A Devotional Verse From Revelation

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints.     Revelation 13:10

Believers in Jesus will be in a most difficult position during the days of the tribulation period. The one called the beast will be the world power, and will make war against those who believe in Jesus during that time. The believers (saints) will wait for deliverance, and will expect (believe for) those who persecute them to receive justice. They will. In that day those who take, for example, Christian girls captive in places like Nigeria will be captured and led away captive themselves. Those who murder Christians or others, murdering one or massacring hundreds as happened in Kenya recently, will be killed in judgment themselves.

While this passage deals with the future, it is apparent that if governments are doing their duties as governments accountable to God {see Romans 13 where we are told that governments, all governments, are meant to be a terror to evil (3), be ministers of good, and be God’s servants (4)} the same kind of justice will be imposed on such kidnappers and killers today, and justice will, in some measure even in today's violent world, protect victims from such terrorism. It is reminiscent of Jesus’ words to Peter in the garden of Gethsemane, observing that  “…all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

Citizens of any country with a legitimate government can and should be able to expect its government to give them protection and dispense true justice. The governments of the world, whatever brand they are, have a heavy responsibility to God to protect their citizens from violence in the streets, terrorism and war, and promote and provide peace.