Divine Judgment: Who Speaks For God?

The concept of divine judgment is one that is often loosely used by many of today’s religious and sometimes secular leaders. Whenever disaster or tragedy occurs in some unsettling part of the world, there is always an inclination to interpret it as evidence of God’s retribution on mankind for bad behavior. This view naturally leads people to believe that God is constantly policing the entire world intent on punishing and destroying the wicked. But what does the Bible say about the concept of divine judgment for our times? Are the pronouncements of secular and religious leaders valid and accurate? Do they speak for the judgments of a just divine being?

Divine judgment is a concept that modern day theologians have attempted to explain in order to better understand God’s involvement in human affairs. While God wants us to understand His role in human affairs, the problem is that many explanations have emerged from an attempt to explain divine judgment from the standpoint of short sighted human judgment. The idea of divine judgment is one that is above and beyond our limited and often clouded perception of justice. Divine judgment is the dealing with the problem of sin. It is dealing with the problem of transgression of both natural and moral laws. What human being can possibly have the supreme authority to deal with sin and immorality? What human being can claim to be so innocent and free from transgression so as to bring people under condemnation? The answer is clear and obvious- no one. Divine judgment is clearly the work of someone who can claim righteousness and divinity. So where does this lead us? Is there anyone who can truthfully claim this authority? Only one has proven to meet the standards of righteousness and innocence- Jesus Christ. No other person in history has had the moral impact on the human race that Christ has. No other person has ever claimed divinity as Christ did while maintaining clarity of reason and a sound mind. This is the starting point of understanding divine judgment. It begins with Christ. He is the only one who can truly speak for God’s judgments. So what does the Bible tell us of Christ’s role as judge? Let us explore this exciting issue in depth.

Divine Retribution In China? (Matthew 24:6-8)

In the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck China, not only were lives lost but spirits were shaken as well. As one news source reported, the latest event has been seen by many to be the result of “divine retribution” for the social and political calamities that have plagued China in the past months. Along with this view many have resorted to superstitious ideas to explain the reason for their misfortunes.

It is unfortunate that this is the first picture of God people get in the aftermath of such a tragic event. The idea of an angry God bent on destruction has done much disservice to the God of Scripture. Here are some Biblical reasons to consider whether to determine if this case in China was indeed divine retribution or not.

Although the Bible does give account of God’s judgments they are always given with ample warning. God never brings sudden and swift destruction unless He first sends His messengers and mediators to reveal the reasons for judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah had their mediator through Abraham, Babylon was given a message from Daniel, Nineveh had its prophet Jonah, Israel had its countless prophets and judges, and in our day God has His Bible believing messengers as well. So the first thing to consider is whether a warning was given by a godly messenger.

God’s judgments are pronounced on matters of worship rendered. In the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament God pronounces judgment on those who have failed to render worship to Him as the Creator God. The judgments that came upon Israel and Babylon, for example, were a result of having departed from a system of worship that acknowledged God as the Creator and Sustainer of mankind. Both Israel and Babylon at one time had leaders in place that recognized a God whose dominion was over theirs and were subject to His ways (Daniel 4: 37). It was only when they departed from that knowledge that God declared His judgment (Daniel 5:18-28). Second thing to consider is whether what happened in China was over a matter of worship.

Earthquakes, wars, famines, have all been predicted in the Scriptures as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). Jesus encourages us to not be troubled for all these things must come to pass (Matthew 24:6). If Jesus, who taught that the kingdom of heaven is like a net that gathers together both the good and bad until an appointed time (judgment) (Matthew 13:47-50), is saying to not be troubled for these things are not the end, then we should know that what happened is China is sorrowful, not a result of God’s judgment.

Never was divine retribution a result of social and political calamity nor was it ever unannounced. God is aware of the struggles that plague human society and bears with those struggles until they are destructive to the relationship between Him and His created beings. What transpired in China should grieve our hearts along with those who are suffering loss. God’s final judgment has not yet taken place. This is not the time to be talking of divine retribution. God wants his people to comfort those who are experiencing tragedy and wants them to know that He cares.

The Overcomer

Before returning to prophetic interpretation, we must take a moment to study the “supporting actor” of prophecy- the overcomer.

