There Is A Limit To God’s Patience

God loves mankind, and as a result, he repeatedly gives those who disobey chances to repent, but his patience is limited, as Genesis 6:3 states.  “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”  Before the flood, people lived hundreds of years, but after the flood, they were limited to only about a hundred twenty years if they refused to do what was right.  Most people today do not live even close to that long. 

Not only has God limited how long individuals will live as a result of sin, he has also set a limit on how long he will but up with humanity’s rebellion.  It is frustrating for those who try to do right to see people openly flaunting their sin and trying to force others to approve of it as the homosexual and transgender movement does.  As a result, Christians are looking forward to time when God stops the rebellion, as Revelation 14:12-13 tells us.  “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.   And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”  Now death Frees them from that struggle, but when the Lord ends the rebellion, there will be no more struggles. 

During the Tribulation, God will allow mankind to see that neither they, nor Satan can manage the problems in the world, giving them one more chance to turn to him.  When they have gone to the limit against him, he will intervene and stop their rebellion.  Just before he destroys the wicked, he will remove his people from earth for their protection.  Revelation 14:14-16 describes the Lord removing his people.  “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”

With those who have chosen to follow God safely out of Satan’s reach, God will destroy those who have chosen to follow Satan, as described in Revelation 14:17-20.  “And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

For the last three and a half years, Satan and the global government led by the Antichrist will have controlled Jerusalem and tried to eliminate all worship of God.  When Christ returns to Jerusalem and makes it his capitol, the armies of the world will unite in an attempt to maintain the power of the Antichrist and his global government.    Ezekiel 39 lists some of the groups that will be involved.  There will be a battle fought in the valley of Megiddo, where Satan and his armies will be defeated.  So many people will be killed the blood will run bridle deep on the horses.  Ezekiel 39:12-14 tells us it will take seven months to bury all the bodies.  “And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.  Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.”

God used the illustration of reaping a crop of grapes to illustrate his final judgement on the earth.  It is essential that the grapes be allowed to come to peak ripeness so that they make the best tasting juice or raisins possible.  If picked to soon, they will not taste good, and if left too late, they will begin to rot.  God will not bring judgement on the earth until the last person has been saved, nor will he delay it and allow Satan to destroy his people.  Revelation 19 will give more detail about the battle of Armaggeddon.