In biblical theology, the concept of "Years of Visitation" refers to specific periods when God intervenes in human history to execute judgment. These times are marked by divine retribution against nations, communities, or individuals who have persistently engaged in sin and rebellion against God's commandments. The term "visitation" in this context implies a direct and purposeful action by God to address iniquity and restore justice.

Biblical Foundation

The notion of divine visitation is rooted in the understanding of God as both just and merciful. Throughout Scripture, God is portrayed as patient and long-suffering, yet there are appointed times when His justice demands action. The prophet Isaiah speaks of such a time: "For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion" (Isaiah 34:8). Here, the "year of recompense" signifies a period when God will vindicate His people and punish their oppressors.

Examples in Scripture

1. The Flood (Genesis 6-9): One of the earliest and most dramatic examples of divine visitation is the Great Flood. Humanity's widespread wickedness prompted God to cleanse the earth, sparing only Noah and his family. This event underscores the severity of God's judgment when sin reaches its fullness.

2. The Exodus Plagues (Exodus 7-12): The plagues of Egypt serve as another instance of God's visitation. Each plague was a judgment against the false gods of Egypt and a demonstration of God's power and sovereignty. The culmination of these judgments led to the liberation of the Israelites, highlighting God's deliverance alongside His judgment.

3. The Babylonian Exile (Jeremiah 25:11-12): The prophet Jeremiah foretold the Babylonian captivity as a period of divine visitation due to Judah's persistent idolatry and disobedience. "This whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, and I will make it a perpetual desolation" (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

Theological Implications

The concept of severe judgments during years of visitation serves as a sobering reminder of God's holiness and the seriousness of sin. It emphasizes that while God is patient, His justice will ultimately prevail. These periods are not arbitrary but are part of God's redemptive plan, often leading to repentance and restoration for those who turn back to Him.

Contemporary Reflection

In contemporary Christian thought, the idea of divine visitation continues to resonate as believers consider the moral and spiritual state of the world. It serves as a call to vigilance, urging individuals and communities to live in accordance with God's will, mindful of the eventual accountability before Him.

In conclusion, the "Years of Visitation" and the accompanying severe judgments are integral to understanding God's interaction with humanity. They reflect His righteous character and His desire for a world aligned with His purposes. As such, they are both a warning and an invitation to seek God's mercy and grace.Jeremiah 11:23
And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 23:12
Why their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Great Power of God
... the friends of Lewis, were far more terrible and severe than those of ... all around,
and at last, in the years 1348 and 1349, came the awful visitation of the ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xiv the great power.htm

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
... this came upon the people: for a hundred years after his ... God doth visit men, as well
by his severe judgments, as by his merciful visitation of deliverance ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /a sermon on isaiah xxvi.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... that is, somewhere between 640 and 610 years before Christ ... In the third chapter,
after a severe rebuke of ... are included in the threatened visitation"in the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

The Hebrew Prophecies.
... This visitation furnishes the theme of the short discourse ... of Hosea are instinct
with a severe morality; the ... Hosea, at an interval of perhaps fifty years. ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter v the hebrew prophecies.htm

Jeremy Taylor -- Christ's Advent to Judgment
... ministry in his twenty-first year, two years before the ... naked on the day of the Lord's
visitation; and all ... we suppose that anger to be, how severe that judgment ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons vol 2/jeremy taylor christs advent.htm

On his Father'S Silence, Because of the Plague of Hail.
... elements of a scourge to train our tender years: as yet ... with what is slight, so that
the more severe may not ... shall we do in the day of visitation, [3095] with ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xvi on his fathers.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... suffer from the former was so severe, that Joel ... events, prophesied between seventy
and eighty years after these ... people,"a third, after the visitation by the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

God's Controversy with Man. Rev. Charles Prest.
... liable to promote the dire necessity of future visitation. ... before the world, and
deserve severe reprehension, and ... It is only four years ago that another check ...
/.../king/the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/gods controversy with man rev.htm

The Fourth Continental Journey.
... had taken sweet counsel in former years had been ... me life and favor, and thy visitation
hath preserved my ... whole been lenient, and no very severe punishments are ...
/.../chapter xv the fourth continental.htm

The Life of Sir Thomas Browne.
... 6] who had some employment in Ireland, in a visitation of the ... corrupt copy;" in which
there is a severe censure, not ... that he who in his earlier years had read ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/christian morals/the life of sir thomas.htm

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