The clamor in this age is that climate change will destroy the earth. However it is destroyed, God will do the destruction! What He Created, He can destroy. That would not be very "nice" of God, but it will be justice. Humankind deserves what we get. God has been patient with His creatures, but it has nearly run out. God is a vengeful God (Rom 12:19). Because God is graceful with his salvation, and patient for the world to seek it, when they ignore God and live as if they are gods, the end is near.
I'll be honest: I fear my own end! I should not because things are better on the other side of death than they are here! Imagine paradise in the Garden of Eden: no sickness, not distress, no hunger, no hatred, perfect weather, and even no discomfort. Imagine communicating with God face-to-face, and the humility of that! Imagine never having to fear death. Depression does not exist in heaven. I worry about things here. I worry about eternal life because I know that I don't deserve it. In the Paradise of God in Heaven, that worry will be over; I will have achieved the prize! (Phil 3:14).
Judgment will come for everyone. "My hope" is that the Lord will say, "well done good and faithful servant" (Mat 25:21) because I ran the race toward Him (1 Cor 9:24). I run hard but I am weak! God does not judge the strength of my run, but running in the right direction (John 14:16)!
"Fake news" is big these days. "Fake Christians" have always been. To them God will say, "I never knew you." (Mat 7:23). Pagans - those who are not Christians - shall be judged as well. Only by the Name Jesus can anyone be saved (Acts 4:12).
Those who don't give a damn to use their expression are reprobate. Their future is torment. There they indeed will give a damn and anything else to be saved. The story of Lazarus and the rich man is about those types of sinners.
Then there are those who give a damn but be damned since they can't. Sin has so engulfed them that they don't think clearly! The pleasure principle is so much stronger that revering God that a moment of sin is worth an eternity of damnation!
You see, we all will be judged based on our merits. However, only those who trust in God are meritorious. It's not what we do, but what we believe God can do. That is save us in the end! God died on a pole in our place. We need only to look up at Him on the pole and realize that He was there in our place. Jesus is down from there, but we still look up to the cross as if he is still there. Not accepting his death on the cross denies Jesus's crucifixion. Accepting it but failing to be thankful by obedience is just as crucifying God all over again (Heb 6:6).
My hope, again, is to be judged worthy because my sins are forgiven. Of course, we all are unworthy of salvation but God paid the price by dying in our place; that makes believers worthy. That is grace.
Some don't have the hope of salvation. They have the fear of punishment. Most ignore justice, thinking that they can escape it. Barabbas thought that since he was released from paying the penalty on the cross. Judging has two outcomes: Justice cannot be escaped whether it is judged innocent or guilty. Those who know they trust the Lord and are grateful: loving Him with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength; are assured of their salvation (Mark 12:20)! To be honest, I fear that I do not! Why? The law of sin tries to convince me that love is an emotion. Since Christians are commanded to love God, it is a work, and hard work at that! How can we love God? Love of God is operationalized by loving others! (That is the Greatest Commandment and its corollary.)
John of Patmos had a vision. He saw the time God's patience finally runs out; he saw the apocalypse! Right now your assignment is to read Revelation chapter 18. It's about the destruction of the world. John envisioned it because he was inspired by God. However, John was not the first to see the earth destroyed. Tell me, from Isaiah's own words, that Isaiah did not see the same vision. He did!
You may suppose that John read Isaiah's description, and merely repeated the vision as his own! That would be disingenuous! The Lord gave John the same picture that he gave Isaiah. How do I know that? John is not a liar. He was boiled in oil for his faith. Liars don't validate God; they diminish Him! One reason that I am such a strong believer is continuity of scripture. If Isaiah had seen the destruction one way and John another, I would question what both saw. That is fair because Satan has visions in his bag of tricks as well, but he uses them to diminish God. Early writings say that people saw Simon the sorcerer fly. I believe they did. Satan can do miracles (magic) as well. We saw that with Moses and the Pharaoh. But if you remember, their miracles were to defy God and make Him weak!
Isa 24:1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Both Isaiah and John revealed their vision to magnify God. He is Judge and Executioner. We are not only to love Him, but to fear God because He is just (Deut 10:12)! Fear brought me to my knees! How so? I saw "snakes" killing me but Jesus on the cross saved me just as the Israelites with Moses (John 3:7; "you must be born again"). Isaiah's description of the end of the world are the "snakes" I fear. I don't want justice; I want mercy! Only God has saving mercy (Exod 34:6) and I'll take it!
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