The Beginnings of Sorrows
3 Words in 1
God’s Justice Is Methodical
“The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished,” Nahum 1:3.
“I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished,” Jeremiah 30:11.
The justice of God is not vindictive, mysterious, or malicious. When injustice happens around the world repeatedly, the Almighty watches and sees the entire scope of the players involved, and the hearts and minds that are involved.
He doesn’t act rashly, but His patience and mercy abounds, allowing for His wisdom to act accordingly.
We in our human frames, often act impulsively when we have been wronged. Our flesh demands that every injustice done to us would be repaid immediately. The law as seen in the Old Testament brought the wrath of God.
“For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either,” Romans 4:15.
The law and justice are both tied together in the Old Testament. God promised to keep His people safe and to be successful with their agriculture. He instituted the priesthood to help teach them the law, and set-up a sacrificial system so that when they sinned, they could be atoned for.
God continually forgave them their sins and sent prophets to continually warn them, and to usher them back into obedience.
However, the law which was meant to be bring about justice and obedience to God, actually didn’t prevent, or keep man from sinning. For we see Paul write:
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive and I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death! For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful,” Romans 7:7-13.
But to avoid the wrath of God we see that faith is key in preventing the judgment of God upon man:
“For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live,” Romans 1:17.
We as we know, it is impossible to please God except through faith; for all must believe in Him.
For Romans tells us that through the blood of Christ, we are now forgiven, and are given new life in Him.
“Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath,” Romans 5:9.
(And this is what saves us from the wrath of God.)
For we are not appointed to wrath, but unto salvation from the LORD Jesus.
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
Wrath means judgment against injustice, wrong doing, and sin. However, judgment or discipline, is given unto His children for our good. For as we know, what parent would not discipline their child for wrong doing? Even so, can we expect anything less from our heavenly Father?
“And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? “My son, do not scorn the LORD’s discipline or give up when he corrects you. “For the LORD disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. Besides, we have experienced discipline from our earthly fathers and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it,” Hebrews 12:5-11.
John the Baptist spoke of the wrath to come when he spoke to the Pharisees and the spiritual rulers on his age:
“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [orgê]? (Matthew 3:7; cf. Luke 3:7)
But there is a final sense of God’s wrath as seen in scripture. For it speaks in the future tense:
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath [orgê] against yourself for the day of God’s wrath [orgê], when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath [orgê] and anger [thumos],” Romans 2:5-8.
All of us have in the past lived a life of selfishness and self-centeredness. We know that much of the world still lives a life in this manner, and eventually their sinful nature will catch up with them.
Living a self-centered and lustful life, we used to be under wrath:
“All of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath [orgê]” Ephesians 2:3.
Persisting to do the next sins and resisting God on a continuous basis will land you in trouble.
“For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath [orgê] comes on the sons of disobedience,” Romans 2:5-6.
One would think that the Lamb of God would be a gentle creature, and yet if we look closer, we see the wrath of God personified even in this type.
“They [people] called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath [orgê] has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:16-17.
For we know that Jesus, Yeshua, is both the lamb and lion, and both natures blend themselves into One. Many see Jesus still as the gentle Shepherd who rescues his own, and leads them to still waters.
But how many see Him as the King of Kings, the One who carries an iron rod to dispense justice towards the nations? He is both, and yet each facet of His character is called forth when it is needed.
We see from scripture that eventually the sins of a nation bring calamity. He told Abram and his descendants, that they would spend 400 years in a foreign land as slaves, (Genesis 15:13).
But then in the end, He would bring judgment upon the nation that they served (Genesis 15:14). Some wondered why there was such a long delay before God gave the Promised Land to Israel, and He answered,
“Because the iniquity of the Amorites in not yet complete,” Genesis 15:16.
(Genesis 15:14) Why such a long delay before God gave the promised land to Israel? God answers, “Because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete,” (Genesis 15:16).
In other words, there was a level of corruption that would be reached among the nations of the Promised Land that would justify God’s judgment on them when Israel returned from Egypt.
And now our nation has been under judgment for several years now. Many quote the scripture,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land,” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
And yet I know and have heard from the LORD Himself, that the safety net has been removed from our nation.
God’s hand will not be removed from the judgment that is now coming. There is no turning back, because the horrendous nature of our continual sins has risen upwards to His throne now again and again.
Indeed, God is a God of mercy, but His judgment is just, and indeed, methodical and not rash.
These Are Those Days I’ve Spoken About
“I tell you that this year has been the beginning of the end. For My book is being opened that will declare the end of all things.
For your country is racing towards judgment. Nothing can stop that now. For all of the events that I have outlined in My book of Revelation are beginning to unfold.
For you have seen catastrophes with the weather. You have seen heavy drought in the states of Texas and the mid west. For these have been the beginning of woes. For your economy will stand upon the brink of collapse; and there will be rioting upon the very steps of the White House.
Divisions between Republicans and Democrats will become more and more fierce. Many who have lost their homes will seek shelters wherever they can. A long cold Winter is forecast.
Your nation will become more and more hated by those in the Mideast. I tell you that I have hung on the cross for your sins but many mock at me and think that I was just a fairy tale. Many still do not think that judgment will come upon your shores.
I have said again and again that China and Russia will join forces. For they have been planning in secret. Wait and you will see what unfolds in the new year. For they have talked and they have plotted to take over your government.
And yet in the midst of all these things, I will reach out to the needy. I will reach out to the homeless. But woe to those who think that they are great, for I will cause your purse strings to be cut open.
Do not think that I will not take care of my own. For I will supernaturally open heaven for my saints.
Watch out for the nay-sayers in this hour. For they say, ‘Where is he who was promised to come?’ They think that the world goes on as it always has.
When the great break in the earth occurs. When that rift opens up, it will surely split your nation in half. Many will lose their lives because of this, but many also will be snatched from the very fires of hell because they will believe in me through this.
These are those days I’ve spoken about. I want you to be ready for them.”
There Are The Beginnings of Sorrows
“All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake,” Matthew 24:8-9.
I was watching a March 2011 newscast of the tsunami damage in Japan, and the LORD spoke to me three times:
“These are the beginning of sorrows, these are the beginning of sorrows, these are the beginning of sorrows.
For I have been trying to get the attention of people throughout the globe. Who is going to listen?
Who will know that these indeed are the days that have been prophesied by those prophets that have been given my mandate to speak unto this generation?
These are the days that many have speculated about. Are you going to trust me now? Are you going to put your faith in me now?
In the coming months great catastrophes will be seen. You have watched as the great tsunami and earthquake has struck Japan. But what of those places where you think you are secure?
Many think that a time of great tribulation is a time that is far off in the future. Many do not realize that this is that last generation that I have spoken of.
Are you not aware of the seven wise and the seven foolish virgins that I have spoken of in my word? Do you have your oil in your lamps?
Are your lamps trimmed and ready? For I tell you, you have entered into that time frame. It’s really up to you to be ready or not. I would never force my children to do something.
And everything though it seems like it is harsh, has really been done in love. For my love in unrelenting. And it is true that many perish in the world around you, but all is being used to bring about the end of all things.”
Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson
Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?
Dear Brother Stephan- I noticed the mention of the 7 Wise Virgins, asking now, what happened to the 5 Wise Virgins? Is this a typo?
rick
I heard in my spirit a few nights ago that we are living in time of the pages of judgment. I see good things that are happening; Trump has cut funding to planned parenthood.