John says he sees another “great and marvelous sign,” the third such description in the book (cf. 12:1 and 12:3). The sign, in this case, is the last set of seven angels. These are the last because “God’s wrath is completed.” God’s wrath is associated with Israel’s rebelliousness, but the prophets extend that wrath to the eschatological events (Isa 26:20, Ezek 7:19, 22:24, for example).
In Revelation, God’s wrath is a featured attribute of God. This is a righteous wrath, and is to a large extent anthropomorphic. God’s anger is not at all like human wrath, he is justly punishing those who have offended his law. The wrath of God is nearly completed. This can be translated “has been accomplished,” meaning that with these final judgments the wrath which was begun in chapter 6 has run its course.
The doors to the heavenly temple are opened and seven angels appear with the final seven plagues. The description of this location is as the temple and the tent / tabernacle. The reference to the tent is likely to the tent of meeting, the place where Moses spoke face to face with the Lord, yet another allusion to events of the Exodus.
Temples with open doors were considered a “bad sign” in the ancient world. David Aune lists several sources indicating a temple door opening by themselves was a sign of God’s wrath (Revelation, 2:878). The whole temple is filled with the smoke of the glory of God. This is a theophany: God’s presence is about to come to earth to finish his wrath.
After announcing that the final wrath of God has begun, John witnesses yet another worship scene in heaven (15:2-4). This worship scene has elements from chapter 4-5, now familiar scenes of heavenly worship (sea of glass, martyrs worshiping, harps and singing). In this case the martyrs are identified as those who have overcome the beast and the number of his name. Presumably they have been martyred because they refused to take the mark of the beast.
The song they are singing is identified as the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. The Song of Moses is found in Exodus 15:1-18, Deut. 31:30-32:43; and Psalm 90. The problem with the Song of Moses in this context is that there is no literary relationship between the song recorded in Revelation and the various versions of the Song of Moses in the Old Testament. Perhaps what follows is only the Song of the Lamb and the reader is assumed to know what the song of Moses is. More likely is that the context of the original song is what John wants to evoke. If you head someone hum a few notes of a famous song, the whole song comes to mind.
The Song of Moses is worship of God because he has overcome the enemies of Israel. In Exodus, God rescued his people out of Egypt and overcame the Egyptians and their gods. There are obvious connections between the following bowl judgments and Exodus. Just as he has done in the past, God is once again working to redeem his people from an oppressive and evil empire.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
I like this acknowledgment: ” This is a righteous wrath, and is to a large extent anthropomorphic.” I’d probably take this further than you do, but it seems clear here as elsewhere in the Bible (or other sacred literature), the writer’s (and his community’s) anger is being expressed vociferously… and projected onto God.
Interesting that we see combined this high anger and a Utopian vision of the final act of history… both powerful human emotions. As to context, historically, I’ve not studied dating of Rev. in depth. I know some argue for a pre-70 date… one of the earlier books, with Paul’s. In this case, it may have been Nero and/or the initial move against Israel from the north in 66 that served to feed the anger/vision. Otherwise, post the 66-70 war, might it have been triggered by either localized or a brief but broader persecution that began I think in the mid 90’s and continued into the early 2nd century, during which Ignatius was martyred? (I know the preterist view is that it’s a backward view… does this, to these folks, place its date around or after 100?)
There is a precedence for a wrathful God in the OT, the warrior-king metaphor is extremely vivid (God stomping on his enemies and staining his robe with their blood!) I think I could easily find quite a bit of this “projected wrath” in other apocalypses. God usually wins in this literature with a great slaughter of his enemies. This is all ancient literature, and ancient lit is often violent in ways which offend us moderns.
As for the date, a date of mid 90s used to be a solid consensus (and still is as far as I can tell), whether one is a preterist or futurist (or idealist, but it matters less to them). But with the recent popularity of an evangelical form of preterism there is a need to date the book very early, before 70, in order to preserve the prophetic nature of Revelation. A non-evangelical does not care if Revelation looks back at the fall of Jerusalem, but if you want to take serious the claim the book is prophetic in a future-telling sense, then the date has to before the events.
