses and their bodies lie in the city of Jerusalem. It’s spiritually called Sodom and Egypt because even after the 1948 restoration they’re as sinful as Sodom and as wordly as Egypt. The torment that they brought upon the earth was the testimony that they spoke because mankind didn’t want to accept it. The three and a half days is included in the 1,260 or else it would extend past the Great Tribulation. In standing back on their feet they have been resurrected. Jerusalem then suffers an earthquake.
The earth is no longer ruled by Satan and God’s judgment will now occur on the dead. The Ark of the Covenant is the center of all God’s accomplishments. The earthquake that then occurs is the fourth quake predicted in Revelation. The first occurred at the sixth seal, the second was before the seven trumpets, the next was at the rapture of the two witnesses, and now there is one during the seventh bowl which is the most sever calamity of the seventh trumpet.
Chapter 8 introduces the Seven Trumpets. Christ is the angel that stands at the altar of prayers of the saints. He is the incense added so that their prayers may be found acceptable to God. The smoke rising in verse 4 signifies that the prayers of the saints become effective. Their prayers are answered for judgment on the earth which is signified by the fire, thunder, voices, lightening, and earthquake. The fire is not literal fire; God, throughout Revelation, lets us know that his judgment is represented by fire. It is fire because eternal punishment is being cast into the Lake of Fire. The first four trumpets are not judgment directly on man yet but rather a warning to repent through destruction of things vital to man’s survival.
The First Four Trumpets
During the first trumpet, the third part of the earth probably refers to the most evil and sinful regions. Fire and hail falling upon these regions is a supernatural calamity. It’s an unusual combination but God, in his power, will allow for it to happen. 1/3 of the earth will be destroyed by fire. During the second trumpet another third of a creation of God is destroyed. This time it is the sea, and 1/3 of the creatures and ships of the sea. Some people speculate that the “huge mountain, all ablaze” is a meteorite or asteroid. The third trumpet destroys another 1/3 of something created by God. This time it’s the springs and rivers. Jeremiah 9:15 tells us that men will drink poisoned water, provided by God. Right now, even those who don’t abide in God enjoy his Creation. But, during the third trumpet, they will no longer be able to enjoy it. It’s His vengeance against man, destroying something that is so crucial to human life. The fourth trumpet will cause darkness to overwhelm most of the day and a 1/3 of the earth.
The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
The last three trumpets, the three woes, will occur during the last half of the Tribulation which is 3 ½ years, 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), or twelve hundred and sixty days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6).
Chapter 9 is the fifth and sixth trumpets. The star in verse 1 that fell to the earth is Satan. The angels are likened to stars and Satan was the Daystar (Isaiah 14:12). He is given authority over the dwelling place of demons. The locusts in verse 3 are not like those in Exodus but rather these have tails like scorpions and bring harm to men (9:10) and they are demon-possessed. Only the Israelites who have the seal of God will not be harmed by these locusts. Mankind will be made to suffer, not die for verse 6 says:
“And in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it;
and they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
The angel of the abyss mentioned in verse 11 is the Antichrist. The Hebrew word Abaddon means destruction and the Greek work Apollyon means destroy. In verse 13, during the sixth trumpet, the golden altar is the incense altar that the blood of redemption was put on (Exodus 30:10). This verse indicates that God’s judgment is based on the redemption of Christ because men do not believe in His redemption. The four angels that are released will kill men first for one hour then one day, then one month, and then finally one year. The two hundred million horsemen in verse 16 will join the battle at Armageddon. The horses and their riders in verse 17 bear fire and hyacinth and brimstone to kill people and cast them into the lake of fire. These horsemen are more powerful than the locusts with the tails of scorpions. These horsemen kill men, not just torment them. These woes upon men were meant to bring them to repentance, but there are still men who refuse to repent even after these traumatic events.
Today we will be looking at chapters 6-9 in the book of Revelation- the Seven Seals, the 144,000, and the Seven Trumpets.
The Four Horsemen
The opening of the seven seals occurs immediately after Christ ascends into Heaven and they concern all living creatures. The white horse mentioned in verse 2 symbolizes the preaching of the gospel, which is clean, pure, just, and approvable in the eyes of God. The first four seals consist of four horses with the four riders who are not actual people but rather personified things. Some people interpret this verse as the rider being Jesus but it is the gospel. Immediately after Christ’s ascension, the four things began to run rampant in the Earth and they will continue until Christ’s Second Coming. The gospel started spreading in the first century and simultaneously war has continued among mankind. War causes famine and famine causes death. The reason why the first rider has a bow is to fight the enemy and the crown is because the gospel has been crowned with the glory of Christ.
