Austin Bible Church
Revolution is a violent overthrow of a bona fide government power. When human power and privilege are monopolized by a few, people become oppressed. When freedom is limited, opportunity is limited. They may even be in slavery. People and resources cannot be exploited apart from freedom without reaction which is often violent.
But revolution, the attempt to overthrow, does not achieve anything worthwhile. Anything achieved by revolution, which seems to be bona fide, could have been achieved without revolution. The end does not justify the means. Neither the Word of God nor human history justify revolution. Rom.13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14.
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” (Romans 13:1-7, NASB)
“Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13-14, NASB)
An illustration of this is the Dathan and Abiram incident in Numbers l6.
“Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”“ (Numbers 16:1-3, NASB)
“Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. “Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?” (Numbers 16:12-13, NASB)
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’“ Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.”“ (Numbers 16:23-26, NASB)
““But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.” As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.” (Numbers 16:30-32, NASB)
Rebellious thinking (negative volition) against the Divine Institutions are linked with revolution. Isaiah 1:3-5; Heb. 3:11-15.
“"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand." Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint.” (Isaiah 1:3-5, NASB)
“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."” (Hebrews 3:11-15, NASB)
Revolution is based on jealousy. Isaiah 11:13; 1 Kings 12:19.
“Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim.” (Isaiah 11:13, NASB)
“So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.” (1 Kings 12:19, NASB)
The American Revolutionary War was not a revolution, but a struggle for freedom. It should have been called a civil war rather than a revolution. Colonies were being taxed without any representation in England’s government (Parliament). Every attempt was made by the Colonies to settle the problem by peaceful means. Finally they had to fight for their freedom. This was tyranny. It was no revolution. It was a war for freedom. They were not trying to overthrow the House of Commons. They felt that they should have a voice in their government. This was a war for independence.
The French Revolution achieved reform through a violent revolution. With the Reform Bill of 1812 in England, they accomplished reform through parliamentary procedure. The end does not justify the means. A revolution breaks sharply with the past and courts madness, this madness leads to national trauma. Destruction of any form of government or order by revolution causes anarchy. By analogy, as the sanity of an individual lies in the continuity of their memories, so the sanity of a group lies in the perpetuation of Divine Institution # 4 - Nationalism.
In the French Revolution, they didn’t have any money, so they printed more money. Did that solve anything? No. A revolution always takes the leaves off the tree and it always runs down the country. Revolution also leads to mobs without thought or sanity. They are neurotic in their reaction and psychotic. Violence is the means which they use to seek to achieve their ends, but this never achieves a permanent solution. Killing in defense of your country is justified, but never is the violence of a mob justified. Killing people because they have been successful in business and killing those whom you don’t like is never justified.
Revolution destroys the economy of a nation. Nevertheless, even though there is revolution and you are still alive, God still has a purpose for you in this life. Daniel 4:14-15.
“'He shouted out and spoke as follows: "Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches. "Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.” (Daniel 4:14-15, NASB)
Even at the end of the Millennium, immediately upon his release, Satan will sponsor revolution against the perfect environment and government of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. 20:7-8.
“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.” (Revelation 20:7-8, NASB)