“For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:21)
One of the greatest signs that is to characterize the last days and indicate that the return of Christ is imminent, is the depths of sin and iniquity which mankind is to sink, both spiritually and morally.
Paul tells us that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (Tim 3.13) He also foretells the rise of a system of error and iniquity, already at work in his day, to such proportions that it will only be subjected by the consuming power of the Lord, who is to be revealed with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (2 Thes. 2 :7, 8, 1 :7, 8) Jesus likewise says, ” And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt. 24:12)
The days that would herald in the coming of Christ are compared by the Lord to those of Noah’s. “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” (Luke 17 :26) Moses relates the nature of those days in Genesis 6:5, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, an that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Jesus also com pared the last times with those of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities that had claimed notoriety for their terrible sins. “Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot. the did eat, they drank, they bought they sold, they planted, they builded : but the same day that Loft went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, an destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17 :28-30)
These scriptures certainly describe to us a terrible condition of sin and moral corruption that was to prevail in the last days. The cry of sin was to reach to heaven even as it did in the days of Lot when the Lord sent two angels into the wicked cities to destro3 them from off the face of the earth. The sins that beset these two cities are known to most.
They consisted in a complete abandoning of socially accept& conduct, and in the words of Jude “giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh.” (V7) The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were primarily worshippers of the flesh, and in this vile pursuit engaged in carnal exercises in various unnatural ways. These iniquitous practices became a by-word in the generations that followed, just as Sodom became a symbol of spiritual corruption. Because Israel had forsaken the Lord, and polluted themselves with the filthy practices of the surrounding nations, God declared in Jeremiah 23:14, “They are all of them unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” Again in Isaiah 3:9, the word of the Lord came against Israel who flagrantly displayed their iniquity before God, and declared “their sin as Sodom, and hide it not.”
If we should step aside for a few moments and consider the end to which the world is plunging, and the general tenor of its goals, can we not see a great deal of similarity between them and the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, or, perhaps the flood ? Surely, the discerning Christian must answer affirmatively. Never before has there been such an appeal to the flesh, such designs to arouse the emotions and passions which ought not to be aroused, as is seen in the pleasures of this world. There seems to have been a complete abandonment of ethics of any nature in the types of motion pictures brought before the public today. One cannot lift a newspaper, and after scanning its contents, but turn in disgust from the type of advertisements used to sell motion pictures. Most of them appeal solely to the lusts of the flesh, utilizing suggestive titles and revealing pictures to induce our young people to attend and fall under their evil influence. More and more of these pictures are labeled “for adults only”, in a wicked attempt to excite and inflame the passions of the people.
Many of the magazines that can be bought on almost any news stand display on their covers scantily dressed women in an effort to induce people to buy them. The Sodomites were worshippers of the flesh. What do the peoples of this world worship ? If the type of pleasure in which they indulge is any indication of their true interests, then it is quite obvious that the flesh has become their god. Peter has truly stated in 2 Peter 3:3, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.”
Some of the evil practices of our day were not so much as mentioned in Sodom and Gomorrah. If the wickedness of those cities was sufficient for God to completely obliterate them, what must His anger be in these last days, when men by their very conduct have cried, “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all thing continue as they were from the beginning of the creation ?” The sign of his coming lies in the very attitude of the world that has forgotten him. Their willful ignorance of God, and their evil pursuit of worldly pleasures is, in itself, an unmistakable sign that Christ is near.
Peter assures us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness ; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Although it is true that Jesus is indeed, going to restore the throne of David and inaugurate a system of peace unheard of in past governments, and will assuredly bring peace and happiness to the peoples of the world, he is also going to inflict punishments upon certain inhabitants of the earth.
As Isaiah has declared, “For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity : the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” When the Lord goes forth to fight against those nations which have come up against Jesusalem, we are told that His fury shall come up in His face. Because of the extent of this great slaughter, Ezekiel informs us that it shall take the house of Israel seven months to bury the dead, that the land may be cleansed. Jeremiah likewise describes the outpouring of God’s wrath when He shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire ; “A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth ; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh ; He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth : they shall not be lamented, neither gathered nor buried ; they shall be dung upon the ground.” (Jer. 25 :31-33)
This timely destruction of the nations by the Lord of Hosts is symbolically described by Peter as the passing away of the heavens with a great noise, and the melting of the elements that comprise them with fervent heat. (2 Pet 3:10) The warning that the apostle then gives is an appropriate conclusion to this consideration, and should serve to instruct and encourage us to remain faithful unto the end.
“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, Nevertheless we ; according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth. wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet. 3:11-14)
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One