TheWrathofGod

FrankM.Hasel
CanyourecallthelasttimeyoupreachedonthewrathofGod?Probablynot.Butmostlikelyyouwillhave
nodifficultyrememberingyourlastsermononGod'slove.Howcome?IsthewrathofGodsomething
incompatiblewiththeChristiandoctrineofGod?Istheideanotusableinmoderntheology,asHelmer
Ringgrenhasputit?1Is"thenotionoftheaffectionofwrathonGod''withoutany"religiousworthfor
Christians?"2Isn'ttheideaofanangryandwrathfulGodaratherpreChristianorevenpaganconceptthat
doesnotfitwiththeviewofGodthatJesusChristhasgivenusHimself?Isdivinewrathrepresentativeof
theOldTestamentwayofthinking?DoesithavenorelevanceforaChristianandthereforeshouldbe
avoidedinourpreaching,teaching,andevangelism?3Shouldweabandontheconceptofwrathinfavorof
thegraceandloveofGod?IsGod'sloveandHiswrathacontradictionthatcannotbereconciled?
Indeed,whatdoestheBibleteachaboutGod'swrath?
TheOldTestamentoftenspeaksofthewrathofGod.AccordingtoJ.Fichtner,ofthe455OldTestament
referencesforwrathinnounform,375speakofthewrathofGod,andtherestspeakofthewrathofhuman

1 HelmerRinggren,"EinigeSchilderungendesgottlichenZoms,"inTraditionundSituation.
SchilderungenzuralttestamentlichenProphetie.FestschriftfiirArthurWeiser(Gottingen:Vandenhoeck
andRuprecht,1963),p.107.

2 AlbrechtRitschl,DieChristlicheLehrevanderRechtfertigungundVersohnung(Bonn:1882),p.154;
cf.theEnglishtranslationTheChristianDoctrineofJustificationandReconciliation:ThePositive
DevelopmentoftheDoctrine,trans.Anded.H.R.MackintoshandA.B.Macaulay(Clifton,N.Y.:
ReferenceBookPub.,1966);NicolasBerdyaevgoesevenfurther,sayingthat"angerineveryshapeand
formisforeigntoGod''(NicolasBerdyaev,FreedomandtheSpirit,trans.O.F.Clarke[NewYork:
Scribner'sandSons,1936],p.175).

3 ThiswastheconvictionofFriedrichSchleiermacher,whoexpressedhisideasinasermonentitled:
"DasswirnichtsvomZorneGotteszulehrenhaben,"inHayoGerdesandEmanuelHirsch,eds.,
DogmatischePredigtenderReifezeit,KleineSchriftenundPredigten(Berlin:WalterdeGruyter,1969),pp.
123135.

beings.4TheNewTestamentneitherdiscontinuesnorabandonstheconceptofthedivinewrath.5Thewrath
ofGodremainsafoundationalelementintheNewTestamentproclamationofthegoodnewsofGod
whetheritisbyJohntheBaptist(Matt.3:7),orbyourLordHimself,6orbyPaul(Rom.1:18;5:811),oras
partofthetriumphantscenesofRevelation(Rev.6:16,17).7

Anthropomorphism?
Why,then,thisneglectofthedoctrineofthewrathofGod?Twopossiblereasonsmaybeconsidered.First,
thesuggestionthatthephrasereflectsananthropomorphismafigureofspeechthatattributestoGod

4 J.Fichtner,"TheWrathofGod,"inG.Friedrich,ed.,TheologicalDictionaryoftheNewTestament,
trans.G.W.Bromiley(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,1967),vol.5,p.395,note92.(Hereaftercitedas
TDNT.)

