Rejoice in another’s destruction? Well, not really but it might look that way
“3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” (Revelation 1932–ESV)
In general when another crashes and burns we are not supposed to rejoice. When that car which was riding your bumper tries to pass, but spins out and lands in the ditch you get pleasure. Justice was done. Ha! Problem is that is bad. We are not supposed to rejoice in the downfall of our enemies, but to help them. It is godly to pull over and let them pass. You may chafe, but being kind is good for you, for others and for the environment (that’s another lesson).
So, what is different about these words. These, after all, are people in heaven with their new bodies. They are sanctified through and through. Ungodliness has no part in them and look what they are doing? They are rejoicing over eternal smoke, eternal judgment.
What is not happening here? “Ha! Look what happened to you. You lost, we won. Burn, baby, burn.”
What is happening here: an eternal reminder of God’s salvation, glory and power. As the untime of eternity happens the blood, sweat and tears of where we came from will not be discarded. We will be able to see evidence of what God has taken away. We will also know it as an eternal change. What has been judged stays judged. What has been redeemed stays redeemed. The human condition begs for consistency. We hate change and its uncertainty. Heaven will be an experience of consistency and certainty.
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