[IN PROGRESS]

 

Romans 10:17

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

 

“For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens He is the God, who formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it a formless place, but formed it to be inhabited:

“I am Yahweh, and there is none else.

I have not spoken in secret,

In some dark land;

I did not say to the seed of Jacob,

‘Seek Me in a formless place’;

I, Yahweh, speak righteousness,

Declaring things that are upright. 

Gather yourselves and come;

Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations;

They do not know,

Who carry about their graven image of wood 

And pray to a god who cannot save.

Declare and draw near with your case;

Indeed, let them consult together.

Who has made this heard from of old?

Who has long since declared it?

Is it not I, Yahweh?

And there is no other God besides Me,

A righteous God and a Savior;

There is none except Me.

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;

For I am God, and there is no other.

I have sworn by Myself,

The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness

And will not turn back,

That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

They will say of Me, ‘Only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength.’

Men will come to Him,

And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

In Yahweh all the seed of Israel

Will be justified and will boast.”

—Isaiah 45:18-25.

 

GOD’S PERSON: GOD IS CREATOR, SOVEREIGN, LORD

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God is Creator. God is “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). God is Lord over His creation and His creation belongs to Him: “The earth is YHWH’s, as well as its fullness, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1). God has supreme and absolute sovereign control of everything and He always has and He always will: “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17); “and upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). “Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17). 1 Timothy 6:15.

 

God is perfectly, absolutely good: “You are good and do good” (Psalm 119:68). “Good and upright is Yahweh; therefore He instructs sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8). “Yahweh is good to all, and His compassions are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). “And a ruler questioned Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone’” (Luke 18:18-19). Because God is good, He created everything very good: “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). 

 

God has created everything for His glory: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). “For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).  “‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created’” (Revelation 4:11). God will give His glory to no other: 

“‘I am Yahweh, that is My name;

I will not give My glory to another,

Nor My praise to graven images’” (Isaiah 42:8).

 

MAN’S REBELLION AGAINST GOD

God created man in His image so that man would function as God’s vassal-king on the earth; so that man, bearing God’s image, would represent Him and have dominion over the earth: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” God created man and all His creation very good; seven times does Genesis 1 say that God saw that what He had made was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), and the last time “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). It was without sin, death, or the curse; it was a glorious state where God dwelt among men (Genesis 3:8).

 

But man rebelled and sinned against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-7). “See, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). Therefore God pronounced the curse so that there is now pain, toil, and death in a cursed creation (Genesis 3:14-19). When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, they died spiritually: “And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may surely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die’” (Genesis 2:16-17). “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Genesis 3:6-7). 

 

As a result of Adam’s sin, sin entered the world: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12). And, “For as through the one man’s disobedience” [Adam] “the many were appointed sinners, even so through the obedience of the One” [Jesus the Son of God] “the many will be appointed righteous” (Romans 5:19). Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden, all mankind is now a race of sinners: “for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). 

 

Psalm 14:3 says, “There is no one who does good, not even one”. Mankind is completely and thoroughly wicked and depraved. Because of Adam’s fall in the Garden mankind is conceived in sin, everyone is born into this world a sinner against the holy God: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “‘What is man, that he should be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” (Job 15:14). Man is “abominable and corrupt”, man “drinks unrighteousness like water!” (Job 15:16). “How then can mortal man be right with God? Or how can he be pure who is born of woman?” (Job 25:4). “For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns Yahweh. / The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 10:3-4). “The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak falsehood wander in error from birth” (Psalm 58:3). Also Genesis 8:21, 1 Kings 8:46, Ecclesiastes 7:20.

 

All mankind is born into this world spiritually dead: “But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many” (Romans 5:15). “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God” (Romans 8:6-8). “And you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Ephesians 2:1-3). “Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19). “And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:13). “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14). “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have that life” (1 John 5:12).

 

Man is absolutely without excuse for their rebellion against God because man rejects and hates and blasphemes God who has created him: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 

 

“Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions; for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the males abandoned the natural function of the female and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do those things which are not proper, having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, violent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the righteous requirement of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:18-32).

