Altar Commentary - Rumor notes 164

Revelation 16

4 The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things. 6 For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this." 7 I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."

I heard the altar saying

There is a pattern that keeps showing up throughout Revelation that is repeated here involving affirmation by two witnesses. Yet relying on the testimony of two witnesses to establish a determination, that practice does not necessarily prove that what is affirmed is in harmony with God’s good will or is even true. It merely means it has been accepted and is established. Here is a sampling of passages similar to this.

When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, (Revelation 4:9-10)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12)

The term ‘Amen’ actually encapsulates this concept. It means I second, affirm, agree with or add my testimony to what is being communicated.

The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!"

The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. (Revelation 11:15-17)

After 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: for true and righteous are his judgments. 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."

A second said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever." The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!" (Revelation 19:1-4)

This last passage parallels what we just read in chapter 7. The following passages outline this principle of requiring at least two or more witnesses before credibility is to be established.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. (Deuteronomy 19:15)

If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Matthew 18:15-16)

Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. It's also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me." (John 8:16-18)

Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward, and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'" (Matthew 26:59-61)

A man who disregards Moses' law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. (Hebrews 10:28)

So what are we to make of this altar speaking? What could help us understand this better? Actually there are several places in Revelation referencing the altar with commentary attached.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10)

Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. There followed thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:3-5)

It is significant that much more incense is needed for the prayers of the saints on the altar. I believe it is safe to say that just because two witnesses agree on something that can established it that way, does not prove that what they are saying is completely true, only that it becomes established. If we test the messages associated with the altar with the True Witness in Revelation, they do not always align in spirit with the New Song disposition of the Lamb. This is why far more incense is needed.

The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!" The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. (Revelation 9:13-15)

Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth's grapes are fully ripe!" (Revelation 14:18)

There is a compelling connection here. In this third outpouring the altar adds affirmation to what the angel of the waters declares about God’s motives and methods regarding the bloody outcome of this bowl. In the second harvest of chapter 14 the angel from the altar who has power over fire orders the launch of a harvest that also results in massive amounts of blood-letting.

When we studied those two harvest events in chapter 14 we offered two options as to their meaning, particularly regarding the second harvest. One option was that the second harvest was carried out by the enemy of souls as a counterfeit of the first harvest. The second proposition was that the second harvest is carried out by those harvested in the first harvest. Additionally that second harvest may well be expanded upon in this chapter we are studying here. Keep in mind that the harvesting angel and the one calling for the harvest were not one and the same.

What could be condensed out of these references involving the altar? It seems from the comments we have considered connected with the altar that it represents a more scales-oriented kind of justice involving punishment for injustices committed against God’s people. That is more in harmony with the sentiments of the Song of Moses. Now consider this instruction from Jesus that includes reference to the altar and also involves judgment which is what this whole chapter is about.

If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:23-26)

Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread. Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don't those who eat the sacrifices have communion with the altar? What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have communion with demons. (1 Corinthians 10:17-20)

This passage infers an ability for communion with the altar, meaning that symbolically it is important to discern the nature of what an altar might be communicating and not assume it is true.

Yes, Lord God, the Almighty

What is the nuance of emphasis here in the language used to describe God? Lord – Almighty. This fits into the direction of focus from both of these witnesses resonating more with the Song of Moses than the New Song with the Lamb. That does not mean witnesses are all correct or completely wrong, but more likely incomplete or coming short of God’s ideal for us.

The Song of Moses as we studied sometime back, puts emphasis on what God does and how He uses power to save His people more than focusing exclusive attention on the goodness, love and light of God absent all darkness. Again, this is a matter of perception and priority and can indicate where we might be in our journey toward a more advanced appreciation of God’s true nature as revealed by the violently slaughtered Lamb.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

Here again we find a connection between the description in chapter one with the commentary going on in this 3^rd outpouring. We saw previously that the angel of the waters may have only used the first two descriptors of God, while the True Witness describes Himself using all three. I believe this could be more than merely coincidental. It may be an alert for us to pay close attention to the nuanced differences as we seek to be faithful to following only the Lamb and to outgrow previous mixed beliefs about God’s ways and motives.

