THE PROGRESSION OF JUDGMENT

THE PROGRESSION OF JUDGMENT AGAINST A PEOPLE, A NATION, THE CHURCH, FAMILY OR INDIVIDUALS

Leviticus 26: 17, "I will set My face against you. . .'
Leviticus 26:18, ". . .then I will punish you seven times more for your sins"
Leviticus 26:21, ". . .I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins"
Leviticus 26:24, "The will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins"
Leviticus 26:25, "And I will bring a sword. . .I will send the pestilence. . ."
Leviticus 26:28, ". . .I will chastise you seven times for your sins"

God had declared His ways through Moses to the people.  If they obeyed, all would be well.  If they did not obey, there was a price to pay.  And if they continued to rebel and disobey then the punishment and judgment would increase.  We see the severity of the punishment in numerical fashion, 7X more.

This passage of Scripture is horrible in reading of what will happen, has happened and is happening because of the disobedience of God's Own people.  Note that right off the bat, this is not the heathen, or the ignorant, this is the people of God being instructed in this way. 

Let us see the development of God's wrath, anger and judgment upon a people, nation, His church, families and individuals. 
1.  Understand why it happens - Sin;
2.  When God responds it is to draw their attention back to Him with obedience.
3.  Levels of Judgment - against the land; Through nature, weather, seasons, etc.
4. Levels of Judgment - against governements, kings, leaders, etc.
5. Levels of Judgment - against His Own people, the church, examples of Israel;
6.  Levels of Judgment - against people through animals, pestilence, dearth;
Note that this level  does not carry with it, huge loss of life. 
7.  Levels of Judgment - catacylmisic events, war, major catastrophes;
Note that this level produces the greatest casualty of death.

1. UNDERSTAND WHY IT HAPPENS - SIN

We see the rule given by God to His people - 'Obey and live'.  And so we can assume by certainty and other words from God, that if you disobey then you will die.  WE see it illustrated in the GArden of Eden right at the beginning.  'Of all the trees of the garden, thou mayest eat.  But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die'.  They ate from that tree and brought sin into the world, and perfection and bliss left.  Upon every soul that is born from ADam that nature of sin is found within them.  The capacity to sin is upon every one of them. 

The very nature of God is holy, meaning without sin.  The very nature of disobedience and rebellion is sin against God and His holy nature.  He cannot excuse sin, tolerate sin, nor allow sin.  Thus, 'the wages of sin is death'.  And God responds to the sin of His creation.  Sin provokes God to action; it is His reaction against the sin.  And so any time that we sin has happened, been chosen, and done, then we can begin to look for the response of God.  Sin is never left to go unanswered by God.  Somewhere, sometime in this life or eternity, sin will be answered for. 

And so we see, the first level of judgment is the actual first sin in known rebellion against God and His ways. 

Let us study some of the instances of what we see as the sin, and the response of God.  These will definitely be used further along to demonstrate themore specific judgment of God. 
1.  The first sin;  The first sin of this earth is found in Genesis 3:6.  A specific command of God to Adam and Eve, that they disobeyed and rebelled against Him in eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.  They were allowed to eat of any tree of the garden but the tree of knowledge.  Genesis 2:17, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  Thus the edict of obey and live; or disobey and die.  And as Eve was tempted of the SErpent, the devil, she ate of the tree and gave to Adam and he did eat, thus disobeying God.  'The wages of sin is death'.  And death entered into the life of perfection that God had made. 

Now this is the first sin of man, but it is not the first sin of time.  When Lucifer rebelled against God, this was the first sin.  And out of that sin came the impact for God's perfect creation to be ruined by Satan's hands. 

