The judgments unleashed by God in Revelation that begin in chapter 6 can create questions and concerns for Christians. How can a loving God judge like this? Some people say, “I want a God of love, not judgment.”
We are tempted to think that love and judgment are opposites, but they require one another. The real question isn’t, “How can a loving God judge?” The deeper question is, “How could a loving God not judge?”
We applaud human judges who punish murderers, traffickers, and abusers. Why? Because justice is an expression of love for victims.
A God who never judges evil is not more loving. He is less loving. If God saw genocide, abuse, racism, exploitation, betrayal, and violence and never stopped it, would that be loving? No. A story that ends without the wrongs being made right is morally unsatisfying.
God’s wrath doesn’t exist because He’s emotionally unstable. His wrath is a settled and enduring opposition to evil. God loves His people and opposes the evil that destroys them.
Love includes wrath toward whatever destroys the beloved. If God truly loves people, He must war against whatever destroys them.
For someone who’s been the victim of a crime, abuse, or slander – for someone who’s watched evil prosper while righteousness suffered – then the promise that Jesus will judge the world isn’t terrifying. It’s comforting. It means evil doesn’t get the last word.
One of the oldest stories in Western literature gives us a glimpse of something deeply embedded in the heart of mankind.
Christopher Nolan cast Matt Damon in the role of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. The rightful king had been gone for years. His house had been taken over by men who abused his hospitality, consumed his possessions, and dishonored his wife, Penelope. They presumed he would never return.
But after 20 years, Odysseus finally came home. And when the suitors finally faced the judgment of the king, the audience doesn’t think, “How cruel. What an awful thing for him to do.” The audience thinks, “Finally. Justice has come.”
Odysseus is not a bloodthirsty villain taking revenge for revenge’s sake. He is the rightful king returning to his home, exposing the corruption that has taken over his house, and decisively judging those who have abused his hospitality, dishonored his household, and attempted to take what was not theirs.
- The rightful king was good.
- He left for a time to accomplish a greater good.
- His house was overtaken by usurpers.
- The innocent were oppressed.
- The wicked appeared to be getting away with it.
- The king returned.
- His identity and authority were revealed.
- Judgment fell.
- The house was restored.
Sound familiar?
We love stories in which the rightful king finally returns, evil is confronted, and justice is done. Why? Because we know deep down that stories like the Odyssey are merely shadows pointing to the meta-story of the Lamb who has come to destroy the works of the devil. Evil will not win.
Revelation tells us that this longing inside us isn’t merely a feature of ancient storytelling. It reflects something true about God’s universe.
There is a rightful King. He has not abandoned His world. He really is coming. And when He judges, His judgments will be true and just.
And when Jesus finally judges evil, heaven doesn’t question His goodness. Heaven declares His worthiness.
And we should not question His goodness either. Wrath is not only right. It’s righteous.