What is it about the Christian faith that helps people see a purpose for their lives regardless of their circumstances? Perhaps in the example of Daniel we can find some answers. If anyone had reason to lose faith it would have certainly been Daniel. After being taken captive he was taken on a three month journey through the scorching desert until arriving at the courts of Babylon. There Daniel was castrated and given the name of a pagan god as part of his initiation into a heathen culture.

What sort of God would allow this to happen to any human being?- is the common cry of any person when tragedy strikes. Many feel that because tragedy has befallen them they are justified in forsaking God because after all if there was a God how could such bad things happen? But is this a legitimate justification?

To answer this question we must understand the nature of tragedy. Scripture plainly tells us that in the beginning God created a perfect world in harmony with the laws of nature and with God’s spiritual and moral laws. So long as man exercised his free will to keep in accordance with God’s principles no tragedy could befall him. It was only until man disobeyed God that peace could no longer be secured. Tragedy does not come from God, it is the result of mans unrestrained will to seek for ungodly pleasures and desires.

Let us examine this principle at work during the time of Daniel. The Jewish nation at the time of Babylon’s invasion had forsaken God, violated His commandments, and desecrated the Sabbath. As a result, peace was forfeited and their city was no longer under divine protection. Consequently it was vulnerable to ungodly invaders. But Daniel understood this principle only too well. He had acknowledged the sins of his people and understood the reason for the siege. But being a man of faith and understanding he knew that if tragedy was the result of godlessness then faithfulness would yield peace. So he determined in his heart to not defile himself with the portions of the king’s food wanting his mental faculties to remain clear and sensitive to God’s leading. Because of his faithfulness Daniel was brought into favor with his captors and became a person to whom God revealed the mysteries of heaven.

So what allowed Daniel to be an overcomer? First, he did not blame God for his tragic circumstances. He knews his Creator was not the author of pain and suffering. He understood that tragedy existed because of mankind’s unrestrained will to seek after his own pleasures and desires. Second, he accepted that he must eventually suffer because of the godlessness that existed around him. And finally, the most important characteristic of Daniel was his ability to exercise his free will in order to determine to follow God’s ways knowing that faithfulness to his Creator yields peace and security. We can also be overcomers if we follow Daniel’s example.

A World Wide Revelation

Let us break away from the symbology of prophecy for a moment and ask ourselves, what did God mean when He gave the revelation of world powers to humanity? Did He reveal such things just for the sake of proving His foreknowledge? Did He intend for the reader of this prophecy to focus on the shortcomings of mankind? Why not simply make it a message of hope without giving account of what was to transpire? One can give as many reasons as possible for God revealing such matters to man. I will simply suggest three which I believe deserve careful attention.

First, at the time that this prophecy was given, the Jewish people had been taken captive and their city had been destroyed. This was a heartbreaking and world shattering reality. God’s people had enjoyed the revelation of God’s future for them but as apostasy was tolerated, sin defiled God’s designs and plans for their future. Their future which had rested so securely on an impressive history of God’s providence was now taking a turn for the worst. Now as a result the future was handed over to pagan authorities who would trifle with the sanctity of God’s principles. A great controversy, between the principles of God and man, was put into motion on an epic scale that would consume the entire world. God needed to reveal the magnitude of this struggle so that no one would underestimate it.

Second, in revealing the future to a pagan king God was moving in a powerful way among a heathen nation which was ignorant in regards to the Creator of heaven and earth. The Babylonian system of worship was established on pagan rituals and beliefs which disregarded the true power and identity of a Creator God who personally dealt with the affairs of humanity. God would take it upon himself to awaken the conscience of the pagan world by being a presence in their midst. Through methods that they would understand, including dreams, visions, wise men, miracles, etc., God would impress the pagan mind with a very different view of the divine. As much as Nebuchadnezzar struggled with God’s principles to the point of temporary insanity, he eventually declared, "I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned to me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation…" (Daniel 4:34).

Finally, the revelation of world powers serves to reveal God’s work in all of humanity. What began in Babylon will be carried out to every part of the globe. Although the world empires are of human origin and are temporary, there is a strain of faith that runs through them all as we will discover. This faith comes to be known as the gospel of Christ that is to go out among all nations, tribes and peoples. The examples of faith found in Daniel were not only for that time and place. That same faith is to be preserved throughout the history of world governments until the very end.

In summary, the revelation of world powers is given for 1. to reveal a great controversy 2. to reveal the Creator 3. to reveal the work of God in all humanity.

