Revelation 13:10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
It can be very difficult to sit and watch justice being served. Even if you know someone is guilty, it is hard to hear the gavel drop and the sentence be finalized. The words “Guilty” have a very negative ring to them. We desire mercy.
This is especially difficult when the crime is very severe and the punishment matches the crime. Almost no one wants to hear the sentence of death, except for the victim’s families. They want quick judgment, but usually get delayed judgment, if judgment comes at all.
So, can you imagine being in a time when the guilty all around you are called to account for their actions and they are found guilty, the punishment being separation for God’s goodness forever. These are people with whom your life has been connected, and yet they have not responded to the multiple opportunities to be reconciled to God. What would that be like to hear the “Guilty!” verdicts?
In that moment, as a follower of Jesus, our hearts would be breaking, just as Jesus’ heart would be breaking. He had done everything He could to bring about their reconciliation, but they had refused His offer of grace. Have we done everything we could do to bring them the Good News? And we stand there, heart breaking in sorrow.
I think this is the kind of thing that is happening in our text. Judgements are being executed. The time for repentance is almost over. And you are protected by the LORD’s hand of favor. And yet you must watch what is happening.
What you would need in that moment would be patient endurance and faithfulness. It would be easy to abandon the faith at that moment with questions about the fairness of it all and the character of God. When anyone is faced with this much pain and suffering, it can be very difficult. Just ask those who work with those who have endured combat about how difficult it is to walk with this level of suffering.
I think about those who have just endured the devastating tornadoes in the mid-west. Live swept away by the wind. Children for whom life was an open door, died too soon. The door closed in their faces. As those of us who still live watch from a safe place, I hope our hearts hurt for those who survived and their recovery.
You see, as those who survive, we have a burden placed on us to survive well, to make our lives matter for the sake of those who were lost. And all the while, our hearts hurt, having experienced loss ourselves. This is called by some “Survivor’s Guilt.”
So, can you imagine most of humanity facing judgment at one time, and you being one of the survivors? Patient endurance and faithfulness is exactly what we will need. And this is something that we must do. This must be our response to God’s faithfulness in our lives, even when terrible things happen.
The Arnold Journey 