The horror! The horror!
Revelation sure is a blood and gore fest. So why all the violence? Well, there's the revenge angle—the punishment has to fit the crime, after all. And these crimes against God and his people are pretty bad. God also tends not to do things halfway. Would the Lake of Fire have had half as much impact if its inhabitants were simply shuttled there by bus and then dropped off to burn for all eternity? We don't think so.
Questions About Violence
- Are the violent punishments necessary? Why must God punish non-believers so harshly?
- If you made a movie of Revelation how violent would it be? Like Reservoir Dogs level? 300? Kill Bill?
- Jesus has a sword coming out of his mouth. Is this a violent image? Or does it have another meaning?
- Does the violence take away from the story or add interest?