5 ForamoreindepthdiscussionoftheconceptofthewrathofGodintheNewTestament,seeG.
Bornkamm,EarlyChristianExperience(NewYork:HarperandRow,1969);H.Conzelmann,"Zom
Gottes.III.InJudentumundNT,"inK.Galling,ed.,RGG,3rdrev.ed.(Tubingen:J.C.B.Mohr,1962),vol.
6,pp.1931,1932;A.Diekmann,"DieChristlicheLehrevomZomeGottesnebstKritikderbetreffenden
LehreA.Ritschl"s,"ZeitschriftfurWissenschaftlicheTheologie36,No.2(1893):321377;G.H.C.Mac
Gregor,''TheConceptoftheWrathofGodintheNewTestament,"NewTestamentStudies1(1960/1961):
101109;D.G.Schrenk,UnserGlaubeandenZornGottesnachdemRomerbrief(Basel:VerlagvonH.
Majer,1947);G.Stahlin,"TheWrathofManandtheWrathofGodintheNewTestament,"TDNT,vol.5,
pp.419447;R.V.G.Tasker,TheBiblicalDoctrineoftheWrathofGod(London:TyndalePress,1951).

6 ''WhenweconsidercarefullytheevidenceoftheGospels,itisclearthattherevelationofthewrathof
GodinJesusChristisinfacttobefoundaspartbothofHispropheticandHispriestlyministry"(Tasker,p.
28).

7 Cf.X.LeonDufour,WorterbuchzurBiblischenBotschaft(Freiburg:Herder,1964),p.805;Walter
Kunneth,FundamentedesGlaubens(Wuppertal:BrockhausVerlag,1980),p.71.

humancharacteristics.Suchattribution,itisclaimed,reducesGodtoourfiniteandsinfulwaysof
understandingandtherebydishonorsHimbyadaptingHimtofitourhumanconcepts.Althoughthisline
ofobjectionbecameprominentparticularlyinthecourseandaftermathoftheEnlightenment,itisanold
argument.8FromveryearlytimesitwasfeltthatGodcannotexperiencefeelings.ThedignityofGod
requiredtheabsenceofemotions.Wrathwasnotonlyanemotion,butasignofweakness.Consider,for
example,thegodofGreekphilosophy.Heisnous,themind;theessenceofhisbeingisthinking.9Heis
abovejoyandsorrow.10Aristotleidentifiessuchadeityasthefirstcause,theonewhohasthecapacityto
moveallthingsbutwhohimselfremainsunmoved.Hisonlyactivityisthinking.11Hehasnopathos.12
TheseGreekideasinfluencedtheearlyChurchFathersandhadalastingimpactuponChristiantheology. 13

8 Cf.thethoroughstudybyMaxPohlenz,VomZorneGottes.EineStudiefiberdenEinflussder
GriechischenPhilosophieaufdasalteChristentum,FRLANT(Gottingen:VandenhoeckandRu
precht,1909),vol.12,pp.39.

9
9Plato,Philebus22c,28c;Phaedrus247d.

10
Plato,Philebus33b;Republic2.377e.

11
Aristotle,NicomacheanEthics1178b.

12
ForanexcellentdescriptionontheGreekphilosophyofpathosanditsimplications,seeAbrahamJ.
Heschel,TheProphets(NewYork:JewishPublicationSocietyofAmerica,1962),pp.247306.

Incontrasttothisview,theGodoftheBibleisfulloffeelings.HecaresforHispeople.Heisinvolvedin
humanhistoryandisaffectedbyhumanacts.PaulAlthaushaspointedoutthatthewrathofGodisnomore
anthropomorphicthanisGod'slove!14IfonerejectsGod'swrath,onemustalsorejectHislove,becausethe
denialofeither,ineffect,destroysthepersonalcharacterofGod.TheOldTestamentwhichspeaksso
muchaboutthe"hiddenness,"thedistance,andtheunapproachablenessofGodspeaksalsointangible
termsaboutGod'sactingandbeing.
Biblicalontologydoesnotseparatebeingfromdoing.Whatisacts.TheGodoftheBibleisamightyGod,
activeinHislovetosavesinners,andactiveinHiswrathtoopposeeverythingthatthreatensHisdominion
andsavingpurpose.TodepriveGodofHiswillful,active,livingwayofbeing,astheBibletestifieson
everypage,istodestroyHispersonalcharacter.JustasGod'sloveisgreaterthanourimperfectlove,His
wrathisfreefromanysinfulimperfectionthataccompanieshumanangersooften.
Furthermore,theideaofdivinewrathshowsthathumanityisrelevanttoGod.Godisconcernedabout
humankind.HenceHecommandsandforbids,admonishesandcommends,seeksandrejects.Heisan
angryanda"jealousGod,visitingtheiniquityofthefathersonthechildren,onthethirdandfourth
generationsofthosewhohateMe,butshowinglovingkindnesstothousands,tothosewholoveMeand
keepMycommandments"(Ex.20:5,6).SincehumanityiscreatedintheimageofGod,thereisacertain
theomorphicanthropology.Thus,itisperhapsmorepropertodescribethewrathofGodastheomorphic
ratherthananthropomorphic.