 

All the world is accountable to God: “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Rm 3:19-20). The Law reveals man’s sin because man cannot keep God’s law, man breaks it and sins against God continually. And this is God’s purpose in giving it: to show that man cannot obey and be righteous, to reveal sin. “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, ‘cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for ‘the righteous shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10-11). “Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:21-24). “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:8-11). 

 

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘you shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the Law sin is dead. Now I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; and this commandment, which was to lead to life, was found to lead to death for me. For sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:7-12).

 

Man in his natural state does not want to come to God, to be reconciled and in fellowship with God; man does not want to repent of their sins, to believe in God for forgiveness of sins: “‘And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed’” (John 3:19-20). “and although they know the righteous requirement of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).​ ​

​

GOD’S PERSON: GOD WILL JUDGE MAN

God is holy, absolutely separate from sin, sinners, and wickedness; and set apart unto Himself. When Isaiah saw the Lord in Isaiah 6, he saw a future vision of the King, YHWH of hosts—Jesus who is Christ—in the glory of His kingdom, sitting on His throne in His millennial temple. Seraphim stood above Him and they called out to one another: “‘Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory’” (Isaiah 6:3). “Who is like You among the gods, O Yahweh? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, fearsome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). “There is no one holy like Yahweh; indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). “And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

 

God is righteous and just and is the Judge: “For Yahweh your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the fearsome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17). “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; / A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). “…great in counsel and abundant in deeds, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 32:19). “For Yahweh is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face” (Psalm 11:7). “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You” (Psalm 89:14). “Righteous are You, O Yahweh, and upright are Your judgments” (Psalm 119:137). “‘Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?’” (Job 8:3). “Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before Yahweh; for He is coming to judge the earth” (1 Chronicles 16:33). “But Yahweh abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, / And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render justice for the peoples with equity” (Psalm 9:7-8). “Before Yahweh, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13). “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). 

 

God requires absolute holiness of man because He is holy: “‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, “You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy”’” (Lv 19:2). Man in his sinful state cannot obey God, he cannot make himself holy, he cannot save himself by his works, he cannot fulfill God’s standard for absolute righteousness because man is completely and thoroughly sinful; therefore, man cannot please God: “In truth I know that this is so; but how can a man be in the right before God?” (Job 9:2). “What is man, that he should be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” (Job 15:14). “How then can mortal man be right with God? Or how can he be pure who is born of woman?” (Job 25:4). “And do not enter into judgment with Your slave, for no one living is righteous in Your sight” (Psalm 143:2). “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; / And all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away” (Isaiah 64:6). “‘Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me,’ declares Lord Yahweh” (Jeremiah 2:22). “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure, I am clean from my sin’?” (Proverbs 20:9). “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). Job 9:30-31.

 

Man’s sinful state is such that man is enslaved to sin, in bondage to sin: “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin’” (John 8:34). “Do you not know that when you go on presenting yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). 

 

God hates sin and sinners: 

“For You are not a God who delights in wickedness;

Evil does not sojourn with You.

The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;

You hate all workers of iniquity. 

You destroy those who speak falsehood;

Yahweh abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

But as for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness I will enter Your house,

At Your holy temple I will worship in fear of You” (Psalm 5:4-7).

 

“Yahweh is in His holy temple; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven;

His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.

Yahweh tests the righteous,

But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

May He rain snares upon the wicked;

Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.

For Yahweh is righteous, He loves righteousness;

The upright will behold His face” (Psalm 11:4-7).

 

“The face of Yahweh is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). Proverbs 6:16-19—

“There are six things which Yahweh hates,

Even seven which are an abomination to Him:

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked thoughts,

Feet that hasten to run to evil,

A false witness who breathes out lies,

And one who spreads strife among brothers.”

 

Therefore, because God is holy and righteous and hates sin and sinners, He is angry and wrathful against sinful man, and He will therefore pour out His wrath in judgment upon the wicked who transgress against Him and do not repent of their sins. Psalm 7:11-16—

“God is a righteous judge,

And a God who has indignation every day.

