Justice Denied ...Um...Grante

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Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1

"Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,"

Pray & Not Lose HeartThey had just been told they misunderstood the coming Kingdom of God.They had just been told Jerusalem was going to burn like Sodom. They had just been told the Day of the Lord/Son of Man's revealing was near.Where is God in all this bad news?

Luke 18:2-5“In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

Snakes & StonesJesus often uses a drastic evil-to-good comparison in His parables to highlight the difference between God's goodness and man's."Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" -Luke 11:11-13

-Jesus to the crowd in Luke 18:6 after the parable

“Hear what the unrighteous judge *said;"

Luke 18:7-8

"now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

Will He Find Faith?Faith is obedience in action. James says, "Faith without works is dead."Jesus warns them in Matthew 24:15-22 to get out of Jerusalem when they start seeing the signs of war. Those that obeyed were spared.Jesus warns of the rise of false messiahs. Those that followed them did so to their own destruction.Jesus foretells His return in Matthew 24:29-31. Those that are prepared will be spared the Judgment Day's condemnation.

Prophecy

It is God's message to mankind. This is not necessarily a foretelling of the future.Predictive prophecy often has a meaning/fulfillment for the people of the time it's given, and it may also have a meaning/fulfillment in the future as well.

Prophetic Misunderstanding

Prophecies get forced into a daily events mold.Prophecies fall victim to eagerness.Prophecies are simply misinterpreted.

Psalm 2:1-6Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

Psalm 2:7-12“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Revelation 6:9-11When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

God's Not Unjust Today

God will bring justice to His people.He does not delay until they annoy Him to death!God's Judgment is on His time-table but it will come. He is being patient with mankind but that will not last (see 2 Peter 3:8-9)Jesus will come back to reward the faithful eternally. The wicked will be eternally punished.