Scripture: When (the Lamb) opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true: How long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
…Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the Face of Him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb…” (excerpts from Rev 6:9-16)
Observation: This is more description of the Great and Terrible day of the Lamb. Will I ever look at the face of a lamb again in the same way?
Analysis: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Heb 13:8
I remember this scripture so I can embrace that Jesus is unchangeable as part of His Character. I don’t have to consider that He will once change His mind from this to that and back again, making me wonder what He is like today; or, how does He look upon me? Favorably, unfavorably? Does He ever consider that perhaps he should withdraw His Salvation from me just because?
Of course not. His unchangeableness describes His eternal character and I can confidently rest on that knowledge.
With that in mind, should I or can I just focus on one Aspect of His Character? I shouldn’t—but I do.
Revelation reveals so much of our Lord’s total Character: He is Love, yes, and all those embraceable attributes. Revelation also brings the facts of His Justice, His Wrath, His Anger, being an Avenger, etc. to be faced.
I cannot escape or ignore that as much as the face of the Lamb is loving and sacrificial, He is equally the face of the Wrath of the Lamb.
A God of abundant Grace; a God of fearsome Wrath—same God, single character.
No matter how much I might recoil at the thought, this is fully the Gospel as well as any other facet.
Prayer: Lord, I am not far from either place: “avenge me” or “rocks fall on me and hide me from the Wrath of the Lamb.” My thinking is that I am not grown up enough to declare “You are righteous and true in all Your Judgements” as Sovereign God and not smugly think I have a “get out of jail free” card up my sleeve.
You are to be fearfully Praised and Adored, O Lord Jesus of Your fullness in ways that I possibly imagine at the same time. Draw me near, O God, draw me near. AMEN