Wrath

There is an earthly wrath and a divine wrath, just as there is a distinction between the earthly and heavenly in terms of such matters as love and jealousy.  Knowing how to distinguish the two is a key element of reading the Bible for principle, and drawing from it an accurate picture of the character of Yah.

The Wrath of Yah does not involve hatred or unjust anger.  It is a principle, like His love, that is impartial and always mitigated by as much mercy as possible.  In many cases, as is stated explicitly, the “wrath” of the Almighty is simply His withdrawing His protection for a time so that we can reap the natural consequences of errors. We read, “‘For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,’ saith Yahweh thy Redeemer.” (Isa 54:7, 8)

Toward His people, the wrath of Yahweh is a corrective force.  We read that “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb 12:11)  Christ also said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19)

Toward those that are not His people, the wrath of Yahweh is still a merciful act, but it is an active “pouring out,” and the mercy manifests itself differently.  First, it ends the sinful life of those who would only continue to suffer spiritually under the power of the Tempter.  We read of that here: “And Yahweh shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev 21:4)

While this passage is referring primarily to the saints, we understand that there will be no more death, sorrow or crying anywhere; the redeemed have no need for sorrow, and the lost have no capacity for it, being destroyed. “We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now,” (Rom 8:22) but this is only a temporary state until the “new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered [see the entry on this word above], nor come into mind.” (Isa 65:17)

In a secondary sense, the destruction of the wicked is a mercy to the rest of the creation.  As long as there is suffering anywhere in the universe, the sympathy of the redeemed, who have hearts of perfect love, would be pricked by that suffering.  Simply being “in Heaven” does not immunize one to the pain of others.  Christ was in the Eternal Kingdom, and He could not bear the pain of men on earth; He came down in order to make atonement between us and the Father. (Rom 5:11)  The idea, then, that there will be an eternal torture of the lost while the saved ones are either ignorant, insensitive, or comforted by some warped idea of “justice” is simply not a proper reflection of the facts of a holy character.  But if we truly understand the “Wrath” of Yahweh, then all His dealings with humanity make sense, and reflect the perfection of His character.