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Him
Lift
Lift
UpLift Him Up His Judgment is Come
GOD’S LAST MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
part 2
Lift Him Up
Him Up Lift
Up Lift Him
Lift Him Up
W
We learned in our first study on the
judgment that Satan is resisting the
salvation that Christ has accomplished
for every soul (see Zechariah 3:2). The
And because He loves each one as His
own, whatever we do to one another,
we do to Him (see Matthew 25:40, 45).
Second, David is praying that God
devil is the accuser, who accuses us will be “clear” or “blameless” when He
“before our God day and night” deals with sin or judges. The implica-
(Revelation 12:10). The fact that he is tion being that there is some degree of
accusing us before God implies that he fault attributed to God for the way He
is also accusing God. God has been is dealing with sin. Is God fair? Is He
blamed for the sin problem and for the merciful? Is He just? Will He be
way He has dealt with sin from its very completely blameless or clear when all
inception. So then, the hour of judg- is said and done?
ment brought to view in Revelation 14, This is a very important part of the
is not only the hour of our judgment, whole sin problem. At sin’s inception,
but also the hour of His judgment. We Adam blamed Eve for his sin and Eve
pick up Part 2 of our study in the book blamed the serpent (see Genesis 3:12,
of Romans: 13). Where were they really directing the
“Let God be true but every man a blame? God made Eve, the serpent and
liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be the tree. Fallen humanity, consequently,
justified in Your words, And may immediately began to blame God for
Lift Him Up
Him Up Lift
Up Lift Him
Lift Him Up
overcome when You are judged’” sin. This is our natural inclination.
(Romans 3:4, NKJV).
The apostle Paul is here quoting Measure God
from an Old Testament scripture found Is God to blame for sin? Could He
in Psalm 51:4. It reads: have handled Lucifer in a different way,
“Against Thee, Thee only, have I a better way? What kind of God is He
sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: to allow so much suffering? Why did
that Thou mightest be justified when He allow Satan to come to this earth?
Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou These are questions that need to be
judgest.” answered and resolved in the minds of
Other versions like the NAS and millions, perhaps even billions. They
the NKJV use the word “blameless.” can only be answered by knowing God.
Notice two points in these verses The Bible says that God is all wise and
concerning sin and how God deals with all loving. He has used all His wisdom
it. First, the major party violated in and His love to rectify the sin problem.
every sin is God. He is the one against Yet God is not trying to defend Him-
whom all sin. Yes, we sin against self, rather He seeks to reveal Himself.
people; but God is the creator, the Ultimately, when we are called to the
owner of all people. He made us and hour of His judgment, we are actually
has bought us with the gift of His Son. called to measure God, to see Him for
Jesus paid the terrible price for all sin. who He really is. Revelation chapter 11
touches this idea. ing wisdom that can make you gods just fully understood and appreciated the
“Then I was given a reed like a like Him.” In this way Lucifer tempted gift of the cross. Here on this planet,
measuring rod. And the angel stood, us to mistrust God’s character and Satan still has a foothold. We still have
saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of doubt His love. He led us to disobey sympathy for the devil. He has come
God, the altar, and those who worship God and, as soon as that was accom- here with great power, with accusing
there’” (Revelation 11:1, NKJV). plished, Satan began accusing us before power, but his time is short. Soon this
Here John is given a measuring God: “Justice demands that You destroy earth will be lightened with the glory of
device and told to measure three mankind because they have disobeyed God (see Revelation 18:1). Soon the
things: the temple of God, the altar Your law.” Satan is using us to attack changeless love of God for the human
and those who worship there. To and accuse God. race, manifest in the sacrifice of Jesus
measure the worshipers in the temple God can do nothing to convince or Christ for the sins of the whole world,
means to measure everyone who win the heart of Satan; but He can still will shine as a flood of light upon every
professes to worship God. But why is win back the loyalty of our hearts. Rather nation, tongue and people. Until that
John first told to measure the temple than seek to justify Himself, God allows time Satan continues to malign both
and the altar? What do they represent? us, and even encourages us, to measure God and humanity as illustrated in the
According to the Bible, the temple Him. God wants to show us how He has story of Job.
of God is the place where God dwells: dealt with sin. He has nothing to hide.