The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)

The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:16-18)

They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. (Revelation 15:3)

I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)

I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns! (Revelation 19:6)

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. (Revelation 21:22)

For, "He put all things in subjection under his feet." But when he says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28)

true and righteous

They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. (Revelation 15:3)

As we studied this verse recently, we saw how the first phrase focused on works while the second phrase was about God’s ways.

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh's ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. (Psalms 19:9)

After 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: for true and righteous are his judgments. 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." (Revelation 19:1-2)

What are ordinances? What are judgments? They are decisions made concerning a person or situation where doubt about their integrity has been raised by an accuser. This should alert us to the very core of the war being waged against God Himself whose reputation has been attacked from the very outset of the rebellion launched by Lucifer. It is God’s character that has been brought most under suspicion. It is God’s trustworthiness that is in question. It is God’s honesty, God’s communications, God’s integrity that has suffered the greatest damage of anyone’s throughout all history. So if anyone knows what it means to be judged incorrectly, unfairly, unjustly or dishonestly, it would be God Himself.

We must reframe everything we read and think and the way we process information in light of the revelation of the One who is called the Word of God, the very communication of truth and justice sent by God to exonerate His integrity, His ways, His dealings, disposition and motives. Every evaluation we make about what God supposedly does to others is itself a judgment we make for or against the testimony of the True Witness about Him.

your judgments

Contemplate the sentiments expressed in each of these passages linking truth and judgment.

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice: a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances [judgments] and true laws, good statutes and commandments, (Nehemiah 9:13)

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh's ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. (Psalms 19:9)

All of your words are truth. Every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever. (Psalms 119:160)

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face. (Psalms 89:14)

A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness. (Isaiah 16:5)

"Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights-- I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice. He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands will wait for his law." (Isaiah 42:1-4)

For I, Yahweh, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (Isaiah 61:8)

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase. (Daniel 4:37)

"Thus has Yahweh of Armies spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother. Don't oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.' (Zechariah 7:9-10)

These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, (Zechariah 8:16)

You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. (John 8:15-16)

We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; (Romans 2:2-5)

May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment." (Romans 3:4)

Under the law of Moses, a judgment could be established merely on corroborating testimony of two witnesses. But for a judgment to be accurate, fair, reliable and trustworthy it must be in alignment with actual truth, and truth is one of the major points of contention in this war. When Pilate exclaimed “What is truth?” during the crass (mis)trial of God’s Son, it was obvious that what was being carried out was nothing other than a setup by people in power who were intensely jealous of Jesus and desperate to obliterate the Truth who was exposing their fraud and hypocrisy. These men manipulated the law of Moses by producing two witnesses to establish what they wanted to do, yet in reality the very embodiment of truth was the one being judged by them; God Himself was the one being judged, and they insisted that He was lying.

True justice and judgment requires a more accurate definition of truth than simply corroborating testimony of two witnesses to be a reliable standard by which to know what is truth. This is essential in order to arrive at right judgments. A purported reason for the Law is to act as an objective criteria by which to assess what is true or false, right or wrong. Yet law itself has too often been manipulated in such as way as to incriminate and arouse doubt about God’s motives. This has been the case since the inception of the insurrection by Satan.

In chapter 15 we were introduced to the ones who now in chapter 16 are pouring out their bowls filled with prayers, praises and intercessions over an unrepentant world,. There they were practicing for this by rehearsing both the Song of Moses and the New Song of the Lamb. In that rendition we find no mention of what we read here and in other similar passages such as chapter 19:1-4 that infer that righteousness is defined by what God does and particularly because He judges offenders. I sense this may be at the very heart of what is being brought to light in this study, the truth of what it actually means to be righteous and true.

