Empathy for a Holy God

“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” Revelations 8:7

This Revelations study has been a slow and difficult one for me.  The scriptures tell us that with much wisdom comes much sorrow and the above scripture truly reflect that truth for me.  The premise of God’s love never leaves me even when I reflect on his judging of mankind.  What we see in the book of Revelations can conjure up images of a god like Zeus, throwing a temper tantrum from heaven; one who is angry with mankind and one who is going to destroy us because he has grown the hate what he has created.   This image is inconsistent with a God who loves mankind and desires what is best for us.  It is inconsistent with the character of God found throughout the Bible.

What we are witnessing in the book of Revelations is a violent intervention to remove a pervasive cancer called sin from the planet.  It is a chronic condition that has affected the planet previously.  At times this cancer, so called, fills the whole earth.  This was true in the days of Noah.  When one man found grace in God’s sight and he and his family were spared a global judgment.  At other times it infects a nation. Egypt is our best example from the Bible.  Hail was the seventh plague numbered against her, blood was the first.  Each is contained in this passage.  The fire that is mixed with them is taken from a holy altar and initiated with the prayers of saints.  They are prayers that call out for an end of persecution and must be understood as coming forth from hands that are clean from a consistent witness to a world that has chosen to reject the love of Jesus.

When this happens all that is left is for men to grow in violence, hence, we now have the judgment of a true and merciful God that must intervene for the sake of the elect.  He must, out of love, remove the infected cancer. The instruments of his operation are the trumpet judgment that we are witnessing through these passages.  This potent mixture of hail, fire and blood, will harden the hearts of men, even as they harden their own hearts toward God.  They are like Pharaoh both being hardened and choosing to be hard hearted toward God. 

Jeremiah 11 tells us that the Lord “judges righteously,” and “tests the heart and the mind”, The Apostle Paul says “wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.” I Corinthians 4 These and other passages in the scriptures should encourage our trust in God.  What makes this study difficult is a deep sadness that is experienced when I elevate my empathy from wicked men, to a loving God. 

I start with my fellow wicked creatures, because I am made of the some stuff.    However, when I contemplate what it is like to be God. Let me dare to do so my friend! Let us dare together! Let us create man in own image, then breath the fullness of our character to mankind as well! Then let us enter into the species itself permanently. Let us move from glory and eternity into decaying flesh and a fallen world. What do we gain? We experience hunger, and pain, and ridicule, rejection and ultimately crucifixion.   

However, not from all! Our garment is touched and virtue pours out of our sinless body, because an inflected soul has faith. Another pours a year’s worth of wages onto our body in anticipation of our death.  Some faith filled fisherman and their like, drop their nets and tax ledgers and follow us.  The blind call out for sight, a leper says thank you.  A group cries out Hosanna in the Highest and they mean it.  A multitude from every tribe, nation and language bow their knee in appreciation!

When the hardened in heart turn on those who have opened their heart are we not justified in damming the one and glorifying the other. Truly I think we are!   Let us empathize with a Holy God who is well able to separate the wise and the wicked.