Topical Bible: Blood of Destruction

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The term "Blood of Destruction" is not explicitly found in the Bible; however, the concept can be explored through various scriptural references that associate blood with judgment, destruction, and divine retribution. In the biblical narrative, blood often symbolizes life, covenant, and sacrifice, but it also serves as a powerful symbol of judgment and the consequences of sin.

Blood as a Symbol of Judgment

Throughout the Scriptures, blood is frequently associated with divine judgment and the execution of God's wrath upon the wicked. In the book of Exodus, the first plague that God inflicts upon Egypt is the turning of the Nile River into blood. This act of judgment is described in Exodus 7:20-21 : "Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river reeked so badly that the Egyptians could not drink its water. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt."

This transformation of water into blood serves as a sign of God's power and a precursor to the subsequent plagues that lead to the destruction of Egypt's oppressive hold over the Israelites. The blood here is a harbinger of destruction, a divine tool used to compel Pharaoh to release God's people.

Blood and the Covenant of Destruction

In the prophetic literature, blood is often linked to the covenantal curses that befall those who break God's commandments. The book of Ezekiel contains vivid imagery of bloodshed as a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness. Ezekiel 16:38 states, "And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of My wrath and jealousy."

Here, blood is both a literal and metaphorical representation of the destruction that comes upon a nation that has violated its covenant with God. The shedding of blood is a direct result of the people's sins, and it signifies the impending judgment that God will execute.

Blood in Apocalyptic Visions

The apocalyptic literature of the New Testament also employs the imagery of blood to depict the final judgment and destruction of the wicked. In the book of Revelation, the imagery of blood is prevalent in the visions of the end times. Revelation 14:20 describes a scene of divine retribution: "And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia."

This graphic depiction of blood flowing from the winepress of God's wrath symbolizes the total and complete destruction of those who oppose God. The blood imagery underscores the severity and finality of divine judgment.

Blood as a Warning and a Call to Repentance

The biblical use of blood as a symbol of destruction serves as a warning to humanity about the seriousness of sin and the certainty of divine judgment. It calls individuals and nations to repentance and to seek reconciliation with God. The prophetic voices throughout Scripture consistently urge the people to turn from their wicked ways to avoid the bloodshed and destruction that result from divine wrath.

In summary, while the phrase "Blood of Destruction" is not directly found in the Bible, the concept is richly woven throughout the biblical narrative. Blood serves as a potent symbol of judgment, covenantal curses, and apocalyptic destruction, reminding believers of the gravity of sin and the necessity of repentance and faithfulness to God.

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Ezekiel 35:6
Therefore, as I live, said the Lord GOD, I will prepare you to blood, and blood shall pursue you: since you have not hated blood, even blood shall pursue you.
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Library

Rejoicing Over Babylon's Destruction.
... As the destruction of that hierarchy, in which "was found the blood of prophets
and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth" (18:24), had just been ...
/.../a brief commentary on the apocalypse/rejoicing over babylons destruction.htm

The Voice of the Blood of Christ
... Oh! confident am I; for this blest blood was shed for me." And then Despair
fled and Destruction was driven clean away. and instead ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the voice of the blood.htm

Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity.
... attraction,"the foe of continency, exhausting both means and modesty; the perilous
madness of lust frequently attaining to the blood, the destruction of a ...
/.../of the discipline and advantage.htm

Christ's Work of Destruction and Deliverance. Rev. John H. James.
... "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also ... And it
was a double work,"a work of destruction on the one hand, and of deliverance ...
/.../the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/christs work of destruction and.htm

The Second Trumpet.
... v.9. Whence blood, or to become bloody, is the image which has suffered destruction,
as if it were like an animal slain or butchered, dropping with gore. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the second trumpet.htm

The Change of a Thing's Condition is not the Destruction of Its ...
... A change, indeed, it has experienced, but not a destruction. ... of heat, and on the
restoration of its natural colour, it is again the same flesh and blood. ...
/.../tertullian/on the resurrection of the flesh/chapter lv the change of a.htm

The Destruction of Babylon.
... And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those slain
on the earth." Rev.18:21-24. ... Her final destruction is, however, to be entire. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the destruction of babylon.htm

The Jewish War and the Destruction of Jerusalem. AD 70
... Messiah, Bar-Cocheba, led only to a still more complete destruction of Jerusalem ...
earth, at home everywhere and nowhere; refusing to mingle their blood with any ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 38 the jewish war.htm

Destruction and Help
... stands, as with clean hands, declaring that 'He is pure from the blood of all ... wrapped
up in it the broad gospel that all our self-inflicted destruction may be ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/destruction and help.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... way, and that the Jews would only rebel against the Romans to their destruction. ...
together, slain in such numbers in the Holy Place that their blood flowed down ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter ix the destruction of.htm