I am hoping these categories become less common, commentators are blending two of the categories (preterism with idealism, for example). I am confident the book was written in the 90s and John is looking back at recent events (fall of Jerusalem, the eruption of Vesuvius, the persecution under Domitian) and using them as the basis for a prophecy about the ultimate persecution at the end of the age. So I want to have preterist cake and eat it (in the future).
Thanks for that meaty stuff! One thing of interest to me is combo of the apparent Jewishness of the audience (and author… not John the Apostle, in my view) and the continuing apocalyptic viewpoint that relatively late. I’m interested in understanding what I think there’s little real data on… when, why and how the spectrum of views like Paul’s (“thief in the night”), the Gospel writers’ and Rev. re. either an apocalypse/doomsday or “parousia” with that to follow… when those views faded and did so without it invalidating the authority of those who held them (wrongly). Actually, the failure of such prophetic vision in reasonable time may have affected some… as Epis. of Peter (2nd, I believe) implies some falling away may have resulted, or at least doubts entered.
I’m recalling that I maybe should get the book a friend of mine (of the way past), Ted Grimsrud, wrote for his doctoral dissertation on Rev. He’s Mennonite (teaching at Eastern I think) and pretty progressive, so I imagine he had a lot of “deconstruction” and historical analysis going on…. I don’t recall the title, but may look it up or ask him if he’s still got a copy :).
Do you mean: Ted Grimsrud, Triumph of the Lamb: A Self-Study Guide to the Book of Revelation. Herald Press, 1987; now reprinted by Wipf & Stock, 1998.
https://wipfandstock.com/triumph-of-the-lamb.html
Yes, Phillip. That’s the title. I see he has a couple later books. The one on “The Good War that Wasn’t” looks pretty interesting. Both from Mennonite roots (just Mom’s side) and from my sense of Jesus, I’m inclined toward a much more “pacifist” orientation for national policy… if not for pure pacifism. If he does as much around “just war” theory and other theo-political considerations as it looks like, this could be a valuable book… tho not one likely to have gotten a lot of notice. I’d not heard of it at all. And Ted didn’t mention it in our brief email exchange a few weeks ago (after many, many years of being out of touch with each other). One thing I highly respect Mennonites for… across their conser. to liberal spectrum, is their ACTION re. peacemaking, reconciliation and mediation… not just opposition to war. This is what it takes… and lots more of it than most of us are willing to give!
Scary times. Anyone who REALLY wants to know whats going on should definitely check this out, its a pretty scary warning from a history and religion professor. Pretty damn eye opening: https://ancientprophecy.weebly.com/
To be honest, whenever I think of the end of times it scares me. However, I also know that if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and do as He commands, then there’s nothing that we should fear because God will take care of us. Even though I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, it still scares me a little bit, but now imagine how people who have not accepted Him as their Savior will feel when the end of times comes. Those who are not following God’s command will suffer, but those who are righteous and faithful will enjoy Him forever. It is crazy how some of the verses in Revelation assure us that God will basically slaughter those who do not believe in Him. Also, I think that it is crazy how in many verses Revelation states that when people (sinners) are experiencing God’s anger, they become furious but they still do not repent. Even when they saw God’s fury firsthand, instead of repenting, they were angry. Even though God will slaughter the sinners, we still need to know that God is just. They evildoers will suffer, but the righteous will enjoy Him forever.
The end times is a scary subject to discuss. Revelation is filled with gripping details that illustrate what the end times will consist of. Which, in turn is a valid explanation for the fear that comes with the end times. When Revelation mentions “they sing the song of Moses”, at first, I was confused. I then remembered a sermon that I had listened to a few years ago. The sermon was based on the book of Revelation and when this singing was brought to attention it was said that this was a way in which the old and the new covenant are in a way, united. In Hebrews we are made known of the new covenant and what Jesus’ role is in that new covenant. In Revelation I often noticed many correlations between the old and the new testament. Revelation refers to old testament in order to truly displays God’s wrath in which has been displayed in the old testament. I believe it is important to identify God’s wrath that He holds. However, is important that God will be perfect in everything and will not make a mistake. Everything that is decided or judged by God will be just and have value and reasoning for us all.
