“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35).
“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31).
Moses’ warning of Deuteronomy 32:35 is quoted twice in the New Testament.
In Romans 12:19, the apostle Paul is assuring those seeking to do good that all the evil doers who oppose and mistreat them will receive divine vengeance. In this passage, Paul is reassuring God’s people that their godless enemies will be avenged for their wickedness.
In Hebrews 10:30-31, the inspired writer is addressing those who were on the verge of apostasy from Christ. He warns of the extreme folly of drawing back from the Son of God and the covenant He sanctified with His blood. In this passage, God’s people are being warned of God’s vengeance upon them for their apostasy.
Regardless of whether you are a non-Christian who does evil to Christians or a Christian who has committed the evil of apostasy, the message is identical: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
