SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Scripture: 2 Kings 1:9-12, Jeremiah 23:16-20

When political government demanded that church government bow, the fire of God came and destroyed the emissaries. It appears, in the book of Revelation that is going to be repeated not just once or twice, but numerous times as often as needed. So the real question becomes, can our words slay the wicked? Does God kill at the release of His Word? He certainly did for David, Samuel and the other prophets. He certain does for the two witnesses. In Jeremiah 23:16-20, the real question becomes, why does it take so long? For Elijah it was instant and for the two witnesses, it seems to be the same way. Jeremiah had a question that bears on this issue. Verses 16-20 state, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, “You shall have peace”’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury—A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.” “The latter days” define the time when judgment increases in nations because people refuse to repent. The loss of the land comes for refusal to repent. The nation ceases to exist! Jeremiah spoke a word about the latter days—about how we would understand the difference between the true and false prophets. He prophesied that clarity would come to the church. The church is growing up to understand the price of filling the cup of iniquity. God gives the unbeliever the maximum opportunity to turn. We could say that fullness of iniquity takes time.