The Fate of the Wicked, Part 2

The Fate of the Wicked

The List Continued:

Chapter 5 Addendum, Part 2: (Back to Part 1) Is there hope for the wicked? Most “Bible believing” people assume that the wicked are every last person who is not a Christian, and that the “wicked” dead are burning in “hell” —now and forever. Others imagine that at least some of the wicked can escape the Lake of Fire by serving time in “purgatory” first. Still others suppose that, in the resurrection, “unconverted” people will have another opportunity to get to know God, and with this knowledge, they will hopefully decide to become “good” , so as to avoid the flames of “hell”. If you consider the scriptures that describe the wicked, rather than just the many which merely mention them in passing, as compiled here, you may come to see that there is absolutely no evidence to support any of the popular viewpoints! These scriptures collectively define the actions which makes the wicked—wicked and describe what God is going to do with them and exactly when their judgment will come to pass. The little old lady next door and the neighbor kids may not fit into the proverbial box you’ve marked “reserved for the wicked!”

In case you just surfed onto this page; this is the part 2 of 3 of a long list of scriptures that tell us virtually everything that there is to know about the fate of the wicked. These three lists of scriptures add considerable supplemental weight to the conclusions drawn in The Called, the Culled, and the Excused, which this list forms a kind of super addendum to.

Resuming the study of the word “wicked”:

The timing for vengeance on the wicked again coincides with the rewarding of the righteous. Survivors of the Great Tribulation who are neither wicked or Saints (off site) will say, “surely there is a reward for the righteous” when they see both the wicked destroyed and the righteous given their reward when God judges the earth. Notice here 1) the “righteous” , 2) the wicked, 3) and other “men”. This is also another scripture that implies that the Saints will be involved in Judgment Day—after all “we shall judge angels”.

Psalms 58:All To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Michtam of David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? 2 No, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5 which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully. 6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. 8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath. 10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, [apparently kill them] 11 so that men will say [survivors of the Day of the Lord who are not Saints or the wicked], ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.

Psalms 59:1-13 To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3 For look, they lie in wait for my life; the mighty gather against me, not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord. 4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold! 5 You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah 6 At evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. 7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for they say, ‘Who hears?’ 8 But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision. 9 I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense; 10 my God of mercy SHALL COME to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. [Was David confused when he said that he would see his enemies punished when his God “shall come”] 11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, [the wicked serve as an important object lesson] O Lord our shield. 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying, which they speak. 13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they MAY NOT BE; and let them [the survivors of the Day of the Lord] know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.

The next verse shows a simple comparison between melting wax and the wicked perishing:

Psalms 68:1-23 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God [on Judgment Day]. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him .... 22 The Lord said, "I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back [the dead] from the depths of the sea, 23 that your foot may crush them in blood, and the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.

Psalms 71:4-13 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man .... 10 For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, 11 saying, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.’ 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.

Again, there is the contrast of two fates: salvation to glory, (the Best Resurrection), or perishing:

Psalms73:All A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; they have more than heart could wish. 8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. 11 And they say, ‘How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?’ 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. 13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning. [Even this “man after God’s own heart” , like Job, envied the apparent peace that the wicked had when he was being unfairly treated by the servants of Satan.] 15 If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. 16 When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. 19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! [Literally: in the time it takes to wink!] They are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. [Despite rumors to the contrary, God does not love the wicked!] 21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. 24 You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to GLORY. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall PERISH; You have ‘destroyed’ [Literally: put an end to, terminate] all those who desert You for harlotry. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.

Psalms 75:All To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 2 ‘When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah 4 ‘I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. 5 Do not lift up your horn on high; do not speak with a stiff neck.’ 6 For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. 7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another. 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down. 9 But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 ‘All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

We have the potential to be “gods”—literally “children of the Most High”—yet many “shall die”, and shall fall like one of the former princes (demons).

Another Judgment Day Prophecy

Psalms 82:All A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6 I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.’ 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations.

Yet Another Judgment Day Prophecy

Psalms 92:All A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, 3 on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. 4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. 5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, [such as right now] it is that they may be destroyed forever. 8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. 9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; my ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me. 12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, 15 to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Once More, Judgment Day focuses on the Wicked

Psalms 94:All O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. 3 Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? 4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things; ALL the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. 5 They break in pieces Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. [This condition applies to the entire 6000 years where the wicked are unrestrained, after which God will: “cut them off in their own wickedness.”] 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. 7 Yet they say, ‘The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand.’ 8 Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? 10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, 13 that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. 15 But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 17 Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. 18 If I say, ‘My foot slips,’ Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. 19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? 21 They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. 22 But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the Lord our God shall cut them off.