I find this next passage relevant to this discussion. God’s reputation and truthfulness has faced slander from the very outset of Satan’s revolt against His government. God’s integrity, fairness, reputation and truthfulness are the core issues of dispute. I see this next passage as possibly a pushback by God, inviting opponents to come forward with any evidence to convict Him, or alternatively to be silent and affirm the truth.

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, "That is true." (Isaiah 43:9)

In this passage the word for judgment is translated as justified, but it is the same word in Hebrew. In light of the other verses we have examined that contain these two words, I find this compelling and enlightening as to how God wants us to understand the real issues at stake here. This is yet another passage that helps to clarify that it is really God who is being judged, not the other way around. Yet in judging the very Origin of truth, life and love, our judgment of God reveals the character we have developed based on what we have chosen to believe is true about Him. And the law of reflection means that whatever we believe to be true about God will be reflected in our own lives.

Thoughts to contemplate:

How much credibility should we give to the accuracy of these two witnesses, the angel of the waters and the altar? On what basis?

Is factual accuracy the highest criteria by which to define truth? How might this be influenced by our own emotional bias?

Who is judging who when it comes right down to it? We have long assumed that God is the final judge, and that His judgment mean He makes the final decisions as to who is saved or lost and also involves executing punishments against unrepentant sinners or organizations. But is this supported by the testimony of His Son who is the full revelation of God sent to save rather than condemn?

Am I willing and consenting for the Son, the One whose name is the Truth, to liberate my thinking and transform my spirit to be reflectors of our Father’s heart in ways that will put me at odds with religion and all the world around me?

In what ways might I be still clinging to the sentiments of the Song of Moses, secretly relishing the idea of my enemies receiving their ‘just due?’

Am I willing to confess the dissonance between my long-held opinions and feelings about God, about judgment and about truth to allow the Lamb to be my sole source of truth and to give Him daily access to have highest priority in my heart?

I can choose every day to judge God based solely on how the hero Lamb of Revelation portrays Him to be, and to allow the passion of God’s love to have access to consume all dissonance, all doubt, all unbelief that remains hidden deep inside me, regardless of what it may cost me.

I can choose to rely solely on the Lamb to define both external truth about God as well as the truth about my identity. I can renounce every other source I have relied on to define my value and rest in the solid truth that God is love, and nothing can undermine or alter that reality. This is what it means to be saved by God’s graciousness through faith, for faith is simply believing the truth as it is in Jesus, and in believing the truth, I am set free by the truth – free to love because I am willing to first be loved by the Author and Finisher of faith.

They Deserve This - Rumor notes 163

 Revelation 16

4 The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things. 6 For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this." 7 I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."

because you have judged these things

In our previous study we examined potential inferences of the word because at the beginning of this phrase. We explored the concept of judgment, particularly how the world defines judgment. It is vital to have a correct appreciation for what judgment means from heaven’s perspective, for this is one of the core issues in the controversy between Christ and Satan that has caused billions of people to reject God and has induced so much confusion even in the minds of untold numbers of angels.

We could spend weeks exploring this issue, and it would be helpful to do so. But I want to simply revisit this a bit more before we move forward in this passage. Let’s begin with some main points of differentiation between God’s use of this word judge and how it is typically assumed to mean in popular parlance.

First of all, judgment and justice overlap to a great extent. What we imagine as factual about justice and how we define justice affects what we assume to be true about judgment. We usually assume that judgment includes the execution or implementation of whatever we believe about justice. Thus if our ideas of justice are framed in legal thinking, then our opinions about judgment will also be legal oriented and likely our opinions about both will include law enforcement, punishment for crimes and the notion of balancing imaginary scales of justice.

This topic is so expansive it is hard to know where to begin. What is important is to come to a more enlightened awareness of this topic and to keep in mind that this started long before the creation week as described in Genesis 1 and 2. That event came long after the crisis in heaven that had possibly paralyzed the free function of God’s government throughout the whole universe. This would make creation week in part a statement by God to counter the darkness and chaos caused by Satan’s rebellion. That rebellion which is intensifying right now, involved this issue of the true meaning of justice along with how we perceive the motives of God in the way He relates to others. As we have been reminded throughout this book, the core issues of this war are message, motives and methods.