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
-2 Corinthians 4:4
The second horse is the rider of war. The red color of the horse represents bloodshed which is prominent in war. When this verse says “…to take peace from the earth…” it clearly indicates war. The third horse is that of famine. The blackness of the horse symbolizes a deficiency (Jeremiah 14:1-4) and represents famished people (Lamentations 4:8-9). Here, the balance is to weigh food. Verse 6 says, “…; and do not harm the oil and wine.” because oil and wine are for man’s pleasure and tend to be in short supply. They become precious and valuable in a time of famine. The fourth and final horse is that of death. It is a pale horse because when one dies they become pale in the face. Hades is the place where the unsaved dead are kept before judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Hades follows this horse to obtain those that Death kills. The reason why beasts are mentioned here to kill man is because one of the punishments by God upon man is death by animals, such as in 2 Kings 2:24 and 2 Kings 17:25.
The Fifth and Sixth Seals
The fifth seal discusses Christian martyrs. They are given white robes because their martyrdom was approved by God. Verse 11, when saying that the number of their fellow slaves and brothers were about to be killed, is talking about the martyrdom of the great tribulation (Revelation 20:4). The sixth seal marks the beginning of the supernatural calamities and marks the beginning of the changing into the new heaven and the new earth.
The 144,000
Chapter 7 shows how God will still care for His people during the time of judgment. The winds mentioned in the first verse are the winds of His judgment (Jeremiah 22:22, 51:1). The angel in verse 2 is Jesus. He is a special messenger, granted power by God. Verse 3 lets us know that the Israelites whom He has chosen will be protected during the seventh seal and the seven trumpets. These are the Israelites who keep the commandments of God during the tribulation.There are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Verse 9-17 is about the redeemed ones from all nations and all generations. They are raptured to the presence of God right before the sixth seal is opened. They’re conduct has been approved by God so they’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb, hence the white robes. The palm branches in their hands signify the victory of the saints over suffering they went through in Christ’s name and the satisfaction of being watered. The great tribulation mentioned is not the one that occurs in Revelation but rather the suffering of God’s people throughout all generations. They will have no dissatisfaction once they are living in the kingdom of God.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
-Genesis 1:1
Many people in today’s society deny the presence of God and the Holy Spirit. They say he doesn’t exist and one atheist told me that the only reason Christians believe in God is because they are weak and need something to have hope in. We are not completely independent, we need God. That must make us weak. I don’t think so. I think it makes us stronger to come to terms that there is something greater than us. The complexity of the design of man, the Earth, and the solar system point to intelligent design. Creation. Not evolution. How is it that Earth is the only planet that can sustain life? And if we came from monkeys then how come there are still monkeys swinging in the trees? And if we came from fish then does that mean we are eating out third cousin whenever we eat a tuna sandwich? How come humans have not changed much over thousands of years besides not needing our appendix and spleen and such? How are we the most intelligent creation on this earth!?!? My God, OUR God is not a myth. He is real and lives in each and every one of us if we allow Him to.
If God was not real and the Bible was a fiction story then how could hundreds of prophesies come true and continue to come true? An atheist might try to bring up the prophesies that did not come true but how can they ignore the ones that did? We are going through so many of the birth pains of the Rapture and Tribulation that will lead to the end of the earth that we know.
“I have revealed and saved and proclaimed- I, and not
some foreign god among you. You are my
witnesses- declares the Lord- that I am God.”
-Isaiah 43:12
He says it right in the bible! There will be people who refuse to accept the Lord so He brings up the point that He was the one who prophesied all that happened. How? Because He is the one who plans all things from the beginning to the end! Matthew 24:4-32 describes a few of the signs of the end of age.
-false prophets
-wars and rumors of war
-famines
-earthquakes
-“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me…the love of most will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:9-12
-the image of the antichrist will appear in the most holy place (the Middle East) This hasn’t happened yet but it will soon occur.
