Proverbs 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
‘And who knoweth the ruin of them both?’ The expression “them both” points back to the Lord and the king in verse 21. There are consequences for rebellion against earthly authority, but there are far greater consequences for rebellion against God.
Earthly rulers have limited authority and limited knowledge. God has absolute authority and knows the end from the beginning. The ultimate answer to corrupt human government is therefore not found in continually attempting to overthrow one ruler after another. Scripture points forward to the return of Jesus Christ, when God will establish the righteous rule that human governments can never achieve.
Daniel (7:14) saw the Son of Man receiving: “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him.” And verse 18 declares that the saints of the Most High will ultimately “possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.”
Thus, Proverbs 24:22 should cause us to keep our perspective on eternity. We should respect lawful authority, pray for those who govern, oppose genuine injustice through righteous and lawful means, and remain faithful to God’s Word. But we should not become consumed by political rebellion or place our hope in human government.
The final overthrow of every corrupt and ungodly system belongs to Christ. At His return, earthly rule will ultimately give way to the righteous reign of the King of kings. Until then, believers are called to live faithfully within the world as it is, while looking forward to the kingdom that Christ Himself will establish.
Human kingdoms rise and fall, but Christ’s kingdom will never pass away. Our hope is therefore not in the perfecting of human government, but in the coming of the righteous King.
