Various Judgements-of Levi, Israel And The Nations

by Prasher, G. Sr. | Category: The Coming Again Of The Lord Jesus Christ: | Nov 1954

The reigns of David and Solomon foreshadow in many ways the reign of Christ. Much subjugation work was done by David: and Solomon's reign was marked by various judgements which reflected his wisdom and his controlling power. The following instances come readily to the mind. Joab, the brilliant captain of David's army, whose jealousy led him to shed blood without cause, met his death at Solomon's command. Shimei, the Benjamite of Bahurim, the man who cursed David with a grievous curse, was likewise slain; as also was Adonijah the usurper; but kindness was to be shown to Barzillai the Gileadite for kindness shown to David.

So will it be in the day when

"The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then shall He render unto every man according to his deeds" (Matthew 16.27).

Acts of judgement, retributive acts, punishing and rewarding, will then be manifest. Things passed over in previous days, and which possibly may have occasioned us Wonder, will then be set to rights.

THE JUDGEMENT OF LEVI.

Among those singled out for special judgement at the coming of the Lord are the sons of Levi, with a resulting purifying and purging with the view to acceptable service unto the LORD. "The Lord .... the Messenger of the Covenant .... behold, He cometh, saith the LORD of Hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the LORD offerings in righteousness" (Malachi 3. 1-8).

Levi, we may recall, was stoutly on the LORD'S side during those gloomy days when Israel's idolatry jeopardized the covenant; and it is surely with a thrill that we read the blessing of Levi recorded in Deuteronomy 33. Having executed divine judgement, he was loved by God, and with him were found the Thummim and the Urim. A place of honour in divine service was his, to teach Jacob the ordinances and the law of God, and to minister unto God in putting incense before Him, and whole burnt offerings on His altar. This was a place of supreme responsibility, and though he commenced so well, yet alas! he later failed lamentably.

Our minds turn to Eli's tragic days, and the judgement of God upon Israel and upon Eli's wicked sons. Theirs was a wickedness that neither sacrifice nor offering would purge for ever (1 Samuel 3.14). The judgement is re-echoed in Solomon's day. Abiathar of the line of Ithamar, and Zadok of the line of Eleazar, were in priestly office' in David's time; but Abiathar abetted the usurper Adonijah, and "so Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which He spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh"(1 Kings 2.27).

The following solemn words reveal the judgement which will be the portion of Levi at the time of the coming of the Lord:

"But the Levites that went far from Me, when Israel went astray, which went astray from Me after their idols; they shall bear their iniquity they shall not come near unto Me, to execute the office of priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, unto the things that are' mast holy: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed" (Ezekiel 44. 10-13).

Over against the judgement pronounced in the time of Eli we find this promise : " I will raise Me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in My mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine Anointed for ever " (1 Samuel 2.85). This privilege is in store for the sons of Zadok, of whom God-says, they "kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood ... They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge" (Ezekiel 44. 15, 16).

Purified as by fire, and cleansed as by the fullers' soap, the sons of Levi will be fitted for divine service, so that the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall "be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, as in ancient years" (Malachi 3. 4); but the sons of Zadok will have the place of nearness in divine service, whilst others of the Levites, those who went astray, will have oversight at the gates of the house, the work of slaying the sacrifices and offerings, and will minister unto the people (Ezekiel 44.11). From 41 this let us to-day glean the solemn lesson that the Lord will render to every man according to his works.

THE JUDGEMENT OF ISRAEL.

Through Daniel is promised the deliverance of his people at the time of the end-"every one that shall be found written in the book"; also a resurrection, with attendant judgement, is foretold in the words, "and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12.1, 2). The "many" in this passage should be contrasted with the "all" in John 5.28. Daniel refers to a resurrection from the dead; but the Lord refers to the general resurrection in the last day.

Old Testament dead having been raised, and Israel of that generation having been brought through the refining fire of the tribulation, in which two parts will be cut off, and only a third left (Zechariah 13.8, 9), will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, the Judge of all the earth. He will have taken His great power, and will reign. It will be "the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their rewards to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great " (Revelation 11.18). Rewards will then be allotted to every man according to his deeds.

"I saw thrones," says John in the Patmos vision, "and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them" (Revelation 20.4). Associated with the King in judgement at that time will be the twelve apostles, as the Lord made known before He went to the cross: "Ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel " (Matthew 19.28). We can scarcely refrain from remarking that Peter, who had left all and followed the Lord, had made a wise choice. He had left a fishing boat, and instead he will receive a throne.