OnlyanOldTestamentconcept?
ThesecondreasonfortheneglectofthewrathofGodinChristianpreachingistheideathatitisonlyan
OldTestamentconcept.However,textualevidenceintheNewTestamentarguesstronglyagainstanysuch

13
13Pohlenz,pp.16156.

14
PaulAlthaus,DieChristlicheWahrheit.LehrbuchderDogmatik(Gutersloh:VerlagshausGerdMohn,
1969),p.397.

view.Jesus,15JohntheBaptist,16Paul,17andJohninhisGospel18andinRevelation19preachagospelthat
includestheproclamationofthewrathofGod.NowheredoestheNewTestamentreplaceGod'swrathwith
Hislove;20instead,itviewswrathasanessentialandindispensabletraitofGod;itpresentsGodnotonlyas
savingLordbutalsoasjudgewhobringswithHimthejudgmentofHiswrath.ThegoodnewsoftheBible
isnotthatthereisnowrathofGod,butthathumankindissavedfromwraththroughfaithinJesusChrist:
"ButGoddemonstratesHisownlovetowardus,inthatwhilewewereyetsinners,Christdiedforus.Much
morethen,havingnowbeenjustifiedbyhisblood,weshallbesavedfromthewrathofGodthroughHim"
(Rom.5:8,9).Therefore,we"waitforHisSonfromheaven,whomHeraisedfromthedead,thatisJesus,
whodeliversusfromthewrathtocome"(1Thess.1:10).

15
EventhoughexpressreferencetoJesusandwrathisrare,"wrathisanintegralcharacteristicoftheJesus
oftheGospels."(G.Stahlin,"TheWrathofManandtheWrathofGodintheNewTestament,"inTDNT,
vol.5,p.427.Cf.Mark3:5;1:41,43;Matt.9:30;John11:33,38).

16
16Cf.Matt.3:7.

17
Cf.Rom.1:18;2:5,8;5:9;12:19;13:4,5;Eph.2:3;5:6;Col.3:6;1Thess.1:10;2:16;5:9;
Heb.2:23;10:2631.

18
Cf.John3:36.

19
Cf.Rev.6:16,17;11:18;14:10,19;15:1;16:1;19:15.

20

IntheNewTestament,then,God'swrathisneverseenasaninconsistentrelicofOldTestamentreligion.
BiblicalfactsdonotpermitcompartmentalizingthewrathofGodasbelongingtotheOldTestamentand
theloveofGodasbelongingtotheNewTestament.BoththeTestamentsspeakoverwhelminglyabout
loveandthewrathofGod.21Infact,asTaskerconcludes,theideaofthewrathofGodisoneofmany
factorsthatpointtotheinnerunityofbothOldandNewTestamenttheology.22
AnothersignificantpointonthebiblicalunderstandingofGod'swrathisfoundinthewordsused.TheNew
TestamentandtheSeptuagintneverusethetermsoftheGreekpoetryfortheimplacablewrathofthegods
(menisandxolos),butuseorge(wrath)andthumos(anger,wrath).Thisseemstoindicatethatthebiblical
authorsdidnotassociateGod'swrathwithaneternalhostilitybetweenGodandhumanitybecausethey
knewaboutGod'slove,whichwantstosavemankind.23ThesameunderstandingofGod'swrathcanbe
seenintheOldTestament.24

Wrathisnotwrathful
Cf.Conzelmann,p.1931.

