These scriptures paint a vivid picture of a prelude to a victory celebration – the coming reign of God through the return of his Son, Jesus. Prior to the celebration, there is fear and trembling, death and destruction, and judgment – the ultimate resolution of the continuing problem of evil. In the midst of the transition, Jesus instructs those who follow him: “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” Words of encouragement and hope thus accompany his followers: good news indeed. Talk of judgment usually makes us uncomfortable. We generally prefer to think of love, acceptance, and peace -- except when we are the victims of injustice. Then we want judgment to come quickly, thoroughly, and publicly – vindication at last! But we must always be careful, as calling for judgment is sometimes equivalent to calling for an air strike on our own position. We all need mercy; we all deserve judgment. These passages in Revelation and in Luke’s gospel reflect a particular kind of judgment as the culmination of conflict with forces opposing the reign of God. At best, peace on earth as we know it is a fragile condition in which enemies are temporarily restrained, but their threats nevertheless loom in the background. True peace requires that the source of that conflict is removed, not to return again. This peace process could involve transformation, but it could also involve destruction, as these passages also show. We are beneficiaries of God’s love, mercy, and acceptance made available through his Son, Jesus. We experience God’s grace, in part, through understanding of our own sin and need as we learn to love God and follow His will. Challenges come into our lives that seem designed to assist in this process of transformation and growth – though they are not always easily understood at the time. God does indeed discipline those whom he loves. But these passages also remind us that persistence in embracing darkness instead of light -- resisting the reign of God -- presents a risk of being on the wrong side of judgment that does not produce change, but instead produces destruction. The prophetic account of the fall of Babylon in Revelation reflects a judgment so thorough, so complete, that none of the signs of life we associate with a living community will appear again. This kind of judgment apparently does not admit of redemption or second chances; it is terminal. It is tempting to try to identify particular nations or groups
who may fit the description for Babylon. But such an effort misses
the mark, especially if it involves blaming others based on our
preferences while ignoring our own familiar sources of resistance.
We have many corporate sins, both as nations and peoples, but these
scriptures inspire me to pause and consider that within my own being
that is resistant to God’s reign. |