In a Charisma magazine article written over five years ago (July 28, 2009), the well known “Christian Zionist” Pastor John Hagee made the following statement:
“Few Christians recognize that there are five judgments in Scripture. The first has occurred, and four are yet to be.”
That statement regarding the numerous judgments of God is classic CI Scofield which was popularized by his own Scofield Bible. That Bible is one of the first (if not the first) Bible to put the man made notes of a man (or woman) on the very same page as the scriptures. The problem with that is that many people start believing every thing that is written on the page as if it was the scripture itself! In this article I will be looking at the “fourth judgment” according to Hagee and other dispensationalists. John Hagee declared the following in the Charisma magazine article:
“The fourth judgment is the judgment of the nations. All the nations of the earth will be judged before God Almighty and His holy angels for the manner in which they treated the Jewish people. (See Matthew 25:31-46)”
“The fourth judgment is the one that most concerns us here. The time of the judgment is immediately after the Messiah returns to Earth to establish His literal kingdom in the city of Jerusalem. It is critical to your well being that you understand what the Bible teaches about the believers treatment of God’s chosen people so you will not come under this judgment.”
“Who do you think are the hungry, naked, thirsty, sick, imprisoned strangers Jesus refers to in Matthew 25? They are not the church; they are the Jewish people.”
“Jesus makes this clear when He says, ‘And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren [the Jews], you did it to me. ‘Then He will say to those on the left hand. ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:40-41,46)
“It is important to be right on the Israel question when you consider that being wrong brings you under the curse of God and headed for eternal, everlasting fire with the devil and his angels. Israel is not a ‘take it or leave it” subject. It is a life or death matter-eternal life!”
“If you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and those who reject its truths have entered into idolatry and rebellion; if you believe Jehovah God is a God of integrity and that it would be impossible for Him to break His covenant; if you believe that Jesus Christ is our example and that we ought to follow Him, then there is no biblical alternative but to support the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. They’ll be blessed —and so will you!”
[The Lord Has Chosen Zion, Tuesday, 28 July, John Hagee, Charisma Magazine]
First of all I would like to address the issue of the numerous judgments in scripture. If any person reads their Bible and they listen to how the Lord Jesus Christ taught, they know that the Lord spoke with an urgency in His voice, encouraging the people to be prepared for his coming. When the Lord spoke about judgment, he always made a clear distinction between those who were saved, and those who were not. The Lord did not hold back the truth about Hell either, as most modern day Pastors in user friendly churches do. You do not get the sense that there would be several different judgments when you browse through the Gospel accounts. The Lord made it known that He would be coming again and He also made it super clear that He was absolutely the ONLY WAY to Heaven. If you miss that, then you miss everything! Keep in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ is perfect and He never fails. You do not want to miss it when it comes to salvation and judgment.
As far as Judgment Day goes there will be only ONE judgment day and the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of that day, as the LAST DAY! Jesus declared that those who rejected Him, and His words (you cannot separate the two), would be JUDGED by Him, and His words in the LAST DAY! (John 12:48) Jesus declared that those who BELIEVED on Him, would be raised up by HIM, on the LAST DAY! He used those words LAST DAY, three different times in three separate verses! (John 6:40,44,54) Jesus declared that He was coming again, in the clouds of Heaven, with great glory, and He declared that all the tribes (Greek: phule-races) of the earth would mourn (Greek: kopto-lament, mourn) when they see the Son of Man coming. (Matthew 24:30)
The apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation (who also wrote The Gospel of John) declared that all the kindreds (Greek: phule-races) of the Earth would wail (Greek: kopto- lament, mourn) at the sight of Jesus when He comes in the clouds! (Revelation 1:7)
The apostle Paul declared that the Lord will raise the dead, and the living believers at His coming. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Jesus declared that He would come with the angels and reward EVERY MAN according to their works. (Matthew 16:27)The apostle John declared that the dead, both small and great, would be judged by God, according to their works, and that those whose names were not found in the book of life, would be cast into the lake of Fire!. (Revelation 20:11-15)
The Saved And The Unsaved
Jesus declared that those who believed on Him were NOT condemned, and those who did not believe on Him were CONDEMNED already! (John 3:16-18)
Jesus made it clear that EVERLASTING LIFE belonged ONLY to those who believed in HIM! (John 5:24, 6:40, 6:47)
The apostle John (who also wrote Revelation) declared that the very reason the Gospel was written was that people might believe on Jesus and have EVERLASTING LIFE! (John 20:31)
