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GOD’S FOUR KEY APPOINTMENTS FOR MAN

 

PLEASE READ IN THE BIBLE (JOB 7:1; 14:14) (HEBREWS 9:27) (NUMBERS 35:11-15)(HEBREWS 6:18-20)

 

 

In the passages of scriptures listed above we have what we might describe as “God’s Four Key Appointments for Man”.  God’s four key appointments involve YOU personally.  These appointments are between YOU and God.  Sometimes in our social or business life we have appointments we are required to keep.  There may be times when we arrive late or we are unable to keep the appointments at all.  This will not happen, however, with God’s appointments.  YOU will be there and you will be on time.  We want to consider this subject by way of the following outline:

 

  1. THE APPOINTMENT OF LIFE (JOB 7:1; 14:14)
  2. THE APPOINTMENT OF DEATH (HEBREWS 9:27a)
  3. THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGMENT (HEBREWS 9:27b)
  4. THE APPOINTMENT OF A PLACE OF REFUGE (NUMBERS 35:11-15) (HEBREWS 6:18-20)

 

God has appointed man life (time) and he must live it.  God has appointed man death and he must experience it.  God has appointed man a time for judgment and man must appear for it.  God has appointed man a place of refuge from the coming wrath and judgment and man has the opportunity to avail himself of it.  Dear reader, do you know about God’s refuge?  Have you availed yourself of God’s refuge?  Let’s consider this subject beginning with;

 

  1. THE APPOINT OF LIFE (JOB 7:1; 14:14)

God has appointed man life (time) and he must live it.  In (Job 14:14), Job spoke of “All the days of my appointed time”.  Job understood that his life, his time, was appointed by God.  It could be that you have never considered that your “life time” has been appointed by God.  King Solomon wrote in, (Ecclesiastes 9:9) “All the days of the life of thy vanity which God hath given thee under the sun”.  Our days have been given to us by God.  God has given life to each of us that have been born into this world.  Our life is made up of that precious commodity called “time”.  Have you ever given thought as to what God expects from you, from the time appointed to you?  It says in, (Ecclesiastes 12:13) “Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”.  History has proven that man is not only ignorant of God’s commandments, but he is both unwilling and unable to keep the commandments of God.  In fact, the Bible paints a very dark picture concerning man.  Man is an ungodly sinner, a condition that begins from birth.  It says in, (Psalms 58:3) “The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies”.  Did you ever notice that a young child does not have to be taught to do wrong?  He does this naturally.  But, he does have to be taught to do right as long as he lives.  It says in, (Proverbs 22:13) “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him”.  The Bible discloses that man is a sinner by nature and by practice.  What man is in himself and what he has done are alike sinful.  What man is within himself is far worse than anything he has ever done.  The Lord Jesus said, (Mark 7:21-23) “FROM WITHIN, out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man”.  From these words we see the connection between mans sinful nature and mans sinful conduct.  The guilt of sin applies to all mankind, to all who are born of human father and mother.  It says in, (Romans 3:9-12; 23) “Jews and Gentiles, they are all under sin”.  “There is none righteous no not one”.  “There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God”.  “There is none that doeth good, no not one”.  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.  Dear reader, this includes YOU.  There are no exceptions and no exemptions.  God’s word means what it says and says what it means.   This is God’s portrait of fallen sinful humanity and a dark picture it is, indeed.  Man truly deserves to go to hell.  He is unclean and deserves nothing but punishment.  This leads us to God’s second key appointment for man;

 

