Saviors as Judges
"Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." (Judges 2:16)
"According to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies." (Neh. 9: 27)
"And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S." (Oba 1:21)
In these passages the "saviors" were also the "judges." It was that way through the time of the judges in Israel's history, before she had her first king, and is described to us in the Book of Judges.
So too the second coming of Christ, when he comes riding forth as the mighty victor on his war steed, leading "the armies of heaven," he will come as both savior and judge.
As we have seen in regard to those texts that speak of "the arrows of the Almighty," they were both "arrows of salvation and victory" and "arrows of destruction." The coming of Christ will bring salvation to the elect and destruction to the reprobate. Amos the prophet spoke of this when he wrote:
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" (Amos 5: 18-20)
This is exactly what we see unfolding in the Book of Revelation. The return of the Lord will be a day of gloom, tribulation, and wrath for unbelievers. But, it will be a day of salvation and redemption for believers.
The Hebrew title is Sopetim [Shophetim], which is usually translated "judges" but the Hebrew word sopet not only caries the idea of administrating and maintaining justice but also has the meaning of "liberator" or "deliverer." Judges in Israel were also deliverers.
The Hebrew term shofet, which is translated into English as “judge,” is closer in meaning to “ruler,” a kind of military leader or deliverer from potential or actual defeat.
"James King West writes: "Our English word 'judge' fails to bring out the breadth of meaning encompassed in the Hebrew term shophet (from the verb shaphat, to 'judge,' 'justify,' or 'deliver'). The shophet, as the title is used in the Old Testament, is not in the first instance an arbitrator of legal disputes, though he (or she) might serve in that capacity (Jud. 4:4-5). He is, rather, one who defends the right or just cause, whether in the capacity of a juridical official who hears cases and renders judgments or as a military leader who throws off the oppressor of a victimized people. In either case, the results are the same: the punishment of the offender, the vindication of the innocent party, and the restoration of the right (just) order of things. The heroes of the Judges stories are chiefly military leaders or tribal champions who arose in hours of crisis to deliver their people from the hands of enemy oppressors. Their sole authority appears to have resided in their 'charismatic' (spirit-directed) personality, rather than in any hereditary or elected office. Powerfully courageous and zealous for the independence and well-being of the tribes, they rallied the necessary support to combat the recurring harassment and open attacks of nearby enemies: Canaanites, Moabites, Midianites, Ammonites, and Philistines." (Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 178)" (as cited here)
These words help us understand the context of the evils coming on the world as a result of the opening of the first four seals of the scroll of redemption, and the coming forth of "the armies of heaven" to bring judgment on unbelievers.
Notice these verses that connect the work of judging with that of delivering.
"From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet — when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land." (Psalm 76:8-9)
"For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us." (Is. 33:22)
In our day we do not generally associate a judge with being a savior. Of course, we are not talking about judges in sports competition (referees, umpires, etc.) but judges of men as respects law or statute breaking. Judges in some sense rule or govern people, they being essentially representatives of government, but the judges in Israel were less of the legal kind, they being more of a savior than of a decider of legal matters. But, even considering today's role of judges in the various courts, we can see two perspectives in regard to him. If we look at a judge from the perspective of the guilty, we will see him as one who punishes. But if we look at a judge from the perspective of a victim, or one oppressed, the judge is one who brings justice and vindicates, who "rights the wrongs," etc.
When God saves the ones being wronged from those who are wronging them, he is both judging and saving at the same time — bad news for one side, good news for the other.
The word "judge" is used two times in the Apocalypse in regard to Christ acting as judge of all.
"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (6: 10)
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." (19: 11)
Notice how Christ is both judge and avenger, both savior and destroying warrior. The Lord in his coming again, leading heaven's armies, will "judge and avenge" and "judge and make war." Christ is to be viewed in his Apocalypse as both Judge and Savior as he and his judgments are revealed from scene to scene.
We have already seen how his role as Redeemer is also prominent in the Apocalypse and have seen how the work of a redeemer or near kinsmen (Hebrew "goel") was not only to deliver the family member sold into slavery, but also to bring just punishment or retribution to those who may have victimized an innocent family member. In this respect he was the "Avenger."
He is also seen in the Apocalypse in his role as "Lord." The idea of ruling and governing with authority is involved in the word "lord." So too is the idea of ownership and sovereignty.
God On The March
"LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water." (Judges 5: 4)
"O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel." (Psalm 68: 7-8)
"Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger." (Hab 3:12)
"March" may be translated as "stepped through and upon." Similar words are "tread" or "trample" or "run over."
"Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies." (Psa. 60: 12)
This is what we see in Christ's Apocalypse, in the opening of the seals. As each seal is opened and each disaster occurs we see Christ marching through our world. Each scene of destruction is but one "step" in the Lord's march in war.
"There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy." (James 4: 12)
Notice again how in these words both salvation and destruction are connected together, although in this instance he is styled the "Lawgiver."
Lord as Vanguard & Rear Guard
"The Lord will go before you (vanguard); and the God of Israel will be your rereward (rear guard)." (Isa. 52: 12)
More than once did the Lord go out before his people to defend them in battle. In those cases the Lord was acting as a "vanguard" for his people.
Vanguard is an old variation of the French word avant-garde meaning "fore-guard" or "front guard." The leading units moving at the head of an army are its vanguard. The word may also allude to the leading position in any movement or field.
"And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them." (Exodus 14: 19)
(See my study on this here)
Christ is vanguard and rear guard in the Apocalypse. He begins the final conflict and he brings it to an end. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, and, "in all things he must have the preeminence." (Col. 1: 18)
In those Apocalyptic scenes the Lord Jesus Christ, both defends heaven's rule and the people of God, keeping them safe, as well as condemns (as judge and lawgiver) and destroys (as the warrior prince).
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