Glorious Savior (Revelation 19:1–2)

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
—Revelation 19:1–2

Verse 2 continues, but I want to lead us to meditate and pray according to this opening declaration. Picture the context here: this comes after eighteen chapters that contain—in many places—terrifying judgment in the book of Revelation, and yet also salvation. At the end of it all, I want us to soak in this reality: no one will be questioning God’s justice on that day.

I emphasize this because we often, in our sinfulness and our finitude—our inability to see the whole picture, our limits—question the justice of God. “God, how could you be just and [fill in the blank]?” Most of us could fill in that blank because we see injustice and suffering around the world and think, “God, how can you be just and good and right and true and this be happening?” But mark it down: in the end, those questions will not be lingering. It will be clear that God is completely true and perfectly just.

In light of this, I want to encourage us—encourage you today—to trust the justice of God, to trust the faithfulness and righteousness of God in a fresh way. And to pray.

Let’s pray that God would bring about true justice on the earth. We live, yes, in a world of so much injustice. This is part of the picture that Revelation is painting for us. Look forward to the day when the perfect justice of God will reign on the earth.

Yes, Lord Jesus, come quickly, we pray. We look forward to the day when we will join with the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Praise your name! Salvation and glory and power belong to you.”

God, we praise you for salvation from our sin, from the judgment we deserve. We will glorify you for all eternity. We glorify you today in a fresh way for the salvation you have brought about in our lives, the salvation you have given to us. Salvation and glory and power belong to you. And you have given us salvation. Glory belongs to you.

Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins, for paying the just penalty for sin that we deserved in our place. All glory be to your name now. All glory be to your name forever.

We praise you that all your judgments are true and just. And so we pray for your justice to reign on the earth. God, give us an ever-increasing hatred for injustice. Help us, as long as we are here in this world, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you.

God, we pray all this in anticipation of the day when all your judgments—true and just—will be manifest across the whole earth. Forgive us for the times, the ways, even the inclination we have to distrust your justice, as if we know better than you do—you, the perfectly holy and just Creator of all—that we, as your fallen, sinful creatures who do not see the whole picture, think we have more just judgments than you.

Forgive us, God, we pray. We praise you for your justice. We rest in your justice. We trust in your justice.

A Prayer for the Sylheti People

And God, we pray that in anticipation of this day, the salvation and glory and power that belong to you would spread to all the earth. Lord, for salvation from sin, from the just penalty of sin, we pray for that salvation to spread to the Sylheti people of Bangladesh. For twelve and a half million Sylhetis, God, please bring your salvation to them. Hear our prayers right now. Cause your salvation to spread among the Sylheti of Bangladesh. Please, O God, may they be saved from the eternal judgment of sin and may they join in the song, singing, “Hallelujah! Salvation belongs to our God,” through faith in Jesus.

God, may it be so. Please use our lives toward that end, however you will, in anticipation of the day we will be singing this song.

In Jesus’ name we pray all this, according to your Word in Revelation 19:1–2. Hallelujah. Praise your name. Amen.