THE NATURE OF JUDGMENT

THE NATURE OF JUDGMENT

"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, then  Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord; and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not JUDGE after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: but with righteousness shall He JUDGE the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod (authority) of His mouth (word), and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins ... for the whole earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:2-5, 9). 

Through the cunning of the adversary, both the world and the popular church have been robbed of the blessed assurances of the time when God's RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS break forth in the earth. Most people know that the Bible tells of a "judgment day," but the average person, believer or unbeliever, regards it only with a certain sense of fear and dread. Because of this fear there is, to them, no more unwelcome tidings than that the Lord is coming to JUDGE THE EARTH. Many tremble inwardly at the thought of God's judgments, and in this mind put them far from them, preferring not to even hear the subject mentioned. They have absolutely no idea of the wonderful blessings in store for a sin-weary world under the glorious reign of the sons of God filled with all the nature, wisdom, glory and power of God! 

How differently did the holy prophets and apostles regard that promised DAY OF JUDGMENT! Note the expectation in Isaiah's spirit as he announces: "Yea, in the way of THY JUDGMENTS, O Lord, have we waited for thee ... with my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early: for when THY JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:8-9). Here Isaiah assures us that the day when God's judgments are in the earth will be a most glorious and desirable day, a day in which the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness! If the desire of your heart is anything like the desire of my heart, this is a blessed thought and a wonderful assurance: the inhabitants of the worldWILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS! How my ransomed soul longs to behold such a thing! Every time I scan the headlines of the morning paper I am seized with an intense yearning that the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Oft times as I watch the evening newscast my spirit is mightily moved within to intercede earnestly that the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. As I drive across our great land; as I walk the streets of our cities and towns, beholding the condition of those about, neighbors, friends, relatives, strangers, my spirit groans with unutterable supplication that the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness! What a marvelous provision of our wise and loving Father that, to this very end, He has ORDAINED JUDGMENT to come forth in the earth. Bless His name! 

Again I would share from the rich writings of Ray Prinzing: "Now we must examine this word 'judgment,' the Greek word, as used in the New Testament, is KRISIS, and with the letter 'K' changed to the letter 'C' it is brought directly over into our English language as CRISIS. All of the pressures and trials which produce these times of 'crisis' in our life are simply a working out of God's corrective measures, His judgments. The root from which KRISIS comes is KRINEIN meaning, 'to separate.' And so it is, a crisis is a critical period of time, a decisive moment, a turning point; hence, a separating, choosing, deciding, judging. The very purpose of judgment is to separate you from the old, that you might come into the new. To separate you from selfhood's rebellion, giving you a TURNING POINT, and heading you in the right direction, in the will of God. 

"The man is very sick, he is growing steadily worse, and finally there comes a Crisis, either he begins to mend, or else death comes. It is a TURNING POINT! And when God orders the Crisis, it is to turn us towards righteousness, and bring us into HIS NEW LIFE. Ah, if we tell you that there is a turning point, things will be corrected and brought into righteousness, then you will rejoice. But if we say it is a time of judgment, you say, Woe is me! But it is all the same thing, that's what God's corrective judgments are all about" - end quote. 

Another man wrote, "Judgment, not in the sense of vengeful retribution, but of that involved when a craftsman working on a mass of clay, or an ingot of metal, continually examines the results of the various processes to which he subjects it, with a view to assessing whether or not his skill and artistry are producing the desired results" - end quote. 

Hear the note of triumph and exaltation when David speaks by the inspiration that the Spirit gives, saying:

"Let the heavens be glad And LET THE EARTH REJOICE; And let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth! Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; Let the fields rejoice, and all that are therein. 

Then shall the trees of the wood (people of the earth) SING ALOUD AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, 

Because He cometh TO JUDGE THE EARTH. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy endureth forever!" (I Chron. 16:31-34).

Why will the "trees of the forest" (people of the nations) "sing out" when He is coming to JUDGE THE EARTH? One would think they might weep, or shrink in fear and consternation at the thought of His judgments, but why all the singing? Why the rejoicing? Because God's judgments are an expression of HIS GOODNESS and everlasting MERCY, designed to teach the inhabitants of the world RIGHTEOUSNESS! The earth shall rejoice because this means that we have reached the TURNING POINT in our degeneration, and have come to the times of regeneration. This is true even now for the church, but must ultimately reach unto the whole world and the entire creation. His presence, while it speaks of his utmost holiness and will not tolerate the continuance of evil, brings the changes needed for harmony and righteousness. There shall surely be those severe prunings, crushing, shattering, melting; but when they have accomplished their desired results, His new life shall flow in restoration and victory. Hallelujah! 

This same ecstatic exclamation of joy and gladness at the prospects of the coming of God's righteous judgment into the earth is found all through the psalms and the prophets. If you are truly destined to stand among the company of the sons of God, the long-awaited liberators of creation, you will most assuredly share the thrill of the heavenly vibration in David's inspired song: "Say among the nations that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: HE SHALL JUDGE THE PEOPLE RIGHTEOUSLY. Let the heavens rejoice, and LET THE EARTH BE GLAD; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoicebefore the Lord: for He cometh, for He cometh TO JUDGE THE EARTH: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth" (Ps. 96:10-13). 

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, ALL THE EARTH: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Let the sea (raging, surging multitudes of humanity) roar, and the fullness thereof; THE WORLD, and THEY THAT DWELL THEREIN. Let the floods (armies) clap their hands, let the hills (small kingdoms, third world nations) be joyful togetherbefore the Lord; for HE COMETH TO JUDGE THE EARTH: with righteousness shall HE JUDGE THE WORLD, and the people with equity" (Ps. 98:4, 8-9).

If you will take the time and effort to look up the words judge, judgment, and judgments in a good Bible Concordance, reading down the lists of scores upon scores of passages in which these words are found, you will quickly make the enlightening discovery that only occasionally do these terms denote the negative aspects of judgment: condemnation, wrath, and destruction. In the vast majority of cases judgment is presented as something altogether desirable, beneficial, and glorious! Consider these examples: "But the Lord shall endure forever: He hath prepared His throne for judgment. And He shall judge THE WORLD in righteousness, He shall MINISTER JUDGMENT to the people in uprightness" (Ps. 9:7-8). "Sing unto Him a new song ... for the word of the Lord is right; all His works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and JUDGMENT: the earth is full of THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD" (Ps. 33:3-5). "Justice and judgmentare the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. Blessed are the people that know the JOYFUL SOUND" (Ps. 89:14). "I will sing of MERCY and JUDGMENT: unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing" (Ps. 101:1). "Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall BRING FORTH JUDGMENT to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth JUDGMENT UNTO TRUTH. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have SET JUDGMENT IN THE EARTH: and the isles shall wait (expectantly) for His law" (Isa. 42:1-4). "The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall BLESS THEMSELVES IN HIM, and in Him shall they glory" (Jer. 4:2).

Savior of the World Series by J. Preston Eby 

http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/savior-of-the-world/