If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;

He has bent His bow and prepared it.

He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;

He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, he travails with wickedness,

And he conceives mischief and gives birth to falsehood.

He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,

And has fallen into the hole which he made.

His mischief will return upon his own head,

And his violence will descend upon his own skull.”

 

“Pour out Your indignation on them, and may Your burning anger overtake them” (Psalm 69:24). “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay to each according to his works: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. There will be affliction and turmoil for every soul of man who works out evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who works good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law naturally do the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they demonstrate the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:4-16). Nahum 1:2-8—

“A jealous and avenging God is Yahweh;

Yahweh is avenging and wrathful.

Yahweh is avenging against His adversaries,

And He keeps His anger for His enemies.

Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power, 

And Yahweh will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.    

In whirlwind and storm is His way,

And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;     

He dries up all the rivers.

Bashan and Carmel languish;

The blossoms of Lebanon languish.

Mountains quake because of Him,

And the hills melt;

Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,

The world and all the inhabitants in it.

Who can stand before His indignation?

Who can endure the burning of His anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire,

And the rocks are torn down by Him.

Yahweh is good,

A strong defense in the day of distress,

And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

But with an overflowing flood

He will make a complete destruction of its place

And will pursue His enemies into darkness.”

​​

THE NATURE OF GOD’S WRATH

The nature of God’s wrath on the wicked is just recompense: “You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked” (Psalm 91:8). “Be lifted up, Judge of the earth, render recompense to the proud” (Psalm 94:2). “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay to each according to his works” (Romans 2:5-6). God’s wrath is punishment: “Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power, and Yahweh will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:3). “‘And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life’” (Matthew 25:46). God’s wrath is vengeance: “Yahweh, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!” (Psalm 94:1). “executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). “never taking your own revenge, beloved—instead leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

 

God’s wrath is eternal: “‘And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt’” (Daniel 12:2). “‘Then He will also say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels”’” (Matthew 25:41). “‘And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life’” (Matthew 25:46). “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “And a second time they said, ‘Hallelujah! her smoke rises up forever and ever’” (Revelation 19:3). 

 

God’s wrath is eternal destruction and death by fiery torment and agony: “May He rain snares upon the wicked; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup” (Psalm 11:6). “Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. / You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; Yahweh will swallow them up in His wrath, and fire will devour them” (Psalm 21:8-9). “Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who gird yourselves with firebrands, / Walk in the light of your fire and among the brands you have set ablaze. / This you will have from My hand: you will lie down in torment” (Isaiah 50:11). “‘And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame”’” (Luke 16:23-24). “He has brought back their iniquity upon them and will destroy them in their evil; Yahweh our God will destroy them” (Psalm 94:23). “‘And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell’” (Matthew 10:28). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

 

MAN CANNOT ESCAPE GOD

Man cannot escape God and His wrath against them: "Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, but the seed of the righteous will escape” (Proverbs 11:21). “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh; assuredly, he will not be unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5). “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape” (Proverbs 19:5). 

“‘See now that I, I am He,

And there is no god besides Me;

It is I who put to death and give life.

I have wounded, and it is I who heal,

And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven,

And say, as I live forever,

If I sharpen My flashing sword,

And My hand takes hold on judgment,

I will render vengeance on My adversaries,

And I will repay those who hate Me.

I will make My arrows drunk with blood,

And My sword will devour flesh,

With the blood of the slain and the captives,

From the long-haired leaders of the enemy.’

O nations, cause His people to shout for joy;

For He will avenge the blood of His slaves, 

And He will render vengeance on His adversaries,

And He will atone for His land and His people.”

—Deuteronomy 32:39-43.

 

“Your hand will find out all your enemies;

Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;

Yahweh will swallow them up in His wrath,

And fire will devour them. 

Their offspring You will destroy from the earth,

And their seed from among the sons of men.

Though they intended evil against You

And devised a scheme,

They will not succeed.

For You will make them turn their back;

You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces. 

Be exalted, O Yahweh, in Your strength;

We will sing and praise Your might.”

