The Blood-Stained Warrior and the Scandal of Grace
“I have trodden the winepress alone… their blood spattered on my garments, and I stained all my clothing.”
— Isaiah 63:3
How do you reconcile wrath like that?
I’m not saying I have all the answers or that I am qualified to discuss this, either. But I’m also not afraid to wrestle with hard Scripture. God has given us the Holy Spirit to learn, to seek, and to walk into truth, not with fear but with reverence.
Let’s talk about God’s vengeance—not to shy away from it, but to understand it. And please share your thoughts in the comments below. This is the kind of passage we’re meant to process in community.
Context First: A People in Exile
Isaiah 63 opens with a stunning image: a lone warrior marching out of Edom, robes soaked in crimson. This isn't poetic metaphor—it’s prophetic vision.
At the time, the Israelites were likely still under Babylonian captivity—beaten down by darkness, oppression, and exile. Into that despair, God gives them a vision of hope through holy fire:
There is a sovereign King above it all.
He is not silent. He is not passive.
He sees every injustice, every oppressor, every act of rebellion.
And He responds.
For the faithful remnant, this vision would have been fuel.
A reminder that God will not let evil reign forever.
God’s Vengeance Is Righteous Intervention
God’s wrath is not like ours.
It’s not rooted in ego or outbursts.
It’s the righteous intervention of a holy God who cannot and will not ignore evil.
We often flinch at the idea of God’s vengeance—but maybe that’s because we’ve only ever seen it through flawed human hands. God’s wrath is not the opposite of His love—it is what perfect love looks like when it confronts evil.
And here’s the dividing line:
For the repentant, His presence brings redemption.
For the unrepentant, His presence brings judgment.
There is no third option.
No neutral reaction to perfect holiness.
What I love to remember about the timeline of God’s wrath and redemption, is that redemption was His last word. That, through Jesus Christ, the whole world would be redeemed.
From Isaiah to Revelation: The Warrior Returns
This image in Isaiah doesn’t stand alone—it finds its fulfillment in Revelation 19, when Jesus returns as the warrior King.
“He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13)
“With justice He judges and wages war.” (Revelation 19:11)
This is Jesus—the Lamb who was slain, now returning as the Lion of Judah.
He is the same blood-stained warrior seen in Isaiah 63.
But the blood on His robe? It’s not His own this time.
It’s the blood of His enemies—the result of perfect, righteous judgment.
This isn’t a contradiction.
It’s consummation—the culmination of God’s justice, and the final movement in His plan to defeat evil forever.
But God…
This is where grace punches through the fire.
Yes—the wages of sin is death.
Yes—judgment is real.
But God made a way before the foundation of the world.
Jesus took the wrath so that you and I could receive mercy.
The One who comes to judge the nations first came to be judged in our place.
And for all who are in Him, the winepress of wrath has already been poured out—on the cross.
Never Finished Challenge: Today’s Enemy, Tomorrow’s Invitation
This passage encouraged Israel during exile, and it encourages us today:
God is still King.
He is not silent.
He is not passive.
He is not powerless.
But let me ask you:
With His active pursuit of you, how are you abiding daily in Him?
Your context may not look like ancient exile.
But make no mistake—our enemy is still active:
In your phone. On your screens. In your home. In your city.
You may be experiencing real evil right now.
Take heart:
The King of the Universe declared—before the foundation of the world—that evil would not win.
So stand up.
You have already won—because He won.
Ask God to give you daily hope for what is to come so that you can glorify Him through your circumstances today and point others to His love.
What Does This Say About God?
God is divinely fierce and unfathomably powerful.
There’s still a part of me that trembles at this image—still a scared version of how I see Him.
But He keeps healing it—every day I spend time with Him, He welcomes me in with open arms.
I’m learning to be thankful that His justice and love walk hand in hand.
If there were a middle ground—a safe compromise—I know my flesh would take it.
But Scripture is clear from beginning to end:
He is divinely holy and perfectly just.
And still, Jesus came.
And still, He saves.
Thank You, Jesus.
My life rooted in Christ gives me peace knowing my Father and my eternity. He is fair. He is loving. But he is just and loving at the same time.