World Powers (Part II)

Before we continue exploring the interpretation of Daniel 2 and 7 let us briefly summarize what we have concluded thus far. The four beasts of Daniel 7 correspond to the four metals described in Daniel 2. Whereas Daniel 2 outlines a succession of powers, Daniel 7 gives these powers certain well defined characteristics so that their identity, as outlined in Daniel 2, is established beyond a reasonable doubt.
We last left off with the second of four in the sequence of world powers; the Medo-Persian Empire. So what great nation was to set the stage next? The fact that the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great followed the Persian Empire is hardly debatable. Alexander the Great witnessed first hand the last dying breath of his rival predecessor. With the Persian monarch out of the way, Alexander could enjoy the pleasure of conquest without restraint. It is a well established fact that although Alexander swiftly exceeded the boundaries of the former Persian Empire, his success was short-lived. The characteristics of the four-headed winged leopard in Daniel 7 are striking in relation to the characteristics of the Alexander’s Grecian empire. The leopard with wings represented the swiftness with which Alexander established his dominion. At a remarkable 32 years of age he had outdone the two former dominions of Babylon and Persia in terms of influence and territory. However, because of his lack of temperance and his over the top love for pleasure he pre-maturely terminated his life. The four heads of the leopard are an accurate prediction of the four divisions that would separate the Grecian empire after Alexander’s death.
According to the prophetic record, one final dominating power would arise after Greece. In Daniel 2 this power is symbolized by iron to represent its unyielding nature. Daniel 7 expounds on its character describing it as a dreadful and terrible beast, exceedingly strong, having great iron teeth, devouring and stamping out everything in its path and different from all manner of beasts and having ten horns. There is a wealth of information in this description but in the interest of space we will explore this further over time. Suffice to say that there is only one power greater and stronger than all the previous ones that arose after the Grecian Empire and that is Rome. In every way possible Rome exceeded the previous powers. For example, just in terms of territory, by the opening of the Christian era, this empire took in the whole south of Europe, France, England, the greater part of the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the south of Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece, not to mention its presence in Asia and Africa. Is it reasonable to suppose that some power other than Rome can fit this description? Not without loosening the logic that is set forth by Scripture and history.
In conclusion, beginning with Babylon, we have identified a pattern of succeeding powers over the course of history to include, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Furthermore, we have established that history and prophecy affirm each other on this issue of world powers. Also, we have discovered a theme of world government in Daniel 2 and 7 which will be of great importance as we continue to study the prophetic word.

World Powers (Part I)

We have already established that the beasts in Daniel 7 represent nations and governments. But what type of nations are these? How much territory did they cover? Were these small provinces in the Middle East or did their influence extend beyond those borders?
Well we have already established that Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar became a mighty empire. In fact, in the vision of Daniel 2 Babylon is represented as the head of gold. The privileges that accompany such an honor are recorded in Daniel 2, "the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." (v. 37,38). History shows us that during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon extended its influence into territories that had never before been under Babylonian rule. Between 606-536 B.C. Babylon had extended its borders to include parts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. This of course included the captivity of Israel and the Jewish people. Is it any wonder that Scripture gives such a prestigious and global description of Babylon? This empire was by no means a small isolated province. Furthermore, Daniel 7 describes it as a lion with wings to show how quickly and fiercely it subdued the nations around it. However, a change occurred in this nation. Scripture describes this change; "the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given it" (Daniel 7:4). This change shows that Babylon would not be invincible as it had thought. It was a human institution founded on a pagan belief system. It had been brought up by the province of God but it would not stand forever. Babylon’s religious and civil foundations would last only until God’s plans were fulfilled for His people. After a determined time the world would see that Babylon was no more invincible than mortal man despite its religious philosophies and pantheon of gods. How accurate an account we find in Scripture as to the state and condition of Babylon at its fall. Drunk with its own ambition and vainglory, it was conquered over night.
Babylon was succeeded by the Medo-Persian Empire. In prophecy it is represented by the silver in Daniel 2 and the bear in Daniel 7. The Medo-Persian Empire covered more territory than Babylon. Its borders extended throughout Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, reaching as far east as India and even into Afghanistan. Why was it considered only as valuable as silver and only as ferocious as a humpback bear? The value assigned to the Persian Empire represents its spiritual foundation as revealed by the God of Scripture. Under its most notable ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon came to know the power of the true God through the enlightenment provided by His servant Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar came to accept his position as one that was still subservient to God. His faith was as gold refined through the fire. Under Cyrus, Daniel was still permitted to exercise his faith but his influence would not go as far as it had under Babylon. Persia would not attain the same magnificence, wealth, brilliance, and spiritual enlightenment of its predecessor.
The bear being raised higher on one side represents the two nationalities that made up the empire: the Medes and the Persians. The two horns of the ram in Daniel 8 attest to the same fact. Of the two the Persians were the most powerful hence they were raised to higher prominence and had greater influence. The three ribs are likely to represent those nations that suffered the greatest oppression under the Persian rule: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. By the conquest of these provinces the Persian empire would have the confidence to dominate and subjugate other nations. The empire would last for 207 years.

