We hear of God’s love and mercy from pulpits and podcasts constantly, as we should. It is an inexhaustible subject, an eternal gift. But his wrath? Almost never. In these Rapture Ready pages, e.g., of some 18,000 (!) articles in the archives, the search function turns up but two with “Wrath of God” in the title. Yet, in a very short while, God will bring his wrath to the earth for the seven years known as The Tribulation, also known as Jacob’s Trouble or Daniel’s 70th Seven. Paradoxically, that wrath has a powerful and exceedingly merciful purpose: it will crush and vanquish the evil that besets humanity — forever.
Why must God manifest wrath to do this, one may ask? Several reasons. God is:
> Sovereign. God’s positional sovereignty and majesty demand respect. He is Founder and King of the entire universe. When he is mocked or disregarded, it is not without penalty.
> Partisan. God’s universe is not benign territory; it is literally a war zone between good and evil. God will soon vanquish evil and all its partisans to establish good and its partisans — forever. God grants salvation to the believer (from faith), rewards those who advance the kingdom (from works), but punishes those who oppose him. It is his nature to do so. He does not grade on the curve; his standards are absolute. He is not neutral, benign or passive, as some imply. He is not benign, unconscious or comatose. He is partisan. One must choose sides: God or Satan, good or evil.
> Sin-hating. Sin catalyzes God’s wrath because it destroys his chief creation, humans. Sin destroys relationships, marriages, families, businesses, physical health, mental health – pretty much everything we know of life on planet Earth. Sin is poison; sin is radioactive. If you’ve lived for a while, you know that; if you’re young, inexperienced or immature (at any age), sin may still hold its thrall for you. God’s love for his creation fuels his wrath when anything steps in to destroy it. When God banishes sin, his wrath will be put away forever as well. To understand wrath, one must understand sin. When one truly understands sin, one understands God’s wrath as well.
Wrath is not our picture of Jesus Christ. But the popular image of Jesus as a long-haired, delicate, vaguely feminine figure is simply not accurate. Not for 2,000 years ago; not for now. He is not woke or a patsy; he is not a Karen. He is The Founder and King of Creation. He has a striking and powerful appearance, and if you were transported at this moment into his presence, you would die from the power emanating from him if he didn’t shield you. He personally opens the seven seals of wrath (Revelation 6). He returns on a white horse as a conqueror. He rules with a rod of iron. Nations that disobey will be punished.
The same personage who threw over the moneychangers’ tables and sent people flying with a whip of cords, will this time upend the entire world and establish his kingdom on planet Earth. In his first appearance, he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World. In his second, he will be the Lion of the tribe of Israel, the Great and conquering King.
Strangely, few churches, pastors, or Christians care much for or convey this image. They are put off. Many churches flat don’t believe in the return of Jesus, and his kingdom on this earth, and many of the remaining churches who say they do believe are uncomfortable with it, and avoid Bible prophecy because it is “controversial.” Though Jesus himself never steered around being controversial, or at times, confrontational. Still, many prefer a fanciful and imagined Jesus: meek, mild, and easily pushed aside, moved out of the way to the authentic Biblical record.
Jesus fairly frequently showed this “controversial/confrontational” side of his personality the first time he was here by making many shocking statements. Below are some 40. These words are of a whole cloth with the unimaginably powerful actions, not just words, soon to shake and reset the world:
- Violence. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).
The person and message of Jesus Christ is divisive. He returns as a conquering warrior. - Violence. “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:30).
A hyperbolic statement meant to stress the severity of sin and the necessity of radical action to remove anything that leads to spiritual downfall. His attitude to sin is radical. - Spit. “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit (vomit) you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
One of the strongest such manifestations of Jesus’ ire. The Greek word for “spit” in Revelation 3:16 is ἐμέω (emeó), which means “to vomit” or “to spit out.” Vomiting is a violent action. Some writers believe that the Laodicean church is an apostate church, having locked Jesus out. Jesus responds in kind. - Blind. “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39).
The religious teachers of the day thought they saw but couldn’t even see Jesus as Christ; he indicts them here. - Blind. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:41).
Jesus condemns self-righteousness. - (Apparent) cannibalistic imagery. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
This shocking statement led many to abandon Jesus, as they failed to grasp its deeper spiritual meaning regarding the One in whom we live and move and have our being. - Cross. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
The daily cost of discipleship is death to self. This is radical. It is joining an army. When a recruit joins an army, he has already agreed to die to himself when the action is called for. - Dead. “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60).
This response to a man who wished to bury his father before following Jesus seems harsh and uncaring, which Jesus was not. Jesus wept and suffered and died for people. But this pithy but punchy and unforgettable saying underscores the urgency of discipleship and the need to prioritize the Kingdom of God above all else. - Death. “I will strike her (Jezebel, representing spiritual deception) children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (Revelation 2:23).