Here are some bullet points to summarize important elements involved in justice and judgment.

God’s ‘laws’ are actually self-enforcing principles we sometimes call natural law. I prefer to use the word principles to differentiate between God’s kind of laws and superficial laws.

Satan’s invention of trading/commerce redefines nearly every term we use including what we think about justice and judgment. The regulations and concepts that define worldly economics also control how we perceive law and all our relationships as well. God’s economy is very different from how we do things here on earth.

The sharp contrast between God’s design and Satan’s system is symbolized by the two signal trees central in the Garden of Eden. These two trees symbolize the difference between how God designed for us to live and interact with Him (freely), and how the world maintains order through hierarchy, use of power, coercion, deception, fear and manipulation (good and evil).

The two sides rely on very different ways to maintaining social cohesion and avoid chaos. From this perspective we can perceive how the ways of God are entirely different in most respects to our ways, for the motives and thoughts of heaven are in sharp contrast to what is pervasive on our planet. This difference becomes even more evident as we learn to test the spirit motiving people rather than attempting to figure out who is right or wrong.

The condemning power of Satan would lead him to institute a theory of justice inconsistent with mercy. He claims to be officiating as the voice and power of God, claims that his decisions are justice, are pure and without fault. Thus he takes his position on the judgment seat and declares that his counsels are infallible. Here his merciless justice comes in, a counterfeit of justice, abhorrent to God.{Christ Triumphant, p. 11}

(For those interested in more quotes parallel to this I have compiled a list.)

What is God’s kind of judgment? We have discussed this many times. It is defined by Jesus in John 3:19-21. It is not punishment or ‘executing justice.’ That is the counterfeit system invented by Satan and relied on by ‘those who dwell on the earth.’ God’s justice involves restoration for as many as possible who have been messed up by sin, yet while respecting each one’s freedom to choose their own destiny. But this is not the kind of judgment this angel seems to refer to here.

they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets

This angel of the waters may be stating facts that are true. Yet it is not the facts that are the greater problem here but rather a disposition about how God is expected to respond to atrocities committed. We studied a similar expression of the symbolic ‘souls under the altar’ in the 5^th trumpet.

They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10)

It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:15)

I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement. (Revelation 17:6)

In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth. (Revelation 18:24)

for true and righteous are his judgments. 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." (Revelation 19:2)

Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)

I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy. Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will render vengeance to his adversaries, And will make expiation for his land, for his people. (Deuteronomy 32:42-43)

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, Yahweh, he is God; Yahweh, he is God. and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; don't let one of them escape. They took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there. (1 Kings 18:39-40)

Then Jezebel send a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don't make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. (1 Kings 19:2)

Surely at the commandment of Yahweh came this on Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did, and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood: and Yahweh would not pardon. (2 Kings 24:3-4)

The kings of the earth didn't believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. (Lamentations 4:12-13)

Jesus addressed this in various parables He shared, and the way He framed the idea of justice and judgment is meant to make us more aware of heaven’s perspective that is different from how we think. Some stories were framed in how we typically think, while others were designed to challenge us.

The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way. But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and seize his inheritance.' So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?" They told him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season." (Matthew 21:35-41)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! (Matthew 23:29-37)

What is the point here? Are we suggesting there are no consequences to all the horrific atrocities and injustices committed against the innocent? Are we insinuating people can get away with evil?

It is essential to view this from the New Song paradigm to increase our understanding.

you have given them blood to drink

The further we get into the message of this angel the more clear the spirit involved can be discerned. He insists God gives them blood to drink, as if forcing people who have shed innocent blood to drink blood themselves supposedly will achieve equality or justice. This is a spirit of returning evil for evil, and while this is mainstream in how the world views justice, it is foreign to the ways the Lamb reveals the truth of God’s heart. This is not about natural outcomes or consequences but rather imposed punishments and as we have been learning, it thus cannot be of of the Father.