Psalms 104:31-35 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works. 32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. [Day of the Lord] 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord. 35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked BE NO MORE. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

Here is another good definition of how the wicked think:

Psalms 109:1-16 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few, and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; let them seek their bread also from their desolate places. 11 Let the creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be continually before the Lord, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; 16 because he DID NOT remember to SHOW MERCY, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

Here is yet another scripture contrasting the time when the righteous will be remembered and be “established” simultaneously to the time when the wicked will burn and “perish”. The wicked will grieve when they see others being rewarded and discover their own fate.

Psalms 112:6-10 The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. 9 He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor. 10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall ‘perish’ [Literally: perish, die, be exterminated]

Psalms 119:21-160 You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments .... 118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood. 119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies. 120 My flesh trembles for fear of You .... 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes. 160 The entirety of Your word is truth, [including the words of David!] and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Psalms 129:1-8 A Song of Ascents. ‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,’ Let Israel now say—2 ‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.’ 4 The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. 5 Let all those who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned back. 6 Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, 7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his arms. 8 Neither let those who pass by them say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!

Psalms 139:19-23 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; 24 and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

King David is consistent with regard to the wicked, remember, “a man after God’s own heart”. Here he gave a pretty good description of the lake of fire.

Psalms 14:8-11 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further his wicked scheme, lest they be exalted. Selah 9 ‘As for the head of those who surround me, let the evil of their lips cover them; 10 let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they RISE NOT UP AGAIN. 11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

To continue studying everything there is to know about the fate of the wicked:

The Lord loves the righteous, but the wicked ...

Psalms 146:5-10 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down. 10 The Lord shall reign forever—Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 2:10-22 When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, 12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, 13 from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 who REJOICE in doing evil, and DELIGHT in the perversity of the wicked [The wicked “rejoice” and “delight” in their “lifestyle” , that is why they are wicked!]; 15 whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths; 16 to deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, 17 who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. 18 For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead; 19 none who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life—20 so you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness. 21 For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

Ignorance is not an excuse for being wicked!

Proverbs 3:32-35 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret counsel is with the upright. 33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just. 34 Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. 35 The wise shall INHERIT GLORY, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.

We dont like to think of anyone as being “worthless” , but here God describes a “worthless” or literally “good for nothing” person.

Proverbs 6:12-19 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; 13 he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; 14 perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, [another defining characteristic of the wicked] he sows discord. 15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly [on Judgment Day]; suddenly he shall be broken without ‘remedy’ [Literally: no remedy or no cure]. 16 These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

Proverbs 10:24-29 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the WHIRLWIND passes by, the wicked is NO MORE, but the righteous has an EVERLASTING FOUNDATION. 26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him. 27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30 The righteous will never be removed, [as in “go to heaven”] but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

[When we get to Jeremiah we’ll see that this “WHIRLWIND” passes by on Judgment Day.]

This one is short, but directly to the point: The wicked dead are to be “banished” while the righteous await their resurrection!

Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness, BUT the righteous has a refuge in his death.

Conversely, once the wicked dies, he logically has no “refuge”.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Proverbs 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness.

Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant.

Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom!

Proverbs 20:26 A wise king sifts out the wicked, and brings the threshing wheel over them.

Note particularly verse 10 below. This is a definition of what it takes to be wicked!

Proverbs 21:4-27 A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. 5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. 6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. 7 The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice. 8 The way of a guilty man is perverse; but as for the pure, his work is right. 9 Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 10 The soul of the WICKED DESIRES EVIL; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. 11 When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; but when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. 12 The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness. 13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard. 14 A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind the back, strong wrath. 15 It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17 He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright. 19 Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman. 20 There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it. 21 He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honor. 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the trusted stronghold. 23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. 24 A proud and haughty man —“Scoffer” is his name; he acts with arrogant pride. 25 The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. 26 He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with wicked intent!

Proverbs 21:12-27 The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness ... Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard .... It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity .... The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright .... A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead…The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with wicked intent!

