Begin at House of God/Begin on the City/Begin at Sanctuary

The time of judgment on the churches (1 Peter 4:17) can be thought of as the time the church had to give account for its failure to be faithful stewards of the Word of God, the Bible. In God’s end time judgment program, He would first deal with those who were given His Word (the corporate church), and then afterwards, deal with the rest of mankind:

Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I BEGIN to bring evil ON THE CITY WHICH IS CALLED BY MY NAME, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

And,

Ezekiel 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

Finally,

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?