The principles of the kingdom, so clearly set forth in the Gospel by Matthew, will then have application What the Pharisees so lacked, namely, judgement, mercy and faith (Matthew 23.23), will then be looked for in those whom their Saviour and King will welcome into His kingdom. We think the Roman centurion may afford an example. Spiritual discernment is seen in his acts and words that day when he came to the Lord Jesus; mercy was at work as he sought healing for his servant; and faith, triumphant faith, was exercised as he said, "Only say the word, and my servant shall be healed " (Matthew 8.5-13). Persons of his character shall indeed come from the east and the west, and "shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom," those in whom these qualities might have been expected, "shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth."

From the myriads raised from among the dead, and from Israel of that day, there will be those chosen to enter and to enjoy the kingdom of the Son of Man: but alas! there will also be many whom the KING will cast into the outer darkness. Most solemn are the words, "Then shall He render unto every man according to his deeds." There will be those who cling to their own garments, their own righteousnesses, and refuse the King's provision - the wedding garment, like the man in Matthew 22. Some may be like the drunken, bellicose bondservant who said in his heart, "My lord tarrieth" (Matthew 24.). Others will neglect the provision of oil in their vessels, only to find themselves in the darkness, the door shut, and to hear the voice from within, saying, "I know you not" (Matthew 25. 1-13); while the man with the buried talent, who had hard thoughts concerning his master, will have his companions in that great day: and for these all there will be the outer darkness, and the gnashing of teeth.

Concerning those who enter the kingdom, the Lord says, "I will give them their recompence in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed" (Isaiah 61.8, 9); for, "The Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgement, and by the spirit of burning" (Isaiah 4.4).

THE JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS

The hegemony of the world will be in the hands of the King, the Lord Jesus. Since the decline and fall of the Roman Empire many have sought to reach this eminence, but we know that one only will do so prior to the coming of the Son of Man; that is, the man of sin, the lawless one, and he will receive it from the devil. It is written, "The dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority ... and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation" (Revelation 13.2, 7).

The Lord Jesus, however, will receive the kingdom from a higher Source, as is plain from His words to the twelve, "I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as My Father appointed unto Me" (Luke' 22.29). Also in the second psalm He says:

I will tell of the decree

The LORD said unto Me, Thou art My Son;

This day have I begotten Thee.

Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance,

And the uttermost parts of the' earth for Thy possession."

The breaking with a rod of iron; and the dashing in pieces like a potter's vessel, will have been wrought at Har-Magedon, and now He who is in possession of the uttermost parts of the earth will gather all the nations of the earth for judgement. This will be more than previous kings and rulers of the earth have ever done. "He shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at Him" (Isaiah 52.15, R.V.M.).

Like as the shepherd separateth the' sheep from the goats, so shall He separate them one from another, setting the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. In His infinite knowledge He knows them that are His sheep, and He will make no mistake.

Though they are gathered as nations yet He will separate them as individuals. Righteous persons in a nation will not be made to suffer for the unrighteous deeds of the nation. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die " (Ezekiel 18.4), is the decree of Him who asks, "Are not My ways equal?" The Judge of all the earth shall do right.

And what will be the criterion for judgement in that great day? It will be solely the manner in which men have' treated the brethren of the King.

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these My brethren, even these

least, ye did it unto Me" (Matthew 25.40).

Thus kindness shown to His brethren will be regarded as kindness shown to the Lord, the King; and it will result in such persons being placed on the right hand, where they will hear the lovely invitation, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (verse 34).

On the other hand, those who have neglected His brethren in their need and sufferings will have condemnation. It should be observed that what is indicated here is inaction, rather than action. They did nothing to assist the suffering brethren in the hour of need, but left them hungry, thirsty, outside, naked, sick, and unvisited in prison. For such neglect in respect to the sufferings of His brethren the King's judgement will be, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25.41). "And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life" (verse 46).

Then shall it be said, "The LORD is exalted; for He dwelleth on high: He hath filled Zion with judgement and righteousness.

There the LORD will be with us in majesty ... for the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us" (Isaiah 33.5, 21, 22).

Prasher, G. Sr. | Nov 1954
The Coming Again Of The Lord Jesus Christ: