God shows us His love to the utmost limit within the limit of justice even when the judgment is inevitable. It is because He wants both evil doers and sinners as well to turn from the way of death (Ezekiel 18:23). Through the following biblical accounts, we can feel the love of God who wants to give opportunities for salvation. By the grace and mercy of God, we can reach perfect salvation.
The Judgment of the Flood: God wanted to save as many people as possible through the righteous man, Noah
In Genesis 6, there was a judgment of the flood at the time of Noah. The God of love waited patiently for a long time, but the wickedness of man was great on the earth. Since every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was continually only evil, judgment was inevitable.
Even under such conditions, God urged Noah to proclaim the judgment that was coming and allowed for anybody who listened to him and entered the Ark to be saved. However, no one except for his family listened. Only Noah and his family entered the Ark of Noah, and the preparations for the judgment were concluded.
But even after Noah closed the door, God again gave the people a seven day period of grace. He waited so that if any one knocked on the door of the Ark, they would be saved together. Even though He had to carry out the judgment according to justice, we can feel God's earnest heart that wanted to save people by extending the opportunity to be saved.
Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah: justice was perfected by the love of the righteous man, Abraham
In Genesis 18, God appeared before Abraham and told him about the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah beforehand. Before He judged the people there, He double-checked their sins and evil. He wanted to save just one more person.
God wanted to give more chances to the people through the intercession of the righteous man, Abraham. He knew that Abraham would understand this heart of God and intercede with love for them. Finally, Abraham received God's promise. God promised not to destroy the cities as long as there were ten righteous men found in them.
However, when God sent His archangels and had them look closely around the city of Sodom, there were not even ten righteous men. The judgment of fire eventually came upon them. In the meantime, God saved Abraham's nephew Lot and his daughters because of His consideration of Abraham.
This is how God fulfilled justice with love until the end.
Judgment of Nineveh: God's hand of salvation was given to the people in Nineveh until the last moment
In Jonah 1, God told Jonah the prophet to preach that the judgment of destruction was impending on the city of Nineveh. Because their wickedness had come up before God, it was not against justice to let the city be destroyed. But God still gave them a chance to repent, turn back from sins, and receive salvation.
All people of Nineveh including the king fasted and called on God earnestly. They also let their livestock fast and they turned from their wicked ways and the violence that was on their hands. When God saw their deeds He relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. He did not carry it out (Jonah 3:10). However, one hundred years later, the city became full of sin and evil again and the judgment came upon them. This time, they did not repent and the city completely fell in 609 B.C.
Until then God had given numerous opportunities to turn from their sins. God extended His hand of salvation to them up until the very last moment. However, it was the people who chose not to seize the chances but to go the way of destruction instead.
The Seven-year Great Tribulation; God's last chance of the gleaning salvation through two witnesses and 144,000 preachers
When the gospel is preached to the remotest part of the earth, the Lord will come in the air. Then, those who have faith to be saved by learning the gospel and living by the will of God will put on the resurrected body and will be taken into the air in an instant. This is the end of human cultivation, and the miserable seven-year Great Tribulation awaits those who remain on this earth.
But God prepared a way of salvation even for the people who are left on the earth who have not heard the gospel. If they hear it through the two witnesses and 144,000 preachers prophesied in Revelation and accept Jesus as their Savior, they will be able to pass away in natural disasters or wars comparably easily and reach salvation. This way, God wants to save even one more soul until the end.
However, those who heard the gospel and said they believed but did not have faith, they must become martyrs to be saved. In order for them to seize the last chance for salvation, they have to go through harsh torture and keep faith without receiving the mark of the beast. But there will be very few who choose martyrdom in this way and receive salvation.
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