bleechers's Blog

The answer to that question can only be understood when we see how God interacts with man. The world is not out of His control. He is not cold to our cries. But we live in an age of grace and God deals differently with different people at different times. The objection is raised "is not God the same yesterday, today and forever"? Of course, yet that involves His character not His dealings.

A quick example: before the flood of Genesis 6 God was capable of flooding the earth with water. Today, the same God with the same abilities and the same character cannot flood the earth with water. Why not? Because God cannot lie. He promised Noah He would never flood the earth again. God is the same. Same God. Same abilities. Same character. Different dealings.

A silent Heaven is a part of the mystery of God; but Holy Writ declares that a day is fixed in the Divine chronology when "the mystery of God shall be finished." And when that day breaks… then at last He will assume the power that even now is His by right, and openly reward the good and put down the evil. In a word, He will do then what men think He ought to do now and always. And if He delays to do this, it is not that He is "slack concerning His promise." God's own "apology" for His inaction is that He is "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - ibid

In the hour in which we live God acts as He will and answers prayers as He desires for we live in "the day of Man" and in "the age of grace." Man is ruling as he sees fit and God is dealing with the eternal fates of individuals in long-suffering grace. Man is an untrustworthy master. The Founders knew this and created a three-branch system of government based on the idea that any powers granted to men must be kept in check. Man rules our day and Satan is "the god of this age."

The violent acts at Virginia Tech and at NIU were perpetrated by men. It is the wickedness of man that was on display. God is silent in our day graciously waiting to end the Day of Man. As man abuses man he often wants to blame God, but such accusations are illogical and foolish. God is acting in grace as He comforts us in our time of woe.

Next on the divine schedule is the Day of the Lord and the Day of Vengeance, but until then, we must understand the age in which we live. We don’t build arks, we don’t live communally and we don’t experience the promises given to another people in another age. Today, God is gracious and God is silent. And although silent, He is neither absent nor unfeeling. His silence towards some is also the manifestation of His grace to many more.

I find it oddly amusing when Christians call Sunday "The Lord's Day." You may refer to my car as "bleecher's car" but you may also refer to it as "the car of bleechers." Since Hebrew does not have the possessive like the Greek, the feared "Day of the Lord" in the OT is the "Lord's Day" of the Revelation. You will note that when John is called up "on the Lord's Day" the judgments of God begin to fall on the inhabitant of earth. The Day of the Lord will be a terrible time for many. Let us be thankful we are sinners living in an age of grace, looking for His appearing.

A SILENT Heaven! Yes, but it is not the silence of callous indifference or helpless weakness; it is the silence of a great sabbatic rest, the silence of a peace which is absolute and profound - a silence which is the public pledge and proof that the way is open for the guiltiest of mankind to draw near to God. When faith murmurs, and unbelief revolts, and men challenge the Supreme to break that silence and declare Himself, how little do they realise what the challenge means! It means the withdrawal of the amnesty; it means the end of the reign of grace; it means the closing of the day of mercy and the dawning of the day of wrath. -ibid

A Very Large Issue to Be Understood Not Trivialized

The space here is woefully inadequate to fully tackle this issue (and the writer woefully inadequate to explain the mind of God), but we must try and understand the record given us in His word concerning the age in which we live and the different ways in which He works in the lives of men.

We pray for the living victims of man’s sin in Virginia and in Illinois; the wounded and the families touched. We find comfort in knowing that the Living God has all within His sight and can use man’s wickedness to bring a sense of Himself to the individual.

But mostly our comfort is found in the fact that the Day of Man will not last forever. Our rebellion and mismanagement of this current age will give way to the rule of God. It will be in that day that justice will fall rightly on man; some to destruction and some to an inheritance of grace.

It is troubling to watch men try to live as though they lived in other ages. Some try to live as though they were in Kadesh-Barnea; others as though they lived when Christ walked the earth; many more are trying to recreate the age of the Acts. Many try to live in several ages at the same time. Confusion and bondage often result from a failure to understand our own calling in this age.

The Answer to Silence is Found in Grace

To grace, therefore, we look to explain the silence. Christianity is the supreme and final revelation of the Divine "kindness and love toward man." Therefore when God again declares Himself it can only be in wrath, and wrath must await "the day of wrath." Not that human government has lost its Divine sanction, for "the powers that be are ordained of God." Nor yet that the moral government of the world is in abeyance: the laws of nature are relentlessly enforced, But in this higher sphere there is neither court nor constable empowered to deal with the sins of men; for He to whom alone belongs the high prerogative of judgment is now enthroned as SAVIOUR. God is no longer "imputing their trespasses" to men.' From the throne of the Divine Majesty there has gone forth the proclamation of pardon and peace, and this without condition or reserve. And now a silent Heaven gives continuing proof that this great amnesty is still in force, and that the guiltiest of men may turn to God and find forgiveness of sins and eternal life. God is silent because He has spoken His last word of mercy and love, and judgment must await the "day of judgment "- there can be no place for it in this "day of grace." -ibid


Sir Robert Anderson saw the vileness of man as head of Scotland Yard, yet he also understood the importance of the silence of God in our age. The illogical will blame God. The fool with question God. But the wise will seek to understand God's silence and rejoice in His grace as we mourn the fruits of wickedness from our fallen race.


NOTE: Franklin Graham was on E.D. Hill's Fox News program and was asked the "where was God?" question. Graham's answer was partly true, but the true answer concerns God's grace. Those who question God's "failure" to act do not know what they are asking. If God were to wipe out sin and sinners (which He will do some day), it wouldn't just be Cho that would have to be stopped... we'd all have to be stopped. We live in an age of grace. Blame man for his sin and thank God for his long-suffering grace. As Job said, "Though He slay me, still I will trust in Him."