The Wrath (ὀργή) of God

by General James Green

———— Part 1 ————

( INTRODUCTION )

W E APPROACH this vast subject with the “fear of God Almighty.” As Proverbs 1:7 declares: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is the King James Version rendering. I really love the way (James) Moffatt puts it: “Reverence for the Eternal is the first thing in knowledge, but the impious scorn sagacity and intelligence.”

That Hebrew word yir’ah, translated “fear,” means “reverence,” as Moffatt has it. This, my friends, is our BIG SIN these days, the Church and the world have practically no reverence for or fear of the LORD. Thus, they are DUMB and scornful, hubris and rebellious…this leads into my article at hand: God’s WRATH being poured out upon this perverse generation.

Now we have a great rebellion in the land called America. The Church has been backslid for many years now, in turn, she has covered her own SINS and the SINS of the world. We have “mega” Church leaders who chide us about being too pessimistic concerning God’s WRATH, His anger, His punishments. They want us to tone down our warnings, our anti-SIN hype etc.. They try to convince us that in the dispensation of “grace” God does not get angry, He only “loves” and “blesses.” HA! Talk to those who have been under His WRATH, His Fury, His Indignation. You can’t very well talk to those who have DIED under the same.

In this article, broken up into parts, I will show my readers, by Scripture, that since SIN is in the world, so, too, is Divine WRATH ! This is only half of it, the Divine Mercy is also at work.

Mercy—WRATH

THE DIVINE MERCY and the Divine WRATH have their respective places in God’s plan. God’s mercy/love is the basis of His Divine Anger/WRATH. He is patient, longsuffering and has compassion upon both the saved/redeemed and upon the unsaved/damned. The New Testament (NT) points this out for us: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). The same is said of His WRATH—He sends it (when needed) upon His very own people and upon those who are not His (redeemed) people. This will be the crux of this article.

The LORD’S Mercy is towards sinners too…but this does not mean that He accepts or loves them the same way He does His true people. NO! The Bible states this: “God is ANGRY every day with the wicked” (Ps. 7:11; see also Rom. 1:18-32). God HATES all workers of iniquity as Ps. 5:5, 6 tells us, (see also Hosea 9:15; Ps. 11:5; Jer. 12:8; Rom. 9:11, 13; Lev. 20:23; 26:30; Ps. 78:59; 106:40; Prov. 22:14 etc.).

I could quote dozens and dozens of verses that prove to us that the LORD Kills—Hates—is Angry—sends people to Hell—Judges—brings disasters, which I’ll deal with in this article—He mocks,—He Curses etc..

Cotton Candy Churchianity

OH, HOW SWEET! Everyone wants to hear “God loves you!,” this is true to an extent. God gets fed up with men’s sins, as He is NOW !! His mercy has lifted from the world, especially from America—now she will REAP what she has sown, and this is A LOT !!

The LORD has blessed this land, this nation. His Word and Spirit were here, for both saint and sinner. Sadly, both have now rejected His love, His law, His standard, now America will experience His WRATH !!

Sissies like Joel Osteen and Rick Warren dodge the issue of punishment. These cotton candy pushers of the “good life” are leading millions straight into Hell…and getting rich and famous to boot!! But their reign of power and glory is about to end. Their “religious hubris” will be judged by the Judge of ALL, no exceptions.

All one has to do is read Matt. 23:1-39 to see what Jesus thought of the “religious” of His day. Matthew 23 begins with a scorching criticism of the “scribes and Pharisees” (vv. 1-12). This is followed by “7 WOES” (vv. 13-33), which remind us of a litany of curses, (vv. 34-39).

Have things changed today? NO! We still have such hubris leaders who ACT oh, so humble, compassionate, loving; but inwardly they are full of filth and Hell! These perverts, who side with the homosexual “feelings,” are a DISGRACE to the human race. Both Osteen and Warren claim to have MANY homosexual friends. What? To be friends with the world is to be an ENEMY of God. Note this: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses (Osteen’s wife agrees with hubby Joel), know ye not that the FRIENDSHIP of the world is ENMITY with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the ENEMY of God” (James 4:4).

Jesus’ criticism of Israel’s religious leaders aroused bitter opposition that led to His DEATH! But to be fair here, Jesus did agree with the Scribes/Pharisees on certain issues (see 22:15-22); and not all of His criticism applied to them. Sometimes he denounced individual Pharisees, but not the whole party. Nonetheless, Jesus’ overall denunciation of Israel was just—that nation ended in DESTRUCTION !!! (66 A.D.-72 A.D.). To this very day their house is desolate because of His WRATH against them (see Matt. 23:38). The Gk. word “desolate”= (ἔϱημος, eremos) “waste, solitary, empty religion” etc. To this very day, Israel has NO temple or Priesthood, which in Jesus’ day was the CENTER of their lives

Hebrew Term for WRATH

WE KNOW that in Roman thought, and in Greek thought, both had their gods/goddesses (cults) that came after the pre-Roman/Greek “WRATHFUL deities”— WRATH was their nature (see Pausanias, the Periegete (of Magnesia), author under the emperor Commodus, concerning his Journey thru Greece, in 10 books, ed. J. Schubart, 1881, 1903, Vol. VIII, p. 25, 5 — explains the Arcadian word). In their literature, divine beings and human seers constantly refer to “WRATH” of the “heavenly ones” or “WRATHFUL ones.”