21
"Inpointoffact,however,theHebrewScriptures(partlybecausetheymakeupthreefourthsoftheBible)
containfarmoreversesonthemercyandlovingkindnessofGodthantheNewTestamentdoes"(Gleason
L.Archer,EncyclopediaofBibleDifficulties[GrandRapids:Zondervan,
1982],p.309).

22

Tasker,p.45.

23

Cf.H.Kleinknecht,"WrathinClassicalAntiquity,"TDNT,vol.5,pp.383392.

24

Cf.J.BergmannandE.Johnson,"'anaph,'aph,"inG.J.BotterweckandH.Ringgren,eds.Theological
DictionaryoftheOldTestament(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,1974),vol.1,pp.348360.

However,misconceptionsofthewrathofGodhaveledtoafalsepictureofGod.Onesuchisreadinginto
thephrase"wrathofGod"theideaofa"wrathful"or"angry"God.Thepicturechangesdramatically:here
Godisseenassternandcruel,ameanJudgewholovestorevengeandpunishhumankindwheneverthere
isanopportunitytodoso,attimesevenarbitrarily.25SuchapictureofGod,however,isagravedistortion
ofHischaracterandoftenleadstofearorrewardmotivatedobedience,disconnectedfromlove.
TheBible,ofcourse,makesitveryclearthatthewrathofGodisnotthelasthorizon.Godislove(1John
4:16).26Hehasnopleasureinthedeathofthewicked,butispleasedwhentheyturnfromtheirsinfulways
andlive(Eze.18:23).Godwantsalltobesavedandtocometotheknowledgeofthesavingtruth(1Tim.
2:46).ReconciliationhasitsstartingpointinGod!HewantstheworldtobereconciledwithHiminChrist
(2Cor.5:1821;Rom.5:811).Hedoesnotdesirerevengefulpunishment.Infact,judgmentisGod's
"strangework"(Isa.28:21).Withinthecontextofbiblicaljudgment,divinewrathisnotanexpressionofa
despoticdeity,butajustandlegitimatereactionagainstthesinfulnessofsin.God'swrathisneither
capriciousnorarbitrary.27Itisarousedagainstsin,becausesinisarebellionagainstGod'snatureand
character.ButeveninHiswrathGodremembersmercy(Isa.54:7,8);Hisangerlastsonlyforamoment
(Ps.30:5);andforHisownnamesakeHedoesnotexecuteittothefullest(Isa.48:9).Througha
manifestationofHisangerGodwantsmenandwomentocometotheirsensesandturnfromtheirevil
conduct(Jer.36:7;Isa.42:25;12:1).Therefore,itiswrongandirresponsibletotakethewrathofGodand
paintapictureoffearinthemindsofpeople.
Take,forexample,thecomingjudgment.Itisaseriousaffairandmustnotbepassedover.However,ifthe
preachingofjudgmentproducesonlyasenseoffear,wearepointingnottotheComingOne,buttothe
comingthings.Theemphasisisdifferent.Itseemstomethatourtaskshouldbenotsomuchthe
descriptionofGod'sterriblejudgment,butratherthenecessityofpeopleturningtoJesusChrist,whoisour
judgeaswellasSaviour.

25

Some,likeDemocrit,haveseenthefearofGodastheoriginofreligion.H.F.Fuhs,"jare',"inG.J.
BotterweckandH.Ringgren,eds.TheologischesWorterbuchzumAlienTestament(Stuttgart:W.
Kohlhammer,1982),vol.3,p.876.

26

Interestingly,nowhereintheBibledowefindtheexpression"Godiswrath."DoesthissuggestthatGod's
natureisloveandthatwrathisprovokedonlywhenHissavingpurposeisjeopardized?

27

Cf.BergmannandJohnson,pp.348360.