2.  The next sin of impact for us to see is the sin that produced the flood. 

2.  WHEN GOD RESPONDS IT IS TO DRAW THEIR ATTENTION BACK TO HIM WITH OBEDIENCE

Men sin, God's wrath and judgment is provoked; 'God is angry with the wicked every day'.  The sooner men respond to the conditions of judgment upon them in confession, repentance, and working out their salvation with fear and trembling, the sooner their relationship is restorede and renewed in Him.  The attributes and names of God verify to us, that it is God's desire for grace and mercy over wrath and punishment.  His nature is Divine love and He seeks the redemption of His fallen creation over the destruction of His creation.  But do not persist in ignoring and rejecting His lovingkindness.  Delays, instensify His judgments and push us farhter awayf from responding to Him in fellowship and Divine Presence of His the Holy  Ghost. 

the second level of judgment is found in God responding to the act of sin.  The first level of sin provokes God. 'the wages of sin is death'.  The second level is God responding and/or Him not responding because the Spirit has been quenched.

--How Does God Respond? 
1. Of course, this article is fashioned on the response of God in wrath through judgment;  Judgement is the punishment for repeated and continued rejection of God's commandments and ways.

2.  Another response of God is through His prophets and spokesman. 
--When Cain slew Abel, God came and spoke to Cain, 'Where is thy brother? What has thou done? Your brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground.'  God was confronting him directly with his sin. 
--When Israel had gone into the promised land, they did not fulfill all that God had commanded.  During the days of Joshua as he got older and that generation of leadership, they did not continue in obedience.  And as sin was tolerated and allowed, God rebukes them.  Joshua 2:1, 'And an angel of the Lord came up and said, 'ye have not obeyed My voice,; why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out from before you. . . ' 
God sent His angel to reveal their sin, and folly.  God then pronounced His response.  Now the people could have repented and made right with the Lord right there.  They cried and lamented at the word of the Lord, but no drastic change of repentance in them.  They were content. 
--Following this, the sin began on a continaul basis of the children of Israel throughout the book of Judges.  They did evil in the sight of the Lord, disobeyed and forgot the Lord's commandments.  God's anger was hot against them and He sent them into captivity.  We shall study the levels of God's judgment in Judges later.  Then the children of Israel would lament before the Lord.   And God in His mercy would send deliverance, this is God's longsuffering with the ways of man. 
--IN response to their cry, Judges 3:10, "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel'.  God selected and raised up judges to lead the people back to Him and obey Him.  HE could have consumed and destroyed, but in His mercy He sought to deliver and redeem. 

3. LEVELS OF JUDGMENT - Judment against the land;  weather, earthquakes, floods, seasons, etc.

Over the last several years, and predominately from the year 2010 to present, we are under judgement on the land itself.  There has been 'record' events in weather details in almost every aspect of nature.  Truly that verses resonantes, 'all of creation groans'.  Massive amount of destruction has come globally, as well, as across the United States.  Regions of disaster have occurred over these last several years.  Let us look at a few of these:
--in spring/summer of 2011, record land was scorched in fires in New Mexico and Arizona;
--in spring/summer of 2012, record land was scorched in fires in Utah and Colorado;
--record drought conditions are over 70% of the entire United States for most of August, September and presently of 2012;  the hardest hit is the summer of 2012 across all the plains, destroying record crops;
--temperatures have continued to produce record highs;
--record flooding;

These disasters of weather and nature are events allowed and caused by God.  The reason behind these things are before us to understand why.  Sin is the beginning of the reasons for sorrow.  But due to the church's failure to respond correctly and rightly before God to confess, repent and acknowledge, the severity of weather phenenom continues to increase. 

The curse of weather is told us in Deuteronomy 28.  Droughts, famines, earthquakes are scattered throughout Scripture to make the people lift up their eyes to the Lord for His mercy and help.  Favor is given by God and can be taken away due to their sin and rebellion. 

4. LEVELS OF JUDGMENT - Judgment against governments, kings, leaders, etc.

We see that leadership is also affected by the sin of the people.  God can give good leaders or leadership; or He can give us evil/wicked leaders for our own destruction and punishment.  Proverbs declares to us, that a nation rises and falls on its leadership of being right with God or rebelling against God.  Wisdom is a gift given for godly people or foolishness for wicked people.  The poor adminstration of government to help its people is a judgment from God to afflict the people to repent and humble themselves. 

