saiah 30:27-30 states
Behold, the name of the Lord comes from far, burning with his anger, and in the rising smoke; his lips are full of indignation and his tongue like a devouring fire; his breath is like an overflowing stream, that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the people a bridle that leads astray. And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire with a cloudburst and tempest and hailstones.
The Bible gives affirmative and absolute truth in regards to the imminent destruction of the wicked by the Almighty God! Because of transgression against the law of God, indignation, iniquity and abomination of mankind, the wrath of God will destroy the wicked. The destruction of the wicked came forth in the days of Noah, because Noah was a righteous man, and because of his faithfulness Noah and his family were spared. (Cf. Genesis 6:5-8)
In Genesis 18:20-33, Scripture gives evidence of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sinfulness and the abominations and indignation of the sins of sexual perversity against the Lord God. The cities were destroyed by fire and brimstone! Genesis 19:24 states
Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
In Malachi 4:4 Scripture states
For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and evil- doers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts.
The consuming fire of the mighty judgment of the Almighty God, the day of vengeance and judgment against sin and iniquity is ignored by many people.
There is the idea that the God "against sinfulness" is the Old Testament God, but that the Almighty God of the New Testament is a God of love and mercy! Scripture conflicts with this philosophy. Let us never forget, the Almighty God is a God of Justice! In Hebrews 13:8, St. Paul exhorts
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
1 John 4:16 states
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
But, let us never forget, that besides the love and mercy of God, he is a God of justice! His righteous judgment will come upon mankind. Look at the following Biblical texts regarding God's righteous judgment:
But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works; to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil. (Romans 2:5-9)
In 2 Corinthians 5:10, St. Paul exhorts
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.
Let us look at the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah:
Behold, the Lord will waste the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. The days of purification and tribulation are evident and mankind will be refined like fire. (Isaiah 24:1)
Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; and when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:12)
Also, in the book of Malachi:
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, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3 (KJV))
Sacred Scripture mandates we must offer ourselves in spirit and truth! In Romans 12:1 St. Paul exhorts
I appeal to you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.
Scripture gives affirmation and evidence of the treacherous abominations, iniquity and transgressions of mankind against God.
Isaiah 24:16-17 states
For the treacherous deal treacherously, the treacherously deal very treacherously, terror and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O, inhabitants of the earth.
Scripture gives evidence and prophecy of the destruction and coming destruction of the wicked! Let us look at the evil of Jezebel. The great Prophet Elijah whose life of devotion and dedication to Yahweh, the Almighty God, combated the military paganism and persecutions of the evil Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Sidon and wife of King Ahab. 1 Kings 21:1-16 gives evidence of Jezebel's deception. Scripture here gives evidence that Elijah was sent to King Ahab with the great prophetic word of the future destruction of the wicked Jezebul. Because of the anger of the Lord was provoked against Ahab, because he made Israel sin, he was told that his reign of his house would end and Jezebel would be eaten by the dogs in Jezreel. In 2 Kings 9:31-37, Scripture gives evidence that Jezebel was thrown out of the window by eunuchs and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses and they trampled on her. Then the dogs ate the flesh of the evil Jezebel. The prophecy of Elijah was fulfilled.
In 1 Kings 18:1-46, Scripture gives affirmation of Elijah in his great confrontation with the false Priests, the prophets Baal on Mount Carmel regarding true sacrifice. Through the extensive intercession of the Almighty God, Yahweh, in the sacrificial showdown, the false prophets of Baal were destroyed at the brook of Kishon showing the immense power of Almighty God. Again, Scripture gives evidence of the destruction of the wicked.
Let us look at the brazen demon god, Molech, who was set up in the valley of the Son of Hinnon to which the idolatrous Israelites sacrificed their first born children. The sacrifices truly correlate to the abominations of abortion and euthanasia of today. Partial birth abortions are as demonic as the sacrifices to Molech. Molech was a non-Israelite god. The name is more of a title meaning "King" in Hebrew, Melek. The title appears in Adrammelech and Armmelech, gods venerated by the people of Sepharvaim who were settlers in Samaria by the Assyrians. In Leviticus 20:1-5, the Lord said to Moses,
Say to the people of Israel, Any man of the people of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who give any of his children to Molech shall be put to death! Scripture goes on to say the man who violates God's command regarding Molech shall be stoned to death. They are profaning the sanctuary of the Lord. The Lord will set his face against that man and all who follow him in playing the harlot after Molech.