In that very same Gospel, the apostle John (who also wrote Revelation) declared that the WRATH OF GOD already abode upon those who rejected Jesus Christ! (John 3:36)
After Jesus was killed and rose from the dead, He told His followers to preach the Gospel to all, and told them that the believers would be SAVED, and the unbelievers would be DAMNED! (Mark 16:15-16)
This is what really matters in the END. Does a person know Jesus Christ? If they die without Christ, then they end up in HELL forever. (Luke 16:19-31) The Devil is so clever in perverting the truth of the Gospel of Christ and he will do all that he can do to keep people out of Heaven.If a person has not been truly born again of the Spirit, then they are NOT part of the Kingdom of God. They are still dead in their sins, and without everlasting life, which is found in Jesus Christ alone. Does that mean that every person who has died without salvation in Jesus Christ over the past centuries went to Hell? Absolutely YES, and that is a message that is rarely heard in this modern day. Does that mean that a Jewish person who died without believing in Jesus Christ died in their sins and will face everlasting punishment? Absolutely YES! Does that mean that a Gentile person( from any nation) who died without believing in Jesus Christ, died in their sins and faces everlasting punishment?Absolutely YES! What about all the other religions in the world, and all the good people in those religions? It does not matter because it is only the BLOOD that will atone for the sins of mankind (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22) and the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus Christ alone is that BLOOD atonement! (Romans 5:6-9, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:9)
It is the obligation of every INDIVIDUAL in this world of ours, to search out the truth for themselves, and do not ever forget that. People will not stand before Almighty God holding hands with the millions of people, who held the same beliefs that they did! They will stand before God and be judged for what they did, and what they believed, and what they did with the person of Jesus Christ! The scriptures declare so clearly that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way of salvation! (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12) It is almost sickening when one thinks of the LAST DAY and the FINAL JUDGMENT , and what it will be like when people realize and understand, that they did not know the Lord, and that they missed the whole thing! Not only that, but the absolute sorrow of knowing that parents have led their loved ones astray and taught them the wrong way! Salvation is not something to be played with for sure. (Hebrews 2:1-3)
Scofield’s Bogus Teaching:
The ‘Brethren’ In Matthew 25 Are The Jewish People
Pastor John Hagee declared that ALL the nations of the world were going to be JUDGED, by how they treated the Jewish people.
That is one of the most demonic interpretations that I have ever read, and that interpretation did not originate from him. As I said before, this is classic Scofieldism (Scofield Bible), and millions of people have been ensnared with Scofield’s teachings over the decades.
As I said earlier, the whole Gospel is about Jesus Christ. God offers salvation to ALL the world, and that would include the Jewish people. The apostle Paul made that very clear also. (Romans 1:16-18) The NATIONS of the world (including Israel, past and present) are going to be JUDGED for what they did with Jesus Christ, and not for how they treated the Jewish people! Not only that but the “BRETHREN” in that passage of scripture, DOES in TRUTH, speak about the CHURCH and NOT the Jewish people as John Hagee declares. That teaching is classic CI Scofield, and that is where John Hagee got that teaching from. So then who are the BRETHREN? Jesus Christ Himself gives us the answer:
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given;
and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. (Luke 8:18-21)
The ‘BRETHREN’ according to Jesus Christ are those which hear the word of God,and do it. The ‘BRETHREN’ are simply those disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ, who take heed to His word, and that is made very clear in Matthews version of that same passage of scripture. (see Matthew 12:46-50) The Jewish people who reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah, are clearly not His disciples, and they clearly do not believe the words that come out of His mouth. The Jewish people for the most part rejected Jesus Christ during His time as He came unto His own, and they received Him NOT! (John 1:11) and it has been that way up until this very day! If any sincere person would read the Gospel accounts, they would NEVER come up with that interpretation regarding the BRETHREN, that CI Scofield (Scofield Bible) came up with, and which has deceived millions over the years.
Do the Jewish people who reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah follow the word of God? Of course they do not! In fact Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) told them that they KILLED their own prophets, and STONED those who were sent to them! (Matthew 23:23-37, Luke 13:34) The real Jesus Christ rebuked the Jewish Pharisees for their hypocrisy, and that same word still stands true today for the religious Jewish people throughout the world. They still reject Jesus the Messiah, who was sent to them to this very day! The apostle Paul was converted from those very same ways, being a Jewish Pharisee himself, and he made it very clear that the Jewish people did not even understand their own prophets which were read every Sabbath!
