“…for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” (Revelation 16:3-7, NIV)

God values human life. We know this because He was willing to put to death His only begotten Son on the cross to save human lives from going to hell. We also know because God warned humanity that if anyone sheds blood, he will be accountable for it. The Bible says that human life is in the blood, and anyone who sheds it, God will punish him. In today’s reading, we see one of the many reasons God brings judgment upon the earth during the Great Tribulation. He turns the sea, rivers, and the springs of water into blood in order avenge the shedding of the blood of His saints and prophets. Verses 3-7 say,

“The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: ‘You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.’ And I heard the altar respond: ‘Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.’”

Apparently, during the Great Tribulation Period, God will repay blood for blood against the antichrist and his followers. For shedding the blood of His servants, He will repay them by striking the water supply with blood. In other words, God will make the blood, which is a symbol of life, and make a symbol of death for them. In the Bible, we can see that God values human life on three different levels. First, God values all human life because He gave it in their blood and shedding it without a righteous cause offends Him (Lev.17:11-14).

Second, although God becomes offended when any human life is taken, He is even more offended when the blood of His servants is shed. Jesus said, “The blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation” (Lk.11:50-51). When someone sheds one of His servants’ blood, He will take it very personally. And if your blood is shed while trying to preach the gospel, God will honor you by adding your blood to “the blood of saints and prophets.”

Third, even more valuable and precious in the sight of God is the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is unique in that it is the only thing in the world that can forgive and cleanse us from sins. The Bible says, “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold… but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet.1:18-19). God values Jesus’ blood above all else because his blood is pure and perfect, which was offered up for atonement. Even though the blood of God’s servants is precious, it is not perfect enough for atonement because every one of them is a sinner too. This was the problem of the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system. Concerning the animal sacrifices, the Bible says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb.10:4). Concerning the priesthood, the Bible says, “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins… Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people” (Heb.5:1-3, ESV). The blood of Jesus, on the other hand, is not only precious but also perfect in that it is uncontaminated by sin. God has personally provided His Son’s perfect blood as an atonement for our sins. Therefore, anyone who disrespects it will receive severe punishment. Hebrews 10:29 says, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

The bottom line is that God values human life, and He will judge all those who shed innocent blood, especially during the Great Tribulation. So, learn to value all human life, and if you must shed blood, shed your own blood in the service of Christ. I’ll leave you with these words: “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb.12:4, NIV). Jesus shed his blood to save us from our sins. How much blood will you shed in your struggle against sin?

• Why do you think God will judge the waters on earth with blood during the Great Tribulation?
• How much blood have you shed in your life, and how much of it can be identified with the “blood of saints and prophets?”
• What do you think it means to resist sin to the point of shedding blood?