The title of the sermon is taken from the auto-biography of Frederick Douglas as he considered his grandmother, a slave, who, after years of cruel captivity, was sent off to die alone once she was no longer useful to her master: “Will not a righteous God visit for these things?” It is the question that could be asked during any moment of fallen human history. Indeed, the Psalmists cried out in ways very similar to that of Douglas: “O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!” (Psalm 94:1-2)

The ever-present cycle of news from around the world illustrates the profligacy of human evil and the suffering of the innocent. Through it all, we see the holy name of God profaned and his law mocked. Mankind in his pride has rejected his Maker and insisted on claiming the status of a god himself. Considering these things, is not the idea of a God without wrath morally incomprehensible? Day after day we are reminded that the world needs a God who judges. We need to be able to say with David: “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day” (Psalm 7:11).

The Book of Revelation, with its unequivocal God-centeredness, reminds us of the moral necessity of divine judgment. We have taken note of how the judgment depicted in the visions of the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls issues forth from the sanctuary of God’s holy presence. That is, God’s judgement is his own personal action. It is directly connected to what is good and true and righteous. God’s holy wrath will be misunderstood from one degree to another if we do not understand both the wickedness of human sin and the holiness of God. But an honest assessment of the catastrophe of sin and the need for a final justice to make right all that is wrong will help us understand why the saints in heaven praise the Lord for his judgment. We need a God to whom we can call, “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted” (Psalm 10:12), in confidence that he will answer. We need a God who will eventually visit for these things.