“And the temple of God was opened in Even when we first turned from Him, God and Job Are
heaven, and there was seen in His He lovingly pursued us, manifesting Both Accused
temple the ark of His testament” changeless love (see Genesis 3:8, 9; “So Satan answered the Lord and
(Revelation 11:19). To measure the Malachi 3:6). Through a revelation of said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?
temple of God is to measure God, to His character, God will be cleared in His Have You not made a hedge around him,
judge God. We do it all the time, dealings with sin. Satan’s accusations will around his household, and around all that
whenever we ask questions like: be cast down. In fact, as far as heaven is he has on every side? You have blessed the
Why does God allow so much sin concerned, they already are. work of his hands, and his possessions
and suffering? “The accuser of our brethren is cast have increased in the land. But now,
Why does He let innocent people die? down, which accused them before our stretch out Your hand and touch all that
Where was God when I needed Him? God day and night” (Revelation 12:10). he has, and he will surely curse You to
These and a hundred other Now notice the verse following this Your face!’” (Job 1:9-11, NKJV).
questions we ask concerning sin, last one: Who is Satan accusing here? He
suffering and redemption, reveal that “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and accuses both God and Job. Job is being
we are judging or measuring God. ye that dwell in them. Woe to the accused of serving God from selfish
Don’t misunderstand. God wants us to inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! motives and God is being accused of
ask questions. He wants us to measure For the devil is come down unto you, buying Job’s loyalty. “Job doesn’t really
Him (see Ephesians 3:18, 19). He having great wrath, because he knoweth love you,” Satan suggests. God allows
longs to show us what He is really like, that he hath but a short time” (Revela- Satan to try Job in order to clear them
for this is the only way He can assuage tion 12:12). both. Job experiences some amazingly
the mistrust that was planted in our The heavens and all that dwell in difficult times. He loses his wealth, his
hearts by Satan’s artful attack against them are called to rejoice. The character children, his friends and his reputation.
Him at the fall. Ponder Satan’s words of God has been clearly seen by the And finally he loses his health. Yet, the
in this context: unfallen universe. In their minds Satan’s Bible says,
“Ye shall not surely die: For God accusations have been cast down. This “In all this Job did not sin nor charge
doth know that in the day ye eat clarifying demonstration of the charac- God with wrong” (Job 1:22, NKJV).
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, ter of God took place on Calvary, where “Through all this Job did not sin
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good the devil was unmasked as a murderer nor did he blame God” (NAS).
and evil” (Genesis 3:4, 5). and a liar from the beginning. But the How would you feel about God if all
Satan was basically insinuating that inhabitants of earth—those who have this happened to you? Or perhaps the
God was holding something back from not yet seen the full and true revelation question is, how do you feel about God
us in Eden: “God is selfishly withhold- of the character of God—have not yet since some of it has? Do you find
yourself blaming God? It’s hard not to. questions, but longs to answer them. is ready to condemn them rather than
How was Job able to remain faithful to allow them to come close to Him.
God? How did he endure all this loss and Mary Illustrates the “How dare Jesus be so gracious to a
yet refuse to blame God? Like all of us, Nature of the Judgment sinner!” is the accusation of Satan
Job struggled. He wrestled to understand The hour of judgment, therefore, against God. Yet Jesus reveals that
what was happening. In the end, God involves both God and mankind. In while God hates the sin, He loves the
simply showed Job more of Himself. accusing us, Satan is accusing God. He sinner.
Job saw that God was much bigger charges that, in view of our sinfulness, it Mary brought to Jesus an alabaster
than he was; he was simply a representa- is unfair for God to love us. Another box of ointment. John’s version of this
tive of God. Job eventually recognized illustration of this controversy is vividly story says that it was about a pound in
that his suffering, in a small way, repre- portrayed in the story of Mary weight and “very costly” (John 12:3). It
sented the pain and suffering that sin has Magdelene. represented a large sum of money;
brought to God’s heart since sin’s very “And, behold, a woman in the city, some have suggested a year’s wages. It
inception. If Job was suffering at the which was a sinner, when she knew that obviously represented many years of
hand of Satan, then how much more was Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, savings for Mary. It may have taken all
God suffering? If Job was innocent from brought an alabaster box of ointment. the money she had to her name. Yet