Remnant pastors and podcasters talk about the surveillance capabilities of the Beast state: where our every thought and action will be known. Ironically, Jesus beat them to it a long time ago. - Death. “If you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24).
The necessity of faith in Christ for salvation. - Devil. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires” (John 8:44).
Jesus accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy and spiritual blindness. God’s truth and self-righteousness are separated by a great wide gulf. Similarly: - Dogs. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matthew 7:6).
Calling someone a dog or a pig (or a fool) is a supreme put-down, an insult. And Jesus did it. This metaphor warns against sharing divine truths with those who are hostile or unwilling to receive them. - Dogs. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26).
Spoken to a Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter, this statement initially seems dismissive. However, her persistent faith leads Jesus to heal her daughter; God is moved by faith. - End times: deceptions, wars, earthquakes, etc. “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34).
Violence, chaos in the last days. - Exclusion. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
This statement follows the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, underscoring that while many hear the Gospel, only those who respond appropriately will be saved. - Exclusion. “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
A call to unwavering commitment. Eyes forward. - Exclusion. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father” (Matthew 7:21).
Mere verbal acknowledgment of his lordship is insufficient; true obedience is required for entry into the Kingdom of God. - Exclusion. “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
Finding one’s way to salvation requires earnest effort. It is not an inheritance; it is a choice for each individual. - Exclusion. “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).
A prophecy of judgment on the careless and unfaithful. - Exclusion. “To those who have, more will be given; but as for those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away” (Luke 19:26).
Same. Kingdom service is an all or nothing proposition. - Exclusion. “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29).
A dire warning about rejection of God’s Spirit. - Faith. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
This one stops you in your tracks: One of the most chilling questions ever posed. Only a remnant will manifest faith. - Fire. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49).
Judgment, wrath forthcoming. - Fire. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19).
Again, fire used as metaphor for divine wrath. - Fool. “Fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:20).
A warning against materialism. - Hate. “Whoever does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
This hyperbolic statement emphasizes the supremacy of devotion to Christ over all earthly relationships, even vis-à-vis one’s very life. - Hated. “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
No one wants to be hated. Believers are persecuted in ways great and small. - Humility. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
A reversal of worldly values. - Ignorance. “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).
A rebuke of theological ignorance. The Bereans studied to see whether these things be so. The men of Issachar knew the times and the seasons. It is the honor of God to conceal a matter; the honor of kings to search it out. Too often in modern society, ignorance/stupidity is lauded, and intellectual activity disrespected. Backwards. - Loyalty. “The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).
There is no “neutrality.” - Persecution. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
A reality of following Christ: persecution. - Pharisees. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27).
Jesus condemns religious leaders who maintain an appearance of righteousness while being corrupt internally, highlighting the importance of genuine faith over mere religious formalism. - Pharisees. “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).
Strong words. - Rebuke. “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).
A warning after healing a man. Sin brings consequence. - Rebuke. “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16).
The pecking order upended. - Rebuke. “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it” (Luke 11:44).
A strong condemnation of hidden hypocrisy. - Shame. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
Being ashamed turns out to be a two-way thoroughfare. - Woe. “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24).
A rebuke against wealth-driven complacency. - Woe. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21).
Towns have personalities; Jesus condemns the most unrepentant. - World. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
Jesus distinguishes his divine nature from humanity’s fallen state.
Meek, sad, long-haired, female-ish, plaintiff? – these words prove otherwise. Jesus was bold, brusque, and did not curry favor. A current and accurate depiction of Jesus Christ can be found in Revelation 1:12-16, KJV (King James Version):
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
Every image here conveys power. That is him, today. Not a baby in a manger, no longer a victim of a crucifixion. Rather, the powerful Sovereign and Founder of the Universe in both fact and in appearance.
Similarly, these statements listed above convey power and meaning. They challenge conventional and, frankly, lazy views of Jesus. His words reveal his mission to confront sin, demand true discipleship, and expose hypocrisy. He looked to the future kingdom. Though some would say these words are harsh, they have the power to save one from hell. There is no more merciful act.
He will be returning soon, in startling fashion, to establish his kingdom and rule with a rod of iron. Before that comes the 70th week of Daniel, the Great Tribulation, the very Wrath of God. Those seven years constitute an unspeakable horror, physical suffering far beyond merely being upbraided by his sharp words. Those who ignored or mocked him will fervently wish they hadn’t.
This Great King is not to be trifled with but rather feared, respected, worshipped. And so it is the Psalmist says: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
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John A. Sarkett is the author of After Armageddon, Strangest Stories in the Bible, and most recently, Revelation Illustrated. He is publisher, as well, of the formerly out-of-print The Second Coming Bible by Wm. E. Biederwolf.