In Scripture we see the instances of these kings, leaders and governments. 
--for the days of Christ, the Messiah coming, it was the fulfillment of the Roman Empire, wicked, yet casuing the 'fulness of time' to come for Christ; Galatians 4
--King Nebuchadnezzar was raised up in Babylon for the destrucction of the nations and especially Judah and Israel for their rejection of God;  King Zedekiah in his foolishness caused this destruction for being unwilling to humble;  he lost his eyes, the city was burned and destroyed and his children were killed in front of him because he refused to listen to the prophet of Jeremiah;
--Esther was given place for the saving of the Jews during the days of King Ahaseurus;
--Pharoah's heart was hardened by the Lord during the deliverance of the Israelites to show His power and glory among the nations;
--throughout I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles we see the result of good and wicked kings are premised by two phrases: 1. 'they did right in the sight of the Lord' or 'they did evil in the sight of the Lord';
--the example of Jeroboam, king of Israel is the complete result of leading a nation away permantly from God;  whereas, David, king of Israel is the result of leading a nation to excel by God's favor for doing right;




6.  LEVELS OF JUDGMENT - against people through animals, pestilence, dearth;

God sent lions among the inhabitants of the land after Israel had been carried away into captivity because of their sin. 
"And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them." II Kings 17:25

We see cause/effect demonstrated again.  They 'feared not the Lord' - cause; 'God sent lions' - effect.  Now this is a level of judgment perhaps not seen as prevalent but still unfolding in our midst. 

The other instances in Scripture is that: 'and God plagued them'.  Let us look at a few of these to see the hand of God against a person or nation. 
Genesis12:17, "And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife."
Exodus 9:14, "For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth."
Exodus 32:35, "And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made."
Numbers 11:33, "And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague."
Numbers 14:37, "Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD."
Numbers 16:47 - 50, "Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah."

And so we see instances of God's wrath gone out against the people due directly to their sin and refusal to obey Him.  For some it may be only a few affected, but if allowed to continue, we where it reaches into the next level of judgment that it literally becomes 10,000's. 







7.  LEVELS OF JUDGMENT - catacylmisic events, war, major catastrophes; death;
 
--I will bereave you of your children;  The loss of children is not the natural order of life established.  How painful for a parent to have to bury their fallen children.  Such examples of death are found in babies, accidents, disease and when God places His hand against wicked children.
WE see Aaron's sons were slain at the altar for offering false fire before the Lord.  And the fire of the Lord came out against them and consumed them on the spot. 
We see David and Bathsheba had commited adultery and murder.  The child born to them out of this sin was taken by the Lord.  Nathan the prophet declared, 'The child shall die'.
These last references may be more under the realm of Judgment Level #.  I say that because they are instances of indivudal, or a couple of deaths, not population masses of death.  But I include them here because of the severity of God's wrath poured out, sometimes instantly because of the sin.  Severe wrath of God that immeidately take their life.
Here are a few more of these instances before we look at the population masses of death:
--the sons of Judah;  isn't it interesting to note, that the line of Christ we see this beginning of Judah's older sons being removed from the earth due to their sin.
Genesis 38:7, 'And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.'
Genesis 38:10, 'And the thing which he did displeased the Lord:  wherefore he slew him also.'  This was in reference to Onan pouring out his seed on the earth instead of fulfilling his duty for family preservation.  God poured out His wrath instantly on them for the severity of their wickedness.

--another instance in the New Testament is Ananias and Sapphira;
Acts 5:5, "And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost:  and great fear came on all them that heard these things."
Acts 5:10, 'Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost:  and the young men came in, and found her dead, and , caryying her forth, buried her by her husband."
Again, the action of sinning agains the Holy Spirit, against God Himself, was met with straightforward response in death.

