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Foreword: God's Judgment Days Through the Ages

The Bible starts by pointing out that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). It also states the He made man in His image (Genesis 1:27). God also gave man dominion over His creation (Genesis 1:26). God also encumbered man with the ability to choose to do good or bad, right or wrong. As the Creator, God sets or determines the standards of what is good or bad and right or wrong. The apostle Paul points out that in today's world, "the righteousness of God" is revealed in the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17).

When man (Homo sapiens) does wrong or that which displeases Him as our creator, He corrects our conduct or punishes our disobedience much as we chastise our domestic animals over which God has given us dominion. God placed His pride and joy (Adam and Eve who was the mother of all living, Genesis 3:20) in a beautiful garden and gave them charge of it (Genesis 1:28-29). When they displeased God by eating the fruit (sorry, no apples) of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:22-24), Gods Judgment was to expel them from the Garden of Eden and from having access to the Tree of Life, that they could not live forever. This is the first Judgment Day on our ancient ancestors.

As man became fruitful and spread himself throughout the earth, his conduct as a whole became repugnant to his creator. In fact, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). Kind of reminds us of today's popular culture -- does it not? Furthermore, God was actually sorry "that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Genesis 6:6). God decided to destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them: (Genesis 6:7). This was God's Judgment Day on the ancient world. This would have ended the history of mankind, however, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 6:8). Thus, God gives man a second chance!

God had a series of Judgment Days with His people Israel. It began with His covenant of circumcision with Abraham and continued with Isaac, and then Jacob or Israel. The covenant with the nation of Israel was given at Horeb or Sinai (Exodus 20). The swings of obedience and disobedience to God is especially outlined in the Book of Judges. Israel would drift away from Jehovah; God would then chastise them; Israel would then repent and cry to God, and Jehovah would raise up a judge to save them from their oppressors. This culminated in the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel or Ephraim and the 70 years of Babylonian captivity of Judah and the destruction of Solomon's temple.

The New Testament spells out the final judgment days of God. It prophecies of God's judgment on Jerusalem (Matthew 24, etc.) with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Old Testament system of worshiping Jehovah. It also points out the final judgment (a fundamental of Christianity) at the resurrection (Hebrews 9:27).

Dale I. Royal, Elk City, OK