Punishment stages for disobedient nations

God judges and punishes nations for it’s disobedience. The exact sequence of what He will do is not well outlined in Scriptures. However, we can read what God spoke regarding Israelites to study His judgments to get an understanding of the punishments for disobedient nations.

The above diagram is based on how God says He will judge Israel for its disobedience. This pattern can be studied to understand God’s judgment on other nations as well.

Stage 1: Terror, defeat, loses

‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

Lev 26:14-17

It is important to note that the first stage in God’s judgment does not include deaths. It is filled with terror and sorrow. E.g, fear of terrorists, huge national debt where most of what we work goes to other nations in interest repayments.

  • Appoints terror – This can be in the form of heightened security because of the fear of terrorists or constant fear of invasion.
  • Wasting disease and fever – These are diseases that will cause much sorrow in heart. Unable to do anything else but constantly focusing on the disease which consumes our life.
  • You sow your seed and enemies shall eat it – This can be of huge national debt where what the people sow will go the enemy in interest repayments.
  • You shall be defeated by enemies.
  • Those who hate shall reign over you.
  • Shall flee when no one pursues you.

Stage 2: Humiliation, drought, famine

And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

Lev 26:18-20

The second stage of God’s judgment is to break the pride of the nation and causing drought and famine. It is the stage were the nation will be desperate for help from other nations for food.

  • The Lord will break the pride.
  • No rain and no harvest. i.e., drought and famine

Stage 3: Loss of livestock, death of children by wild-beasts

Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate.

Lev 26:21-23

The third stage of God’s judgment is death of children by wild beasts, death of livestock and reduction of population. E.g, shark attacks, low birthrate.

  • Death of children by wild beasts
  • Loss of livestock
  • Loss of population

Stage 4: Invasion, Epidemic diseases, Starvation

And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

Lev 26:24-27

The fourth stage in God’s judgment is invasions of enemies, epidemic diseases, e.g, epidemics like swine flu

  • Invasion of enemies
  • Epidemic disease
  • Lack of food, starvation

Stage 5: Cities in ruins, Land conquered, People become refugees

And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest– for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

Lev 26:28-35

The final stage of God’s judgment on nations is to scatter the people and make their cities as ruins.

  • Cannibalism of their own children
  • Destruction of idols and death of idol worshipers
  • Cities laid waste
  • Sanctuaries and land to desolation
  • Enemies will dwell in the land
  • People scattered and chased out

For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

Lev 18:25

The land vomiting out it’s inhabitants is a clear sign of God’s final stage of judgment and punishment on the nation.

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