—Psalm 21:8-13.

 

The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9-10). The wicked will not come into the New Jerusalem: “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb…And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:23, 27).

​​​​

SHEOL/HADES

When you die, if you have not repented of your sins and believed in the penal, substitutionary, atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and reconciliation to a right relationship with the only true God: there is a temporary judgment/punishment of the wicked. After you die, if you are still dead in your sins and unrepentant heart, you will be under God’s punishment. “When a wicked man dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of vigorous men perishes” (Proverbs 11:7). “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This is temporary judgment in Sheol/Hades: “The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God” (Psalm 9:17). “The path of life leads upward for the one who has insight that he may turn away from Sheol below” (Proverbs 15:24). “You shall strike him with the rod and deliver his soul from Sheol” (Proverbs 23:14). “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no working or explaining or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). 

 

“‘Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. But a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things. But now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you are not able, and none may cross over from there to us.” And he said, “Then I am asking you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” But he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!” But he said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead”’” (Luke 16:19-31). This is the reality of the situation. This is coming your way if you don’t repent. There is no coming back from Hades, from God’s wrath; it is permanent, there is no second chance after death: “A cloud vanishes, and it is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up” (Job 7:9). You could die at any moment; it is only God’s mercy that He keeps you alive. 

 

THE DAY OF YHWH

There is coming a day when God will pour out His wrath on this literal, physical earth. It is called the Day of YHWH: “‘For the day of YHWH draws near on all the nations. / As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head’” (Obadiah 15). “For Yahweh has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8). “Before Yahweh, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. / He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13). The Day of YHWH will be a day of distress and darkness: Zephaniah 1:14-18—

“Near is the great day of Yahweh,

Near and coming very quickly;

O the sound, the day of Yahweh!

In it the mighty man cries out bitterly.

A day of fury is that day,

A day of trouble and distress,

A day of destruction and desolation,

A day of darkness and thick darkness,

A day of clouds and dense gloom,

A day of trumpet and loud shouting

Against the fortified cities

And the high corner towers.

I will bring distress on men

So that they will walk like the blind

Because they have sinned against Yahweh;

And their blood will be poured out like dust

And their flesh like dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold 

Will be able to deliver them 

On the day of the fury of Yahweh;

And all the earth will be devoured

In the fire of His jealousy, 

For He will make a complete destruction,

Indeed a terrifying one,

Of all the inhabitants of the earth.”

 

“The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz beheld concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 

Now it will be that in the last days

The mountain of the house of Yahweh

Will be established as the head of the mountains,

And will be lifted up above the hills;

And all the nations will stream to it.

And many peoples will come and say,

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh,

To the house of the God of Jacob,

That He may instruct us from His ways

And that we may walk in His paths.’

For from Zion the law will go forth

And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

And He will judge between the nations,

And will render decisions for many peoples;

And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not lift up sword against nation,

And never again will they learn war.

 

Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.

For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,

Because they are filled with influences from the east,

And they are soothsayers like the Philistines,

And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

Their land has also been filled with silver and gold, 

And there is no end to their treasures;

Their land has also been filled with horses,

And there is no end to their chariots.

Their land has also been filled with idols;

They worship the work of their hands,

That which their fingers have made.

So the common man has been bowed down,

And the man of importance has been made low,

But do not forgive them.

Enter the rock and hide in the dust

From the dread of Yahweh and from the splendor of His majesty.

The lofty look of man will be made low,

And the men made high will be bowed down,

And Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day. 

For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning

Against everyone who is proud and high

And against everyone who is lifted up,

That he may be made low.

And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up,

Against all the oaks of Bashan,

Against all the high mountains,

Against all the hills that are lifted up,

Against every lofty tower,

Against every fortified wall,

Against all the ships of Tarshish

And against all the desirable craft.

The loftiness of man will be bowed down,

And the men who are high will be made low;

And Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day,

But the idols will completely vanish.

Men will go into caves of the rocks

And into holes of the ground

Before the dread of Yahweh

And the splendor of His majesty,

When He arises to make the earth tremble.