The Beasts

Daniel 7 introduces another vision in which Daniel sees four great beasts rising up from the sea. Each is described in detail and given distinct features that represent the character and nature of their power. Daniel 7:14 makes it very clear that these beasts represent four kings (heads of governments) which will arise out of the sea. The sea represents peoples; in this case the human race. Where else do we a succession of four kingdoms or powers? There is no previous mention of such a succession expect for Daniel 2. Here the Scripture is reinforcing the important role of these four distinct powers. So who are these powers? Daniel in his interpretation declared Babylon to be the first power in the line of prophetic world powers (Daniel 2:37,38). So it would be within sound reason to begin here. History has left no doubt as to what empires followed after the fall of Babylon: Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Again, more can be said about these nations but we will not discuss those matters at this time.
Each of these nations was established by cunning men who took advantage of the political and regional strife of the time and with the aid of great armies were able to carry out their vain ambitions. One thing that needs to be clear is that a beast in prophecy is not representative of heavenly power or government. There is no doubt that these powers were brought forth by mighty men and are therefore human institutions.
This rule of interpretation is to be applied in the prophetic records of Daniel and Revelation. More will be written on the subject of the beasts in prophecy but for now it is sufficient to understand how they are to be interpreted.

2300 Days

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14).

Only a few Christians are aware of this time prophecy even though it is the longest prophetic time period found in the Bible. Others who have heard of it may not fully understand the relevance of the prophecy in light of modern Christianity. Many have dismissed the prophecy as ancient history with no bearing on today’s gospel message. The fact of the matter is that this prophecy has everything to do with the gospel message. Let me explain.
First, we must establish the length of 2300 days. In prophetic interpretation one day equals one year, so 2300 days would equal 2300 years. The starting point for this prophecy has been determined to be 457 B.C. when king Artaxerxes gave the command to restore Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1; Daniel 9:25). This being so, 2300 years would bring us to 1844 (there is no “zero” year). So this prophecy covers a period from 457 B.C. to 1844 A.D. What a marvelous thought that God would prepare His people for events covering a span of 2300 years!
This prophetic period was given to Daniel in the context of establishing a time line which would serve to mark significant events for both the Jews and the Christians. This time frame, which began from the command to restore Jerusalem in 457 B.C. (Daniel 9:25), would include periods of oppression and relentless persecution against God’s people, both Jews and Christians, by both pagan powers and later papal Rome. But for God’s faithful people a Messiah was predicted to appear who would bring hope and restore the faith of those who suffered and died for His cause.
The Christian world recognizes Jesus Christ as the predicted Messiah who would bring hope and faith into this world. But the prophetic time period stretches far beyond Christ’s earthly life. What hope and faith can possibly exist in the year 1844? Well, as the passage suggests, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” something of great importance happened in 1844. According to the Old Testament, the cleansing of the sanctuary happened once a year during the Day of Atonement. This was the day that the High Priest interceded on behalf of the sins of Israel before the throne of God (the Ark of the Covenant) thus imparting righteous judgment upon the people. Since the sanctuary services of the Old Testament were no longer practiced anywhere on earth in 1844 this could only mean that the passage refers to the heavenly sanctuary where the same Jesus who walked this earth is interceding for us in heaven as our High Priest. That is the message of hope and faith for the Christian today! Although the story of Christ’s death on Calvary is an important part of the gospel message, it means nothing without the message of Christ’s intercession on our behalf. This prophecy points us to that wonderful scene.