Parable of the Judge of Unrighteousness
Lyn Mize
This parable of the Judge, the widow, the god and man, the adversary and the final revenge from the Judge is probably the most misunderstood parable in the Bible. We must remember that parables are for the Church. In Luke Chapter 17 Jesus describes the Main Harvest Rapture of the Church, and He immediately follows with this parable about revenge from the Judge upon those that persecute the Church during the first half of the Tribulation.
We must first understand the characters in this parable. The Judge is Jesus Christ. The city is the Church of Jesus Christ. The god is not God the Father, but the god of this world, who is Satan. The “man” that is not reverenced by the Judge represents the Antichrist. The “widow in the city” is that remnant of the Church that is divorced and left behind to go through the tribulation period. The Greek word for “widow” means one without a husband. The widow is that portion of the Church that has been “put away” by Jesus Christ at the Firstfruits Rapture of the Church.
In understanding this parable, it is important to understand that when the Firstfruits Rapture takes place, the Main Body of the Church will have been put away for unfaithfulness, and it will be left upon the earth. This “widow” will have as her primary adversary the dynamic trio of Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet. The Judge will allow the widow to be greatly persecuted by this satanic trinity for the entire first half of the tribulation period without interfering. However, the time will come at the end of the first half of the tribulation period when the Judge will avenge the widow. When the time comes, it will be done speedily.
We will now begin our verse-by-verse explanation of the parable.
(Luke 18:1 KJV) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Jesus speaks a parable to His disciples that is meant for the end-time Church, and the parable describes the necessity of continuing to pray and beseeching God even when it appears that God is not listening. The widow in the parable is not to give up calling upon God. It is necessary that she not give up even though exhausted and wearied from the persecutions of Antichrist. The purpose of this parable is to encourage that part of the Church left to go through the tribulation period. That part of the Church does not yet understand this parable, but they will understand it when the time comes.
(Luke 18:2 KJV) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
The city is the Church, and the Judge is Jesus Christ who is head of the Church. The City called The New Jerusalem in Scripture typifies the Church. The Greek word for “God” is theos, and it should have been translated as “the god” by the translators. A paraphrase of this verse is as follows:
(Luke 18:2 Paraphrase) Saying, there was in a certain city a Judge, who feared not the god of this earth (i.e., Satan), neither did He reverence the man (i.e., Antichrist).
(Luke 18:3 KJV) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
The Greek word for widow comes from a word meaning deficiency. She is without a husband. In this case, she is the Main Body of the Church that has been “put away” for unfaithfulness. She is still in the city, which is a type for the Church. She calls out to the Judge to avenge her of her adversary. The adversary has already been identified as “the god” and “the man”, and the Judge does not fear this god nor reverence this man.
The Greek word for came is in the imperfect tense, which implies that the widow kept calling upon the Judge for revenge against her adversary.
During the tribulation period, the Main Body of the Church will call out to Jesus Christ to avenge her of all the persecution that she has endured. This is seen in the following verse:
(Rev 6:9-11 KJV) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: {10} And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? {11} And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The book of Habakkuk also describes this injustice to the Main Body of the Church in great detail. Please read my exegesis Book of Habakkuk, which is a detailed description of the seven-year tribulation period.
(Luke 18:4 KJV) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Jesus has given Antichrist 42 months of free reign upon the earth, so He cannot avenge the persecutions of the Church until after the 42 months. He does not withhold his revenge because He fears the god Satan or the man Antichrist, but because He has given his word that Antichrist will have a full 42 months of freedom to do as he wishes to the Church.
This 42-month (i.e., 3-1/2 years) reign of Antichrist is addressed two times in Scripture in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as follows:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) And he (i.e., Antichrist) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints (i.e., main body of the Church) of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they (i.e., main body of the Church) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (i.e., 3-1/2 years or 42 months).
(Rev 13:5 KJV) And there was given unto him (i.e., Antichrist) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (i.e., 3-1/2 years).