We have seen so many false prophets declaring when the end of the world will happen. Right now they are saying the world will end in December. However, they are false because the bible states in various places that no one, I repeat no one, will know when the Son of Man will come (Just a little side note, Jesus is called the Firstborn of the dead in Revelation 1:5 because our spirits were once dead and he was the first to be spiritually born. He was the ultimate sacrifice that we needed to be able to obtain life in Heaven.). There has been an increase of wars in the past few centuries. There are many countries that are what we know as third-world that has thousands of children who have no food for weeks. In the past year or so there has been an increase in earthquakes. Christians are more hated now than ever. Sure, you can say that there have always been earthquakes and Christians have always been hated. But all I can say is EXACTLY! The birth pains don’t all happen at once! They gradually grow closer and closer together and that’s exactly what’s happening. So don’t try to deny the fact that the Bible is right and prophesied many things that are coming true. In Revelation it talks about the earth being consumed by fire before the Rapture. There are so many wildfires around the United States and around the world.
The bible even describes how the people will act in 2 Timothy Chapter 3.
-people will love themselves
-be lovers of money
-boastful
-proud
-abusive
-disobedient
-ungrateful
-unholy
-unloving
-unforgiving
-slanders
-no self-control
-treacherous
-conceited
Have you been paying attention to people around you? All they want is money, money, and more money. Look at the politicians and Fortune 500 companies. Everyone is always so proud and boastful about what they have and what they’ve done, always competing with friends, family, and neighbors to see who can have the best stuff. Otherwise known as “keeping up with the Joneses”. People are abusive not only to the people around them but all to substances like drugs and alcohol. The children disobey their parents and people who don’t have Christ as their savior disobey the Maker and Creator of heaven and earth. They are ungrateful for what little they have and don’t read the bible or live it out. They show no love to their fellow human being, laughing at the disabled and telling the homeless man to go get a job instead of standing on the corner. They don’t know if he already tried getting a job. They don’t forgive anyone either. In my own life, my grandmother cannot find it in her heart to forgive my father for stating facts. They give in to their earthly desires so easily, living dangerous lives joining gangs and walking the streets selling their bodies.
Some will say that the bible states that Jesus will save His people, the Jews, because of His crucifixion. But today many of the Jews still have not converted to believe in Jesus as their savior (Romans 11:26- And so, all Israel shall be saved.)This prophesy is not false though. Not all Jews will be saved. Paul, in his writing to the Romans said, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sands of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved, for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” (Romans 9:27-28). Now mind you, there is no idea of time in Heaven. Everything happens in its right time. There is no blanket of salvation for the Jews although Jesus, on the cross, said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The only way they would have been saved is if they accepted Jesus as their final sin sacrifice. John 14:6 says, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” How can someone believe in God but not Jesus? Jesus was God’s creation as the final sacrifice we needed. Zechariah 9:9 says that upon the coming of the King of Kings, Israel shall never fall again. This is a future prophesy! Not a prophesy that should have already happened. For only 4 of the 7 biblical feasts have been completed.
What are the 7 biblical feasts you ask?
-Passover: This feast celebrates the deliverance of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. The Passover Lamb’s blood is applied to the doorsteps of their houses. Jesus became that Passover Lamb when he was crucified on the cross willingly to become our redemption.
-Unleavened Bread: This is a seven day period that prohibits the eating of leavened bread as leaven is a symbol of sin. Jesus fulfilled this when he was buried and became our righteousness.
-Firstfriuts: This feast celebrates the bringing of the firstfruits of the winter harvest to the Temple indicating there would be more to come. This feast was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead to be presented to God as the first of the harvest. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
-Feast of Weeks: Known as Pentecost, this feast shows anticipation and desire of serving God. This feast was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit entered the disciples of Jesus in the Temple. It represents the beginning of Christ’s followers on earth, being set apart as holy.
-Rosh Hashanah
-Yom Kippur
-Feast of Tabernacles
Look at the battle between Isaac and Ishmael. It started in biblical times and the battle between the Arabs and Israelis is still going on! And the "end" as we know could NOT have happened before one of the major prophecies came true. It happened on May 14, 1948 - when the world briefly felt sorry for the Jews and returned Israel to them - The Jews became a nation again in ONE DAY, just as predicted in the Old Testament. Furthermore, the Old Testament prophesied that when the Jews again owned Israel, the Land would arise from a barren desert into a prosperous land. Which it did! Before that (please check history books) it was nothing but a desert, good for absolutely NOTHING. Even the Arabs didn't want it. But, suddenly, when the Jews entered back into the picture, BAM! The Six Day War! And who won? The way-outnumbered Jews! Why? Because God kept His promise! Israel is coming up with many technological advances and is one of the top ten profitable countries.
