Judgment Begins with the House of God

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For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)

We are in a day and age where we are truly about to see the judgment of God poured out on individuals, churches, regions, and nations. I liken it to a concept God shared in Scripture. God told Abraham,

“But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” (Genesis 15:16 KJV)

“Not yet full…” indicating that when the Israelites went on the conquest of Canaan, the time was full. While God dwells outside of time, He is a God of cycles and patterns. The filling of the cup of iniquity is one such cycle.

Other passages state:

“The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.” (Ezekiel 9:9-10)

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken… (Ecclesiastes 12:6)

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” (Revelation 15:7-16:1)

Iniquity, a pattern of sin, is stored up in a bowl (NKJV) or vial (KJV) and at the appointed time, it is released upon the person or people who filled the vial. And as we’ve learned throughout various of my posts, spiritual laws are neutral. Thus, the bowls and vials of Heaven also hold our tears, prayers, and sacrifices. The woman with the alabaster box gave us a practical demonstration of her tears being poured out.

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil…. Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. (Luke 7:37-38, 44)

You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? (Psalm 56:8)

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”

So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” (Acts 10:1-6)

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As Solomon taught us, there is a time for everything under the sun (Ecc. 3:1). Good or bad, blessing and favour or judgment and wrath, there is an appointed time and that time is when our bowls in Heaven have been filled to the brim. And so we revisit the theme of pent up iniquity.

There is absolutely a time for grace and God extends it beyond what we could ever deserve. (Not that deserve any of it from Him to begin with.) He is truly the embodiment of longsuffering. But in the words of Myles Munroe, He is not foreversuffering.

For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. (Psalm 78:37-39)

Pour out Your indignation upon them, And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. (Psalm 69:24)

Jesus said, “the time is coming and now is…” We will very soon see the bowls of God’s judgment poured out on those who are His, yet have created a pattern of iniquity--and thought they could get away with it. Many people forget that the grace of God is not so we can play around for as long as we like, but so we can get right while the getting is good! No one knows when grace will run out, which is why the Bible says now is the day of salvation (II Cor. 6:2)!

Scandals, illness, disasters, even death is about to be poured out. One by one, ministry by ministry who does not abide in righteousness will be dealt with. God is NOT “winking” at our sin anymore!

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent… (Acts 17:30 KJV)

How can we justify calling others to repentance when we ourselves do not? How can the Church call the world to repentance when we ourselves do not? Watch and you will see, judgment is coming!

And I do NOT say this in glee. My best friend and I have a funny story about someone calling themself a “prophet of judgment” and while it makes for a funny story, it’s not funny to speak a thing like this and watch it come to past. But mark my words--IT WILL. You will see it with your own eyes, hear it with your own ears.

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When Judgment Comes…

When judgment does come--and it will!--this is what you do NOT do:

1) Be Surprised. I already told you and if you listen to the prophets, if you understand the times, and if your eyes are open, you already knew what was coming.

2) Gloat. We are not happy when judgment comes. And we REALLY are not arrogant about it. Think how many judgments God has chosen to withhold from you and me that we, in truth, deserve. That should humble us. Furthermore, gloating over the destruction of the wicked, at another’s fall from grace, could actually cease the process and cause judgment to be visited down on your head instead. #NoLordt

3) Pray for Healing/Restoration. You cannot undo the judgment of God. You can learn from it, but you cannot pray away what God has put on someone; you cannot ask for God to stop or reverse a situation that was brought about by His righteous judgment. And if you do, then you enter into error. You will have tried to circumvent what God is trying to do in that person’s life. (Judgment for the sake of correction; wrath comes after that.)

What you DO do is pray for those you know or sense who are in sin. Don’t broadcast it, but pray for them so they see the error of their ways in secret before God exposes them. And if God has already told/shown you that judgment is coming, still pray for mercy for them. There is a fair chance that God will either lessen the judgment or even prevent it altogether depending on the person and the situation.

NOW is the time for ALL of us to get right! Jesus may come tomorrow or 50 years from now, but He’s coming and the time is closer now than it’s ever been before. And even if He tarries, you might not make it until then! Best to do your darnedest to stay in His perfect will.