(Rev 13:6 KJV) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name (i.e., the power & authority of Jesus Christ), and his tabernacle (i.e., the Main Body of the Church on earth), and them (i.e., the Firstfruits of the Church) that dwell in heaven.
(Rev 13:7 KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The Greek word for “a while” is chronos, and means a set amount of time rather than a set or fixed occasion. The set amount of time is 42 months or 3-1/2 years. The Judge will avenge the widow after the set amount of time has elapsed. The last half of the seven year tribulation period will see the wrath of the Lamb poured out upon Satan, Antichrist and their minions.
The above verse can be paraphrased as follows:
(Luke 18:4 Paraphrase) And He would not avenge her for a set amount of time, and after this time, He responded from within Himself saying, Though I fear not the god (i.e., Satan), nor respect or reverence the man (i.e., Antichrist),
(Luke 18:5 KJV) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
It is the widow that is in great trouble and toil, and not the Judge. It is also the widow who would be completely worn out at the end. The following is an accurate paraphrase of this verse:
(Luke 18:5 Paraphrase) Yet because this widow petitioned me out of her own resources and power, and in her own labor united with intense trouble and toil, I will avenge her, lest at the end (i.e., the Rapture), she come to me completely worn out.
(Luke 18:6 KJV) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
The Judge is not the unjust or unrighteous Judge, but He is the Judge of unrighteousness. The translators did not understand this parable, so they missed this fine point in the translation. This verse is accurately paraphrased as follows:
(Luke 18:6 Paraphrase) And the Lord said, “Pay close attention to what the Judge of unrighteousness says.”
The literal translation of this verse is “Hear what the Judge of unrighteousness says.” There is absolutely no justification for calling the judge the “unjust judge” simply because he is called the Judge of unrighteousness. Jesus Christ will judge and punish the unrighteous acts of both the saved and the unsaved. He is the Judge of unrighteousness. This Judge is not unjust just because He withholds His judgment for a period of time. There are numerous Scriptures where God withholds His judgment until the very last moment when the time of testing has run its course.
(Luke 18:7 KJV) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
As the Judge of unrighteousness, Jesus Christ states, “And shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry out to Him day and night, though He is longsuffering toward them. This verse confirms that Jesus Christ is the antitype of the Judge who listened to the cries of the widow for a long time before He finally avenged her. The revenge was the removal of the widow in the Main Harvest Rapture at the end of the 42-month reign of Antichrist, and the initiation of the judgments of God on the world, including Satan who will indwell Antichrist during the last half of the tribulation period. Both the god (i.e., Satan) and the man (i.e., Antichrist) will be thrown into the Lake of fire when God takes his revenge on the woman’s adversary. Antichrist will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the end of the seven-year tribulation, and Satan will be locked up in the abyss. Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the end of the millennium.
The Greek word for God in this verse is theos, which is the same word in verses 2 and 4 above. This word can mean “god” or it can mean “God”, and it is the context that determines the correct translation. The mistranslation of this word as “God” in verses 2 and 4 above is the primary reason for the complete misunderstanding of this entire parable.
(Luke 18:8 KJV) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Jesus as the Judge completes His statement that God will avenge His elect (i.e., the Church) speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes in the Rapture of the Church, shall He find faithfulness upon the earth? The question is whether the earth will be filled with faithful believers, and the implied answer is no.
This verse confirms that it is God who does the avenging, and since the Judge in this parable is the One who does the avenging in the end, the Judge has to be Jesus Christ, the only One qualified to judge and avenge the adversaries of the widow.
There are numerous problems with the majority of the interpretations of this parable. All of the characters and nouns in a parable represent someone or something. In the usual interpretation of this parable, the judge is not identified, the adversary is not identified, the widow is not identified, and the injustice is not identified. Consequently, the real meaning of the parable is completely overlooked and totally misunderstood.
In the above interpretation of this parable, all of the characters and components of the parable are identified in line with the Scriptures, and the parable is fraught with meaning for those Christians who will be left behind to go through the tribulation period. The Scriptures confirm the meaning of the parable with all of the types in complete accord with the rules of Biblical typology.
