Double
Destruction
Elder Oscar B. Mink
Now In Glory
Jeremiah prays to God concerning his persecutors, saying, “Destroy them with double destruction.” In contemporary time, with its emphasis on the philosophy that the sum and substance of God is love, that mankind is basically good, that it is the environment that makes the criminal, and not the criminal who makes the environment; Jeremiah’s prayer would be considered incongruous to the nature of God. The “God loves everyone” crowd, in order to be consistent, would have to say, “Jeremiah was overwrought from the great stress he was under and did not realize what he was asking God to do.” Well, they are the ones who suffer from mental deficiency, not Jeremiah, for we read in the 39th chapter of Jeremiah’s prophecy where God answered his prayer. Jerusalem was burned. The son’s of Judah’s king were killed before his eyes. The king’s eyes were plucked out, and all the nobles of Judah were killed, and all but the extremely poor were carried away captive to Babylon. God thought more of Jeremiah’s prayer than did the late Bishop Oxnam of the Methodist Church. He said, “The God of the Old Testament was nothing but a dirty bully.” By this time, I am sure he has a different opinion of God. Many people applaud when they hear of infinite grace, mercy and love, and many recoil when they hear of infinite sin, guilt, and punishment. God’s infinite grace, love and mercy can only be appreciated by those who realize they are guilty of infinite sin, and deserving of infinite punishment.
IMPRECATORY
PRAYERS OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
David
often prayed unto God for the destruction of his
enemies. Once he prayed, saying, “Destroy, O Lord, and
divide their
tongues ...” (Psalm 55:9). When the sense of justice dies,
anarchy
prevails, and innocent blood flows freely. Motivated by a legitimate
feeling
against evil, the Old Testament prophets prayed for some manifestation
of
Divine righteousness by way of retribution against the carnage of
reprobate
men. They prayed not from a desire for personal revenge, but from a
love of God
and righteousness.
In
the Mosaic dispensation God dealt differently with His people than
He does
today. Under the Mosaic economy, they were not only custodians and
propagators
of the true religion, but they were, at the same time, a civil state,
or
theocracy. Their civil well being was inseparably connected to, and
dependent
on their spiritual obedience. As long as they were obedient, God
protected them
by destroying their enemies. Thus it is we read many imprecative
entreaties of
God’s people in the Old Testament.
As a
civil body God provided them with carnal means of protection, and
guided
them in the use of these weapons. David’s expertise with a sling shot
resulted
in Goliath’s death, and Israel’s victory over the Philistines. Samson,
with
supernatural strength and a jawbone of an ass, slew a thousand
Philistines, and
Gideon with his brave 300 fell thousands of the Midianites with
Holy-Spirit-guided swords. Israel was God’s visible kingdom on earth,
and they
were to recognize that it was God Who gave them victory against their
enemies, “For
the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as
for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
One man
of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, He it is
that
fighteth for you, as He hath promised” (Joshua 23:9-10).
“But
(says someone), it is different today. We are living under grace.” So
very
right they are. Yet, we need to keep in the forefront of our minds this
fact:
God is not less angry with the wicked today than He was 4,000 years
ago.
David
said, “God is angry with the
wicked every day” (Psalm
7:11),
and the word for this age is, “... He that believeth not the Son
shall not
see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
The
church in contrast to Israel is not a civil body, but a spiritual body.
The
Lord’s churches, indwelt and directed by the Holy Spirit are not
ministers of
God’s wrath, but messengers of His grace. We are to love our enemies,
and bless
them that curse us (Matthew 5:44). Yet, God is under no such
obligation.
He can either curse or bless His enemies, and no man can say unto Him, “What
doest Thou?”
The
church is now in its betrothal period in its relationship with
Christ.
Speaking to the church at Corinth, Paul says, “... I have espoused
you to
one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”
(II
Corinthians 11:2). In Israel the man who was betrothed was exempted
from
military duty, but not so with the married Israelite man (Deuteronomy
20:7).
So it is with the church and her Groom during the betrothal period,
militancy
is checked. But soon the wedding march will be played in glory; then
heaven’s
militia with Christ at its head will march on Armageddon (Revelation
19:7-19).
