God's vengeance
God’s wrath upon the people or nations for their pride
“All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree.” (Ezek 17:24)
(people)
The Lord shall punish the king of Assyria for his pride. “When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart (自大的心) of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks (高傲眼目).” (Isa 10:12)
The Assyrian king was exalted by the Lord; the Assyrian king would be delivered into the hand of the mighty one because his heart was haughty. “Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud (影密如林), and of an high stature…I have made him fair (成為榮美) by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height (心驕氣傲); I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen (i.e. king of Babylon); he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.” (Ezek 31:3,9-11)
The fall of the prince of Tyrus (implying Satan) due to her haughtiness. “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up and thou has said, I am a God. I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas. Yet thou art a man and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.” (Ezekiel 28:2) “Thou seal up the sum (無所不備)(NRSV, 'You were the signet of perfection'), full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Thou has been in Eden the garden of God…Thou art the anointed cherub that cover, and I have set thee so. …Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou has corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground…Therefore I will bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee. …Thou shall be a terror and thou shall never be any more.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19)
“Behold, the day come that shall burn as an oven. All the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble (碎稭).” (Mal 4:1)
(nations)
Assyria will be destroyed. “And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness...This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me.” (Zeph 2:13,15)
The pride of Babylon and her destruction. “For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee…and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.” (Isa 47:10-11) “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him (迦勒底人自高自大，心不正直)…Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.” (Hab 2:4,8)
The pride of Moab and her destruction. “For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.” (Isa 25:10-11)
The pride of Moab and Ammon and their perpetual desolation. “Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles (刺草), and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. This shall they have for their pride (這事臨到他們是因他們驕傲), because they have reproached and magnified themselves (自誇自大) against the people of the Lord of hosts.” (Zeph 2:9-10)
Edom shall become desolate. “Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts…Bozrah (波斯拉) shall become a desolation…Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation.” (Jer 49:7,13,16-17) Edom is too proud, thinking that no one can fight against her due to her high position. “The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom…The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.” (Obad 1:1,3-4)
The Lord will “cut off the pride of the Philistines”, including Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and Ashdod. (Zech 9:5-6)
The Lord takes vengeance upon other nations for the sake of Israel
God is to bring vengeance upon Assyria. “God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2) “Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.” (Nahum 3:18)
The Lord complained of Babylon’s heavy burden on His people. “I was wroth with my people (我向我的百姓發怒), I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand (Babylon). Thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient (老年人) hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.” (Isa 47:6)
God is to bring vengeance upon Babylon. “Because thou (Babylon) hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.” (Hab 2:8)
Edom has done violence against her brother Jacob when Jacob was captured by the enemies. “And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.” (Obad 1:9-10)
Jeremiah pleads for vengeance on his enemies. “All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it. Thou will bring the day that thou has called, and they shall be like unto me (他們就像我一樣). Let all their wickedness come before thee, and do unto them as thou has done unto me for all my transgressions.” (Lam 1:21-22)
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations…and will plead with them there (在那裡施行審判) for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joe 3:1-2)
The Lord will execute vengeance upon the heathen by destroying their armies and strongholds and cutting off their images. (Micah 5:10-14) “I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” (Micah 5:15)
“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me (Zechariah) unto the nations which spoiled you...For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants (他們就必作服侍他們之人的擄物).” (Zech 2:8-9)
In one of Zechariah’s visions, four horns stand for the nations that “have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head (使人不能抬頭)”; four carpenters stand for the nations that “cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.” In other words, the Lord will take revenge upon those nations that have scattered the people of Israel everywhere by the hands of other nations. (Zech 1:21)