I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 49:26)

I will also water with your blood the land in which you swim, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of you. (Ezekiel 32:6)

In sharp contrast to these ancient, often immature views of God, compare the words of Jesus that have almost more shock effect than the previous references.

Jesus therefore said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." (John 6:53-55)

If we keep in mind the second principle of interpretation we rely on for this study, that everything is to be considered primarily and firstly as symbolic, what might emerge from perusing these various passages in light of a Jesus/Lamb version of God?

They deserve this [it is their just due (NKJV)]

Deserve is a word squarely in the middle of the whole system of reward and punishment thinking. That system originated in the practice of trading where relative value determines how we think about everything, how people are treated and whether favor or animosity should be shown. Deserve is about wages, clearly a part of the design of economics. Yet because the spirit of commerce permeates everything we think about including our relationship to God, it can be difficult to disentangle our thinking from parallel presumptions about justice. Yet this is vital for preparing us to participate in the kingdom of the Lamb where none of these things carry any credibility. This is noted in the story Jesus told of workers hired throughout the day yet were all paid the same at the end of the day. That story intentionally highlights the stark contrast between the way we were designed to live, and the dark effects of living selfishly under the influence of the earning/deserving mindset.

Here are other passages that reflect more or less this mindset of deserving.

If anyone has captivity, he will go. If anyone is with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:10)

Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. (Revelation 18:6)

"Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her." (Revelation 18:20)

This tenacious belief that God relates to others according to the earning/deserving system of valuation is possibly the most difficult to eradicate, even in the perceptions of unfallen beings elsewhere in the universe. It originated in the mind of Lucifer who first experimented with an alternate design of social order foreign to the design God implemented at creation. This is all embodied in the concept of justice and judgment, for what we believe about these words will be directly influenced by what we imagine God thinks in relation to His created children and where the Law fits into all this.

When we make the Law the supreme authority of the universe, we are actually following Satan’s lead in elevating legal conformity above having a dynamic relationship with the One whose name is Love. This is the great Lie that Jesus came to expose and discredit, that God relates to His children based on how well they keep His Law. As we discussed previously, this defines righteousness according to the Law rather than God’s righteousness apart from the Law. Making the Law more important than living in love is a sure sign we are trapped in the kingdom of darkness and fear, for as John writes, fear has to do with punishment and is not of love. So when it says that God has judged your judgment, He exposes our immature motives when we praise God for judging others. Such judgment is not what emanates from God’s heart but is rooted in our dark thinking caused by the earning/deserving, reward/punishment system symbolized by the Tree of Good and Evil.

Then spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears. (Jeremiah 26:11)

Then said the princes and all the people to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God. (Jeremiah 26:16)

How does all this fit together cohesively? It certainly challenges our definitions of words involved. God’s ways are not our ways, so we must allow God to define what He means by the words used in Scripture to express what many times appears opposite to what they actually mean. It helps to be aware of how much the paradigms of trading and commerce dictate the way we interpret words and influences our ideas about justice, about how God treats sinners and even the nature of sin itself.

Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. (Mark 4:24)

How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)

Remaining consistent in our use of the two filters from the first verse of this book, brings light to what is otherwise seemingly contradictory or inconsistent. As we cling to the Lamb’s version of truth and rely entirely on His revelation of truth about God and His design, then our eyes can be opened to see how these disturbing passages confirm truth as it is in Jesus. The wages of sin is not what God oversees but operates entirely in the system relied on by this world. This last verse refers to those who cling to the world’s version of justice based on imposed punishment, to assess how those under that system might determine the seriousness of the crime of despising and rejecting the opportunities provided by heaven for them to move into life out of the system of death.

This passage does not define God as the author of this punishment, but rather it highlights by contrast the mindset of payback, the justice system of this world, the way the counterfeit executes judgment. This invites one clinging to that mindset to employ that system to judge whether or not they should continue clinging to it while attributing it to God, or allow the Spirit of grace to deliver them from that dark system controlled by fear into His kingdom of love, truth and freedom.

