Studies in Revelation: Jesus the Judge

Jesus is the Judge. He told us he would be:

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son (John 5:22)

But we have only seen him as the Savior. But now that he has completed salvation for us, has accomplished being the Savior, it is time for him to become the Judge, and that is how Revelation depicts him.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

John quotes Daniel 7 and Zechariah 12, both Messianic prophecies of Jesus as judge.

And Jesus makes an appearance to John in strongly metaphoric judgment mode, with hair white as wool, blazing eyes, bronze feet glowing like in a furnace, angry voice, and a sword coming from his mouth, all to give a message to the seven churches (1:12-16). We are not surprised then that much of his message to the churches is one of judgment:

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (2:5)

You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (2:6)

Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (2:16)

I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. (22:1)

that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. (2:27)

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (3:3)

I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. (3:9)

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (3:16)

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (3:19)

The Lamb is worthy to open the scrolls of God’s terrible judgment (5:4,5), and as he successively opens each seal (6:1,3,5,7,9,12; 8:1) the judgments are poured out on a deserving earth, and the populace begs the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the “wrath of the Lamb” (6:16).

¹⁴ I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. (Revelation 14:14-16)

And when Jesus is finished pounding the unbelieving on earth with earthquakes, poisoned waters, vicious hailstones, torturous scorpions, and more, he comes out of heaven with his army of saints and attacks the beast and his armies as they advance on Jerusalem:

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-21, NIV)

Would we weep as John did at the prospect that no one could open the scrolls of God’s judgment? Can we rejoice at Jesus fulfilling his role as Judge?