Revelation 19:1-5: a reflection

1After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God; 2for his judgments are true and righteous. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.” 3A second said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.” 4The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!” 5A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the great!”

In heaven a great multitude cries Hallelujah, praising God for his judgments, which are true and righteous. Hallelujah! Salvation and glory belong to our God, they cry, for his judgments are true and righteous. Heaven praises God not only for his salvation but for his justice, for judgments that are true and righteous, by which he has vindicated the wronged and set things right. The praise arises because God has judged justly, has avenged the blood of his servants, has done what is right. This shows that God's justice is a cause for praise: his true and righteous judgments, by which he sets wrongs right, are something to rejoice in. God's true and righteous judgments are a cause for praise. Heaven rejoices that God judges justly and sets things right. God's justice, vindicating the wronged, is worthy of praise. We praise God for judgments that are true and righteous.

Notice what heaven praises God for here: his justice, his true and righteous judgments. We often think of praising God for his mercy and salvation, and rightly so; but heaven also praises him for his justice, for judging truly and righteously, for setting wrongs right and vindicating those who were wronged. This reminds us that God's justice is good, a cause for praise, not something to shrink from. In a world full of injustice, where wrongs so often seem to go unaddressed and the wronged unvindicated, it is a comfort and a joy that God is just, that his judgments are true and righteous, that he will finally set things right and vindicate his people. We can rejoice that God is a God of justice as well as mercy, that he does not let evil have the last word, that he will judge truly. God's justice gives hope to the wronged and is worthy of praise. That God judges truly and sets wrongs right is a cause for joy. We can rejoice that God is just and will set things right. God's righteous judgment is good news for a world full of injustice.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's justice, his true and righteous judgments by which he sets wrongs right, is a cause for praise and a comfort in a world full of injustice. We can think of God's justice only as something to fear, or forget it in a world where wrongs seem to go unaddressed; but heaven praises God that his judgments are true and righteous, that he vindicates the wronged and sets things right. God's justice is good news. When you are troubled by the injustice of the world, remember that God is just, that his judgments are true, that he will set things right. Take to heart that God's justice, his true and righteous judgments, is a cause for praise and a comfort in a world full of injustice, as heaven cried Hallelujah, praising God that his judgments are true and righteous and that he had vindicated his servants and set wrongs right; for we often think of praising God only for his mercy and salvation, or think of his justice only as something to fear, and in a world where wrongs so often seem to go unaddressed and the wronged unvindicated we can lose sight of it, but heaven praises God for his justice too, and it is a comfort and a joy that God judges truly and righteously, that he does not let evil have the last word, that he will finally set things right and vindicate his people, so that when we are troubled by the injustice of the world we can rejoice that God is just and take hope in his righteous judgment.

Lord, in heaven a great multitude cries Hallelujah, praising you for your judgments, which are true and righteous. Hallelujah! Salvation and glory belong to our God, they cry, for his judgments are true and righteous. Heaven praises you not only for your salvation but for your justice, for judgments that are true and righteous, by which you have vindicated the wronged and set things right. The praise arises because you have judged justly, have avenged the blood of your servants, have done what is right. This shows that your justice is a cause for praise: your true and righteous judgments, by which you set wrongs right, are something to rejoice in. Show me what heaven praises you for here: your justice, your true and righteous judgments. I often think of praising you for your mercy and salvation, and rightly so; but heaven also praises you for your justice, for judging truly and righteously, for setting wrongs right and vindicating those who were wronged. This reminds me that your justice is good, a cause for praise, not something to shrink from. In a world full of injustice, where wrongs so often seem to go unaddressed and the wronged unvindicated, it is a comfort and a joy that you are just, that your judgments are true and righteous, that you will finally set things right and vindicate your people. I can rejoice that you are a God of justice as well as mercy, that you do not let evil have the last word. Take that to my heart, for your justice is a cause for praise and a comfort in a world full of injustice. When I am troubled by the injustice of the world, help me remember that you are just, Lord, that your judgments are true, that you will set things right, and let me rejoice that you do not let evil have the last word but will finally vindicate your people.