Now, let us proceed with a. thru j. that are rich in terms for “WRATH,” each of which originally denotes a specific aspect of “anger:”

a.  The most common of these words [for WRATH], the Hebrew word , derives from , which = “to be angry”; originally, “to snort” (see L. Kohler, Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti libros, 1948, pp. 70, 75). So, the meaning is clearly “nose” or “nasal cavity.”

Scholars say (and I found this to be so) that in the O.T., the nose is less the organ of smell than that of WRATH!

When the LORD’S anger waxes HOT, there comes smoke from His nose/nostrils, as in Ps. 18:8 — “There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it” (read all of chap. 18 to see how the elements are spoken of). In this remarkable literary passage, we get a striking description of a severe thunderstorm, brought about by God’s MAJESTY of POWER! They are still brought forth in this manner today. Yet men refuse to admit, for the most part, that God controls the weather — ESPECIALLY DISASTERS !! Men admit to a Divinely God-ordered world, but then say nature (OR THE DEVIL!) causes all these disasters?

God’s elements, at His command, can be both a blessing and a curse: which side are we on — the BLESSING side or CURSE side? While it is true that catastrophes fall upon both saint and sinner, they are directed upon the wicked (WHETHER WICKED SINNER OR WICKED PROFESSING CHRISTIAN!!!). Noah was preserved in the world’s most severe catastrophe—the Worldwide Flood that KILLED ALL who were OUTSIDE the Ark of God.

Beware America, world, God is WRATHFUL, His natural forces have a terrible (like in “terrorism”) reserve of power which, when He targets, will unleash WRATH to OBLITERATE. All this is done as a retributive payback for men’s sins. If men will not REPENT, God will punish, and nature challenges us to grapple with our destiny—Heaven or Hell.

We can rightly say that God has an Army of Nature, which when sent forth as a “terrorizing force,” uttering its Words of judgment, will have the last say so!!

Let us turn to Exodus (Ex) 15; here we find the first reference to the nostrils of God (v. 8), in reference to the WRATH of God (v. 7). Let me quote part of v. 7 and all of v. 8: “…thou sendest forth thy WRATH, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.” This was God’s “ra” WRATH against the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

That word “blast” (Ex. 15:8) = Heb. “ruwach,” which = “wind, breath (violent), anger, (whirlwind).” The word used here for WRATH (“nostrils”; see Proverbs 30:33, et al.) is much more rare than , and is used for WRATH in the Scriptures especially in the expressions and .

b.  The most common synonym of the Heb. words for “WRATH” (from the root) = ”to be hot,” “passionate.” It can be used also of natural things, but is most commonly used of God’s WRATH (115 times), which denotes the “rage” of God (90 times).

c.  Exclusively for the LORD’S “WRATH” the Masora has used it 33 of 39 occurrences (Ps. 58:9= “…He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in His WRATH.” Note the following verse (10): “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” Wow! To tell people these days to REJOICE in God’s vengeance is like committing the unpardonable sin! Verse 11 ends with “…there is a reward for the righteous: verily He is a God that judgeth in the earth.” So it is NOW! I don’t care who believes it or not, God IS JUDGING this wicked and evil generation. Get used to it !!!

In Jeremiah (Jer.) 25:38 we run across “His fierce anger.” In Psalms (Ps.) 88:16 we run across “Thy fierce WRATH.”

The derived stems of can have the sense “to be zealous,” “to act with zeal.” Heb. scholars think that the basic sense is probably “to burn,” “to grow.” Hence, the nouns denote the “burning of WRATH,” the “fire of anger.”

d. — This Heb. word, in the sense of “anger,” does not come from the common root I “to overflow,” “to go over,” with Arabic ‘Ajin, but from the less common root II, Arabic gabira, which seems to mean “to be angry,” “to be full of rage.”

e.  The verb means “to provoke to anger,” and perhaps has the basic sense of “to break out” from which it points to “to fly out,” “to be angry.” We’ve all heard the sayings, (in ref. to anger/WRATH) “fly off the handle,” “flying into a rage.”

f.   The verb , used in the OT 12 times, means “to address angrily,” “to scold,” “to chide,” and also “to curse.” Kohlers rendering “to curse,” “to berate” (p. 262) is too restricted, as some complain. The same is true of his translation of “cursing.” One might want to check out Isa. 10:5 where God calls the Assyrians His “rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation”—to “curse” Israel with His “WRATH.” He lets us know in v. 6 that He is sending the Assyrian king “against an hypocritical nation (Israel), and against the PEOPLE OF MY WRATH will I give him a charge (command), to take spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like mire (filth) of the street.”

This is going to happen right here, in the good ol’ “Christian” USA! He is sending forth His “RA” Army — to CURSE, not BLESS !

God has called Amerika “The Great Whore,” “The Magnificent Hypocrite,” “Sodom,” etc.

