Judgment Is Coming
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. – Revelation 6:12-14.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. – Hebrews 9:27.
Ben Rogozensky had a court date and didn’t know it. He was trying to escape from jail by crawling through a ceiling crawl space when he fell through the ceiling. It happened in the DeKalb County courthouse, which is close to Atlanta, Georgia. Rogozensky must have felt the hand of God when after hitting the floor he looked up to see the judge. Rogozensky tried to escape but was soon recaptured. He tried to escape from his day of judgment but was unable. He must have thought he had it made when he found a stool in the bathroom and used it to climb into the crawl space. But he was wrong! Judgment is rapidly approaching for this man and apparently, there is no escape.
Judgment is rapidly approaching for mankind as well. You catch a glimpse in this passage of the great wrath and power of God. There was a great earthquake. The life-giving rays of the sun turned to black, and the moon turned to blood. The stars of heaven fell to earth like the late figs of a fig tree shaken by a great wind. You have to wonder if this is the dreaded time many scientists have feared when asteroids will actually collide with the earth? The power of this event is such that every island and mountain was moved out of its place. Where can man go when judgment comes? There is nowhere to run. For it will be too late.
As we consider those around us that we come into contact with on a frequent basis – there are some that we know are lost. How much time do they have? Unless they turn to God, judgment is rapidly approaching and when judgment comes, there will be nowhere to run. Do you have any compassion for the lost? Do you really care that the lost are perishing?
Do you have any personal responsibility for their fate? The Book of Ezekiel seems to indicate that we have some responsibility. Ezekiel 3:16-19, “Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.’”
Now I am somewhat like a preacher I once heard who said when asked about this passage in Ezekiel whether he understood it or not said that he had never fully understood it. But he said, “I understand enough that it scares me.” We should never be unconcerned about the lost. Yes, judgment is coming but it is in our own best interest to run a rescue rowboat to within an inch of hell to rescue the lost before it is too late. Yes, I think that when we stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10) we will be glad we had compassion for the lost.
(There is nowhere to run when judgment comes.)