When we hear of God’s wrath, it’s easy to envision the people who have been a part of our lives who have anger issues. In 11:18 we read about the nations becoming angry because they will not get their way in the end times. The irony is that they have no reason to be angry – God has graciously given them opportunity to come to repentance. But as angry as they may be – and as angry as Satan may be – their wrath cannot even come close to matching the wrath of God. There are two Greek words that get translated as anger: thumos (“rage, passionate anger”) and orge (“indignation, a settled attitude of wrath”). What’s important to see is that God’s wrath isn’t an outburst of bad temper but a holy indignation toward sin. God’s wrath is not unpredictable. In fact, as mentioned a few days ago (see post on June 17), God is slow to bring judgment so that the most number of people can be saved. His wrath will come, and when it does, it will be an incredible, awful thing.
Credit for this post must be given to Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996) Rev 11:15.
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