Revelation 19:1-6 Believers must exercise patience to withhold vengeance for vengeance belongs to God
Revelation 19:1-6
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”
And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.”
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Background
At the conclusion of the seven trumpets, during the Great Tribulation, the righteous have either fled the nation or martyred, leaving behind the defiant and unrepentant. The moment for the judgment of Harlot has arrived. Christians have been instructed to distinguish between the sin and the sinner. However, once the time for proclaiming the gospel has finished, sin and the sinner become indistinguishable. Hence, there is great rejoicing in the destruction of the sinners to save the righteous. Believers are called to patience, allowing tribulation to refine them like gold. Entry into God’s kingdom comes not by deeds, but by a spirit shaped in righteousness and love amid suffering. Today’s devotion teaches believers to exercise patience to withhold vengeance for vengeance belongs to God.
Observation
The great multitude in heaven express their praise of God because of His salvation for the entire creation. Why does the multitude in heaven rejoice at the judgment of the Harlot? It is because this judgment leads to the salvation of the earth and paves the way to the establishment of the new heavens and new earth. In these new heavens and new earth, righteousness prevails, accompanied by compassion without pain and sorrow.
Who is the Harlot? They comprises the elites of Babylon and the citizens who follow them. And the Harlot brought great suffering and tribulation to those who oppose them for the sake of righteousness. At the time of the judgment of the Harlot, the righteous have either fled the country or have been killed. There are two reasons justifying the judgments against the Harlot. Firstly, she corrupted the earth with her immorality, and her evil influences must be eradicated. Secondly, it serves as retribution for the murder of God’s servants. Indeed, God’s judgments are true and just. However, the judgment executed is merely the beginning of her eternal punishment, symbolically expressed by the phrase “her smoke rises up forever and ever.”
While God reigns over all, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures oversee the bond-servants of God bringing them together under God’s authority. Here, they call the assemblies of heaven to a collective praise to God for His mighty reign over all of creation.
Truth
Believers must exercise patience to withhold vengeance for vengeance belongs to God.
In the process of gold refining, fire is employed to separate gold from impurities. In a similar manner, the great tribulation distinguishes the righteous from the wicked. While the fire of tribulation forces those who appear righteous to disclose their concealed motives, the righteous undergo purification which fortifies their resolve to do what is right. This is why it is crucial for believers to refrain from seeking vengeance, allowing the tribulation to take its course. By doing so, the righteous may become worthy of entering God’s kingdom.
In Matthew 25, Jesus used the metaphor of the sheep and goat. At the time of Jesus’s return, He separates them; the sheep will receive rewards, while the goats will face judgment. Young sheep and young goats can look quite similar. However, their distinct differences their behavior and appearance become more apparent as they mature and go through the tribulations of life.
Believers cannot achieve or serve their way into the kingdom. Their worthiness is not determined by the quantity of their ministry efforts or accomplishments. But rather by the virtues and the fruit they cultivated in their spirit. Through the tribulations of life, they have learned to walk the Jesus way.
Application
The application is beautifully captured in the lyrics of the song “The Jesus Way” by Phil Wickham:
If you curse me, then I will bless you. If you hurt me, I will forgive. And if you hate me, then I will love you. I choose the Jesus way.
If you’re helpless, I will defend you. And if you’re burdened, I’ll share the weight. And if you’re hopeless, then let me show you. There’s hope in the Jesus way.
I follow Jesus. I follow Jesus. He wore my sin, I’ll gladly wear His name. He is the treasure. He is the answer. Oh, I choose the Jesus way.
If you strike me, I will embrace you. And if you chain me, I’ll sing His praise. And if you kill me, my home is heaven. For I choose the Jesus way.
Prayer
Lord, refine me like gold through life’s trials. Purify my heart, reveal my true motives, and strengthen my resolve to walk the Jesus way. Help me bear spiritual fruit, show mercy over vengeance, and remain faithful until You return. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.