The Day of the Lord: Part Three By Joel M. Killion E-mail: joel@innerlifeministries.com Web-site: innerlifeministries.com
	The Day of Reaping The Day of the Lord is the day of reckoning (Obad. 15); what we have done unto others (both good and bad alike) will be returned back to us. As we do, it will be done to us. The apostle Paul gave us a stern warning which we would do well to heed (Gal. 6:7-8, AMP); He said, “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.)  [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.]  For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.  For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” [Read that again, slowly] Now, let us read this same passage in the New Life Version: “Do not be fooled.  You cannot fool God.  A man will get back whatever he plants!  If a man does things to please his sinful old self, his soul will be lost.  If a man does things to please the Holy Spirit, he will have life that lasts forever.” And finally, let us read it again in the Message Bible: “Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God! - harvests a crop of weeds.  All he'll have to show for his life is weeds!  But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life…” This is very serious indeed. We are all “farmers” whether we know it or not.  And we are all sowing seeds every day, in so many ways, through our words and actions.  And we are all reaping what we have sown (both good and bad alike) based upon “the law of sowing and reaping.” The Apostle Paul spoke of this “sowing and reaping” principle, more specifically, when he said that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23, KJV).  Do you see the “cause and effect” in this statement?  Paul is being very clear: If we sow sin (in any one of so many ways) we will reap certain “wages,” namely death (in any one of so many ways).  This is very serious indeed.   On the other hand, if we sow righteousness (the opposite of “sin”) we will reap life (the opposite of “death”). If we take care to only sow that which is good, we will certainly thank ourselves later, for this “law” is as real as any other universal law and cannot be avoided (see Gen. 8:22).  If we are wise farmers who wish to reap a good harvest (good “wages”), then let us “be wise” in what we “say” and “do,” in all our sowing, for we are even now entering the time when the harvest is catching up with the sowing of seed. In short, let us speak and live according to the Word of God; then we will harvest “the fruit of righteousness.” Let us be careful in “how” we treat others - our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our bosses, etc.   Let us treat our fellowman with the same dignity we wish to receive.   Let us love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Selah - pause and think about this. Judgment Upon Babylon The Day of the Lord shall come and is even now coming as “destruction from the Almighty” upon Babylon (The definition of Babylon is seen below) (Isa. 13:1-6, KJV); with cruel wrath and fierce anger, it will desolate “the land of Babylon” without mercy and destroy the sinners who are in it (Isa. 13:9). Isaiah thirteen details the devastation of Babylon (v.1, 19-22) in the Day of the Lord and prophesies specific destruction upon… “The whole land” (v.5 & 9); “The sinners” (v.9); “The world” (v.11); “The wicked” (v.11); “The arrogance of the proud” (v.11); “The haughtiness of the terrible” (v.11); “The heavens, and the earth” (v.13); “Every one that is joined unto them” (v.15) - anyone and everyone that is united to Babylon will met with certain hurt; “Their children…houses…wives…young men...the fruit of the womb” (v.16, 18) - every Babylonian tree, that produces Babylonian “fruit,” will be cut down and burned with fire for John the Baptist said, “…Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” [Jesus echoed this truth in Matt. 7:16-20; 12:33]. [But how can we discern the “fruit” of any tree?  By their words, for Jesus said, “…Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Lk. 6:43-45)]. [Note: At this point, it should also be stated that every tree which “does not produce fruit” will also be cut down and burned (Matt. 21:19; Lk. 13:6-9; Jn. 15:1-8, 16; Jude 12); in short, the only fruit God will bless is “the fruit of the Spirit,” which is, in fact, the direct result of living and walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)]. In short, there is nothing in Babylon that God will preserve. But what is “Babylon”? This is a very important question, well worth our attention: The Hebrew word for “BABYLON” is “babel” [Compare the English word “babble”] which means “confusion” and has been rendered “the gate of god”. “It is taken from the root ‘balal’ which means ‘to mingle or mix.’  The same meaning is carried over into the Greek word ‘BABULON.’  The term is commonly used to speak of a man-made system of RELIGIOUS (and political) CONFUSION.  Babylon is a spirit that is self-seeking and unfaithful to the LORD JESUS CHRIST. (Gen. 11; Ps. 137; Jer. 50-52; Josh. 7:21; the false church of Rev. 17-18 is in contrast to the TRUE CHURCH of Rev. 19)” – Dr. Kelley Varner. Another term for the system of Babylon is THE HARLOT CHURCH.  “Rather than being a contented wife, the harlot is restless, having NO HEAD, no covering, no authority.  This is that Jezebel system.   Note that the name ‘Jezebel’ comes from a Hebrew word that means ‘WHERE?’  It is also rendered as ‘NOT’ (‘island’ in Job 22:30).  Cruden gives it as ‘without cohabitation; isle of the dunghill.’  This again reveals the stubbornness and obstinance of THE GREAT WHORE (Lk. 15:30; Pr. 7:1-27; 1 Cor. 6:15- 16; Rev. 17:1, 5, 15-16; 19:2; 2:18-23).” – Dr. Kelley Varner. Now let us take a minute to ask ourselves if there is anything in our own hearts (or in our homes or local churches) that “even remotely” resembles Babylon: Are we “religious”? Are we “political”? Are we self-seekers? Are we, in “any way,” unfaithful or untrue to the Lord? Is there a “mixture” in our lives? To what degree are we united with that which is “man-made”? Is Jesus our supreme Head (our Lord and Master) or are we a discontented, stubborn, obstinate, rebellious, restless wife toward Him? Do we fear the Lord or men? (In the Kingdom of God, there can be no middle ground.) Be honest. Second Corinthians 13:5 (AMP) says, “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves…” The Message Bible says, “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups…” The Apostle Paul made it very clear that if we judge ourselves, we will not have to be judged (1 Cor. 11: 31).  If we fall on the Rock, we will be broken, but if we resist this “self-judgment,” the Rock will come and crush us into powder (Matt. 21:44). The choice is ours and ours alone. Remember, without “holiness” (the end result of purification) no man will “see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14; Matt. 5:8). Click here to read part three of the Day of the Lord.