The worship John witnesses in heaven, as mentioned here, is similar to that of chapters 4 and 5. In chapter 4, John sees what he describes as a throne with a figure sitting on it with the appearance of “jasper and carnelian, emerald, and so on” (Rev. 4:3) John intentionally does not give detailed description, most likely because there is not wording or description suited well enough to describe God accurately (ESV, p. 2469, footnote 4:3). In regards to the number 666, as mentioned, this is not the “devil’s number” but instead is symbolism for the failure and evilness of mankind. The number “666” symbolizes as well as evokes a sense of lacking or deficiency, which is the direct opposite of the perfection and completeness of God, most often symbolized by the number 7 (ESV, p.2482, footnote 13:18). One reason the number 7 symbolizes completeness is because God created and then finished making the world on the 7th day, and called it good, as we know from the book of genesis. Some individuals mistakenly claimed that Nero Cesar was in fact the beast, since using the Gematria code the letters of his name equate to 666, however we know from scripture that it is instead a future, upcoming event (ESV, p. 2482, footnote 13:18).
This chapter is very interesting to me. It seems as though this chapter is not necessary for the things to come. What is most puzzling to me is that this passage is its own separate chapter. While at first, it seems unneeded, it does make sense when it is compared to Old Testament texts such as Leviticus and Exodus. Not only does Revelation 15 hold similar imagery and topics to Leviticus and Exodus (i.e. tent language, Song of Moses, and smoke and glory) but “both [Leviticus 26 and Exodus] consider common theological questions related to divine benevolence, judgment, and new beginnings” (Reading Revelation, 136). This comparison comes at an extremely opportune time. The completed wrath of God is about to take place and new life will be happening afterward. John puts this piece of Scripture here to remind the probably Jewish readers of these themes and topics that they have all grown up learning. God is showing himself in this prophecy in the same way he had shown himself to Israel. The wrath of God is coming and John is preparing his readers for what is to come; helping them understand the future judgment on the world.
In the book of Revelation, we had the lamb with the seven seals, the angels with the seven trumpets, and now the angels with the seven plagues that come from the bowls. These plagues will be the last plagues that God will send down on the earth for after this, God’s wrath is completed. This is a victory moment because the beast is destroyed and every angel is singing to God. God shows love, mercy, grace, anger, and many others. He gets angry because there is evil in the world and he destroys it. He brings judgement on those who are evil and shows justice. Before the plagues, those who defeated the beast started singing the Song of Moses. “Just and true are your ways” (15:3) for they know God will judge those fairly and is always true. The temple was opened wide for God is coming with his wrath and no one was in the temple for no one could enter until the plagues were complete because God is in the temple. God is all-powerful and is all-knowing and he is just and true!
As I have read through Revelation, this phrase puzzled me. I thought of wrath and judgement as being synonymous. However, I realize this is not the case. Wrath is anger; extreme anger, but anger, nonetheless. God’s wrath is a perfect wrath, in which he cannot sin. God’s wrath is finished, as when the bowls are also finished (ESVSB 2485). I believe John is letting us know that when the seven bowls are completed, we will move to the time of judgement. The idea of God’s wrath being “finished” or “completed” will be true at that point. The thing that has puzzled me is why John says that God’s wrath is completed, because it is not completed at the time that he stated it was. The angel states “for with them the wrath of God is finished” (Revelation 15:1). He is probably letting us know that when the bowls are finished, God’s wrath is finished; then we can move to the period of judgement; but why say that it is finished? Maybe my personal perception of the order of the chapters is simply off. Why would they mention that in chapter 15 instead of chapter 16?