Leviticus 18:21 states
You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Molech.
In Kings 11:5-9, King Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord: he went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sodonians, after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. He built high places for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites on the mountain east of Jerusalem. He did this also for his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to false gods.
The Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. (2 Kings 17:31)
He defiled Topheth which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or daughter as an offering to Molech. (2 Kings 23:10)
Jeremiah 32:35 gives evidence of abominations against God by the sons of Israel in Judah, they built high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer their sons and daughters to Molech.
Ezekiel 16:20-21 gives evidence of abominations, the sons and daughters to be devoured as an offering by fire.
Zephaniah 1:4-5 gives magnificent evidence of the impending visitation of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem for idol worship. The idol worship of false deities, false gods Baal and Milcom. Let us look at the impending wrath and destruction against the wicked. Zephaniah 1:15 states
A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom.
Let us look at the Old Testament book of Nahum regarding God's impending wrath. Nahum 1:2-3 states
The Lord is a jealous God and avenging, the Lord takes vengeance against his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and of great might, and the Lord by no means will clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
When we meditate and contemplate and pray on the above Scriptures mentioned, it should give us a conviction of heart mind and soul and have a great awareness to repent, amend our lives avoid sin, and serve the living God.
Sacred Scripture gives affirmation and direct evidence that the Lord God abhors the wicked, also the wicked shall perish!
Psalm 1:6 The Psalmist states
The way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 9:17 states
The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all nations that forget God.
Psalm 10:15-16 states
Break thou the arm of the wicked and evildoer; seek out his wickedness till thou find none, The Lord is King for ever and ever, the nations shall perish from his land.
In Psalm 37:17, the Psalmist exhorts
For the arm of the wicked shall be broken.
Psalm 37:20 states
But the wicked perish, the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures, they vanish-like smoke they vanish away.
Proverbs 4:14 and 4:19 gives magnificent instruction to avoid wickedness:
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the path of the evil men….The way of the wicked is like a deep darkness, they do not know over what they will stumble.
In Matthew 21:33-41, the parable of the wicked tenants, the Lord Jesus Christ presents this parable allegorically with each detail symbolic and of vast importance. The parable shows the hostility and indocility of the house of Israel in the rejection of the Messiah. The rejection and killing of the Son truly symbolizes the rejection and killing of Christ, the Son of God.
Let us never forget that all evil comes from within. Just as grace is infused in man, intrinsic, the Bible gives evidence that evil also comes from within.
In Matthew 23:25-29 Christ exhorts
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside you are full of extortion and rapacity! Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead man's bones and all uncleanness.
Matthew 15:18-20 Jesus exhorts
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defiles a man.
Private Revelation, such as the Apparition of Fatima give evidence of chastisement and destruction of the wicked because of sin. The Mother of God's warning given to her children of Fatima was that mankind needed to repent: the magnificent call to repentance, and reparation for sin, and a life of faith, prayer and devotion to God. A Scriptural rosary is one of the most powerful prayers against evil. Meditate on the mysteries, especially on the passion and death of Christ, the power of his precious blood. Call upon Mary's powerful intercession in the name of Jesus Christ. Sacramental confession along with Holy Communion is the greatest gift of grace given to mankind. Seek these magnificent Sacraments!
Revelations 21:8 states
The cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall be thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
In Romans 3:23, St. Paul exhorts
All who sin fall short of the glory of God!
In Romans 6:23, St. Paul exhorts
The wages of sin is death!
In Philippians 3:18-19, St. Paul exhorts
Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction!
Let us repent, and amend our lives in faithfulness. Let us put on the full armor of God against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Let us receive and call upon the power of the precious blood of Christ.
Let God arise and his enemies be scattered!
May God Richly Bless You! Amen! Hallelujah!
Charles 'Friar Buck' Hatchko
Labor Day (Canada & the U.S.): September 6, 2004
This article originally appeared in
Area Bargain Buyer (June, 2001).
