“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open; the earth is shaken exceedingly.” Isaiah 24:17
The Earth is violently disturbed as the result of the egregious offenses measured against its Creator. God takes personal offense to the charges leveled against Him when His judgments are overturned by manmade decisions. Yes, we possess the ability to decide what we want for ourselves and arbitrarily arrive at what are seemingly practical conclusions. But the consequences far outweigh the temporary benefit derived by those who offend God. It begins with the kings of the earth, those chosen leaders that determine our future. Political decisions extend beyond the limits of mere politics, where the influence and power of a leader may sway popular opinion in a direction where vices appear to be virtues. This transformation first materializes under the category of toleration, moving from tolerance to a celebration of a new ideal. Ultimately, the celebration translates into some strange worship of an unknown deity that replaces the True and Living God. Should we be surprised when the Earth rebels in reaction to what takes place on its surface that defies its Creator?
Scripture supports the premise that just as the prophets and priests go, so follow the kings and princes. Compromise has stealthily crept in among those given the charge of bearing and maintaining the standard. If the world ever wonders what standard it ought to adapt, it should be able to look at the Church. Today, with the scandals surfacing among church leaders, the Lord is saying, that through these exposures, He will have a Church without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. He is making a contrast between what is and what ought to be within His sacred institutions. His purpose is to move what has become institutionalized into a Body where Christ is the Head. Only then will His Church be able to reflect the glory of Christ to the world.
His glory has been shrouded by the self-absorbed leaders that busy themselves in constructing their own names and reputations. The Tower of Babel must serve as the example of the celebrity(ism) that now pervades the people. God came down and confounded their abilities to communicate, where speaking with each other became a strange judgment of divine intervention. Since no one desired to talk to Him, eventually the people of Babel lost the ability to communicate with each other. The intelligent were reduced to barbarians, losing that which they became dependent on.
There will be casualties of war when men oppose God and defiantly oppose His standard. Many on the Earth will suffer as a result of the calamities brought about by our leaders as blind leaders lead the blind into ditches, pits, and perils beyond their imagination. However, only God can set the captive free and deliver the oppressed from their oppressors. Those who may have to sacrifice their lives for the sake of many would receive the greater gift from God. This chosen remnant would be blessed for not only counting their physical lives as nothing, but they would also await the resurrection while the ungodly perish. In these troubled times, we need the Resurrected Christ to arise among us in glory. Now more than ever, we need His truth to rise above the lies and half-truths proclaimed in our generation to set a new standard for those willing to submit to His authority.
