Just Judgment; Revelation 15-17

May the mumbling commence!

God is love.  A part of God’s love is judgment.  Sometimes, judgment is a bitter pill to swallow – especially when the pill is for you or me to swallow.  But we must be grateful for the punishment of the Lord (Hebrews 12:4ff).  The Lord’s judgments are always fitting and just.  Read from Revelation chapter sixteen:

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.  Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

"You are just in these judgments,

you who are and who were, the Holy One,

because you have so judged; 

for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,

and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." (Verses 4-6)

Violence begets violence.  The people who have soaked the earth with the blood of the prophets and saints will be forced to drink blood from rivers and springs of water.  There is no such thing as good violence or redemptive violence. 

The cycle simply keeps going, and there will be no end of violence that way.  We see this violent cycle between Christians and Muslims.  Who started it?  No, that is the wrong question to ask.  Better: Who will stop the cycle?  Who will stop the violent retaliation?  Otherwise, we will be drinking blood without knowing it – the people who have died for our own comfort and satisfaction with our high standard of living.

Let us accept the judgment of the Lord just as we accept the grace and love.  Let us accept our judgment and use it to better reflect who we were made to be.  Let us be more like Christ.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out