  1. THE APPOINTMENT OF DEATH (HEBREWS 9:27a)

God has appointed man death and he must experience it.  Speaking about death, Job said in, (Job 7:1) “Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth”. We each have an appointment with death.  It says in, (Hebrews 9:27a) “It is appointed unto men once to die”.  We all know the truth of this statement do we not?  Most of us have family and friends that have kept their appointment with death.  We will keep ours also, at God’s appointed time.  Why is it so that man must die?  It was never part of God’s original creation.  When sin came in death came in.  God said to Adam, (Genesis 2:17) “In the day that thou eatest thereof (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) thou shalt surely die”.  Adam and Eve disobeyed and sinned against God and death came in.  It says in (Romans 6:23)” The wages of sin is death”.  It says also in, (Romans 5:12) “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”.   Death is the direct result of sin.  The brevity of life, which is emphasized over and over again in scripture, is also the result of sin.  There are no “Methuselah’s” in these days that live to be 969 years.  There are no “Abraham’s” in these days who live to be 175 years.  (Psalm 90:10) gives us the divine allotment of the life of man in the normal course of events.  It says, “The days of our years are three score and ten (70) and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80) years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away”.  Mankind, however, can not count on having seventy years.  There are many whose lifetimes are much shorter because of disease, accidents, etc.  It is a sobering experience to walk through a cemetery, any cemetery, and observe the ages of those who have died.  Many were relatively young when they kept their appointment with death. It says in, (James 4:14) “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life?  It is even a vapor (a puff of smoke) that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away”.  Life is not only brief it is uncertain.  It says in, (Ecclesiastes 9:12) “Man knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them”.  Dear reader, are YOU prepared for eternity?  Are YOU prepared to meet God?  Have YOU taken refuge from the coming storm of God’s wrath and judgment?  Death will end your opportunity to be saved.  If you die in your sins there will be sudden and eternal confinement in hell and the lake of fire.  Man has another appointment following death.  This leads us to;

 

  1. THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGMENT (HEBREWS 9:27b)

 

God has appointed man a time for judgment and man must appear for it.  It says in, (Hebrews 9:27) “It is appointed unto man once to die, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT”.  Those who die in their sins, unsaved, will be resurrected for judgment.  It says in, (John 5:28, 29) “The hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice (the Lord Jesus Christ), and shall come forth … they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (judgment)”. Please note God’s following appointments related to the subject of judgment:

 

  • YOU have been appointed for judgment.  (Romans 14:10, 12) “We shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ”.  “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God”.
  • The DAY has been appointed for judgment.  (Acts 17:30, 31) “God now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness.”  Notice, it is a commandment of God, that all men every where repent.  This is a commandment of God concerning which men are either ignorant or refuse to obey.  What about YOU dear reader, have YOU repented of your sins?  To “repent” means “to change one’s mind or purpose”.  In the Bible it is almost always in regard to sin, repentance from sin.  Repentance has to do with your attitude toward God..  “Have I repented”?  It is a question of vital importance to every soul, for out of it are the issues of life and death.  If sinners do not repent they will be lost eternally.  The Lord Jesus told the people in, (Luke 13:3, 5) “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.  It says in , (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE”.  Because God is patient, He has extended these days of grace that YOU might “take refuge” and be saved from His coming wrath and judgment.  It is not His will that you should perish in your sins.  If you do it will be because you have rejected God’s offer of salvation and have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • The JUDGE has been appointed for the coming judgment.  (Acts 17:31) “He will judge the world in righteousness BY THAT MAN WHOM HE HATH ORDAINED; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him (Jesus Christ) from the dead.”  We are also told in, (John 5:22) “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”  Please consider what this means.  One way or another, YOU have an appointment with the Lord Jesus Christ.  You can either meet Him now as your Savior, or you will meet Him later as your judge. 

 

We are given various details concerning this judgment which is called “The great white throne judgment” in (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).  This is the final settlement of God’s controversy with fallen man.  There will be no mercy or grace shown, only inflexible, invincible justice.  There will be no mistakes, no absentees, no appeals and no escape at this judgment.   The verdict is final.  Please notice the following about this judgment.  We have;