Furthermore, this verb and noun are used in apocalyptic writings, where they can mean “time of WRATH” (see Isa. 26:20: “…until the indignation be overpast;” “…in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be” (Dan. 8:19); “…till the indignation be accomplished: for that is determined shall be done” (Dan. 11:36). These texts show apocalyptic insight that there IS A TIME OF WRATH which must run, will run, its course when the time of grace is used up.

The verbal adj. “cross,” “angry,” is found in 1 Kings 20:43; 21:4.

g. This Heb. word expresses the sense “to be annoyed,” “to be reluctant,” “to be angry”; the causative sense “to anger,” “to annoy,” “to provoke to WRATH,” almost always with the LORD as object.

We’re all too familiar with the fact that ancient Israel provoked God to anger/WRATH/fury/ indignation by her apostasy and idolatry. Don’t you think that Amerika has done the same?

h.  Habakkuk’s (3:2) prayer reveals his fear, “…I have heard thy speech, and was afraid,” and God’s WRATH, “…in WRATH ( ) remember mercy.”

The verb means “to be disturbed,” “unsettled,” “to provoke to WRATH”; the less common noun (in Hab. 3:2 above) means “raging,” “unrest”; also “anger.”

I.    is not a true term for WRATH, though in the nuance “snort” (a.) it comes very close. “He that is slow to WRATH is of great understanding…”

Back to a. — “snort.” In Isaiah 30:1 God pronounces WOE upon “the rebellious children (of Israel, read down to vv. 27, 28): “Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, BURNING with ANGER, and the burden thereof is heavy: His lips are FULL OF INDIGNATION, and His tongue as A DEVOURING FIRE: And His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity…” Here God is “SNORTING” MAD ! This WRATHFUL ANGER mounts up: “And the LORD shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His ANGER, and with the FLAME of a DEVOURING FIRE, with scattering, and TEMPEST, and HAILSTONES.” Cpt. 30 ends with “the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle…”

So…

GOD ALMIGHTY USES THE FORCES of nature coupled with human forces as His Weapons. So, when we see His destructive forces at work in the earth, don’t believe that they act by themselves—NO! God commands them at His Will. Most churchites today don’t believe this; they believe what the “weathermen” say, the scientists, the media; and hence, in their minds, rebellion and WRATH are directed against those proclaiming His judgment (like us here) and against God Himself. Men are ANGRY against God these days. TOO BAD!!!! HE IS DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. Amen.

Man’s anger/displeasure against God is increasing. “These forces (nature coupled with human forces) are not,” say the unbelievers, “from God.” But God’s dealings with the wicked go back to the very beginning of time, folks. Moreover, we as humans can’t allow our anger to provoke God to REVERSE that anger towards us (INVOKING YET MORE WRATH UPON US !!!), yet this is what is going on as I write this article. “His dealings seem to be enigmatic and incomprehensible,” the critics exclaim (in an angry tone!); “they cannot be brought into harmony with His love and righteousness.” Really?

Your SINS can’t be brought into harmony with His righteousness.

Evaluation

WHY? Why? Why? Men have always tried to evaluate WHY God does what He does. If you folks would read your Bibles C-A-R-E-F-U-L-L-Y, you would find out WHY!! Instead of listening to “pastor” Joel Osteen’s cotton candy sermonettes, get your Bibles and study them.

Proverbs is a good place to start, for it attempts a true evaluation of human anger, sins of all sorts, that anger the LORD. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 26:2, “The curse causeless shall not come.” There is a reason WHY God unleashes His curses upon humankind. Find out WHY.

Both Psalms and Proverbs give many passages on “anger.” Human anger and God’s anger are far apart (although a righteous man can be angry and sin not). I’m not going into all that can be said of human anger, but here are a few verses for you: Prov. 6:34; 15:1; 16:14; 19:19; 27:4; 15:18; 22:24; 29:8, 11 etc.

A Biblical/spiritual man/woman will be aware that the WRATH of man leads to injustice (Prov. 14:17; 29:22). You may check out the book of James (NT) which is very close in content to the Wisdom Literature (start with Jam. 1:20 — “For the WRATH of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”) Here we have an antithesis: angry man vs. righteousness of God. In Egyptian wisdom the “fool” is called “hot-headed.” Even righteous Job got angry against God, thereby damaging himself (18:4). In doing so, he also undermined the fear of God (15:4). We’ve all done this, haven’t we? I have! This, of course, leads one into attacking the justice of God (8:2; 11:2 etc.). Thank God we can repent as did Job for being a “fool” (42:6).

This foolery is in operation right now, in politics, in religions, this political and religious HUBRIS endangers those who are guilty.

Miracle WRATH /

   Plagues Wonderful

GOD HAS TOLD US in years past, and now He has brought it up again (since the Sandy Hurricane) that He is going to show forth His miracle WRATH and wonderful plagues. We’ve all seen (over the last dozen years) nature utter her many words, show her grandeur, power, her awesome loveliness, her destroying majesty and beauty. We’ve seen God using nature’s WRATH—fury—indignation—in smashing, crashing, dashing to pieces the works of men’s hands and minds.

    O how small we really are in the wake of His anger revealed, His FIST OF FURY.