In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats

Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,

Which they made for themselves to worship,

In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs

Before the dread of Yahweh and the splendor of His majesty,

When He arises to make the earth tremble.

Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;

For why should he be esteemed?”

—Isaiah 2.

 

The wicked deserve God’s wrath which He will pour out in His coming Day: “And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who is and who was, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments’” (Revelation 16:5-7). “According to what they deserve, so He will pay in full, / Wrath to His adversaries, what is deserved to His enemies; / To the coastlands He will pay what they deserve” (Isaiah 59:18). 

 

God still gives men time to repent in this Day: 

“‘And I will put wonders in the sky and on the earth,

Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

The sun will be turned into darkness 

And the moon into blood

Before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes.

And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh

Will be delivered;

For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem

There will be those who escape,

As Yahweh has said,

Even among the survivors whom Yahweh calls.”

—Joel 2:30-32.

 

“‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’” (Matthew 24:14). “Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who inhabit the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. And he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters’” (Revelation 14:6-7).

 

The Day of YHWH is near: “Alas for the day! / For the day of Yahweh is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty” (Joel 1:15). “Behold, the day of Yahweh is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, / To make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it” (Isaiah 13:9). “The word of Yahweh came again to me saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy and say, “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Wail, “Alas for the day!” / For the day is near, even the day of Yahweh is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations’”’” (Ezekiel 30:1-3).

 

The Lord Jesus Christ could return to rapture His Church and begin the Day of YHWH at any time: “‘But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding grain at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming’” (Matthew 24:36-42). 

 

You have read God’s Word. Woe to you if you do not repent. You do not know how many days God has decreed for you; you could die at any time. The Lord Jesus could return at any moment and begin His Day of vengeance, you could be caught under God’s wrath poured out on this earth. So: “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

 

THE FINAL JUDGMENT

There is coming a Judgment where God will repay to each according to his works: “I said in my heart, ‘God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,’ for a time for every matter and for every work is there” (Ecclesiastes 3:17). “Be glad, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be merry during the days of young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sights of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove vexation from your heart and put away evil from your flesh because childhood and the prime of life are vanity” (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10). “The end of the matter, all that has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the end of the matter for all mankind. For God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). “‘But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’” (Matthew 12:36-37). 

 

“‘And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead’” (Acts 10:42). “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay to each according to his works” (Romans 2:5-6). “on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16). “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1). “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, maligning you, but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:4-5).

 

All the wicked will be resurrected unto judgment: “‘And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt’” (Daniel 12:2). “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing from Myself. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. If I alone bear witness about Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness about Me, and I know that the witness which He gives about Me is true’” (John 5:25-32). “‘But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, for which these men are waiting, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous’” (Acts 24:14-15). 

 

This is God’s final judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15). 

 

The lake of fire is Hell because in it God will destroy both soul and body of the wicked: “‘And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell’” (Matthew 10:28). “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). “‘The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the fiery furnace; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 13:41-42). 

 

All the wicked will be resurrected, their physical bodies will be resurrected, and God will judge each one according to his deeds; those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. This is the second death. The first death is just physical; the second is eternal death of soul, spirit, and body in the lake of fire, having been resurrected unto judgment, with a body prepared for eternal death—eternal torment which is God’s just wrath. It is God’s justice and wrath against His enemies. He is righteous and true and good. “‘Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen’” (Revelation 7:12).

 

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL

You are dead in your sins, you do not please God, all your “righteous” deeds are as filthy rags before Him. Therefore God will execute His fierce anger and just wrath upon you for eternity because of your sins, transgressions, and rebellions against Him if you do not repent. So repent and believe in the gospel, in the good news of Jesus Christ! “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…Now after John had been delivered up into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:1, 14-15). Jesus is the Christ and Jesus is this good news. Unless you repent of your sins by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless you believe in Him—in all of who He is—and His redeeming work on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, you will lie down in torment (Isaiah 50:11). YHWH God is the only salvation from His wrath. So run to Him, flee to Him, take refuge in Him and He will save you to Himself.