Topical Encyclopedia
The theme of divine retribution against those who persecute the righteous is a recurring motif throughout the Bible. Scripture consistently affirms that God is just and will not overlook the suffering inflicted upon His people by the wicked. The punishment of persecutors is portrayed as both a present reality and a future certainty, underscoring the moral order established by God.
Old Testament InsightsIn the Old Testament, the persecution of the righteous is often met with divine intervention. The Psalms frequently express the cry of the persecuted and the assurance of God's justice.
Psalm 37:12-13 states, "The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming." This passage highlights the futility of the wicked's plans against God's people and the certainty of their impending judgment.
The prophets also speak to this theme. In
Isaiah 13:11 , God declares, "I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless." Here, the punishment of the wicked is linked to their arrogance and oppression, including persecution.
New Testament TeachingsThe New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the ultimate justice that will be meted out at the end of the age. Jesus Himself warns of the consequences for those who persecute His followers. In
Matthew 23:34-36 , He says, "Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation."
The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of persecution and divine retribution. In
2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 , he writes, "After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted, and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in blazing fire. He will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
Eschatological PerspectiveThe Book of Revelation provides a vivid eschatological perspective on the punishment of persecutors.
Revelation 6:9-10 depicts the souls of the martyrs crying out for justice: "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 testimony they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?'" The subsequent chapters reveal the outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth, culminating in the final judgment.
Theological ImplicationsThe punishment of the wicked for their persecution of the righteous serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and justice. It reassures believers that their suffering is not in vain and that God will ultimately vindicate His people. This theme also serves as a warning to those who oppose God's purposes, emphasizing the moral accountability inherent in God's created order.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Jeremiah 11:21,22Therefore thus said the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek your life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that you die not by our hand:
Torrey's Topical TextbookMatthew 23:34-36
Why, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you whip in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
Luke x. The Latter Part of the 25Th Verse.
... professed Christians, of the Danger and Eternal Punishment of Sin. ... That wicked Men
may be led to abuse them to ... our Gospel be ineffectual on this Account, it is ...
/.../sermon iv luke x the.htm
The Great Assize
... for those who suffer unjustly: there must be a punishment for the wicked and the ...
the advocates and barristers, needing an advocate on their own account. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the great assize.htm
Acts xxi. 39, 40
... upside down, that no one takes any account of good ... Cain received for punishment that
he should be (ever) groaning ... Genesis 4:14.) Such are the wicked, and being ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xlvii acts xxi 39.htm
The Counsel of Gamaliel.
... severe hardships, and cruel sufferings on account of their ... they paid no regard; and
the punishment inflicted upon ... remainder of the wrath of the wicked," by the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture vii the counsel of.htm
The Primitive Church
... than "all the fiery darts of the Wicked," and "the ... Death itself seemed too slight
a punishment in the eyes ... the cruel laws against Christians, on account of the ...
/.../a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter v the primitive church.htm
That it was Before Predicted that the World Would Hold us in ...
... whereby he may deceive, should embrace the wicked part of ... of life, and so incur eternal
punishment from an ... of our time the greater on this account, that while ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/11 that it was before.htm
Letter Lxxxvii. (AD 405. )
... know at all when or upon what account the dissension ... that a man is not made wicked
by the ... God signalized its commission with this immediate punishment, that He ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxxvii a d 405.htm
Introductory Notice to Lactantius.
... of the subject-matter of his writings, but also on account of the ... concerning the
true worship of God, and treats of the punishment of the wicked, and the ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/introductory notice to lactantius.htm
On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God ...
... God be accused as being guilty of injustice on account of this ... and manifestation
of the godly"to the punishment and exposure of the wicked, and to ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 9 on the righteousness.htm
Of the Beginning and Rise of the Romish Papacy, Till it Attained a ...
... the title by whomsoever used, as wicked, impious, and ... too much on ancient times,
we have account of a ... against God, but the severest punishment is inflicted on ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 of the beginning.htm
Resources
What does the Bible say about the death penalty / capital punishment? | GotQuestions.orgWhy wasn't Cain's punishment death (Genesis 4:14)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are indulgences and plenary indulgences and is the concept biblical? | GotQuestions.orgPunishment: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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