Pray for Judge Jesus to Punish Unrepentant Bullies

by Patricia Backora

Most Christians assume that it is a sin to pray for God to punish anyone, even vicious unrepentant criminals who keep on doing the same old things to destroy others.  Many well-meaning Christians are in utter denial about the JUSTICE aspect of God’s character, while eagerly accepting His merciful side. Many grudgingly accept that God might get just a little angry ever now and then, but they airbrush away the terror of the Lord (2 Cor.5:11). Paul feared God’s wrath on sinners so much he went out of his way to try to turn them from their wicked way.  Paul did not RUSH to reassure sinners that God loved them anyway.  Jesus did not RUSH to reassure Pontius Pilate that he was already forgiven.  Jesus did not scold the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin for holding an illegal kangaroo court where they verbally and physically abused Him and plotted to ship him off to the Romans to be crucified.  But Christ did not reassure them that they were forgiven by God for their cruelty.  These vile men KNEW they were breaking God’s Law by stitching Jesus up.

Christians tend to think that Gentle Jesus has nothing to do with the God of the Old Testament, Who sometimes severely punished His enemies.  Despite the fact Christ Himself said, He and His Father were one and the same God (John 10:30). 

The way Christians criticize other Christians for warning sinners about hell and other “negative” topics, you’d think those people don’t even believe God is capable of wrath against sin and injustice. And if He does, they’re embarrassed about it and think God needs to take an anger management course.  They think that God no longer presides as Judge over His creation, only as a dispenser of easy forgiveness and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE which embraces even the most hardened, depraved criminal.  That goes for UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS as well. 

Jesus forgave EVERYONE, no exceptions, some insist.  But where was Jesus’ UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS of Judas, who was genuinely sorry after he betrayed Christ (Matt.27:3-5)?  Before Judas even did the dirty deed, Jesus said it would have been better if Judas had never been born (Mark 14:21).  Christ did not forgive Judas in advance for what he was about to do.  Nor did He tell Judas he would always be UNCONDITIONALLY loved by God no matter what he did.

Jesus didn’t mollycoddle the evil Pharisees who blasphemed against the Holy Ghost. They insulted Christ by attributing His wonderful works to satan.  Jesus didn’t try to “build bridges” with these blasphemers.  He  said there was NO hope of forgiveness for them, either in this world or in the next (Matt.12:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10).  Why was this particular sin so terrible?  Because the Holy Spirit Himself must be present to convict sinners of sin in order for them to come to repentance and call upon Christ for salvation (John 16:6-9). John 6:44 warns that NO man can even come to Christ unless the Father first attracts him to Christ.  Consider the  cavalier attitude of modern sinners who plan to party hard and swindle others till the day they die, counting on a convenient deathbed repentance and an easy ride to heaven.  Man, they’ll be in for a rude shock!

Jesus did not extend UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS to His foes who refused to believe in Him and accept His forgiveness. He did pray for His foes from the Cross because unlike the wicked Pharisees, they “knew not what they did”.  One Roman soldier realized that he had just nailed God’s own Son to the Cross.  Hopefully that man fully repented and made it to heaven.  But as for forgiving those who KNOWINGLY carry out a prolonged war of emotional torture against us, they are without excuse (Rom.1:20) and we must trust God, the Righteous Judge, to do the right thing with them. Are we any better than Jesus?  Jesus did not revile His tormenters.  But often overlooked is the fact that He trusted His Father to take care of the need for justice (I Pet.2:23).

Jesus did not revile those who killed Him, but He did spend an entire chapter of the Bible (Matt. 23) excoriating religious leaders for their evil hypocrisy, and the way their nation for murdered their own prophets. Jesus even called them names.  Several times He called them hypocrites.  He called them fools and blind guides.  He called them poisonous snakes (vipers) who were in danger of hell fire. I can’t imagine that Jesus spoke those words in a barely audible whisper, or that He spoke in a well-modulated tone when He drove the money changers out of the Temple (John 2: 12-17).  How do you wave a whip around at these greedy men and whisper, “Smile, God loves you?”

In Matt.23 Jesus rebuked the wicked religious leaders for the bloody persecution they would wage against his own followers. God said all the righteous blood ever shed upon the earth would be required of them (Matt.23:35).  Many insist that we must automatically forgive the most evil abusers on the basis that every sin ever committed by mankind was paid for by the sacrifice of Christ (even if some sinners refuse to repent).  That’s a clever deception of satan, who mixes a bit of truth (Christ’s atonement) with a big lie (universal salvation of all, even the unrepentant). The Bible makes it clear that THOSE WHO ARE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE will be saved and forgiven by God (Acts 13:48). The clear inference is that there are those who are NOT ordained to salvation and eternal life because of their hardness and impenitence of heart .

Rom.2:5: But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

The sins of the unrepentant are NOT covered by the blood of Christ. Instead, these wicked people store up WRATH for themselves, not mercy. Jesus said if you don’t repent you perish (Luke 13:3,5).  Just in case some softie doubted whether Jesus really did say that, He repeated that statement in the same passage.