In another thought, the parallels to the plagues in Exodus are very interesting. “There are obvious connections between the following bowl judgments and Exodus” (P.Long). Why is it that? Perhaps this goes back to the reality of the plagues in Egypt and God being finished with the Egyptians after the plagues.They all died as they tried to pursue the Israelites as they fled Egypt. This goes along with what we see in the rest of the book of Revelation: the enemies of the Kingdom of God are destroyed shortly (as far as the textual reading is concerned) after the bowls are finished.
God’s wrath is completed Revelation 15:1-8
The final and 7th plague happens in chapter 15. I am not sure what this plague was, but the plagues, in general, are reminiscing the plagues in exodus. I have u talked about this in several comments and even in my major paper. There is a lot of overlap when it comes to the book of revelation and even in general prophecy.
To mention a few examples. There is a possibility that the little horn in Daniel 7,8, and the king and chapter 11 are all the same person. But chapter 7 and 8 are foreshadowing the person in chapter 11. This guy will be the antichrist. Now in revelation, we see that John is seeing visions of Rome seen as Babylon falling. That has already happened. So are they all foreshadows of what will happen in the end times?
This is what concerns me! I am worried that these prophecies and visions are meant for events that have already happened and we are waiting for nothing. But my faith says otherwise. I am going to trust the scriptures. I am going to learn as much as I can and wait for the second coming of Jesus.
When it comes to knowledge about the bible, we need to be careful and intentional. Faith is what is important. Faith that Jesus is the son of God and that he died and rose again for us. Through that faith, I am saved and with him eternally. But if our belief is completely based on fact, then that is not faith. We should be lifelong learners, but we can’t get caught us in the search for proof.
This chapter contains more prophecy although it alludes to the Old Testament. It prophesies Gods final judgment at the end of the age. John is preparing and warning his readers of what is to come, the wrath of God. This chapter also is about victory obtained! The victory of God’s people over the devil. Rejoicing and singing, just as Israel had done when they were delivered from Egypt. It seems as though this chapter especially has many similarities to the exodus and the plagues of Egypt. This is why, again, the background must be taken into account. It has always been a challenge for me to understand revelations or even want to. God’s wrath is completed and then there is the time of judgment. The enemy is all around us, so it is our job as Christians to persevere and have victory over the evil one.
The connection that the final judgment of God’s wrath and the plagues of Egypt have are quite interesting. To give an account of what will happen in the final days is one thing, but then John relates the wrath of God to the plagues of Egypt to give his reader an idea of how bad the wrath of God really is going to be is another. To any reader from the time of the New Testament, the plagues of Egypt would be a very familiar story and would get the point across really well. “Words of the Luminaries envisages that everything Leviticus 26 forewarns regarding exile has come to pass (including the Egyptian ‘plagues’ revisited upon Israel; cf. l. 18), but that God will redeem an elect group just as he redeemed Israel from Egypt” (Wold, p. 133). Just as the plagues on Egypt were a judgment for the Egyptians there for not freeing God’s people, so will the final wrath of God be a similar judgment for the sinful people of the world who have persecuted God’s chosen people. However, John is showing still that there will be people that God will protect and save throughout all of the chaos that will ensue from his wrath. To a follower of Christ, this is a very comforting and promising parallel as it shows that as believers, who have faith in our God, that he will follow through and save the people who love him. It is a parallel that both readers of biblical times and the current day can understand because of the scriptures.
I do think that it is pretty amazing that Bible continues to invoke itself into further passages in the Bible. God was very cleaver when inspiring this book. The connection that the book of Exodus has throughout the word of God is amazing. There are so many references to this book and the actual event of the exodus itself, it’s almost like it is important! To see the great redemptive work that God had done in the exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt is amazing imagery of the redemptive work that God has done through his son Jesus on the cross for all of creation. As we still see even into the final book of the bible, we still see this exodus being referenced and the fact that God is still working, and he is completing and will complete his redemptive work one day. It is finished as far as salvation goes, but God is still in the process of making all things new.
