When John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matthew 3:7). For John the Baptist to have addressed the Pharisees and Sadducees this harsh way indicates that the prophet was ready to pierce them with the true sword of the Spirit and not just to show them only its handle. Many a minister of our days would probably be looking for more disciples, for more tithe payers, and therefore ordinarily adopt milder language than that, choosing more attractive themes, fearing that they will drive their listeners away if they are too personal, and speak too harshly. They let people see only the bright diamonds, silver, or gold on the scabbard, but never let them feel the sharpness of the two-edged blade. They always comfort, and console, and cheer, they are motivational speakers, but never allude to the terrors of the Lord. John the Baptist was bold throughout his ministry as a forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ, for which he was born. John requests each of us to come up with true evidence that we're a born again child of God, daily walking with Jesus.
It should be noted that a Pharisee, is a very religious man, one who observes all the details of external worship, and is very careful even about the most trivial matter. He is a firm believer in the resurrection, in angels and spirits, and in all that was written in the Book of the Law of Moses, and also in all the traditions of his father. He is a man consumed with external righteousness, a ritualist of the first order, who feels that, if there was a righteous man in the world, he certainly would be that person. He must have been greatly taken aback when John talked to him about the wrath of God and told him that that wrath was as much for him as for others. No self-righteousness would screen anyone from the anger of God against injustice, lawlessness, idolatry, and all forms of transgression except we “flee from the coming wrath of God.”
On the other hand, we have the Sadducee who was equally taken aback by John’s stern language. A Sadducee is also a religious man, but he combines with his religion greater thoughtfulness than the Pharisee does. He does not believe in traditions, he is too broadminded to care about the little details and externals of religion. He observes the Law of Moses, but he clings rather to the letter of it rather than to its spirit, and he does not accept all that is revealed, for he denies that there is such a thing as an angel, a spirit or a resurrection. He is a man of liberal ideas, fully abreast of the age. He professes to be a Hebrew of the Hebrews but yet, at the same time, the yoke of religion rests very lightly upon his shoulders. He is not irreligious but here is John the Baptist talking to him, as well as to the Pharisee, about “the coming wrath for which everyone must flee.”
Fleeing from the coming wrath of God now that we still can is what Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, (SCOAN), has as the “Year of Humility” coming upon humanity. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). It is not just a prophecy anymore but that it has come. In God’s order of time a year may run for a thousand years our own, or one year our own a thousand years of God’s acts could take place. A “Year of Humility” is just a description and God determines its actual length, breadth, width and overall impact; but the prophet said that “everyone will be humbled to the core” Hence let us think of the danger which overtakes all men who do not flee from it. There is a wrath of God, which remains on every ungodly man. Whether we like that truth or not it is written, “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day” (Psalm 7:11) and, also, “Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son” (John 3:18). Yet again, “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).
John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” What our prophet is telling us is that we cannot bear nor endure God’s wrath but we must flee from it. What does this mean? How do we flee from the coming wrath? Yes, we must escape. If we remain where we are now, we will certainly perish because we are living in the City of Destruction, a Condemned City which is about to be overwhelmed with the fiery flood of “the coming wrath.” We must be desperate to escape immediately from it before judgment is executed on the place and on everyone who is in it. John the Baptist said that there is no going to Heaven by following the road leading to Hell Avenue therefore there must be a turn back, repentance. Note how John puts it; “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). The evidence of true repentance is a new life in Christ Jesus.
Covid-19 has already humbled the entire world, infecting millions, will eventually also kill in millions, creating joblessness and economic pandemic in its waves. But that's not what John the Baptist is telling us because Jesus tells us whom to fear more. In (Matthew 10:28) Jesus said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which can destroy both soul and body in hell". Therefore the humility will come in multiple dimension except we truly bear fruit of repentance.
Already we are amazed, not just about the prophecies coming out of SCOAN and their fulfilments, but much more about their corresponding dynamic step in Faith reaching out to nations for healing and deliverance. Jesus is thus being greatly honoured whilst science and humanity are being humbled. The "Distance not a Barrier to the Move of God" by SCOAN is beyond academic research and human wisdom which mustn't be taken lightly. In the new normal, where everyone is humbled in a facemask, social distancing or kept in isolation centres we look to Jesus to set us free. This is where Prophet TB Joshua and his team will continue to provide a spiritual lead and guidance as God will direct them. Emmanuel
Prof. R. A. Ipinyomi, University of Ilorin, Nigeria
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