This parable of the Judge, the widow, the god and man, the adversary and the final revenge from the Judge is probably the most misunderstood parable in the Bible. We must remember that parables are for the Church. In Luke Chapter 17 Jesus describes the Main Harvest Rapture of the Church, and He immediately follows with this parable about revenge from the Judge upon those that persecute the Church during the first half of the Tribulation.
We must first understand the characters in this parable. The Judge is Jesus Christ. The city is the Church of Jesus Christ. The god is not God the Father, but the god of this world, who is Satan. The “man” that is not reverenced by the Judge represents the Antichrist. The “widow in the city” is that remnant of the Church that is divorced and left behind to go through the tribulation period. The Greek word for “widow” means one without a husband. The widow is that portion of the Church that has been “put away” by Jesus Christ at the Firstfruits Rapture of the Church.
In understanding this parable, it is important to understand that when the Firstfruits Rapture takes place, the Main Body of the Church will have been put away for unfaithfulness, and it will be left upon the earth. This “widow” will have as her primary adversary the dynamic trio of Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet. The Judge will allow the widow to be greatly persecuted by this satanic trinity for the entire first half of the tribulation period without interfering. However, the time will come at the end of the first half of the tribulation period when the Judge will avenge the widow. When the time comes, it will be done speedily.
We will now begin our verse-by-verse explanation of the parable.
(Luke 18:1 KJV) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Jesus speaks a parable to His disciples that is meant for the end-time Church, and the parable describes the necessity of continuing to pray and beseeching God even when it appears that God is not listening. The widow in the parable is not to give up calling upon God. It is necessary that she not give up even though exhausted and wearied from the persecutions of Antichrist. The purpose of this parable is to encourage that part of the Church left to go through the tribulation period. That part of the Church does not yet understand this parable, but they will understand it when the time comes.
(Luke 18:2 KJV) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
The city is the Church, and the Judge is Jesus Christ who is head of the Church. The City called The New Jerusalem in Scripture typifies the Church. The Greek word for “God” is theos, and it should have been translated as “the god” by the translators. A paraphrase of this verse is as follows:
(Luke 18:2 Paraphrase) Saying, there was in a certain city a Judge, who feared not the god of this earth (i.e., Satan), neither did He reverence the man (i.e., Antichrist).
(Luke 18:3 KJV) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
The Greek word for widow comes from a word meaning deficiency. She is without a husband. In this case, she is the Main Body of the Church that has been “put away” for unfaithfulness. She is still in the city, which is a type for the Church. She calls out to the Judge to avenge her of her adversary. The adversary has already been identified as “the god” and “the man”, and the Judge does not fear this god nor reverence this man.
The Greek word for came is in the imperfect tense, which implies that the widow kept calling upon the Judge for revenge against her adversary.
During the tribulation period, the Main Body of the Church will call out to Jesus Christ to avenge her of all the persecution that she has endured. This is seen in the following verse:
(Rev 6:9-11 KJV) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: {10} And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? {11} And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The book of Habakkuk also describes this injustice to the Main Body of the Church in great detail. Please read my exegesis Book of Habakkuk, which is a detailed description of the seven-year tribulation period.
(Luke 18:4 KJV) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Jesus has given Antichrist 42 months of free reign upon the earth, so He cannot avenge the persecutions of the Church until after the 42 months. He does not withhold his revenge because He fears the god Satan or the man Antichrist, but because He has given his word that Antichrist will have a full 42 months of freedom to do as he wishes to the Church.
This 42-month (i.e., 3-1/2 years) reign of Antichrist is addressed two times in Scripture in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as follows:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) And he (i.e., Antichrist) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints (i.e., main body of the Church) of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they (i.e., main body of the Church) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (i.e., 3-1/2 years or 42 months).
(Rev 13:5 KJV) And there was given unto him (i.e., Antichrist) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (i.e., 3-1/2 years).