Israel’s rejection of Jesus as their Messiah (John 1:11)
resulted in
their being set aside as God’s representative people on earth and
Christ says, “My
kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then
would My
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is
My
kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). At the climax of “the
times
of the Gentiles”, which is realized at the battle of Armageddon,
the nail
scarred Lord steps from Heaven’s stage with His sword of vengeance
unsheathed (II
Thessalonians 2:7-8), and once again fights for His beleaguered
people. The
Lord’s vengeance fills the valley with blood for the space of 200 miles
at the
height of a horse’s bridle (Revelation 14:20). The earth at this
time
becomes the monarchy of Jesus Christ (Revelation 11:15), and
every
infraction of His equitable rule will be met with impartial justice.
While it
is for the present age, “the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (II
Corinthians
10:4), let the believer remember he serves the Lord Who has
determined to
slay all His enemies which would not that He should reign over them,
and that
in due season He will answer the prayer of the martyred souls under His
altar,
who “... Cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy
and true,
dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth? ...
It was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little season …”
(Luke
19:27; Revelation 6:9-11).
DEPRAVITY
AND DESTRUCTION
“Their
feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed
innocent blood, their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
wasting and
destruction are in their paths.” Isaiah 59:7
Nations
now measure destructive force by the number of megatons built
into a
hydrogen bomb. Many people live in constant fear, for they know, never
before
in the history of the world, have men had the ability to destroy that
they now
possess. Man fears nuclear war, plane crashes, car wrecks, and cancer.
He fears
earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural phenomenon, but due to his
depraved
nature, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans
3:18).
Man’s
heart and mind in his fallen state are so utterly depraved that
he is
continually thinking of, and studying ways and means of destroying his
fellowman. Solomon says, “Their heart studieth destruction, and
their lips
talk of mischief” (Proverbs 24:2). And Paul says, “Destruction
and misery are in their ways” (Romans 3:16).
The
United States Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, and Army’s West
Point are
schools dedicated to the idea of creating the best brains in the field
of
military science, which science has to do with destruction by warfare.
I
believe these schools are necessary. I do not complain about my tax
dollar
supporting them, but the fact remains: they exist because man apart
from Christ
is a totally depraved creature. From the depraved counsels of men have
come
some of the most diabolical devices, and ingenious schemes for the
destruction
of their fellow man. A brief view of history, and the Italian and
Spanish
inquisition, fostered and supported by the Roman Catholic Church, is
sufficient
evidence, proving the veracity of the above statement. Hitler is a
classic
example. He believed the war devices and schemes of Nazi Germany were
superior
to any other nations of the world. Germany became militarily strong;
claimed
for themselves the status of a super-race, and became exceedingly
proud. They
forgot that God long ago said, “Pride goeth before
destruction, and
an haughty spirit before a fall”. (Proverbs 16:18).
Man,
with his depraved mind, not only unjustly destroys his fellowman,
but he
does it calculatively and systematically. After WW I, in 1919 there was
discovered in Germany a resume containing the Communist Manifesto,
which
delineated a plan for the destruction of the United States of America.
The plan
called for:
Dividing the United States by races and classes, the creation of as
much
internal unrest as possible, Dividing the United States and her allies,
Engaging the United States in diversified wars with communistic puppet
states,
whereby the United States would spend herself broke. Then the major
forces of
communism would step in, and add the finishing touches of destruction.
The
rift or division now existing between Russia and Red China is, in
part, due
to their varying opinions as to what is the best and most expeditious
way to
destroy the United States Russia wants to do it systematically, through
cold
war tactics. Red China with her crowded and expendable populous wanted
to
destroy the United States with an all out war. Russia and China do not
trust
one another, and Russia was fearful of what United States defeat by war
would
cost her militarily. Supposing the cost might reduce her to the point
where she
would be easy prey for the Mao Se Tung regime brought them to a heated
impasse.
Carter’s cowardly compromise wherein Taiwan’s potential destruction
became
imminent has not diminished Red China’s hatred of the United States one
iota,
and if Russia and China solve their problems, the UnitedStates will
know from
experience how Taiwan feels today, December, 1978.
GOD
AND SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION
Man
is not the originator of systematic destruction,
neither is the devil. God originated systematic destruction. The God of
the
Bible is the God of order and system. He executes His designs with
absolute
precision, and the devil with all his cohorts cannot frustrate God’s
plan for
the sparrow, much less His plan for man. The wrath of man shall praise
the
Lord, and God said to the devil a long time ago, “I will destroy thee”
(Psalms
76:10; Ezekiel 28:16).