Consider a stern warning in Hebrews:

Heb.10:26: For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Notice, this passage is addressing those who have been sanctified, or Christian believers.  If they trample on the blood of Jesus they can expect NO mercy from God whatsoever. Now if God could be so harsh with those who at some point were sanctified by the blood of Jesus, then surely God will not mollycoddle an unrepentant sinner who never accepted Christ!

I Pet.4:18: And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Prov.11:31: Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed (paid back)  in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

What does the New Testament have to say about God’s role as Judge?  If Jesus and God are One, then Who is the Judge, if there is one?

John 5:22: For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

2 Tim.4:8: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

No Christian has any problem with that verse unless they haven’t been acting very righteous, or unless they dread Jesus’ appearing.  Some will reassure themselves that when Scripture speaks of Jesus’ role as judge, He’s only judging people to determine rewards, not punishments.

2 Tim.4:1: I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom

I Pet.4:4: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick (living)  and the dead.* * * * *Now what sort of reward can those who speak evil of the godly expect to receive from Judge Jesus?

Does Jesus ever get mad enough at anybody to punish them?

Rev.13:9: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he (Jesus) doth judge and make war.

Rev. 2:21: And I (Jesus) gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I (Jesus) will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I (Jesus) will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I (Jesus) will give unto every one of you according to your works.

One prime reason God punishes evildoers is to bring glory to His Holy Name, that all the universe might know that His judgments are perfectly righteous.

God poured out his righteous indignation upon Pharaoh to demonstrate His perfect justice in how he dealt with his sin (Rom.9:17).  Pharaoh was a vessel of wrath prepared for destruction, just a container into which God would pour out the fierceness of His wrath (verse 22).

In at least one context God’s judging of the wicked is an occasion for rejoicing.

Rev.18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.* * * * *At last!  After 2,000 years of persecuting Christians, the enemies of the church are finally given the punishment they deserve.

Does God’s love turn a blind eye to injustice and “just let it go” without true repentance? God holds a dim view of earthly judges who let the wicked off the hook.

Ezek.13:21: Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

By going soft on unrepentant bullies and promising them leniency school authorities or work supervisors strengthen their hands to do even worse things.

God actually sent His wrath upon someone who was too tender-hearted to hate a sinner who hated God:

2 Chron.19:2: And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

Zeph.3:8: Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

2 Thes.1:7: And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power

Bullies gang up on a lone victim who has no allies to help defend him.  In the latter days a big coalition of mighty nations will gang up on little Israel, who apparently, will stand all alone with no friendly nations on its side:

Ezekiel 38:14: Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.

19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

God will be sanctified, or proven to be holy, in His yet-future judgment upon Gog.  God can also demonstrate His holiness in how He deals with our unrepentant enemies.  There is a great difference between a one-off wisecrack and a prolonged campaign of abuse calculated to wear down another person’s emotional stability and health.  That’s criminal harassment, and it angers God.

Malachi 3:6: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.* * * * This disproves  the argument that God had a personality makeover in the New Testament and no longer gets ticked off at sinners.  If God  doesn’t change, He doesn’t change.  Period.

Psalms 7:11: God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not (if he doesn’t repent), he (God) will whet (sharpen) his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors (bullies).

In many scriptures the Psalmist prays for God to punish his enemies (see Psalms chapters 35, 52, 58, 59, 69, 109, and 137. God did not send King David to hell for composing such psalms, or for being unable to forgive unrepentant enemies who tried to kill him.  In these Psalms David prayed for specific punishments to fall upon his foes.  Whether in this world or the world to come, unrepentant sinners must ultimately reap the evil they’ve sown (Gal.6:7-8).

God’s highest and best will for people is their repentance and personal salvation.  But many evil men of violence don’t give a hoot about getting mercy from God.  They just want to raise hell as long as there’s no immediate threat to their own personal comfort.  Romans chapter 9 makes it clear that some are shaped into vessels of honor fit for the Master’s use while others are fashioned into vessels of wrath fit only to glorify God in their own destruction, as God repays them for the evil they’ve done. 

Satan wants bullied people to live like scared rats afraid to come out of their hole. If you want God to be glorified in executing His righteous judgments upon those who have made your own life hell, then you, especially as a Christian, could meditate on Psalms 35:

Psalm 35

1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

You could pray a prayer patterned on this one (scripture references included):

Almighty Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the soon-coming Judge of the Living and the Dead.  I feel threatened by_(name the person, be specific!, unless you don’t know their names).  I have tried to make peace with. . . . .I have tried to stay out of their way.  I have bent over backwards to be sweet and reasonable, but they despise me all the more for my gentle nature. I’ve tried to live a peaceable life but these cruel bull(ies) make my life so miserable I’m in emotional meltdown and have lost Your peace. 

Your own word promises that ALL your saints have the privilege of proclaiming judgment upon the wicked (Psalms 149:6-9).  This passage doesn’t say this privilege expires in the Church Age, so I’m claiming it right now. 2 Tim.3:16 says ALL scripture is profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness.  So I’m using the two-edged Sword of the Word of God to plead for specific types of PUNISHMENTS to come upon those who have made my life hell on earth.

My enemies have slandered me and ridiculed me.  They’ve made fun of my name and turned it into a joke.  Make their name to rot (Prov.10:7).

