Just, True God

Revelation 16:1-9 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” 2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. 3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 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; 6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” 7 And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” 8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
 
FROM Jeremiah 10:25 comes the prophet’s prayer as Babylon prepared to destroy Jerusalem: Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Israel; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland. Babylon did destroy Jerusalem, but about 70 later God answered that prayer with Babylon’s destruction.
   Revelation 19 can be God’s eternal answer to this prayer. God pours his wrath onto the nations marked as he devil’s own. As Satan’s army seems to overwhelm the church today, we rejoice God will be victorious at the final judgment. His just wrath avenges the blood of his saints. Even the altar of the temple speaks as the voices of the martyrs who earlier pleaded, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10)
   The blood in the waters is the drink of those who have shed Christians’ blood. The scorching sun is Hell’s fiery, unspeakable torment. The unrepentant sinners represent the generations who have refused to relent and obey God. John the Baptist warned the Jewish rulers of God’s wrath: Luke 3:7 “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  The apostle Paul warns the church: Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
   This is God’s world. In his gift of faith, we are his children. Our task is to reveal the Father’s great love to a world, trusting he will save his own from the nations.  
 
Prayer: I pray we as your church, Lord, hold fast to your truth. You have told us. We must tell all. Amen