The Premise of God’s Holiness and His Judgment

The very premise of God’s holiness is the place is which God can judge rightly anyone and anything. Let us first consider Isaiah who encountered and was in the presence of God’s holiness.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe[a] filled the temple. 2 Seraphim[b] were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts;

His glory fills the whole earth.

4 The foundations of the doorways

shook at the sound of their voices, 

and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said:

Woe is me for I am ruined[c]

because I am a man of unclean lips

and live among a people of unclean lips,

and because my eyes have seen the King,

the Lord of Hosts. Isaiah 6:1-5

Consider these angelic beings who dare not gaze upon the Lord in all His majesty! These angelic beings of such power beyond our own comprehension that are closest to the throne of God are in full submission to His holiness and splendour. And now consider what Isaiah says in verse 5 “Woe is me for I am ruined…” How did Isaiah know of the sin that burdened him in the presence of God? God’s holiness reflects sinless perfection. It is His holiness that is separate from all sin, that in our life time we have never met a single person (apart from Christ) who has ever lifted even a pen without sinning in some measure. Let us now consider the centrality of God’s holiness upon Mount Sinai, in Hebrews 12:20 the author echoes the powerful centrality of God’s holiness that is completely unapproachable, no man nor beast could endure His holy presence and live.

It is by this same holiness Christ judges rightly the money changes and those selling doves in the temple complex in Matthew 21:12-13

Jesus went into the temple complex[c] and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer.[d] But you are making it a den of thieves!”

We see Christ’ judgment displayed, fully man and fully God using the word of God and His love for the Father as the source of judgment and His holiness to execute rightly. And in Revelation 19:11-13 we see Christ’ judgment from the premise of His holiness and His execution as swift and as sharp as the sword; the very word of God. Dear friends if we are not aware of God’s holiness as we ought to be, we would easily touch the mountain without question, we would easily set up our money changing tables in the temple courts and we would be judged by His holiness with such ferocity! Let us not nullify the holiness of God, but approach our Lord and His word knowing that He is holy. It is only by His grace that we can even pray to our Lord, it is by His mercies that we receive at every moment we breathe that we may carry out His will and not be burned by His holiness. Let us consider the greatness of our Lord and not grow weary in knowing Him as we draw closer to the end of our days.