If it seem evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh. (Joshua 24:15)

with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you (Mark 4:24)

Commercial Praise - Rumor note 162

Revelation 16

4 The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things. 6 For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this." 7 I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."

who are and who were

While testing the nature of the message from this angel, it is helpful to learn this is only one of two places where lists similar to this contain only two key factors of what is normally a set of three. It is true that there are discrepancies between translations of this verse, but here we will explore potential ideas that could arise if this only lists the first 2 of 3 attributes of God here.

John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; (Revelation 1:4)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

This next passage is the other of the only two times where this is apparently short listed like it is here in this verse. What might we learn by comparing these, particularly as relating to the sentiments expressed and the context of these two passages?

The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!" The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:15-18)

Is there a discrepancy in the words of the 4 living creatures in chapter 4? Apparently these 24 elders represent the people of God on earth. Might they reflect to some extent progressive revelation by those they represent? Compare this with the familiar pattern we found in the Song of Moses, where the view of God as being both rewarding and punishing figures prominently in the nature of the praises offered up to Him. Or maybe something else is going on here.

Here is another passage that might be similar but not quite the same. Here the beast seeks to imitate attributes of God, yet as usual subtly distorts them. Satan always distorts truths about God in order to advance his own deceptive agendas.

The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present. (Revelation 17:8)

you Holy One

To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things: (Revelation 3:7)

The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)

They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10)

Who wouldn't fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed. (Revelation 15:4)

For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44-45)

One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isaiah 6:3)

You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:16)

Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you. (Isaiah 49:7)

For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isaiah 54:5)

For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)

Aren't you from everlasting, Yahweh my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish. (Habakkuk 1:12)

Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:23-24)

This angel of the waters affirms that God is holy. All these passages confirm this and we sense no disagreement with this fact. But what definition of holy might be in the thinking expressed by this angel? Might it be the kind of holy that is in vogue with many today, who insist that God’s holiness means He becomes incensed and offended by our sins and is compelled to lash out in fury in violent punishment? Even prophets have puzzled over this as seen in this frustrated outcry from Habakkuk as he tries to make sense out of why wicked people are allowed to plunder and destroy God’s people.

Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he, (Habakkuk 1:3-4,13)

This is often used to enforce the notion that God’s holiness means He cannot stand to see evil and reacts by either hiding from it or imposing punishment. Yet this is not even consistent with a careful reading of the context which reveals that this assertion by Habakkuk is more about his own feelings rather than a revelation of God’s character. Clearly this has been an issue of contention for millennia and has spawned all sorts of teachings that continue to obscure the light brought to us by His Son.

Much more could be said about this topic, and it is plausible this angel of the waters may represent this mindset regarding the holiness of God, celebrating that at last the desires of righteous people throughout history for ‘just retribution’ against their persecutors has finally been realized. I will leave this be for the moment, but to simply share the perspective of Peter who spent significant time learning a radically different perspective of what God’s holiness means that definitely challenged his own paradigms about what God should or shouldn’t do with wicked people.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ-- as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)

because you have judged these things

Here is what we must examine more closely, for far more critical than how the eternal nature of God is described as only present and past. This is more overt and should concern us. This resonates with a deception that is difficult to unmask as it feels so true. It parallels the opening song in chapter 19 displaying the contrast between the old paradigm of how God is viewed with the more complete version resonating with the Lamb as re-presented after correction is accepted from verse 5.

After 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: for true and righteous are his judgments. 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." (Revelation 19:1-2)

Notice the difference in emphasis. Now consider a contrast found in this passage in Hebrews.

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.

