“Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Revelation 18:6).

There is a legal term that is alluded to here: lex talionis (Latin) – law of retribution. We looked at that briefly in 13:10. Since her sins have now reached heaven, God must act. This verse begins to reveal the legal standard by which He will render sentencing.

The Bible is filled with courtroom scenes, pronouncements by judges and execution of justice. One simple example is found in Matthew 25:

• When Jesus comes the second time

• He will be sitting on a throne

•  All nations will be gathered before Him

• He “sets” (judicial language) the sheep on the right – He “sets” the goats on the left

There on His throne (courtroom bench), accompanied by His attendants, He judicially separates the righteous and the wicked. The sheep are “sentenced to eternal life.” The goats are separated for everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Two groups, two sentences – both eternal and irrevocable.

We are now going to take a glimpse into a little area of God’s judicial mind.

“Reward her even as she rewarded you,” (vs 6)

“The whole scene could be likened to a universal courtroom, in which a class-action suit takes place. Plaintiffs in this suit are Christians together with all those killed on earth (18:24); the defendant is Babylon/Rome, who is charged with murder in the interest of power and idolatry; and the presiding judge is God. As announced previously in 14:8, Babylon/ Rome has lost the lawsuit and therefore its associates break out in lamentation and mourning, while the heavenly court and Christians rejoice over the justice they have received.”[1]

This verse is an audition of the sentence against Babylon. This provides insight into God’s character. We see a few pages from His law books. With amazing patience He has permitted the case to proceed slowly over an extended time for arguments to be presented. That’s divine mercy. The execution of the sentence is severe and final. That’s divine justice.

This is “retributive justice” and is considered an equitable, even respectable, legal response. This echoes an Old Testament judicial warning regarding Babylon: “Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.” (Jeremiah 50:29; cf. Psalm 137:8).

Is such a forensic decision lawful? This verse unequivocally signals its divine origin (cf. Psalm 28:4, Proverbs 24:12, Isaiah 3:11, Lamentations 3:64, Romans 2:6, II Corinthians 11:15, II Timothy 4:14).

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity” (Revelation 13:10a).

“And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deuteronomy 19:21).

“and double unto her double according to her works:” (vs 6)

In the Old Testament the “payback” for a wicked deed was often a double portion:

• Stealing an animal, stealing in general, illegal possession of a beast (Exodus 22:4, 7, 9)

• Double restitution was a principle the prophets conveyed (Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 16:18, 17:18)

• There were even calls for a seven-fold retaliation (Psalm 79:12)

At first this all seems excessive and certainly uncharacteristic of a fair God! But many scholars see this, eschatologically, as terminal response metaphors when cases are finally closed.[2]

That metaphor would also mean a “full recompense” rather than twice the penalty. Osborne notes that Klein (1989:177) assumed that these two Hebrew words originally meant “equivalent.” God will judge “fully” for all they have done (cf. Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 16:18, 17:18; Matthew 23:15; I Timothy 5:17). This would be “according to the deeds” – the basis of God’s final judgment (Psalms 28:4, 62:12; Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 2:6; II Corinthians 11:15; I Peter 1:17; Revelation 2:23, 20:12-13, 22:12).[3]

This is not divine “revenge” but “just requital.”[4]

“in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.” (vs 6)

This refers to the cup the harlot forced on the world, filled with the wine of her fornication (apostasy).

Thus, since she (Babylon) seduced the world into drinking the cup of sin, she must drink the cup of God’s wrath “full strength” (14:10).

References: