Q38: THIS IS A NEW GENERATION OF JAPANESE PEOPLE! WHY DOES THE SON HAS TO SUFFER THE SINS OF THE FATHER? God Should Have Punished The Japanese During WW II When They Were Committing Those Crimes Against Humanity. Why Wait 70 Years?

This is a new generation of Japanese people! Why does the son have to suffer for the sins of the father? God should have punished the Japanese during WW II when they were committing those crimes against humanity. Why wait 70 years?

-- Arnel Amador
   Oxnard, California, USA

Because they will turn your sons away from Me to worship other gods. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.  (Deu 7:4 HCSB)

Hi, Arnel.

Thanks again for your questions.

God punishes the children for the sins of their parents and ancestors if they do the same evil that their parents walked, or if they don't repent of their wicked ways. This is plainly spoken by God, and written in the Bible, as in Exodus 20:5.

• You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the Children for the Fathers' sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,  (Exo 20:5 HCSB) 

From John Gill Exposition of the Whole Bible:

"Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children"; meaning chiefly, if not solely, the iniquity of idolatry; which being such an insult on his honor, "crimen laesae majestatis", is treated by him as high treason is among men; not only he punishes the authors and perpetrators of it in their own persons, which is meant by "visiting", but upon their children also, which are parts of themselves; and whatsoever is inflicted on them is the same as on themselves, and is an addition to, and a sensible aggravation of their punishment; and especially these are visited in such a manner, when they tread in their father's steps, and fill up the measure of their iniquity. So the Targum of Jonathan,"visiting the iniquity of ungodly fathers on rebellious children. -- John Gill

The people that bore the sins of their fathers had not done that which is right, and had not live according to God's commandments and statutes. Therefore, they justly suffered for their own sin and the sins of their fathers. This is just God's way of dealing with sins.

• Our Fathers sinned; they no longer exist, but we bear their punishment.  (Lam 5:7 HCSB)

The Japanese during WW II worshipped many gods, including their Emperor. The Japanese today still worshipped many other gods. And they continue to oppress the poor, the weak, etc. 

God punished the Japanese people during World War II when He permitted the dropping from their sky two nuclear or atomic bombs that decimated their cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But their sins are so great and brutal (and they don't repent of it) that their unrepentant children deserve the vengeance of God, even at this present generation.

ONLY GENUINE REPENTANCE CAN REMOVE THE VENGEANCE OF GOD FROM THE CHILDREN OF WICKED PARENTS

It is true that there is a curse pronounced upon wicked families and nations, but it is also true that the pronouncement or judgment may be cut off by repentance. 

God will not destroy the children for the iniquity of their fathers, if they do not walk in the steps of their fathers, if they endeavor to do their duty not to repeat it. And they should obey God's commands and statutes, not the statutes of their fathers. 

• ...Walk ye not in the statutes of your Fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:  (Eze 20:18 KJV)

• I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;  (Eze 20:19 KJV)

If the children fulfill the above change of direction, then, the following scripture now apply to them:

• The Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children, neither shall the Children be put to death for the Fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.  (Deu 24:16 KJV)

The following Scriptures (Ezekiel 18:4, 14-22) explain by themselves the subject you asked. These come from the Holman Chrsitian Standard Version (HCSB) of the Bible.

• Look, every life belongs to Me. The life of the Father is like the life of the son -- both belong to Me. The person who sins is the one who will die.  (Eze 18:4)

• Now suppose a wicked Father has a son who sees all the sins his Father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise.  (Eze 18:14)

• He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols... He does not defile his neighbor's wife.  (Eze 18:15)

• He doesn't oppress anyone, hold collateral, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.  (Eze 18:16)

• He keeps his hand from harming the poor, not taking interest or profit on a loan. He practices My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a person will not die for his Father's iniquity. He will certainly live.  (Eze 18:17)

• As for his Father, he will die for his own iniquity because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.  (Eze 18:18)

BUT IF THE SON OBEYED GOD, AND NOT HIS WICKED FATHER; THEN HE WILL SURELY LIVE!

But you may ask: Why doesn't the son suffer punishment for the Father's iniquity? Because the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will certainly live.  (Eze 18:19)

• The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won't suffer punishment for the Father's iniquity, and a Father won't suffer punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.  (Eze 18:20) 

• Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die.  (Eze 18:21)

• None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced.  (Eze 18:22)

Keep your questions coming, my friend.

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