I always found the mention of the wrath of God to be confusing at times, and some people have used it to try and make a contradiction that God is not loving. This is not at all the truth. I like that you have mentioned that this wrath is just and righteous wrath. This keeps in line with what we know of God and His justice and righteousness. It is not that God desires to just randomly target and subject someone to His wrath. The fact that it is just and righteous shows us that it is deserved and necessary. Also, I think it is helpful to realize that it is within the context of the end times and that it has to do with the final judgment of those refusing to obey and believe. God has given us many opportunities to see His greatness and believe. He has given us a clear description of what we ought to do. It is then our choice whether or not we choose to obey and choose to believe. If not the consequences and wrath that comes as a result of our decision is the outcome. It is what should be expected and is because of our decision.
One feature of God that we do not often consider is His immutability. This attribute in itself is neither good or bad, but it is, nevertheless, very significant. Since God is good and immutable, then His goodness never wavers. We see many demonstrations of this in the Old and New Testament. In the past when I have read through Revelation, I have always viewed God quite differently than when I read about Him in the Old Testament or the Gospels. This is not such a bad thing, however, and I think the authors of each book of the Bible intentionally stress certain attributes of God. In the book of Revelation, of course God’s justice and wrath are stressed; however, this does not negate His other attributes. In fact, the love of God, for example, is always active–even when He is punishing those who have offended Him. Revelation is often approached as a futuristic, eschatological book, but the reality is, John–the one who authored it–drew a lot of his inspiration from the Old Testament. This really encourages me, because it enables me to see and believe that the way God treated His people throughout the Bible is exactly how He treats His people today–and how He will treat me. It also shows that God’s character is consistent. To emphasize this, John includes The Song of Moses in Revelation, which can also be found in Exodus 15:1-18–providing us with more evidence for the longevity and immutability of the character of God. Even the response of His people in worship remains relevant with the same song!
I find it very interesting in verse eight of chapter fifteen, that the smoke of God’s glory inhabits the sanctuary. It almost seems like a bookend to the book of Exodus, where God’s glory entered into the Tabernacle such that no one could enter it after its consecration (Exodus 40:34-35). It makes some sense that the temple doors opening on their own could be a symbol of God releasing his final wrath out of his dwelling place. It certainly wasn’t a detail that I had originally picked up on in my reading.
It may also be important to note how both chapter fifteen and chapter sixteen of Revelation carry references not just to the book of Exodus but also to the end of Leviticus. The book of Leviticus ends with God making promises to the people of Israel, reminding four times them that should they break the covenant, he will punish them “seven times over” (Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28) (Wold 134-135). This can be held parallel to the three sets of seven plagues in Revelation, if the seven thunders which John does not write about is added to the list.
Wold, Benjamin. “Words of the Luminaries and Revelation 15:1-16:21: Plague Septets and Deliverance from Exile.” Reading Revelation in Context, Zondervan, 2019, pp. 131–136.
When you hear the words, “Gods wrath” you don’t automatically think of anything good. I think this is where people often misunderstand the characteristic of God and think of Him as not loving, but it is the total opposite. He loves us so much he is willing to release his anger and wrath on anyone who opposes him or his people, and that is exactly what is happening in this passage and really the whole of the book of Revelation. He is showing his ultimate power and authority by destroying the thing he created which would be the earth and those who don’t come to know him and chose to deny him. The chapters leading up to this one are only leading up to the event where Gods wrath will finally be the end. And it isn’t that this wrath is uncontrollable and unfair, Gods wrath is completely just and will be inflicted on those who deserve it according to him and his word. And to top it all of is yet more worhship that we see so often in the book of Revelation because it is a joyous moment for those who have chosen to believe in the one true God. There is singing, praise and giving honor to God for what he has done.
