blood flow

in Isaiah 63:2-6 Christ in His second coming will judge, and execute wrath with grisly authority. When we read the passage in Isaiah with Revelation 14:14-20 we find an almost unspeakable scenario of wrath and violence. In Isaiah 63 Christ is quoted as saying He trampled on Gods enemies and the blood stained His garments. Have you ever considered what it might be like to be trampled to this extent? Where one is literally crushed like a grape and blood spatters? If this is not graphic enough – turn to Revelation and find that in Revelation 14:19-20 an angel swings his sickle and throws the “grapes” into the winepress of Gods wrath. As we read the passage we see again they are trampled outside of the city and blood flows out of the press as high as a horses bridle for a distance of 1,600 stadia (4.5 feet high 180 miles long). Did you catch that? A river of blood 180 miles long and 4 feet deep. Theories abound as to how this might happen – and the point of horses and men in war provide blood enough for such a flow should not be ignored. I certainly don’t know how this will occur – but even when the winepress symbolism is taken metaphorically – there is still a specific measurement in the flow of blood, which I would take literally. Perhaps there is a sudden and great collision on an advancing army from an asteroid of some kind. Try making a precious moments doll from a scenario like that. You might ask – why in the world write about such a horrific biblical text? Well – simply because I am reading Isaiah and this struck me as particularly relevant to our age of shiny happy everything is peaches and cream preaching. Along with the hope we have in Christ, the joy of the Holy Spirit and the unfailing love of God, we need to remember that judgement is coming, and we would not want to be the ones trampled underfoot.