A. God’s Curse on Sin is Systematically Exercised.
Adam
sinned and the threatened curse took hold on him. Of Adam’s
physical being
we read, “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and
thirty
years: and he died” (Genesis 5:5). The curse brought forth
the
bitter fruit of death, destroying the body of Adam progressively and
systematically. Job, speaking of man’s body under the curse said, “They
are
destroyed from morning to evening” (Job 4:20).
Man’s
body suffers under the curse. In due process of time, it loses
its
ability to walk, run and becomes immobile. Then comes to pass the
saying, “Dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19). A
great
many lost people seem to be able to laugh at the thought of death. When
faced
with the fact of death, many say, “O well, so what?” The devil has them
blinded
as to what all is involved in death. They think the grave brings an
absolute
cessation of existence. They are totally unaware that physical death
and hell
are simultaneously realized for the lost, and that they shall suffer
everlasting
or perpetual destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9).
B. The Enemies of Israel in the Conquest of Canaan Were
Systematically
Destroyed by God.
“And
the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee little
by
little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the
field
increase upon thee. But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee,
and
shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.”
(Deuteronomy
7:22-23) God wanted to protect Israel from the beasts of the
field
by keeping a balance between them. To preserve this balance the nations
of
Caanan were systematically (“little by little”) destroyed.
C. The Formation and Destruction of the Ecumenical Church Will Be
Systematically Wrought.
“Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time I will say to the reapers gather ye together first the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn.” (Matthew 13:30) The “tare” is a darnel, a weed that in appearance looks like wheat. The tare represents the lost religionist. In the end of the age, or harvest time, the reapers gather them into denominational bundles, then into various national councils, and finally into one big bundle, known as the Ecumenical Church. The binding of the tares is systematically wrought so as not to uproot any of the wheat, or true churches of the Lord. Now, let us view history in advance, and see what happens to this great big religious super bundle. “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore (Ecumenical Church) and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Revelation 17:16). Do you know why the anti-Christ and his league of nations destroy the harlot church? The scripture gives us the answer, “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will …” (Revelation 17:17).
DOUBLE
DESTRUCTION - DOUBLE DELIVERANCE
“Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His
benefits: Who healeth all thy diseases: Who redeemeth thy life from
destruction;
Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.” (Psalms
103:2-4)
It is
God who saves from destruction, not man. Man’s bomb shelters,
health
programs, reformation, nor his religion can save him from eternal
destruction.
But bless God, all is not hopeless. While He is the Sovereign
destroyer, He is
also gracious and everyone who trusts His power to save is delivered
from
destruction.
Let us note some things that avert eternal destruction.
The
sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ averts destruction. “For the
Lord will
pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon
the
lintel and on the side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and
will not
suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.”
(Exodus
12:23) The safety zone for the Israelite was under the shed blood
of the
typical lamb. Of the Anti-type of Israel’s lamb, Jesus Christ, we read,
“Much
more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath
through Him” (Romans 5:9).
Faith
in God averts destruction. “Through faith he (Moses) kept the
passover
and the sprinkling of blood, lest He that destroyed the first born
should touch
them.” (Hebrews 11:28) “By faith Noah, being warned of
God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving
of his
house.” (Hebrews 11:7)
Obedience
to God’s word averts destruction. “Whoso despiseth the
word shall
be destroyed, but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”(Proverbs
13:13) “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them
from
their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20) “… By the word of
Thy lips I
have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” (Psalm
17:4) Believe
the Bible to be safe. Practice it to be holy. Defend it to be rewarded,
and use
it to proclaim deliverance from destruction.
In
this present evil world the saint may be persecuted, but he can
never say, “I
am forsaken.” He may be cast down, but he can ever say, “I am not
destroyed” (II
Corinthians 4:9). It is not so with the wicked for they are “reserved
to
the day of destruction … and shall be punished with everlasting
destruction” (Job 21:30, II Thessalonians 1:9). Not
annihilation, but eternal destruction, or everlasting damnation.
Christ
has mercifully warned man of forthcoming “double destruction”
saying, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to
kill the
soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell”
(Matthew 10:28). Double destruction, in the full sense of the
word, is
both soul and body suffering eternal destruction in hell.
Although all men deserve to suffer “double destruction” God has in infinite grace, granted some double deliverance having obtained eternal redemption for their souls and bodies through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12; Romans 8:23).
(The Sovereign Grace Advocate - January, 1979)