| By Daniel Rendelman Well, it hasn't taken long for the naysayers to get some attention. The voices have already begun to call the horrendous Japanese earthquake and tsunami an act up judgment by an angry God. Even some respected Bible teachers have joined the chorus that these natural disasters occurred in retaliation to Japan's dismissal of the secular nation of Israel. The premise behind such an idea is that exactly one year to the day before this catastrophic event, the Japanese government withheld its support for Israeli governments' decisions regarding the land of Israel.
It is also said that two days before the monster quake, a smaller tremor rattled the island. On that same day the government of Japan took control of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which provides food assistance to the poorest of the poor in the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory. From these events, self proclaimed prophecy teachers cry that Zechariah 12:3, 9 is coming to pass before our very eyes. It reads, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Are the prophecy teachers right? Is the Heavenly Father huffing and puffing and blowing stick houses down? Or is the aforementioned verse taken out of context and misaligned? While it is indeed tempting to look at this horrible disaster as the hand of an angry God, such an idea is totally wrong. Do not be deceived. The Almighty has not judged Japan's actions of forsaking Israel. Nor has He struck them for any other sin. If judgment was being poured out then San Francisco or Las Vegas deserved being hit before Japan! If Israel's enemies were on the bull's eye then surely Iran should have been destroyed first. But it wasn't. The truth is that the people are propagating such poison of judgment are totally and inexplicably wrong. These people don't esteem the sacrifice of the Messiah Y'shua and therefore paint a picture of YHWH that is against the Scriptures. These people are in affect stating that Japan's sin is bigger and more important that what Messiah did on the execution tree (cross). Sorry, but the Mighty One of Israel, YHWH, is not judging Japan, America, or any other country. In fact, YHWH isn't judging anyone. Judgment was dealt with once and for all when the Messiah gave his life on the execution tree. All sin - past, present, and future - was placed upon the Savior when he died. He paid the price and faced the judgment once and for all. The Bible actually states that He "became" sin for us to pay the death penalty of disobedience. Thanks to the sacrifice of Messiah, sin doesn't bother YHWH. Nor is he mad at nations that rage against Israel. The scriptures teach that all the wrath and judgment of YHWH was poured out upon Y'shua when he hung upon the tree. YHWH is NOT mad at the world and YHWH is not anxiously waiting to judge Iran or America. The blood of Y'shua has saved us from judgment. YHWH is NOT judging the world today. His blood has provided mercy and forgiveness. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him [Y'shua] the iniquity of us all," Isaiah 53:6. Billy Graham once said, "If god doesn't judge America then he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." WRONG - If YHWH does judge America then he will have to apologize to Y'shua! All the judgment of sin was placed upon Y'shua. Yes, a person or a nation reaps what is sown. That's not YHWH taking revenge but a spiritual law of consequences coming to pass. Consider2 Corinthians 5:18-21, "Now everything is from YHWH, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Messiah, YHWH was reconciling the world to Himself,) not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Moshiach; certain that YHWH is appealing through us, we plead on Messiah's behalf, "Be reconciled to YHWH." He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of YHWH in Him." The truth is that sin isn't a problem for YHWH anymore. Our sins can not separate us from YHWH. All of our sins have been charged to Y'shua's account. Hebrews 9:11 - 12, "Now the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the holy of holies once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
When Y'shua was on the tree he paid the price for all sin. Hebrews 9:26, "But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Friend, when YHWH looks upon us he doesn't see sin. Regardless of what Japan does to Israel, when YHWH looks upon Japan he sees the blood of Messiah. When YHWH looks at America he isn't mad either because He only sees Y'shua. And He isn't mad at you! 1 Corinthians 6:17 says that "he that is joined to YHWH is one spirit with YHWH."
Such an understanding does NOT give us a license to sin; to do so would be just stupid. Sin opens the door to the adversary. Romans 6:16, "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" When an individual or a country continues to walk away from the Word of YHWH they are giving the adversary control in their lives. Such service to the flesh allows the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. It's not YHWH who is destroying... it is the enemy. Y'shua came that we might have life, says John 10:10!
Sin brings curses upon us. These curses are NOT sent by YHWH but by ourselves. The emet / truth is that if we've been born again and follow Y'shua then His blood has been applied to ALL our sins - past, present, and future. We have been made one with His spirit and when YHWH looks upon us He sees the Son.
Perhaps the events in Japan are a picture of YHWH's mercy. What if the earthquake epicenter would have been in Tokyo? Have you considered how much worse this event could have been? Maybe the natural disaster was just that, a natural disaster? Such a message of mercy isn't easy to the ears. The full sacrifice of Y'shua is a startling message to those that are used to a doom's day message of YHWH showing forth His wrath upon Japan or America through natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Too many people would much rather hear bad news and picture the judgment of the sinners. But, YHWH is showing mercy. He didn't send Y'shua to condemn the world but to save it. And He didn't send an earthquake to destroy Japan. All judgment was placed upon Y'shua. He isn't sitting in Heaven counting down the days until tribulation. Instead, He is moving within the hearts of men and calling us to repent! The book of James chapter 2 states that "mercy triumphs over justice." The flood gates of Heaven are open to us as we walk in His ways. When we obey we put His blessings into motion. When we disobey we actively stop his blessings from reaching us and release curses to have power upon us. The angels were right when they said in Luke 2:14, "Glory to YHWH in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Blessed is the man who values the sacrifice of Y'shua and extends mercy for those in pain. May we pray for those suffering in this natural disaster and may we never belittle what our Messiah has done for us and in us. | 
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