The Full Cup Principle
Study 2

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New Testament Examples

The full cup principle concept is also confirmed in the New Testament. Paul warned the sexually immoral Romans, “…you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Romans 2:5,6,8) Compare these verses with Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Paul understood why God’s wrath is coming. He told the believers in Colossus, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthy nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5,6)

Paul encouraged the believers in Thessalonica to be patient in their suffering until the enemies of Christ had filled up their cup. “…You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches [in Judea] suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They [the Jews] displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this same way, they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.” (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, insertion mine) When Paul wrote this epistle, he knew the Jewish nation had filled up its cup of sin and he knew that God was sending the Romans to destroy Jerusalem. Rome destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70 just as Jesus had prophesied. (Matthew 24:1,2; Luke 21:22)

Jesus and the Full Cup

Jesus explained the full cup principle in a discourse with the Pharisees. After pronouncing seven curses on the Jewish leaders for their religious bigotry and hypocrisy, Jesus said, “Fill up, then, the measure of the [cup of] sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:32,33 insertion mine) Again, the point is made: When a nation or individual reaches the limit of divine forbearance, God breaks His silence. His mercy with sin and sinners has a limit. Jesus concluded His denunciation of the Jewish nation by saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who sent you, how often I have longed to gather together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house [temple] is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23: 37,38, insertion mine) Later, Jesus predicted Jerusalem’s destruction as a fulfillment of God’s wrath: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment [wrath] in fulfillment of all that has been written [in the Scriptures concerning Israel].” (Luke 21:20-22, insertion mine)

Does God Kill People?

From time to time, scholars and pastors assert that God does not kill or destroy people. They defend this by saying that, (1) God does not violate His own commandments, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13 KJV), and or (2) God just steps aside and turns evil people over to the natural consequences of sin which brings death and destruction. In simple terms, advocates of this view reason that if God is love, He does not violate His character of love by doing evil (killing). (1 John 4:8) Instead, God simply steps out of the way when people become totally evil. He either allows sin to take its natural, destructive course or He turns them over to the devil-allowing Satan to do whatever he wishes. The justification used to support either position is false.

A person cannot understand aspects of God’s character and ignore His own words! Notice what the Lord Himself said in the days of Noah, “The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:6,7) The Bible puts God in an active role – not a passive position concerning the destruction of Earth at the time of the flood. Notice the same position of God with respect to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord….Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities – and also the vegetation in the land.” (Genesis 13:13; 19:24,25) Centuries later, Jude warned early Christians saying, “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who [will] suffer the punishment of eternal fire [that will come down from God out of Heaven].” (Jude 7, Revelation 20:9 insertions mine) One more example is included to show how God Himself is willing to destroy nations when necessary. The Lord said to Israel at the time of the giving of the covenant at Mount Sinai: “If in spite of these things [redemptive judgments] you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.” (Leviticus 26:23-25, insertion mine) There are many more examples in the Bible, but these should be sufficient to show that god not only kills people for justifiable reasons, but He takes full responsibility for doing so.

Falsehoods about God’s character do a lot of damage when they contain some truth. (A good lie is 99% truth) The Bible says that god is love. Jesus’ death on Calvary proves that god is love. What more could He do than live among the stench and rejection of sinners for 30 years and then give His life for us? Not only did He make eternal salvation possible, but also He gives us grace to meet the challenges of each day. He provides food and clothing for us, He sustains us because He cares for us and desires the best for us. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. (Matthew 10:31) The problem though, is that God’s love does not lessen the importance of His boundaries between good and evil. (Genesis 2:17) God requires man to live within boundaries He has established – both physical laws and moral laws. For example, consider the physical law of momentum: Mass times velocity equals momentum. A 4,000-pound car going 60 miles per hour has a lot of momentum. Suppose a man drinks too much, gets drunk and while driving his car at a high rate of speed hits a tree and dies. Did God kill the driver? No. The law of momentum produced the injury that caused death. Therefore, there is validity to the claim that sin has consequences. However, the question remains, did a loving God create the law of momentum that killed the drunk driver? Yes, God created the law of momentum and He wants us to live within the boundaries of that law. If man chooses to get drunk and drive into a tree, then it is fair to conclude that the drunk killed himself. The other motorists can consider themselves very fortunate if the drunk kills only himself or herself!

Regarding this issue, many people stumble over the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill?” Does God violate His own commandment when He kills people? This is a good question. Let us examine the intent of the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” God has declared that there are a few circumstances where death can be inflicted upon a person (as in capital punishment) without breaking the intent of His law. Notice what the Lord told Noah at the time of his exit from the ark: “And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” (Genesis 9:5,6) This verse indicates that god not only commanded, but expected other men to put murderers to death. Capital punishment is not man’s invention. The Bible reveals that capital punishment originated with God – not man. (See Leviticus 20.)