  • THE SETTING OF THE JUDGMENT
    • Read (Revelation 20:11).  This verse tells us there is A THRONE THAT IS GREAT AND WHITE.  It is “great” because of the majesty and power of the Judge and because of the eternal issues involved in His decisions.  It is “white” on account of its purity, holiness and perfect righteousness of its judgments.   There is A JUDGE whom we have already identified above.  It says that, “heaven and earth have fled away”.  The material creation has just fled from before the face of the Judge.  This judgment occurs at the close of the millennial reign of Christ and before the introduction of the new heavens and the new earth. 
  • THE SUMMONS TO THE JUDGMENT
    • Read (Revelation 20:12a, 13a; 21:8a).  Those who stand before the throne are described as “the dead small and great”.  They are called, “the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable (morally or religiously filthy), and murders, and whoremongers (immoral sexual conduct), and sorcerers (witchcraft, devil worship), and idolaters (worshippers of other Gods), and all liars”.  The unbelieving are said to be “dead in trespasses and sins”. (Ephesians 2:1).  During their lifetime they were dead spiritually.  They lived their lifetime with their sins unforgiven because they rejected God’s way of salvation.  Consequently, when they died physically, they died in their sins.  The unbelieving dead come from all social strata and all walks of life.  Their bodies have been resurrected and joined to their spirits as they stand before the Judge. 
  • THE SECRETS REVEALED AT THE JUDGMENT
    • It says in, (Revelation 20: 12b, 13b) “The books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”.  “They were judged every man according to their works”.  “The Accusers” at this trial will be the opened books of God.  “The Book of Works” is a record of a person’s deeds.  God in heaven keeps a record of all the deeds of men including all the thoughts and feelings under which the deeds were done.  Dear reader, your life is being recorded in heaven.  The life you live, your deeds, your thoughts, your words are all being recorded in heaven.  Every detail of your life is held in the divine records.  It says in, (1 Corinthians 4:5) “The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts:”  Every  person is also writing his record in his own memory and that record will corroborate  the divine record.  There is another book mentioned that will be opened at this judgment.  “The Book of Life” is a register of names.   This book contains the names of all who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and have received Him as their own personal Savior.  All who are truly “born again” have their name in the book of life.  Dear reader, the most important thing that you can do in life is to make sure your name is written in the “Book of Life”.  Is your name in the book of life?  Are you saved? 
  • THE SENTENCE PASSED AT THE JUDGMENT
    • It says in, (Revelation 20:15; 21:8)”Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”.  “The lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”.  Here is the final destiny and eternal doom of all who reject God’s offer of salvation through believing in and receiving His well beloved Son.   You can not be saved by your so called “good works”.  (Ephesians 2:8, 9) “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”.  “Not of works, lest any man should boast”.  Salvation is a free gift from God.  (Romans 6:23) “The GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  The judgment here, however, is “according to their works”.  If YOU appear at this judgment your “degree of doom” is according to the things done in your lifetime.  The measure of the punishment is according to your works.  Penalty will be in proportion to guilt.  The “second death”, the lake of fire, is the absolute and eternal separation of your soul from God.  God’s eternal judgment is according to the standard of His own unchangeable holiness, as visited upon those who refused His grace, rebelled against His authority, and chose death rather than life.  DEAR READER, DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?  Have you availed yourself of God’s place of refuge from this coming judgment?  THERE IS A PLACE OF REFUGE.

 

  1. THE APPOINTMENT OF A PLACE OF REFUGE (NUMBERS 35:11-15) (HEBREWS 6:18-20)

 

In (Numbers 35:11-15) we read the account of six cities provided by the mercy God to be a place of refuge for the man slayer.  The man slayer would escape for his life from the “avenger of blood”.  Since there were six cities, there was always a place for the man slayer to go to flee from impending judgment.  Within the gates of one of these cities was a place of safety.  Within, he was perfectly safe; without, he was thoroughly exposed to judgment.  By way of application, we may liken this picture to the condition of a guilty sinner before a holy God.  Dear reader, if YOU are unsaved, still in your sins, you are in imminent danger.  You are only a breath away from an eternity in hell and the lake of fire.  YOU have an urgent need to flee for refuge.  Jesus Christ is the Savior of sinners.  He is God’s place of refuge.  It says in (Hebrews 6:18), of those who are saved, that they, “have a strong consolation, WHO HAVE FLED FOR REFUGE TO LAY HOLD UPON THE HOPE SET BEFORE US”.  God gives strong encouragement in His Word to all who have fled to Christ for refuge from coming judgment.  It says in, (Romans 8:1)”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”.  To be “in Christ” means that one has believed on Him and received Him as their personal Savior.  (John 3:18) “He that believeth on Him is not condemned (judged): but he that believeth not is condemned (judged) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.  (John 3:36)”He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”.  Have you believed on Him?  Are you “born again”?  Are you “in Christ”?  It says in, (2 Corinthians 5:17) “”If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things have passed away; behold all things are new.”  Have you had this conversion experience? 

 

Dear reader, I can tell you on the authority of the Word of God, that God loves you.  He wants you to be saved.  It says in , (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”.  God has proved this by sending His beloved Son to die on the cross for your sins.  You are traveling the “highway of life”.  Now that you have read this message, you have come to “the crossroads”.  Which way will you go?  Will you continue to reject the Savior and God’s offer of salvation?  Or, will you believe on Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior?  It is your decision and your responsibility.

 

Please give this matter your most serious attention.  Will you be a believer or a non-believer?  Your eternal destiny depends on your decision.

 

Christian Messenger