The Bible is not a science book, yet it is scientifically accurate. All the other stuff about the Big Bang is not science. It is someone’s own belief that has spread to others. Ask yourself this concerning the world around us: Why is it that the earth is made up of mostly water and that it is critical for our very survival. Explain why trees remain intact as something we can use for fire, shelter, build houses, and make paper? Why do atoms stay together? Why is there just enough gravity on earth to keep us from being squashed like bugs or floating into space? How can this be just "coincidence"? For more of science and the bible: http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml
Some atheists choose to come up with the fact that Luke and Matthew have 2 genealogies that differ with certain names. The careful Bible student is likely to conclude that Matthew and Luke present two different genealogies. Following through the genealogies, one will notice that there are some names which are common to both, but also, a great number of differences. Matthew begins at the patriarch Abraham, and works his way to Jesus the Messiah. Luke begins at Jesus, and works his way back to Adam. There are two genealogies, with two distinct purposes. Matthew, it appears reveals the genealogy of Joseph, and Luke, presents the genealogy of Mary. Although Mary was a virgin Joseph was still considered Jesus’ father. His lineage proved Jesus’ right to be the Messiah because of the royalty in the genealogy. The genealogy shows Christ’s humanity.
If God is real then the bible is real. Therefore, Christ is the Messiah and Savior of mankind, not sent to judge but to save mankind from eternal damnation. Nobody can force anybody to believe in God or the Bible. In reality, the existence of God cannot be proven or disproved absolutely. If you cannot come to terms that God is real than the only way to find out that God really exists is to die. But you can’t say that “you didn’t know”. That won’t save you from his wrath and judgment.
If you don't thank God after every smile why do you blame Him after every tear?
Everyone is so quick to blame God when something goes wrong. Lost a job? That person is cursing God. A loved one dies? “Why would you do that God?” But then when everything is going good for them, they seem to forget who God is and don’t thank Him for what He’s done in them. We should go to Him on all occasions and rejoice at all times.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Don not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
-Philippians 4:4-6
Some people say that God is evil because He allows evil. But He only allows evil because that is what men who don’t give themselves up to the Lord have in their hearts. They block God and the Holy Spirit from entering their hearts. Therefore, not all bad comes from God, nor Satan; it comes from the hearts of men (although we can blame Satan because they allow Him to control their thoughts and actions.) God allows the bad to happen as the punishment to mankind for not accepting Him.
“He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways
are perverse will suddenly fall.”
-Proverbs 28:18
If you look at the story of Noah and the ark, God did not cause the great flood for no reason. There was so much sin in the world and earthly desires in the hearts of men that He needed to bring the world back to order. In the story of Jonah and the big fish, Jonah did not end up in the world by God’s own decision. God had ordered Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. But instead, he tried to run from God and boarded a ship. The sea grew rough and he knew that the only way to help save the other men was to sacrifice himself so he had them throw him into the water. God allowed the fish to swallow him so that he would not drown and perish in the ocean.
Jerusalem and Judah turned away from God; they became traitors. In return the Lord said that He will bring disaster and oppression to them because of their own wrongdoing (Isaiah 3:4-9). He will take both supply and support from them, the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder, the captain and men of rank, the counselor, and the skilled craftsman (Isaiah 1-3). It wasn’t the Lord bringing unrighteous punishment. The Jews and the people of Judah brought it upon themselves by not allowing God’s will to be done and by not accepting Him as their god.
God also allows bad to happen to test us. In the book of Job, God allows Satan to take everything in Job’s possession and give him sores all over his body. He does this to prove that Job was a faithful servant of the Lord. Job’s wife told him to curse God but Job replied, “Shall we accept good from God, and not troubles?”(Job 2:10) Three of Job’s friends kept putting down God but Job did not so in return, Job was made prosperous again and give him twice the blessings.
“God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will
be with you to keep you from sinning.”
-Exodus 20:20
“…to humble you and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.”