A man who disregards Moses' law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongs to me," says the Lord, "I will repay." Again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. (Hebrews 10:24-33)

In this passage we find phrases that highlight this contrast. The true gospel these believers originally embraced had radically transformed their hearts and lives. It was the true Good News, the truth of God’s unconditional love and graciousness in sharp contrast to previous perceptions they had of Him rooted in a legal, performance-oriented definition of righteousness.

consider how to provoke one another to love and good works

assembling together... exhorting one another

we have received the knowledge of the truth

the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified

the Spirit of grace

remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened

being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions

becoming partakers with those who were treated so

These are all related to believing our identity originates with God. These people had received an advanced awareness of the true meaning of the blood of the covenant, for they did not view it in the commerce context of debts and credits, but were being transformed. The evidence of the blood of Christ is proof that He has already taken away our condemnation and false identity as sinners, opening the way for us to believe and embrace His identity in us as loved children of God.

This exposes The Lie that identity is based on performance. God is not righteous because He ‘judges.’ He is righteous because of His Word. His actions merely express and confirm His Word.

The mistaken version of identity emphasized in the law system administered by Moses (and sometimes by angels) was predicated on the belief that works were the basis of identity. Consequently we judge God based on what we think He does or has done rather than on what He says and reveals about Himself through His Christ. Jesus came to refute this mistaken identity, both for God and for us. It is incongruent to believe that our identity and worth are not based on what we do or don’t do, yet continue to maintain that God is good and righteous because He does good or righteous things. The key word here is the word ‘because.’ What we believe about what comes before and after this word makes all the difference in what song version defines our thinking and motivates our heart. The angel of the waters asserts that God is righteous because He executes judgment on those because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, so punishments are inflicted to rectify the imbalance in the accounting books of justice; God has given them blood to drink.

This thinking presumes God is the one directly causing these plagues. This mindset is expressed by recipients of these plagues later in this chapter. Why should we believe the assertions of those who dwell on the earth, who get their identity from the beast and his image? They define their identity on performance and relative value. Their version of justice is balancing scales measuring relative worth, paying back evil with evil and rewarding good behavior. This all originated in the mind of Lucifer who developed the system of this world. But this is not the kingdom of heaven. These familiar paradigms must be replaced with the heart truth as it is in Jesus, the true King of kings and Lord of lords. His justice is about restoration of God’s original design and plan based on love alone, not settling scores or paying off debts and offenses or demanding reparations and punishment.

Now in contrast to doing all things in love (what the believers addressed in Hebrews had been taught and had tasted previously), the opposite mindset is described to remind them of those old familiar patterns of religion designed to induce fear that comes from living under the law.

if we sin willfully [this means choosing to distrust God’s goodness, despising His kindness and mercy as the basis of His identity, resisting belief that He is only light with no darkness at all]

there remains...a certain fearful expectation of judgment

[expectation of]a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries

[under] Moses' law [one] dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses

How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of [the operative principle involved here is the judging of worth, deserving, earning, payback for offenses]

trodden under foot the Son of God [refusing the revelation of the truth about God brought to us through the life and death of the only accurate representative of God]

counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing

For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongs to me," says the Lord, "I will repay." Again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

What does this we know Him mean? This is fundamental for salvation. Jesus says that to know Him is to have eternal life, so it is not a peripheral issue but is central for our eternal destiny. This is an issue of the heart, for truly knowing Him involves our deepest longings, fears, hopes and cravings. To really know God involves what our heart believes about His motives and how He relates to us. That is directly influenced by the paradigm through which we view Him. The the fruit of really knowing God personally will be seen in how we relate to others. As we know He is good – righteous, consistent and trustworthy all the time, we may receive peace and confidence and experience a stability when encountering circumstances that previously would have triggered us.

When we know Him as Jesus knows Him, we will not view these references about His vengeance in a negative light, but know that God’s vengeance, just like His judgment, is nothing at all like we previously thought of vengeance. Just as God’s judgment and wrath are perceived from an entirely different perspective once we know His heart better, so too we can come to be aware that His vengeance involves different responses from those who treat Him as their enemy. Paul expands on the true nature of God’s vengeance this way.

Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord." Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head." Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

This is how God does vengeance and how He wants those who follow Him to emulate His ways and motives. God overcomes evil with good. That message is at the heart of the gospel and should be front and center in our thinking at all times. God’s judgments are not punitive as this angel of the waters implies, but rather always seeks to attract with kindness, regardless of how resistance it meets.