(Rev 13:6 KJV) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name (i.e., the power & authority of Jesus Christ), and his tabernacle (i.e., the Main Body of the Church on earth), and them (i.e., the Firstfruits of the Church) that dwell in heaven.
(Rev 13:7 KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The Greek word for “a while” is chronos, and means a set amount of time rather than a set or fixed occasion. The set amount of time is 42 months or 3-1/2 years. The Judge will avenge the widow after the set amount of time has elapsed. The last half of the seven year tribulation period will see the wrath of the Lamb poured out upon Satan, Antichrist and their minions.
The above verse can be paraphrased as follows:
(Luke 18:4 Paraphrase) And He would not avenge her for a set amount of time, and after this time, He responded from within Himself saying, Though I fear not the god (i.e., Satan), nor respect or reverence the man (i.e., Antichrist),
(Luke 18:5 KJV) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
It is the widow that is in great trouble and toil, and not the Judge. It is also the widow who would be completely worn out at the end. The following is an accurate paraphrase of this verse:
(Luke 18:5 Paraphrase) Yet because this widow petitioned me out of her own resources and power, and in her own labor united with intense trouble and toil, I will avenge her, lest at the end (i.e., the Rapture), she come to me completely worn out.
(Luke 18:6 KJV) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
The Judge is not the unjust or unrighteous Judge, but He is the Judge of unrighteousness. The translators did not understand this parable, so they missed this fine point in the translation. This verse is accurately paraphrased as follows:
(Luke 18:6 Paraphrase) And the Lord said, “Pay close attention to what the Judge of unrighteousness says.”
The literal translation of this verse is “Hear what the Judge of unrighteousness says.” There is absolutely no justification for calling the judge the “unjust judge” simply because he is called the Judge of unrighteousness. Jesus Christ will judge and punish the unrighteous acts of both the saved and the unsaved. He is the Judge of unrighteousness. This Judge is not unjust just because He withholds His judgment for a period of time. There are numerous Scriptures where God withholds His judgment until the very last moment when the time of testing has run its course.
(Luke 18:7 KJV) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
As the Judge of unrighteousness, Jesus Christ states, “And shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry out to Him day and night, though He is longsuffering toward them. This verse confirms that Jesus Christ is the antitype of the Judge who listened to the cries of the widow for a long time before He finally avenged her. The revenge was the removal of the widow in the Main Harvest Rapture at the end of the 42-month reign of Antichrist, and the initiation of the judgments of God on the world, including Satan who will indwell Antichrist during the last half of the tribulation period. Both the god (i.e., Satan) and the man (i.e., Antichrist) will be thrown into the Lake of fire when God takes his revenge on the woman’s adversary. Antichrist will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the end of the seven-year tribulation, and Satan will be locked up in the abyss. Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the end of the millennium.
The Greek word for God in this verse is theos, which is the same word in verses 2 and 4 above. This word can mean “god” or it can mean “God”, and it is the context that determines the correct translation. The mistranslation of this word as “God” in verses 2 and 4 above is the primary reason for the complete misunderstanding of this entire parable.
(Luke 18:8 KJV) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Jesus as the Judge completes His statement that God will avenge His elect (i.e., the Church) speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes in the Rapture of the Church, shall He find faithfulness upon the earth? The question is whether the earth will be filled with faithful believers, and the implied answer is no.
This verse confirms that it is God who does the avenging, and since the Judge in this parable is the One who does the avenging in the end, the Judge has to be Jesus Christ, the only One qualified to judge and avenge the adversaries of the widow.
There are numerous problems with the majority of the interpretations of this parable. All of the characters and nouns in a parable represent someone or something. In the usual interpretation of this parable, the judge is not identified, the adversary is not identified, the widow is not identified, and the injustice is not identified. Consequently, the real meaning of the parable is completely overlooked and totally misunderstood.
In the above interpretation of this parable, all of the characters and components of the parable are identified in line with the Scriptures, and the parable is fraught with meaning for those Christians who will be left behind to go through the tribulation period. The Scriptures confirm the meaning of the parable with all of the types in complete accord with the rules of Biblical typology.