God usually warns before He judges. So infinite is His mercy and grace, that one might not go beyond the truth in saying that He always does. Scripture abounds with instances.
Sodom was visited by two heavenly messengers the day before the fire of God consumed it. (Gen. 19.)
Pharaoh had warnings in abundance long before his final doom. His chariot wheels came off some hours before he "sank as lead in the mighty waters." (Ex. 14 and 15.)
Belshazzar, the impious Chaldean monarch, had his warning written before his eyes by "the finger of a man's hand"; and from the lips of Daniel, "God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it," hours before the enemy gained entrance to the city. Yet "in that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, slain." (Dan. 5.)
Judas got his warning when the Lord said, "One of you shall betray Me." He heeded it not, and "went to his own place." (John 13; Acts 1.)
Pilate was well and wisely warned when, even on the judgment seat, he received the message from his wife: "Have thou nothing to do with that just man." Disregarding it he signed the Lord's death warrant― and who shall say not his own at the same moment of time? (Matt. 27:1919When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. (Matthew 27:19).)
How different might have been the end, for time and eternity, of all these men, had God's warnings been heeded, His message believed, and His mercy besought; had repentance and self-judgment taken the place of unbelief and indifference.
The five words which head this paper were God's warning to another man named Hananiah. He was a false prophet. He was not sent by God, but he prophesied lies in His name. To him came the word of the Lord: "Hear now, Hananiah; the Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore, thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: This year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month." (Jer. 28:1517.)
It was in the fifth month of the year that Hananiah uttered his false prophecy and got his warning― "this year thou shalt die"; and "Hananiah the prophet died the same year, in the seventh month." Such is God's record of what took place: His word always comes true.
Dear reader, have you ever thought that God may have spoken as to you, "This year thou shalt die"? Are you ready to die? Are you prepared to meet God? Are your sins all washed away?
Very likely you will say, How do you know I shall die this year? I do not know it, nor affirm it, but God knows, and if your days on earth are numbered, where will you spend eternity, in heaven or hell? There is no third place. Annihilation is a lure of the devil to get careless sinners to go on in sin till it be too late.
For anyone to continue in his sins, unrepentant, unforgiven, unwashed, unsaved, when grace is calling whosoever will come to the Savior, is folly beyond measure. "O that they were wise... that they would consider their latter end!" (Deut. 32:2929O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! (Deuteronomy 32:29).)