Proverbs 24:15-20 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not plunder his resting place; 16 for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the wicked; 20 for there will be no prospect for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

This is the plan for the future:

Proverbs 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

Proverbs 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

Proverbs 28:28 When the wicked arise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

The wicked mind cannot even relate to the needs of others, such was Satan; only interested in his own desires.

Proverbs 29:16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall.

An irreconcilable difference:

Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

Ecclesiastes 8:10- 14 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; [hint!] nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. 14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. 2 All things come alike to all: one event happens to the righteous and the wicked; [It is appointed to man once to die—then comes the judgment.] to the good, the clean, and the unclean; to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath as he who fears an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [death is the enemy] happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, [Everyone who is living is having an opportunity to be good and benefit from God, not just those called to be kings.] for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they [the wicked] have no more reward, for the MEMORY of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; NEVER MORE will they have a share in anything done under the sun. [This means no resurrection to another life.] 7 Go, [you righteous] eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor, which you perform under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. [i.e. no Pergatory]

Solomon summarized his book:

Ecclesiastes 12:13- 14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

God will truly judge our works, what else could He judge? Just like in the courts of this life, people are being judged by what they have or have not done.

Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the Lord WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND [this is a limited time opportunity!], call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. 9 ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

The following verses, as is so often the case contrasts the righteous with the wicked. Verse 15 appears to specify the resurrection on Judgment Day—a topic little covered in the Hebrew scriptures.

Isaiah 57: 13-21 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, a breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.’ 14 And one shall say, ‘Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.’ 15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, [New Jerusalem] with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to REVIVE THE SPIRIT of the HUMBLE, and to revive the heart of the CONTRITE ONES. [This shows that God discriminates concerning who will be resurrected to eternal life!] 16 For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. 19 ‘I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,’ Says the Lord, ‘And I will heal him.’ 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.

God’s people absolutely love to be deceived by false prophets!

Jeremiah 5:25-31 Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you. 26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men. 27 As a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich. 28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; they do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless; yet they prosper, and the right of the needy they do not defend. 29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? 30 “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests RULE by their own power [hierarchical dictators]; and My people LOVE to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”

Most people are innocent bystanders—not wicked or righteous. God will deal with them in a surprising way—as explained in The Called, the Culled, and the Excused The wicked accomplish one very important purpose: they teach the righteous to loath wickedness! The following analogy about the wicked is quite illustrative of society. We can separate out the wickedest elements of society, perhaps send them to jail for a time, but they end up back among us. When the dross is not skimmed off of melted silver, it is still impure. God will soon skim off the dross and eliminate it!

Jeremiah 6:27-30 I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people, that you may know and test their way. 28 They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, they are all corrupters; 29 the bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the smelter refines in vain, for the wicked are not drawn off. 30 People will call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.

Jeremiah 12:1-6 Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind. 3 But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out [separate them from us] like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

God is testing the minds of everyone, not just those called to be kings, and the results are not so good:

Jeremiah 17:7-10 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. 9 ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

We havent understood the “whirlwind” to befall the “wicked” “perfectly” yet!:

Jeremiah 23:19-20 Behold, a WHIRLWIND of the Lord has gone forth in fury—a violent WHIRLWIND! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.

Jeremiah 25:30-33 Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: ‘The Lord will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth - for the Lord has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the Lord.’ 32 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, disaster shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great WHIRLWIND shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the earth. 33 And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

Again, “consider” the “whirlwind” fate of the “wicked” “in the later days”:

Jeremiah 30:22-24 You shall be My people, and I will be your God.’ 23 Behold, the WHIRLWIND of the Lord goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind; it will fall violently on the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart. IN THE LATTER DAYS you will CONSIDER it.

Ezekiel 3:17-21 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. [If the righteous do not openly oppose wickedness, then they begin to side with the wicked!] 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.

Ezekiel 11:2-10 And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!’ 5 Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, ‘Speak! ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.’ 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,’ says the Lord God. 9 ‘And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you. 10 You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 13 has a great deal to say about the wicked “prophets” of end time Israel. While they wear masks of righteousness God will “tear off your veils and deliver My people”. Only after this will all twelve tribes of Israel “know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel 13:9-23 My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God. [They will not be included in the Book of Life.] ... 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

Now for Part 3

Some scriptures are from the “New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.” “Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 372 14-1000.”