And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he.
But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this SALVATION sent.
For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, BECAUSE they KNEW HIM NOT, nor yet the VOICES OF THE PROPHETS which are read EVERY SABBATH DAY, they have FULFILLED THEM in condemning him.
And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
But God raised him from the dead: (Acts 13:22-30)
To this very day, when the scriptures are read, and the prophets are quoted in Jewish synagogues, they still do not understand that the prophets, prophesied about Jesus Christ! The scriptures make it abundantly clear that Jesus Christ came forth from the lineage of David, and the scriptures say here that God had raised Jesus up to be a Saviour unto Israel. The truth of the matter is this. The Jewish people not only in the physical land of Israel, but all over the world still do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, nor the Son of God! They still reject Him to this very day!
When the Lord is talking about the treatment of the ‘BRETHREN’ in that Matthew 25 passage, He is simply talking about the treatment of His very own followers. They are the ones who make up HIS BODY (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 3:6, 4:12) and they are the ones who make up HIS CHURCH (2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:13), and they are the living stones (1 Peter 2:5-6) who make up His SPIRITUAL HOUSE (1 Peter 2:5-6) and TEMPLE (2 Corinthians 6:6), with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief CORNERSTONE! (1 Peter 2:5-6)
The Jewish apostle Paul (formerly Saul) testified about how the RISEN AND LIVING, Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him out of Heaven, as he was on one of his rampages against true born again Christians.
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. (Acts 22:6-8)
So what can we learn here? We learn that the Lord looked at those who were being persecuted by people like Saul (Paul), as if it were Himself! The Lord Jesus Christ let Saul (Paul) know that it was HE, (Jesus) whom he was persecuting! So when you read about the judgment in Matthew 25 regarding the treatment of the “BRETHREN” it is so easy to understand that the Lord is talking about His own body of believers in the world. Just as the Lord knew that His followers (the body) were being persecuted by Saul (Paul) (Acts 9) and others, so He is well aware of those who have persecuted His people through the centuries!
So when the Lord brings up the treatment of those ‘BRETHREN’ in Matthew 25 it is talking about those who were TRUE BELIEVERS in HIM. That group of TRUE BRETHREN is made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ. I might also point out here, that the treatment of other believers is a FRUIT of a TRUE BELIEVER and not the BASIS for the salvation which is found in Jesus Christ. We need only look to the whole New Covenant (Testament) to learn that salvation comes by FAITH, and we know that it is the BLOOD of Jesus Christ alone that will atone for our sins.
The Scofield teaching regarding the ‘BRETHREN’ is a BOGUS and DEMONIC DOCTRINE and it without question one of the “doctrines of devils” which the Jewish apostle Paul warned us about here:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)
The Curse Of God And Everlasting Fire For Who?
John Hagee made another incredible statement in that Charisma magazine article. First he quotes from Matthew 25: 40-41,46 regarding those who are cursed and cast into everlasting fire, and then he makes it very clear that this describes those who do not treat the Jewish people nicely:
“It is important to be right on the Israel question when you consider that being wrong brings you under the curse of God and headed for eternal, everlasting fire with the devil and his angels. Israel is not a ‘take it or leave it” subject. It is a life or death matter-eternal life!”
I will speak for myself here. I am not the least bit frightened about John Hagee’s FALSE interpretation about being under the curse of God, or being cast into everlasting fire as he puts it in his article.
John Hagee needs to know that it is IMPORTANT to be right on the JESUS CHRIST question, NOT the ISRAEL question, because UNBELIEVING ISRAEL is under the CURSE of the LAW, (Romans 3:19-20) and if they do not repent they will spend eternity in the lake of fire! (Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3)
Unbelieving ISRAEL will die in their sins without the Jesus Christ whom they reject! (John 8:24)
Unbelieving ISRAEL is CONDEMNED ALREADY if they reject Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-18)
Unbelieving ISRAEL is under the wrath of God, if they reject Jesus, the Son of God. (John 3:36)
Unbelieving ISRAEL makes God out to be a LIAR, because they REJECTED, the testimony of Jesus Christ! (1 John 5:9-13)
Unbelieving ISRAEL is of an ANTICHRIST spirit, because they do NOT believe that JESUS CHRIST (MESSIAH) came in the flesh! The Bible describes them as LIARS and DECEIVERS! (1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, 2 John 1:7)
How should a Christian TREAT the people of ISRAEL? The Christian should PREACH the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them like any other group of people. Instead of having “Night to Honor Israel” meetings, John Hagee should be having “Night to Preach the Gospel to Israel” meetings, and that would bring HONOR to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only ONE who deserves that HONOR!
