Revenge - reward

Revenge    -     Reward

For many modern minds, revenge seems to be a bad word. True it is not for us to revenge, but God says “vengeance is mine, I will repay”. We are not qualified (John 8.7), but for a just God , this is most appropriate. 

Revelation 19.2 reads “ He has avenged the murder of His servants” (past tense in the vision of the future happenings).  Of all the things that need to be put straight, the murder of Christians, just for being Christians, will be revenged by God. To think for a minute of the many burned at the stake, the many today being beheaded, the thousands shot to death for loyalty to Christ, it is only fitting that the Lord will demonstrate who is the only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords. His judgements are just in keeping with the character of His person – ‘Holy, holy , holy’

He will judge according to their deeds (Revelation 20.13). This is the reality that makes mercy and grace so brilliant   - that God the just one is able and willing to  declare righteous the repentant sinner who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ (remembering the price HE paid to make this possible). The book of the revelation points out that the extreme judgements of the Lamb are upon those who refuse to repent, or refuse to give God the glory, so that revenge by the Lamb is appropriate.

The book of revelation concludes with the promise of reward. (Revelation 22.12). How brilliant is the glory of God’s character, that He chooses to reward, in the good sense, those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Well might the encouragement of 1 Corinthians 15.58, encourage us to look beyond the present haze to the day of HIS glory.

“be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain”

John McKee