In the wilderness, God not only spoke the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, He also elaborated on the terms and conditions for capital punishment. “These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.” (Numbers 35: 29-31) The point is that God does not break the intent of His own law by requiring men to put murderers to death. A person has to incorporate all that God has said about killing to understand the intent lying the laws that govern life and death. When God said, “Thou shalt not kill, “ He was forbidding premeditated murder. However, if someone chose to commit murder, God declared that the murderer must be put to death and the next of kin could kill the murderer without incurring guilt. Notice “[If] the avenger of blood finds him [the murderer] outside the city [of refuse], the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder.” (Numbers 35:27, insertion mine) If sinful people can kill a wicked person without incurring guilt under lawful circumstances, God can too.

Underlying Principles

The underlying principles behind capital punishment are atonement and restitution. God requires atonement and restitution for every sin. In God’s order, there is no forgiveness for sin. Now, before you jump to any hasty conclusions, keep on reading. I am not saying that sinners are not forgiven. I am saying that sin itself is not forgiven. At first, this statement seems contradictory, but this is what atonement is all about. Atonement for sin is possible only after restitution has been made. It is for this very purpose that Jesus died on the cross. God placed our sins upon Jesus and He was slain in our place. Jesus was our atonement! We may “say” that our sins are forgiven, but this is not the whole story. The sins of all believers are transferred to Jesus, the Lamb of God, when we put our faith in Him as our means to salvation. He is our atonement for sin through faith. If the Old Testament sanctuary service teaches us anything, it is this: God requires atonement for wrong doing. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the alter; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” (Leviticus 17:11) “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

A Few Examples

Individuals who claim that God does not kill people cannot give a Scriptural reason for the death of the firstborn, both men and animals, at the time of the Exodus. The Lord warned Moses that if the destroying angel did not find blood on the doorsteps, He Himself would slay the firstborn of each family, whether man or animal! “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn both men and animals and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” (Exodus 12:12, italics mine) This is an important point. Who claims responsibility for killing the eldest (the highest ranking) family member of men and animals in Egypt? Who spoke to Moses? If we make the devil responsible, then we must conclude that (a) the devil is speaking in Exodus 12, or (b) God and the devil were partners in the killing of the firstborn.

God does not need or use the devil to accomplish works of righteousness. Furthermore, if God simply turned His back on the firstborn in Egypt and allowed the devil to kill this select group of people, then God should be considered an accomplice to murder. (God says that if an individual has the opportunity to prevent harm and does nothing about it, he becomes an accomplice to the harm committed and shares in its guilt. Ezekiel 3:17-21) The real point is, “Do we take God at His word?” Notice what the Lord told Moses: “See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39)

The deaths of the firstborn in Egypt reveal something important about the character of God. He gave Pharaoh and his court nine plagues (nine chances) to convince them that He was Sovereign, but Pharaoh refused to recognize God’s authority. Therefore, God sent a tenth plague upon Egypt, which killed, many, including Pharaoh’s firstborn. During the Great tribulation, history will be repeated. God will provide an abundance of evidence that He is sovereign, but millions of people will refuse to obey the commands of the Almighty and they will receive His seven last plagues! When men and women refuse the clearest evidences of God’s will, what more can He do? What are God’s options if individuals willfully refuse to recognize the difference between right and wrong? God killed Egypt’s firstborn as an object lesson for Israel and to punish Egypt. Egypt’s punishment was due to open rebellion against the authority of God. Pharaoh had filled his cup! The object lesson for Israel was even more impressive! The “passing over” pointed forward to a time when God would pass over every human being in judgment to verify that the blood of His sacrifices on Calvary was on the door posts of the heart. (2 Corinthians 5:10) The death of the firstborn in Egypt was a shadow of the death of God’s only Son that would be necessary for man’s salvation. (The story of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah reveals the same concept. God tested Abraham’s faith to see if Abraham was willing to do to his own son what God would have to do to His Son.) No wonder Jesus is called the Lamb of God. (John 1:29) Incidentally, the New Testament describes three instances in which people were killed outright under interesting circumstances. Read Acts 5:1-11 and Acts 12:23 and see if you can determine who did the killing. Also, carefully examine 2 Kings 1:1-17 and determine who destroyed 102 men with fire. Then, read Isaiah 37 and pay close attention to verse 36 where you will discover who killed 185,000 men. These texts should help to dismiss any doubt you may have on this compelling subject.

God’s Wrath Will Be Revealed in Our Day

“I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declared the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 24:14) When the Lord spoke these words to Ezekiel, He was referring to the fact that Israel had filled its cup. Our day is coming, too. God will break His silence and demonstrate His animosity toward sin. It will happen suddenly, severing the past from the oncoming future. Life as we know it will immediately and irrevocably change. The world has never witnessed anything like the coming judgments of God, nor can it sustain more than one visitation. God will act suddenly and powerfully, and all the inhabitants of Earth will be overwhelmed with His swiftness and intensity. In this context, the authority, character and actions of God become the subject of profound interest and controversy among all the people of Earth.

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