Today and Friday, many of us at North Heights are going out door-knocking to advertise for our Vacation Bible School next week, as well as see about the needs of our community. God willing, we will make many positive impressions that will lead our neighbors to visit us, not only for VBS, but for Bible Class and Worship as well.

It can be a scary thing to approach a strange house uninvited. Who knows how the person on the other side of the door will react. Not that I think we’re stepping into an environment anywhere close to the days of the Roman Empire, but my wandering mind couldn’t help but think about the very evangelistically minded brethren of Christianity’s early days. Those people went out far and wide, and they did so knowing there was an evil Roman Empire all around them, often highly motivated to silence them. Many times, the Empire succeeded and killed God’s people. A verse from Revelation comes to mind…

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Revelation 16:7

The context here is God pouring out His vengeance against the evil Roman empire. In response, the people of God whom the Empire had killed—martyrs who were previously depicted as resting under the altar of God—cry out and say: “Even so!”

Who are these people? They are the ones who refused to worship the Emperor. They balked at the mark of the beast and so they were punished with death. And in death, they cried out asking God to avenge them (ch6:10). Now that God’s vengeance is finally coming, we hear those martyrs speaking again. John says that out of the altar, comes the martyrs’ voice, saying “Even so.”

The phrase is one word in the Greek (“nigh”), and means “‘Yes! I agree 100%!” Again, remember, this is shouted as a triumphant exclamation in response to the death of evil people. It raises the question: Is it wrong for these slain Christians to desire hell for their enemies? After all, isn’t that what Jesus rebuked when He scolded James and John, after they desired for fire to come down and consume the rude village of the Samaritans who refused to welcome Jesus into their community (Luke 9:51-56)?

No, I don’t think it’s the same. The difference between the response in Revelation and what James and John were saying is this: James and John were asking God to take their vengeance out on the Samaritans; these martyrs are asking God to take His vengeance out on Rome. It’s not wrong for me to want God’s will to be done; it’s not my wrath I’m praying for; it’s God’s.

The Lord has promised all persecuted people that they will be comforted (Matthew 5). He has also told us not to seek vengeance on our enemies because He would do that for us (Romans 12). There’s nothing wrong with a Christian praying and asking God to keep His word. That’s one of the most commonly recorded prayers in the Bible.

These martyrs praise God for His vengeance because His vengeance is “true” (fair) and “righteous” (justified). His vengeance is based on a Divine standard, not some arbitrary—human—standard where the rules change without you knowing about it. Have you ever dealt with a person who condemned someone for a crime while excusing that same crime in someone else. Or maybe they condemn others without mercy while making excuses for themselves? People are bad, like that. God isn’t. God doesn’t move the goalposts, unless it’s to make it easier on you (that’s why He sent Jesus). God punishes according to a judgment; He renders a verdict based on His known and preached Divine standard.

In life, we often encounter hateful and hurtful people. Our calling is to evangelize them, not attack them. We must go into Samaria and bring them the Good News about Jesus. We pray they accept it. They may reject it. Should they choose not to repent, should they instead turn and attack us, then it falls on God—not us—to take vengeance. We trust in God to judge and make all things right. Until He does, we preach to the condemned.

And when He does, we say “even so.”

~ Matthew