Unadulterated Evil

                            "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
                                                                                                                                 Romans 12:21



     Unimaginable horror barraged the news media this week.  There were literally times that I had to turn off the news because of explicit and graphic torture images being broadcast on the screen.  I am typically not a squeamish person, as I have been a  registered nurse for over twenty-five years.  However, it is inconceivable that humanity can be so depraved as to plot, plan, and execute another human being's death in such a vile and sadistic manner as occurred with the Jordanian pilot this week.

     When I see the strategies of Satan in the earth, I am convinced that most Western Christians have neither the eschatological awareness nor the missionary zeal for these end times in which we are living. From a prophetic perspective, there is not one prophecy that has not been fulfilled in order for the Rapture to occur. Seriously, it could literally happen today.

     David Jeremiah describes ten things that will happen prior to and during the Tribulation:   a time of deception (Matthew 24:5), a time of dissension (Matthew 24:6-7), a time of devastation (Matthew 24:7), a time of disease (Matthew 24:7), a time of disasters (Matthew 24:7), a time of death (Matthew 24:9),  a time of disloyalty (Matthew 24:10), a time of delusion (Matthew 24:11), a time of defection (Matthew 24:12), and a time of declaring the Gospel (Matthew 24:14).

     More than one-fourth ( 27%) of the verses in the Bible are prophecy. And yet, there are few believers that want to delve into them. I know that I would not want to go to a surgeon that lacked twenty-seven percent of his education or twenty-seven percent of his residency! Similarly, I do not want to be ignorant of understanding both the good news of the Gospel, as well as the impending judgment that God meticulously warned us to heed. I truly seek to understand the full counsel of God's Word.

     The first century Christians turned this world upside-down because they lived in light of end-time events. And yet, here we are, twenty centuries later, and most of us deny these are the end-times because of the many generations before us who wrongfully believed the same. However, there has never been another generation with so many major prophetic signposts as we have today.

     Joel Rosenberg, in agreement with other Christian and Jewish scholars, says that these primary prophetic indicators have already been fulfilled:
  
     1.  Rebirth of the State of Israel ( Isaiah 11)- this was prophesied more than 2000 years ago
     2.  64 % of Jews today want to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem ( Revelation 11:2)
     3.  Rise of false prophets- ex. Muhammad; Mahdi  (Matthew 24)
     4.  Arab Spring (Daniel 11)
     5.  Civil war in Egypt ( Isaiah 19)
     6.  Rise of Turkey (Ezekiel 38)
     7.  Emerging caliphate in Syria and Iraq
     8.  Militaristic hatred of Jews throughout the nations (Zechariah 12:3)

     Anti-Semitism and anti-Christian sentiment are increasing in the world and in the U.S. Many college campuses are known for teachings that are antithetical to the Bible. Harvard University stated that Christians need not apply to their school. Vanderbilt university kicked a number of Christian student groups off campus for not allowing people who were Muslim or members of other religions to run their organizations. UC Davis hosted terrorist rallies to persecute their Jewish students. These are our institutions that are supposed to be for higher learning and yet they are being prostituted for hate groups.

     Jesus equates our treatment of Israel with treatment of Himself  ( Joel 3; Ezekiel 38-39; Zechariah 14).  God promises judgment for those who mistreat Israel. Today, in America, there are even some Christians that believe in Replacement Theology and Amillenialism, which both exacerbate increasing anti-Semitism.

     God's judgment is coming to America. Biblical reasons for judgment include: all nations that divide the land of Israel ( to pre 1967 borders); innocent bloodshed ( 57 million abortions); idolatry (placing anything in our hearts before God); and arrogance. While we do not know when judgment is coming, we do need to be prepared and to help others be prepared, as well.

     Judgments can be forestalled like they were with King Josiah, but they cannot be avoided indefinitely. This is what God told Josiah: "' Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people-
that they would become a curse and be laid waste- and because you tore your robes and wept in My Presence, I also have heard you,' declares the Lord. 'Therefore, I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" ( 2 Kings 22:19-20).

     Josiah did not ignore the sobering truth. He responded to God in humility and repentance for both himself and his people. In turn, God honored and blessed Josiah's response.

     Likewise, we cannot ignore the evil that is so prevalent in our world. Paul exhorts us to
"abstain from every form of evil." ( 1 Thessalonians 5:22). We are living in a time and culture of no absolutes. Isaiah prophesied judgment on those "who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." ( Isaiah 5:20).

     Evil is mentioned in the Bible five hundred and seventy times. It is imperative that we have a clear and solid understanding of what evil is and what evil does. The definition of evil is: that which is harmful; injurious; characterized or accompanied by suffering; disastrous; bad conduct or character;
marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc.; bad quality or intention; that which gives rise to wickedness and sin; immoral.

     Our nation no longer sees evil for what it truly is. We have geopolitical vision and economic vision, but we do not have Biblical vision. Many have succumbed to the false belief of moral equivalence. It will forever be the Bible that defines evil, not mankind. God is calling His people to become the clarion of truth in these lawless, immoral, and confusing times.

     If we misunderstand either the nature or character of evil, we will be blindsided.  There are two historical events that have occurred that blindsided our nation. They occurred on December 7, 1941 and on September 11, 2001.  We were not blindsided because of a lack of intelligence because we had evidence to suggest that such occurrences were imminent. What we lacked was the imagination of what unadulterated evil could mean to our country.

     All hatred and violence is wicked in God's eyes. It is also wrong for us to become cynical or unloving as a result of the barbarism and atrocities that are being thrust in our faces. Just as it is tragic that the Jordanian pilot was brutally murdered, it is also tragic that more people will now lose their lives and be eternally separated from God. We are called to pray and love all people . Jesus said,
"By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35).

     If Jesus' return is imminent, how then should we live in light of the approaching hour?




" We poor blind creatures, here today and gone tomorrow, born in sin, surrounded by sinners,
living in a constant atmosphere of weakness, infirmity, and imperfection- can form none but the most
inadequate conceptions of the hideousness of evil."                                                             J.C. Ryle