“They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood??’” Revelation 6:10).

Our Tuesday Bible Study is nearing the end of the book of Revelation. The quote above is from the martyrs—all those who have suffered for their faith in Christ. They are not the only ones to ask “How Long?” Many of the prophets throughout the Old Testament, as well as King David, asked of God: When you are going to make your promises come true?

As I ponder this timeless question, three truths come to mind from Paul, who writes, referring to God’s words in Deuteronomy, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ says the Lord” Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35).

1. The martyrs are properly leaving judgment and vengeance in the Lord’s hands. When we take revenge into our own hands, we will never be able to exact true and complete justice. And when we take revenge into our own hands we are in disobedience, which will provoke consequences for ourselves. Much better to leave it to God.
2. While their question is personal in nature, they see the avenging as an act of God’s sovereign judgment in the context of His holiness. It’s not just a case of retribution against their person; it is God’s divine plan coming to fruition. All acts of malice against God’s people are acts against God Himself; it is His to avenge.
3. It’s okay to ask this question. It’s okay to cry out to God, to lament. God can handle it. In Revelation, God responds to their question as follows: “Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been” (Revelation 6:11). God will hear your prayers, and He will give you what you really need.

The question of “How Long” is not only asked of God. God also asks it of us. In Numbers 14:11, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?’”

Just as God told the martyrs to be patient, to “wait a little longer” for His plan to be fulfilled; God himself is exercising great patience as He works in us to bring us to salvation. If I have learned anything from our study in Revelation, it is just that. Just like the plagues on the Egyptians in Exodus were designed to bring about deliverance, all the acts of judgment—the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls—were all designed to get the attention of those who had not yet believed in order to influence them to change their minds. You may ask: Why so harsh? Well, throughout the Old Testament, God sent prophets to warn us. Then God sent His Son, Jesus to call us. Then Jesus paid the ultimate penalty for our sin with his own brutal persecution to rescue us. And many of us along the way believed and have our names written in The Book of Life. Praise God!

But many of us have refused to believe “in spite of all the signs I (God) have performed…” Yet “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Praise God for his patience with his obstinate creation. But there will come a time when it is too late. Don’t become complacent because of God’s patience, thinking you always have more time. In Matthew 13, Jesus gives several parables about the End of the Age. Here’s one with an agricultural theme, appropriate because the hay fields are ripening and we are picking produce from our gardens. Take it to heart.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. (Matthew 13:24-30).

In Christ,

Judy