Implications
AbiblicalunderstandingofthewrathofGodleadstoseveralimportantconsequencesandimplications.
First,asnotedalready,allpreachingofthegoodnews,fromtheprophetsintheOldTestamenttoJesusand
theapostlesintheNew,beginswiththeproclamationofthewrathofGod.Thisapproachdestroysallself
righteousnessandallselfmadereligiousideologies,andthesinnerstandsfacingtherealityoftheliving
andholyGod.
Second,thewrathofGodnotifiesthatGodtakessinseriously.God'swrathrevealsthedetestablenatureof
sinontheonehandandGod'saversiontoitontheother.SinisincompatiblewithGod'sholiness.28
Holiness(Hebrewqadosh,commandingrespect,awesome,treatedwithrespect,removedfromprofane
usageYWS:theauthorhadtoseparateIinsertedtherealdefinitionfromaHebrewLexicon)
distinguishesGodfromeveryotherformofexistenceandisanundergirdingfactorintheplanofsalvation.
ThewrathofGodteachesusthatHeisdeeplyandpersonallyinvolvedinthestrugglewithevilandthatHe
iscapableofreactinginthestrongestpossibleway.
Third,anawarenessofthewrathofGodcreatesnewappreciationforGod'slove.Sinhasplacedusin
oppositiontoGod.BynatureweareobjectsofHiswrath(Eph.2:3).Justicedemandsthatwereceiveour
punishment,death.AndyetGodhasloveduswhilewewerestillHisenemies(Rom.5:810).Hehasso
lovedusthatHemadeourredemptionpossiblebythedeathofHisSon.Hisloveandmercygainsnew
depthandmeaningwhenplacedagainstthebackgroundofwhatwedeserve!
Fourth,todenythewrathinGodistoparalyzeGod'srulership:asurrenderofGodtothepowersofevil
whoaimatthedestructionofGod'screation.WouldGodbemorallyjustifHecouldnotreactagainstevil
inthisworld?WouldGodbeholyandlovingifHecouldnotdetestsinandreactagainstit?WouldGodbe
aredeemerifHewereforcedtocompromisewithevil?
Fifth,thewrathofGodshowsthatGodviewsmyindividualdecisionseriously.IfIchoosetolivewithout
God,Hedoesnotoverrulemydecision,butletsmemeettheconsequencesofmychoice,(cf.Rom.1:18
ff).
Finally,God'swrathshowsthatguiltismorethanmerelyasubjectivefeeling.Sinrequiresexpiation.
BetweenthewrathofGodandthesubstitutionarydeathofChristonthecrossthereexistsaclose
relationship.TheNewTestamentbringsthisoutveryclearlyinitsusageofdifferentwordsfor
reconciliation,asHeppenstallpointsout."They[thewordsforreconciliation]giveclearexpressiontothe
inevitableoppositionofGodtosin,tothefactthatthereexistsarealproblemforGodthatmustbe
resolved,thatthereisinthedivineadministrationoftheworldandtheuniverseanecessitythatwhensinis
forgiven,itisforgiveninsuchawayastomakeclearthenecessityforGodtoexecutejudgmentonsin." 29

28

OntherelationofGod'swrathandGod'sholiness,cf.EmilBrunner,TheChristianDoctrine
ofGod(Philadelphia:WestminsterPress,1949),pp.157174.

29

God'swrath,then,isnotanembarrassmenttobeavoidedinourpreaching.Itisthebiblicalwayof
proclaimingGod'sutteroppositiontosin.IttellsmethatGodtakessinseriouslyandwantstobringittoan
end.Itcreatesinmeanewappreciationforthecross.IthelpsmebetterunderstandthenatureofChrist's
intercessoryministryinheavenandthenatureofHisfinaljudgment.ItbuildsmyconfidenceinGodand
givesmegraceandassurancetoawaitthefinaloutcomeofHispurposesattheSecondComing.

29E.Heppenstall,"SubjectiveandObjectiveAspectsoftheAtonement,"inTheSanctuaryandthe
Atonement.Biblical,Historical,andTheologicalStudies(Washington,D.C.:ReviewandHer
aldPub.Assn.,1981),p.686.