Do you feel it, too? Sometimes, the headlines of our day create an impatience within me for the Lord to intervene and begin His judgment on the evil-doers of our day. The ongoing murderous rampage in Syria began my latest round of wondering why the Rapture hasn’t already happened. Does He not see all the bloodshed in our world?
As I wrote last week, I recognize that the mind-numbing violence of our day has the world on course for the outpouring of God’s wrath after our departure from the world. The “sudden destruction” of the Day of the Lord begins soon after the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10). Jesus’ appearing to take us home begins His direct intervention in the planet, during which time He will deal with the murderers, thieves, terrorists, and wicked that are causing much pain throughout the world.
It’s the wait that grows in difficulty as we witness lawlessness increasing exponentially while deception abounds.
As I began to fret over the seeming delay of God’s response, I read Psalm 75:2, “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” That’s what I needed to see. The Lord’s answer to wickedness of our day is surely coming, but it will happen in His appointed time.
I’m reminded of the words of the prophet Habakkuk, “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (2:3).
The Father Knows
After reading the verse from Psalm 75, I turned to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36:
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
The Father isn’t trying to determine the best time to send His Son to retrieve His bride, the Church. He knew the exact time two thousand years ago when Jesus walked through Israel. He’s not waiting for a time when conditions will be just right. He saw our day from antiquity and determined the day, hour, and moment of the Rapture long before the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost.
The Son knew all about our day and described with much precision the events of the last days and Tribulation in Matthew 24:3-28. Then, perhaps to forestall questions from His disciples and calm our inquisitive minds in the twenty-first century, Jesus stated that only the Father knows the exact time in history when these events would sweep across planet Earth.
Fixed By the Father’s Authority
After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus if it was time He “would restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). In response, Jesus expounded upon His earlier statement that only the Father knew the timing of such things: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Here again, Jesus defers to the Father’s authority in this matter. God set the timing of the end-time events, beginning with the Rapture, long, long ago. In Isaiah 46:10, we read that He sovereignly declares “the end from beginning and from ancient time things not yet done.”
The Lord sees the murderous rampages of our time as well as the over-the-top wickedness. It is enough to know that at just the perfect time, He will intervene in world affairs in an unmistakable way.
We cannot know the exact time, but we know that we live in the season of His appearing.
With Equity
The other word in Psalm 75:2 that caught my attention earlier this week is “equity.” The word denotes an evenness or fairness in the Lord’s judgment. That’s bad news for those who think no one sees their corruption, murder of the innocent, and injurious behavior. They may think that God will not respond to their wickedness, but He will do so as their deeds deserve.
So, what’s the encouragement for us in knowing that God’s judgment will be fair, righteous, and wholly justified?
First, because Jesus paid the debt for our sins on the cross, we will not suffer the eternal consequences of our sins. Not only that, but we will not endure the outpouring of God’s wrath during the Tribulation period. Those who come to the Savior after the Rapture will suffer greatly, but like us, they will not pay the ultimate penalty for their sins.
Second, while today’s lawlessness and widespread violence upsets us, we find some degree of relief in knowing that the Lord sees all the evil of our day, even far beyond what’s apparent to us. Not only that, but He will judge with equity because not only does He see all things, but He knows the intent of the heart. We will most likely not see the evil-doers of our day arrested and put in jail, but they will not escape the consequences of their actions unless they repent and turn to Jesus.
Third, I’m reminded of my need to trust the Lord’s handling of the wickedness of my day. Psalm 37:1-7 sums up a response of trust, that of resisting the temptation to fret, remaining “still” or calm before Him in light of the success of the wicked, and waiting patiently for Him to act.
It’s easy to become weary of waiting for the Lord to act, but someday, He will come for us, take us to Heaven, and repay those who perpetrate so much evil in our world.
“If it seems slow, wait for it; will surely come.”