Now here are few of the population masses consumed in God's response:
--one of the first is the story of Noah;
Genesis 7:21, 'And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of best, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: v. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died."
this was not just the one's or two's, but the entire population of what was probably scores of 1,000's.  I would not estimate that it was over a million, but definitley ten's of 1,000's to hundred's of 1,000's.

--the account of Sodom and Gomorrah;
Genesis 19:24, "then the Lord rained upon Sodom an dupon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; v. 25 And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."
Again, an illustration of whole cities and a region was laid low.  Scores of 1,000's were oblierated instantly upon this judgment, due directly to their wickedness.

--God's Own people are smitten for their disobedience and rebellion of sin;
Exodus 32:28, "And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses:  and there fell of the people that day about three thousand."
This was not God striking them down.  But it was still the mass amount of death due to sin.
Numbers 11:1, "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord Lord:  and the Lord heart it:  and His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt amont them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."
Numbers 11:33, "And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.  v. 34, "And he called the anme of that place Kibrothhattavaha:  because there they buried the people that lusted."
Numbers 12:23, 'Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:"
Thus, 605,000 men died in the 40 years of the wilderness.  Only Joshua and Caleb survived.
Note also, throughout these acts of rebellion by the children of Israel how many times the Lord threatened to consume them all instantly.  This only confirms the truth, that God has power to do it slowly, or instantly upon millions.
Numbers 16:35, 'And there came out a fire ffrom the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense."
Numbers 16:45, 'Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment."
16:49, 'Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah." 
Numbers 25:9, "And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand."

I Smauel 6:19, "And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even the smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men:  and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten amny fo the people with a great slaughter."

II Kings 19:35, "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand:  and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."

Death into the numbers of 100,000's. 

The end of times, reveals during the great tribulation how much death and devastation will occur. 
--Revelation 8:9, "And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed."  We see here, that sailors are on the boats.  Literally, could be scores of 1,000's die at sea because of the ships being destroyed.  a huge fireball of  what is believed to be a star, comet, or rocket crashes into the sea and causes this destruction.
--Revelation 9:18, "by these three was the tird part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths."  A complete understanding of this magnitude of death is needful.  It declares 1/3 of men were killed; of 7 billion now on the earth, that would mean over 2 billion souls ushered out into eternity in a moment of time.  And we know the reality of this, men are not ready for eternity.  How near is this time?  How urgent should our pleas be? 

And what shall we say of the whole of the children of Israel throughout the entire Old Testament.
they go down into Eygpt 70 souls from Jacob and his sons.  In 400 years, they grow to over 600,00 0 that came up out of Egypt toward the promised land.  during the days of David it is estimated that they reached over 1 million men in the armies and of Israel and Judah.  this was at 1000 BC, 500 years from Moses time when the children of Israel came out of Egypt.  And yet, when 600 BC, 400 years later from David, they are killed, destroyed and removed from the land.  And in Ezra, the number of those that came up where 42, 360 souls (Ezra 2:64).  What happened to to the other 950,000 souls?  what happened to all these generations?  They were destroyed and removed from the earth.  Why?  Because they provoked the Lord God to anger and He removed them.  Thus is it, when men forsake the good and right ways of God and follow Satan and his lies and our love of self. 
Take heed, brethren.  We are doomed to repeat the same tragic sin.  We have learned nothing from that which has gone before us. 

War, pestilence, famine, catastrophes due directly to the sin of the people finds God's wrath poured out on them. 
And what shall we say of the end of the world in Revelation?  There were 1/3 of the world's population is destroyed by calamity.  That is numerically numbers into the billions. 
the masses of humanity removed from the earth into eternity.  'The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not yet saved.'  They are not ready for eternity and they shall perish in hell for ever.  Woe unto the nations, unto the land, and unto the people!

BEGAN: JULY 18, 2012
UPDATED:  7/23/12; 7/28/12, 10/04/12; 10/05/12; 10/8/12