Revelation 18:6 Commentary and Bible Study

It is time for revenge. While they are in the world, Christians remember that God says, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay’ (Hebrews 10:30). They hold back from personal vendetta because while the world continues, they are to love their enemies, pray for those who persecute them and seek the salvation of all. But this does not mean that when the time comes for the Lord’s revenge, they will play no part in it. Then the Lord will command his people to execute vengeance against their enemies. This is God’s just verdict on the world. It is by a principle of justice that the punishment of wickedness is put in the hands of those who have suffered at the hands of wickedness. It is they who know what they have suffered, who have exercised patience, who have shared God’s purpose to wait until the elect have been gathered in and who have preached the gospel to all the world to win as many as they can. But those enemies that have remained intransigent must now be punished. Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?’ (1 Corinthians 6:2). We will judge men and we will judge the fallen angels, but not until after the end of the world.The picture painted is a comprehensive. It is not just some of the saints who are to avenge themselves, but all who have ever suffered for Christ’s sake. Abel will take revenge as well as Zechariah, son of Berechiah. Isaiah and Jeremiah are addressed in this command as well as Stephen and Antipas. This is the time of the avenging of all God’s servants. All the saints of God can therefore testify to the evil done to them by the harlot, for it is the same harlot on which they will all take revenge.