Realistic, history shows us the rebelliousness of God’s people, and the intercession of the Lord always displaying his attentions to fight for his beloved ones and showing the way towards liberation and freedom. Blackwell stated, Leviticus 26 has been noted as a passage that exerts influence on the Apocalypse (131). The Old Testament and the early Jewish literature suggest several instances when the recording of Exodus plagues were shortened from ten to seven (Blackwell 131), perhaps making sense to the seven plagues sets mentioned in Revelation. In general, God’s word will be completed because it is without error, and does not come back to him void. If God’s wrath is just and righteous and consider to be his attributes, by all means what influences do we have that may interfered to his plan? I think God is generous in his ultimate grace and mercy, of the continuousness of warnings and warnings and the commandments that is already imprinted in our hearts to know what is right and wrong. There is so much to learn from the Torah and a journey to continue to grow with the Lord until the end of the new beginning.
This idea of God’s wrath that we see described in Revelation 15 is something that I don’t think people in today’s world are terribly familiar with. We didn’t experience the plagues or the flood or any major event like that, so I think it’s hard for us to really picture what God’s wrath can look like. Maybe this is another thing that readers in John’s time would have had a better understanding of with the stories of God’s wrath having been passed down more recently through oral tradition. Benjamin Wold points out the similarities between references from Leviticus of God punishing Israel “seven times over” and in Revelation where there are “seven angels with seven plagues” (134). I could also see another similarity in what follows each of these instances of God’s wrath. The wrath in Revelation is to be followed by new life, and the plagues in the Old Testament were followed by freedom for the Israelites and an opportunity for them to have new life free from the bonds of slavery in Egypt. I also thought it was interesting that after the announcement that God’s wrath has begun, we see another worship scene. I feel like this is an example of God’s worthiness of praise even when we don’t like or understand the plan. To a human, God’s wrath is likely terrifying and confusing. But to the heavenly beings, it gave them a reason to worship.
First off I liked how you mentioned how God does have wrath, and that he will have to use it one day. This is so true and something that we do see throughout the whole of scripture. There are so many people in this world who would not agree that God can be wrathful. Those people must not read the Scripture the same way that most other Christians do. The thing that I think the biggest thing is that people think that God should just be 100 percent good all of the time. The thing is that it is not always how God works. God can be 100 percent Good and 100 percent wrathful at the same time he is God did we forget.
I think it is fairly normal to feel fear when thinking of “the end times” and definitely thinking of God’s wrath. Even though some of it is still unknown, the information the Book of Revelation provides us gives us a pretty detailed picture of what His wrath will look like and it is not pretty–so I think it is just to feel fear when thinking of that. I know for me personally that I know where I am going and I know what I believe, so I don’t fear so much myself, but I fear for the nonbelievers and especially of those that are close to me and that I love that are nonbelievers because I know the wrath of God is coming. When thinking of the end times, we have no idea when it’s going to happen. Is it five years, five months, or five thousand years? That is why it is so important to constantly be spreading God’s Word and telling people about Jesus because we don’t know when His wrath will come.
With God’s wrath being completed his plan to save the world is completed. At least the way that I understand it, at this point those who stand with God and those who do not have decided forever. This also points to God’s victory a victory that Satan could never stop even if he wanted to. God’s power is just too great and his judgment is final. People do not understand how if God has such great wrath how can he still be a good God? The truth is that God is perfect in every way and his wrath is righteous wrath it is not sinful wrath like we as human beings have. God’s righteousness is so high above anything that any of us could ever imagine and yet we try to judge God because he has righteous wrath. What is most important to realize about God’s wrath being complete is that along with is his plan for the salvation of the world is complete too. People are either going to heaven or sadly to hell by the choices that they made.
