God’s Kingdom Advocate Volume 3 No. 10
The wicked, by the divine standard of judgment, are those who deliberately and persistently violate the laws of God in spite of warnings to the contrary. Such ones have no regard for God and man; have no shame or prick of conscience and feel nothing will happen to them even though they drink “iniquity like water” (Job 15:16) It is no small comfort to people of God therefore to know that the days of the wicked are numbered.
Wickedness entered the world right from the fall of man in the garden of Eden. But it has attained unprecedented heights in the last days in which we are now. The prophet Daniel described the last days as a time in which “the wicked shall do wickedly”. (Daniel 12:10) Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of this period as a time when iniquity will abound to such an extent that “the love of many shall wax cold”. (Matthew 24:12,13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) Apostle Paul stated: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” – 2 Timothy 3:13
Day of Judgment
Those who persist in doing evil think no one will hold them to account. They do not believe in the Biblical teaching regarding future rewards and punishments. They say “How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?” (Psalm 73:11) and that “The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it”. (Psalm 94:7) The Bible shows that there is no “creature that is not manifest in the sight of God “but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do”.(Hebrews 4:13) That God does not take action immediately does not mean that He cannot or will not act. The Almighty works according to His set purposes. He cannot be pushed or rushed. The prophet Solomon stated: – Ecclesiastes 8:11-13.
In the words of St. Paul God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30, 31) Now is the time St. Paul spoke of, the age of the second presence of Christ. (2 Timothy 4:1) Apostle Jude, quoting the prophet Enoch stated: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him”. -Jude 14,15
The devil will be killed
The Bible says God is angry with the wicked everyday. (Psalm 7:11) This includes the author and head of wickedness, the devil. He will be destroyed in God’s due time. (Isaiah 27:1) Jesus Christ here referred to as the “great and strong sword” of the Lord has been empowered by God Almighty to destroy satan the devil and his hosts and put wickedness to an end. (Compare Jeremiah 51:20-23; Romans 16:20) This will take place at the battle of the great day of God Almighty, referred to by Bible scholars as the Battle of Armageddon. (Revelation 16:13-16; 20:1, 2). In that battle all that answers to wickedness will be destroyed – . Revelation 21:8; Zephaniah 1:14-18
There shall be no escape for the wicked though they may seek death but death will flee from them so that they may live to reap the rewards of their iniquity. (Amos 9:1; Revelations 6:15, 16; 9:6; Psalm 83:15-18
.Repentance
Before the great and terrible day of the Lord when He will take vengeance on the wicked and destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18) He will first use His true servants to warn the nations so that they would repent and cleave to God. (Matthew 24:14; John 12: 48) This work is referred to as the strange work of God in Isaiah 28:21. It is the time God has allowed for people to hear the gospel so as to repent that makes some think God is slow or that He does not even exist. (2 Peter 3:9) Indeed God Almighty has no pleasure in the death of anybody. He says in Ezekiel 33:7 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” See also Ezekiel 18:21-23, 27-32;
To those who are of meek and humble spirit, God Almighty invites to come to Him so as to be cleansed or sanctified with His truth. – Isaiah 1:16-20.