You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. (Psalms 18:35)

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)

This angel of the waters asserts that God is righteous because He judges these things. He also invokes the word ‘deserve’ as justification for God doing this, meaning he is in sympathy with the system of earning and deserving. This angel infers God pays back in kind the injustices committed against His saints, those loyal to Him. This is not how Paul and others write regarding the righteous judgments of God. We must better appreciate what both of those words mean (righteous and judgment) in order to discern why the expressions of this angel are suspicious. We have reviewed considerably the meaning of righteousness, but we also need to clarify the difference between God’s kind of judging in contrast to how it has been distorted and promulgated by religion in God’s name. How does religion and the world in general portray God’s judgment?

Let’s review some basic definitions involved in typical views of judgment. The idea of debts include offenses or sins that require/demand payment in order for justice to be satisfied according to popular opinion. It is common to hear people assert that justice has to be satisfied after some great crime is committed. It is usually assumed that until justice is satisfied, offenders cannot be forgiven. Such teachings are predicated on the assertion that God is holy, and their definition of holiness is defined as God’s presumed feelings of extreme offense over our sins, especially the really bad ones.

It is asserted by many that the law forbids God from forgiving (to give up demand for payback) sins until sufficient payment (merit of sufficient worth, or punishment equal to the crime, or both) has been executed in order to zero out the debt in heaven’s record books (so much for love not keeping a record of wrongs). This is the popular explanation of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Yet this is contradictory, for if a debt has been paid in full, it is totally dishonest to then claim to forgive it, for a debt can only be resolved one way or the other, it cannot be both.

Righteousness gets involved with this because in commerce thinking it is assumed that righteousness (defined as obedience to the Law) is what God (or the Law) demands as payment before He will (or is allowed) to accept sinners or forgive them. This is the context from which religion interprets the meaning of the cross of Christ. Yet this is in fact straight out of paganism and is the essence of most false gospels. It is riddled with dark assumptions and insinuations about the disposition and motives of God.

So what is the problem of this message by the angel of the waters? He asserts that God is righteous because of what He does and because He judges. God is not righteous because He keeps His law, anymore than anyone else can become righteous by keeping that law. God’s judgment happens when the light of truth exposes us, and it also involves how we react.

The true judgment of God is not about executing punishments against evil-doers lest they get away with breaking the rules. God’s judgment is defined by Jesus in John 3:19-21 as light exposing what is hiding in our darkness and how we relate to that light. But this is not the kind of judgment inferred by this angel of the waters. His comments are more in line with our version of judgment and justice as practiced by those who dwell on the earth.

The assertion of this angel of the waters is that God is righteous at least in part because He has judged. Let’s review the difference between the emphasis of the Song of Moses and the New Song of the Lamb.

They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. Who wouldn't fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15:3-4)

Agents of the Lamb are in training to transition beyond the old song mindset to embrace exclusively the New Song expressing only praise for our heavenly Father. This is seen in the corrective voice that interrupts the performance of the old song of Moses in the first verses of chapter 19.

A voice came forth from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the great!" (Revelation 19:5)

Here in chapter 16 we see indication that this angel of the waters is more in sync with the old song based on what he presumes about what defines God’s righteousness. In other similar passages God is assessed as being righteous because He judges, because He executes vengeance, because of His works. This is an element exposing a flaw in the old song, that actions and works are the basis of identity rather than fruit. In this old paradigm, God is viewed as good because He does good, or worse yet because He punishes those who are bad. This leaves us vulnerable to feeling that when it seems He is not good, when things are going wrong in our lives like what happened with Job. then we struggle to believe there is no darkness in Him at all. This predisposition has been passed down from the serpent who asserts that God is both good and evil.

The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)

The antidote to this dualistic view of God that poisons our perceptions and feelings about Him is the solid truth expressed by the disciple who came to know Him best and who also transcribed this book.

This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)