The punitive and vindicatory reaction, legitimate and controlled, yet awesomely emphatic, of God the righteous judge to unrighteousness in his human creatures. Up to the present, the expression of God's anger and wrath has had the purpose of drawing sinners to repentance and conversion, but this will not be the case at the final judgment.
The nature of God's anger
It is fearsome
Nahum 1:6 See also Joshua 7:26; Ezekiel 38:18
Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.
It is reluctant and short-lived
Exodus 34:6 See also Isaiah 54:7–8; Nehemiah 9:16–18
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
It is consistant with his righteous and merciful character
Psalm 7:11 See also Habakkuk 3:2
God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day.
It fulfils God's purposes
Jeremiah 23:20 See also Jeremiah 30:24
The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.
The causes of God's anger
Idolatry and unbelief
Numbers 25:3 See also Exodus 32:8–10; Deuteronomy 8:19; Judges 2:10–14; 1 Kings 14:9, 1 Kings 16:32–33, 1 Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 23:19 Josiah removes idolatrous shrines; 2 Chronicles 28:25, 2 Chronicles 34:25; Jeremiah 8:19, Jeremiah 32:29, Jeremiah 44:3; John 3:36 the unbelief of rejecting the Son of God; Romans 1:18–23, Romans 2:8
So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.
Disobedience and disloyalty
Joshua 7:1 See also Deuteronomy 9:7; 2 Kings 22:13; 1 Chronicles 13:10; Psalm 106:29; Jeremiah 32:32; Zechariah 7:13; Ephesians 5:6
The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
Ungodly living
God's judgment against the ungodly is a sign of his anger against actions that contradict his righteous character and purposes: 2 Timothy 3:1–9; Jude 1:14–16
Pride, arrogance and hypocrisy
Matthew 23:27–28 See also 2 Chronicles 32:25; Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 8:13; Isaiah 13:11; Hosea 12:14; Malachi 4:1
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Complaints against, and opposition to, God's purposes
Numbers 11:1 See also Numbers 14:27, Numbers 21:5
Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
Injustice
Zechariah 7:9–12 See also 2 Chronicles 19:7; Jeremiah 22:13; Ezekiel 9:9; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 23:23
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’ But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.
The rejection of God's servants
Hebrews 10:29–31 See also Deuteronomy 32:35–36; Psalm 135:14; Nehemiah 9:26; Zechariah 7:12; Matthew 21:33–41; Acts 7:35–37
How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
God reveals his anger
In present times
Romans 1:18 See also Jeremiah 10:10
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
On a future ``day of wrath'' which is anticipated
Romans 2:5 See also Isaiah 13:9, Isaiah 13:13; Ezekiel 7:19; Zephaniah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:18, Zephaniah 2:2
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
The consequences of God's anger
God allows those who reject righteousness to remain in their sin
Romans 1:18–32 See also 1 Kings 14:16; 2 Chronicles 12:5; Nehemiah 9:28; Isaiah 54:7–8; Jeremiah 7:27–29, Jeremiah 12:7–8
Punishment will be experienced by rebellious people
Deuteronomy 8:19 See also Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 21:14; Matthew 18:34–35, Matthew 25:28–30EXO Matthew 12:12; Numbers 32:13; Joshua 7:25–26; Isaiah 13:9–13; Daniel 5:30; Acts 5:5, Acts 5:101KI Acts 14:15; Jeremiah 15:13–14, Jeremiah 25:7–11LAM Jeremiah 2:1–9; Ezekiel 38:19–21
If you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.
God will be feared as his holiness and greatness are revealed
Isaiah 59:18–19 See also Ezekiel 38:22–23
So He will repay according to their deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and recompense to the islands. So shall they fear the name of the LORD where the sun sets, and His glory where it rises. For He will come like a raging flood, driven by the breath of the LORD.
Ultimately God will purify and restore his people for service
Malachi 3:2–4 See also Jeremiah 15:19–21
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.