Countless time has the Lord given wrath to his people, yet it is to help them because they do not see the whole picture. God is perfect in every way. His wrath is justly and righteous his wrath being complete is the plan from the start and those who refuse the mark of the beast, worship God. Satan is furious. We will be judged by God in everything we do. Our actions are what gets us in trouble. We are given a book full of lessons and helpful guideline on what to do and what no to do, to have faith and what we do with that faith, if it is true or not. We will go to heaven or hell and that is the just that God has for us. He loves us and will do anything in his power to protect us and save us, but he will not force us to follow him. If that causes to feel the wrath of God, than it is what it is. Easier said than done or comprehend but we never know when the wrath of God will come to completion, so the sooner we understand I think the better but also help others who do not understand to understand.
I often heard it said that at Calvary Christ took the wrath of God upon himself. We sing the popular song “In Christ Alone” all the time in church and chapel that says in the second verse “The wrath of God was satisfied, for every sin on him was laid”. There is this thought associated with these words that there was this necessary heavenly pain and anguish that God had to give to someone so Christ volunteered to bear that burden. But what distinguishes between the wrath of God and the burden of salvation that Christ experienced? P.Long (2018) describes the wrath of God as a just punishment for offenders of His law that is unlike human anger or wrath. I think we have to look at the wrath of God as being how God makes things right. As mentioned in the original posts and in various comments, the Old Testament is seen a lot in the book of Revelation because there is an obvious connection between apocalyptic writings and the Old Testament prophetic tradition (Apocalypticism, 59). There are many clear references to the prophecies and historical events of the Old Testament such as Moses’ song (15:3), and the reference to the sanctuary (15:6). I think it is important to read the chapters on the wrath of God in light of historical events that have already happened; as well as remembering that God is just and merciful. .
This passage indicates that the wrath of God has been completed in this situation. According to the initial blog post, the wrath of God in this situation refers to eschatological events and the rebellious actions of the city of Israel during Bible times. The wrath of God is something that is mentioned or referred to throughout the Bible. According to Ashmon (2005), the Old Testament and the New Testament both discuss the theological and biblical idea of the wrath of God (p. 348). The wrath of God is a powerful topic that should not go ignored. Wrath is a word of negative connotation because it typically refers to anger, frustration, upset thoughts, etc. According to Ashmon (2005), the wrath of God is commonly viewed as a punitive act from God toward His created people on Earth (p. 350). This punishment has and may take various forms, and this stems from the omnipotence of God. He is able to form this wrath in whatever form or fashion he would like.
Furthermore, Ashmon (2005) indicates that the wrath of God typically is provoked by human sin or human shortfall. First and foremost, I feel as if this idea and concept should be more of a motivating factor than it is in the hearts and minds of Christians in order to obey God. Secondly, a recent family Bible study of mine discussed the very topic of the wrath of God. We talk about how this is typically looked at in a negative manner, and some people may even look down on God for displaying the wrath. Christians are to remember that God uses His wrath and omnipotence to shape us and mold us. He does not use this to simply punish us, but there is always a greater purpose to the use of His wrath. Therefore, the Bible claims that Christians are to fear God, and the wrath of God can be another aspect of this, but the wrath of God is not something that should be viewed negatively, in my personal opinion.
Ashmon, S. A. (2005). The wrath of God: a biblical overview. Concordia Journal, 31(4), 348–358.
Wrath is often seen as someone being very mad and because of the result their sin nature. Yet in Revelation, the most predominant attribute of God is His wrath. Professor Long specifically stresses that God’s wrath is righteous. God’s wrath is used to punish those who went against His Law. The wrath of God is seen through the judgments that started in Revelation 6 and are completed in Revelation 15. Another aspect that Professor Long stresses is that the heavenly temple is open. This is considered to be a “bad sign.” To the Israelites, the open temple was a sign of God’s wrath. Many Israelites were terrified at the thought of being in the presence of presence of God. This can be seen whenever angels appeared to them. The angels always start with saying “Do not be afraid.” Once John says that God’s wrath, he observes another worship in heaven. The worship is done by martyrs who did not take the beast’s mark and did not worship the beast. They are singing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. The Song of Moses was the Israelites praising God for defeating their enemies and liberating them from the Egyptians. In Revelation, God’s wrath is used to defeat the antichrist and his followers.