If the Jewish apostle Paul were to see UNBELIEVING ISRAEL being honored all over the country, without having the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them, and warning them that their souls were hanging over Hell, he would be in a state of shock! When Paul got saved, and he began to PREACH Christ in the Jewish synagogues, the JEWISH people wanted to KILL HIM!
And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.
Then was Saul (Paul) certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
And straightway HE PREACHED CHRIST in the synagogues, that he is the SON of GOD.
But all that heard him were amazed, and said;
Is not this HE that DESTROYED THEM which called on this name in JERUSALEM, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the CHIEF PRIESTS? But Saul (Paul) increased the more in strength, and confounded the JEWS which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very CHRIST.
And after that many days were fulfilled, the JEWS took counsel to KILL HIM:
But their laying await was known of Saul (Paul).
And they watched the gates day and night to KILL HIM. (Acts 9:19-24)
Do you know why there is no persecution or opposition against true Christians, from the Jewish people at those “Night to Honor Israel” meetings? It is simply because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is NOT being preached to the Jews, and they are NOT being told that they must repent and believe the Gospel! The JEWISH people are being HONORED, instead of being told that their precious souls are lost, and Hell-bound, like any other person who rejects Jesus Christ! They are NOT being told that they MUST be born again! (John 3:1-8) as our sweet Saviour JESUS CHRIST would have told them. Will you continue to stand by? Will you continue to let our sweet Jesus down, the one who saved your own wretched souls?
I would like to say right here that the BLOOD of those precious Jewish souls is ON the professing Christians who hold back the truth from them!
And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a WATCHMAN unto the house of ISRAEL: therefore hear the word at MY MOUTH, and give them WARNING from ME.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him NOT WARNING, nor speakest to WARN the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but HIS BLOOD will I require at THINE HAND.
Yet if thou WARN the wicked, and he TURN NOT from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but THOU hast delivered THY SOUL. (Ezekiel 3:16-19)
True Christians should be treating ALL people throughout the world, with the LOVE of God, and not just the Jewish people over in Israel and the rest of the world! I may also add, that this would include the Palestinians who reside next to Israel and all over the world also! If YOU have been born again of the Spirit of God, I hope that YOU can say AMEN to that too!
My duty as a Christian is to preach the Gospel to ALL people, and that would include the Jewish people. There is not a doubt in my mind that they need to repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ or they will surely perish and be cast into everlasting fire just like anybody else. I would also like to say here that the doctrine that John Hagee spews forth here which the Scofield Bible also supports, can also be included in the “doctrines of devils” which the Jewish apostle Paul warned us about! (1 Timothy 4:1) The treatment of the BRETHREN, as stated earlier is speaking about the treatment of TRUE BELIEVERS in Jesus Christ. The judgment of those people who are cast into everlasting fire is simply revealing that they were not part of the Kingdom of God, nor were they part of the spiritual House and Temple of God! It is that simple!
It is important to be right on the JESUS question, not the Israel question, a falsehood which Hagee, and other dispensationalists propagate. It is what ISRAEL does with JESUS, and NOT what Christians do with Israel! Consider the FRUIT of what John Hagee teaches and you will see where it will lead you. Consider the fact that in the past, John Hagee has called for a preemptive attack on another nation, which goes by the name of IRAN, and then ask yourself the question. Is this the Spirit of Jesus Christ at work there? You have to be kidding me if you think that the merciful, kind, loving and gracious Lord who emptied His veins on the cross for lost souls like me and you is behind that! Folks, there is another Spirit at work there and I assure you that it is not the Holy Spirit! Jesus Christ rebuked His closest followers when they suggested that they call fire down upon those who rejected Him!
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias (Elijah) did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)
Any person who has been truly born again of the Spirit knows full well that they personally deserved nothing but the wrath of God, but they received His awesome GRACE and MERCY when they turned to Jesus Christ. After having our spiritual eyes opened up,how could we then think nothing of putting another human being into eternity without the Lord? There is a BOGUS CHRISTIANITY in the land today, that masquerades as the TRUTH but it is anything but that. When you think of the influence that teachers such as John Hagee and others such as Hal Lindsey have in America and the rest of the world it is very scary indeed. If you keep preaching something over and over again, and it meets little resistance, then people will begin to believe it!
