This question came up as we were working through the book of Revelation and we arrived at chapter 6.
12 I watched as He [Jesus] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Who can read this and not be alarmed? It is the complete destruction of the whole earth and everyone in it. We paused as considered, how can this be the same Jesus from the gospels? Will He be this angry, this cruel?
Consider this example.
Imagine you are in your own room with a friend, playing a game or listening to music. Suddenly, three 5-year-olds burst into your room. One is screaming. Another is opening your dresser drawers and dumping all your clothes on the floor. The last one is hitting your friend.
You tell them to stop screaming dumping and hitting but they ignore you, mock you and keep doing it louder, faster and harder. What to do?
You pick all three of them up, move them out of your room and lock the door. They bang on the door and complain you are mean for throwing them out. You tell them: "My room; my rules. I need to protect my room and my friend."
Are you being cruel? No. You are wise and good to your friend.
So is God. Looking back in Revelation, these people left on the earth have made war with each other, causing famine, disease and death (See Revelation 6:2-8). When Jesus comes from Heaven, do these people turn to Him in repentance and grief over their sins? No, they hide and would prefer to have the mountains fall on them than to face God.
They are just like the three boys, only bigger, more powerful, more evil. They cannot be allowed into the kingdom of God. Indeed, they don't want to come in! They prefer to hide from God under the rocks, call to the mountains instead of to Him to save them.
In the gospels, Jesus too expressed His wrath towards the religious establishment who kept His people from worshiping God.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17 And as He taught them, He said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Mark 11:15-17)
Jesus was angry. He saw wrong and needed to right it. The temple court had become a shopping mall with no discounts, just exorbitant prices, excluding the poor from worship.
The truth is our God is a God of wrath as well as love. Love for us who trust Him and follow Him. Wrath for those who choose to do evil. We can seek His mercy or reject Him. It's ultimately our choice.
What will you choose?
