Final Justice: The Return of Christ, Part 1
if I were a prophet in Israel, and the evangelical church was Israel, I would declare that the church had gone after Baal. I would declare what the prophets of the Old Testament declared about Israel, that they had been seduced by false gods, because that is exactly what has happened to the evangelical church. It has been seduced by a false god and a false religion.
The church has been so seduced by this that it has fallen victim to the point where it looks exactly like a political and social organization rather than the kingdom of God confronting the world.
Perhaps justice is the noblest of all human achievements when it can be achieved. As noble as justice is, however, in this fallen world it is extremely difficult to see it. It’s even difficult to define it, and more difficult to implement it. It’s even confusing to watch people demanding justice by violating laws.
We can have justice departments ad infinitum and never really achieve broad-based true justice.
Chapter 5 of Ecclesiastes, verse 8: “If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province,” – or the region – “do not be shocked at the sight.” Why? It’s a fallen world. “For one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.” In other words, we admit there is injustice in the world, we’re not surprised by it. That’s why we have to stack officials on top of officials, on top of officials to try the best we can to have courts of appeal that go higher and higher to find their way to justice.
“After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.” The best you can hope for in the struggle for justice is to have a leader who creates jobs, so that you have something to give yourself to under the sun. That’s a leader who doesn’t give himself to war, but gives himself to work.