I always believed He left it out because He is the Lamb and will come back peacefully again.
Discussion
I'm with Aron on this one. Peace for his own, destruction for the remaining belligerants when he appears...
For whatever this is worth. After fully rejecting theonomy/theocracy as a ground for the current political order, I spent many years trying to answer the question "on what basis, then, can we make any laws?" I've come to the place where I believe the Reformers (in general) and the Classical Liberals (in general) were correct. There is a Divine Lawgiver who has revealed through Natural Law and through conscience what is generally required of people--that these requirements flow from the "second table" of the moral law, and that he has revealed this law sufficiently enough even for unbelievers to recognize it. I found further support for this in the "two kindgoms" model, specifically in God's ordaining retributive justice as the norm for the common kingdom (Genesis 9:6). This is also why I am a libertarian--the non-aggression principle aligns rather nicely with the prohibitions of the 6th through 9th commandments (don't murder, don't steal, honesty in contracts, etc.). For a deeper study on this stuff, I'd highly recommend VanDrunen's three book series as well as Stephen Graybill's on the Natural Law tradition in the Reformed tradition. Let me know if you want the full titles. Well worth the time if you're interested in how Christians ought to think about, and to what end we ought to work, in the political order...
Yes please for the titles... I am super curious.
VanDrunen, [Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture](https://amzn.to/49CW28u) - written at a popular level
Grabill, [Rediscovering the Natural Law in Reformed Theological Ethics](https://amzn.to/3uqNEsN) - academic
VanDrunen,
[Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms: A Study in the Development of Reformed Social Thought](https://amzn.to/49KH6VW) - academic
VanDrunen, [Divine Covenants and Moral Order: A Biblical Theology of Natural Law](https://amzn.to/47k2rE7) - academic
VanDrunen, [Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World](https://amzn.to/3GakdO2) - academic
Note, these are best read in the above order, as the later books build on arguments made in prior books. Start with the first one which is shorter and written at a more popular level (and note the year published--he says some things about public education in the latter chapters that I no longer think he would say), then if you want to go deeper, tackle the much more academic latter four. VanDrunen's last two were especially eye-opening for me.
Happy reading...
Just finding this now. Thank you kindly for the bookreferences. :D
No, in his first advent he came to seek and to save the lost. He came offering salvation during the age of grace. But that day will end, and he will come again to execute vengeance on all his and our enemies. We now live in that comma after "to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor" and before "and the day of vengeance of our God..."
We are Rahabs in a Cosmic Jericho, and Joshua is coming...🤙🏼
Peacefully? Lightning and a double edged sword conquering is not my idea of peacefully...
The lightning, sword, and judgement are reserved for those who adamantly reject the offer of peace, grace, and permanent blessing and well being. This is the good news (gospel) that has been on offer for more than two millenia now, that has been heralded worldwide by followers of King Jesus.😃
Yes: it is both a plea and a warning.