At school (or work) they’ve laughed at me, pointed at me and refused to eat with me, sit near me or even be civil to me.  According to Your Word, deliberate shunning is a severe punishment to be inflicted on unrepentant backsliders in the church (I Cor.5:11; 2 Cor.2:6).  I did nothing to deserve this cruel treatment.  Those who gave in to peer pressure and did this to me deserve to feel the same ice cold depressing loneliness and humiliation they forced on me day in and day out.  As their reward, make them desolate, utterly forsaken and miserable (Psalms 40:14-15).

One or two evil bullies started it up and drew attention to me when I had no way to run and hide or fight back.  They didn’t stop till they had a whole gang laughing and pointing at me. Rob the bull(ies) of their friends one by one.  SCATTER all my enemies till not one stands together with another (Psalms 18:14; 68:1; 89:10; 92:9; 144:6. Cut off from them ALL friends and emotional support.  Do unto them as they did unto me.

After months (or years) of abuse, and inflicting the same wounds over and over again, they drove the pain down real deep and I’m still feeling it after all this time.  They left ME to clean up THEIR mess and pick up the broken pieces of my shattered self-esteem.  BREAK THEM IN PIECES, O LORD (Psalms 2:9; 50:22; 58:7; 72:4).  You have promised to break in pieces the oppressor (bully).  Break apart everything in his/her life which empowers that one to hurt others. Bring such a painful breaking in their lives they are weak as a kitten, unable to ever hurt anyone again.  Break up his/her network of like-minded friends.  They sowed breaking, let them reap it. Bring sorrow, sadness, crying and tears into their soul, leaving it crushed and desolate with the kind of breaking only You can do.

They put a SPIRIT OF FEAR on me by threatening me with weapons or through verbal harassment.  Reward them by bringing that same insecurity and terror into their souls that they brought into mine (Lev.26:16; Psalms 73:19).

They unleashed a SPIRIT OF SHAME on me that made it difficult for me to get out of bed and face the world.  Heap a dunghill of shame upon them until they are buried in it (Psalms 35:4, 26; 40:14-15).

They crushed my spirit so bad I longed for the day to be done and dreaded the dawn of a new day (Deut.28:66-67). I didn’t know if I’d get through the week without being injured (on the bus or elsewhere).  Set a trap for my enemies and laugh at them when they fall in it (Psalms 37:13; Prov.1:26).  Fill their lives with anxiety, humiliation, depression and lack of good things (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Make them feel conspicuous and ashamed, afraid they’re being laughed at or plotted against.  Let them become so unpopular they couldn’t even give themselves away in the labor market (slave market).

They prepared things to hurt me with (spitballs, tacks, clubs, or other). So, dear Lord, since it’s a no-no for me to do it myself (Rom.12:19),  prepare your punishments upon your bow of judgment to smite them with (Deut.32:23; Psalms 21:12).

Their cruelty robbed me of sleep.  So I ask You to wake them up in a cold sweat of terror.  Warn them they might slip into hell any moment (Gen.20:3).  They are not Your beloved, so do not grant them peaceful, restful sleep (Psalms 127:2).

Their cruelty opened the door for satan to harass me with flashbacks and nightmares.  Just like You sent an evil spirit to chastise King Saul, send an evil spirit to torment them both day and night to rob THEM of rest (I Sam.16:14; I Sam.19:9). Fill them with fear and emotional distress (Deut.28:65). Let their own hearts tremble with the same anxiety they put on me for such a long time.  Let their recovery be a long, uphill battle if they ever recover at all.

Let Your warrior angels persecute these unrepentant criminals continually, though they escaped earthly justice (Psalms 35:6).  They tried to trip me up and make me look foolish many a time, so let their own pathway be dark and slippery.  Send some of Your toughest, strongest angels to scare the bullies away and make their lives a living hell.

I ask you to persecute My abusers Yourself, as You can do a better job of it than I ever could (Psalms 83:15; Jeremiah 29:18).

If they persist in their meanness and refuse to repent, let their selfish prayers become a loathsome thing in Your sight (Psalms 109:7).

(If applicable in your case) Most of the snakes who persecuted me at school were churchgoers (Sunday saints).  Instead of smiling upon their little religious act one day a week, give them the same tongue-lashing You gave the wicked hypocrites in Matthew chapter 23.  Ask them how they can expect to escape the damnation of hell after all the evil they’ve done.

If they still refuse to repent after all You do to chastise them (Psalms 94:10), and still refuse to become REAL Christians and walk in Jesus’ love, let them be cut off from Christ as a dead branch (Rom.11:22) and let them be anathema (accursed, I Cor.16:22).

As You punish these depraved bullies, let everyone who witnesses their ruin be awakened to the existence to a just God in heaven Who if perfectly holy and perfectly righteous in dealing out fair paychecks to those who serve as satan’s hitmen.

And when those evil people finally give up the ghost, let them be tied up by the cords of their sins and taken downstairs to the HELL-TON Hotel  for a nice long  “time out” to think about all the hell they raised on earth for others (Prov.5:22; Psalms 9:17).

In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray, Amen.