Wrath (Hebrew “qatsaph” or Greek “orgē”) means “impulse of anger or provocation to anger”. This anger may be expressed in different intensities, from an impulse of annoyance to being provoked to fury. Thus not all wrath are the same.
Wrath has a causation which leads to an impulse of, or provocation to, anger. So, wrath is a response to a cause. If wrath is a response, then wrath can have a positive outcome or a negative outcome. Here, let us look at the positive side of wrath.
Ezekiel 20:7-11
“I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live.”
One of the (little known) reasons why God took the Israelites out of Egypt is that God was angry with their detestable and idolatrous ways despite warnings, and God wanted to chastise them outside of Egypt so that His name would not be profaned (on account of the unfaithfulness of His people being made known) in the sight of the nations.
Ancient Israel, being the elect of God, was the apple, literally pupil, of God’s eye (c.f. Zechariah 2:8). Whoever touched them touched the pupil of God’s eye. Yet, God resolved to pour out His wrath on them, to accomplish His anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt, when they rebelled against Him and were not willing to listen to Him. Thus, the elect of God did suffer the wrath of God, even wrath that resulted in a whole generation not receiving the covenant promise of Abraham despite God having pardoned them as a people (c.f. Exodus 14:11-45).
However, this wrath of God upon His elect is a chastising anger, not the wrath that is characterised by fury that will be poured out in judgment on the nations in the last of the last days. Both are expressions of God’s wrath, but with different intents and intensities.
To chastise is to teach, to rebuke, to correct, and to train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). It is to set rules of engagement and bring discipline to the one who disobeys or steps outside the set boundaries, so that he will live, on account of observing what is right or righteous in the sight of God.
Hebrews 12:4-11
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
The wrath of chastisement is a wrath of the Father’s holy love (Leviticus 20:26; Matthew 5:48); it is a wrath of God’s jealous love (Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Zechariah 8:2); it is a wrath of the Refiner’s all-consuming love (Malachi 3:2; Hebrews 12:29); it is a wrath of the Son’s all-subjecting, all-bowing love (Psalm 2:12). This wrath is not a wrath of severe judgment or punishment brought on by disobedience against the imperfect Law (as the Law was not enacted yet in Egypt), but a wrath of the perfect love of God seeking to protect His elect against defilement and corruption as a result of disobedience against, or non-conformance to, His holy nature and righteous character (Leviticus 20:7-8; 1 Peter 1:15-16).
1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
If His ‘ekklesia’ – also called the elect, the saints, the church, the temple of Christ’s body, the bride of Christ, and the household of God – will judge fallen angels and the wicked (1 Corinthians 6:2-3) in the last days, then judgment must first begin in the household of God.
Indeed, as we journey into the last days, the wrath of chastisement on believers will precede the coming wrath of severe judgment on the nations and ethnicities of the world; for we will only be ready to punish all disobedience whenever our obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:6). In fact, when we enter into the days of great tribulation, the wrath of chastisement will continue to play out alongside the wrath of the judgment of the world, but the former will lead to ‘zoe’ life, victory, and glory; while the latter will lead to death, defeat, and humiliation. It is the one who submits to the wrath of chastisement whom God has not destined for the wrath of severe judgment of the nations (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Oh, the kindness of God for those who choose the “narrow gate” of chastisement, and the severity of God for those who choose the “wide gate” of the world (Romans 11:22; Matthew 7:13-14)! Therefore, we must choose the side on which we desire to stand, for only those who endure chastisement to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:12-13).
The purpose of chastisement is to sanctify us from all non-conformance and disobedience (that is, falling short of all that God is and all that God wills), and lead us to perfect conformance and obedience. To conform to God and obey God is to faithfully adhere to His holy nature, comply with His moral character, and fulfil His commission, both individually and corporately. Thus, conformance and obedience are rooted in knowing God and sharing in His eternal purpose through the Word of God, the works of His Son, and the workmanship of His Spirit.
2 Peter 1:2-3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Without true knowledge of God and true vision of His works, the people are unrestrained, and hence they perish (Proverbs 29:18; Hosea 4:6), as their ignorance and false knowledge will result in lawlessness, disobedience, and lack of workmanship, which leads to God’s chastising wrath (Isaiah 5:13).
So, if accurate obedience is predicated on accurate knowledge of the Word, works, and workmanship of God, then God must and will bring the church to the true knowledge of Himself and true understanding of His works; so that the church can attain to true and perfected obedience in Him, thereby becoming the true workmanship of the Author and Perfecter of our faith. It is through this intense period of chastisement by the Refiner’s fire that the true image of Christ, the true oneness with Christ, and the true unity in Christ will be sanctified in us, be it as individual saints or corporate church.
Thus, chastisement is for training obedience unto perfection (Matthew 5:48), so that we may share in Christ’s obedience and holiness, that we may be one in holiness with the Father, Son, and one another – in the holiness that exists between the Father and the Son (John 17:17-19, 21-23). We can only be made perfect in holiness when we are made perfect in obedience.
1 Peter 2:21
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
Hebrews 5:8-9
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
As we can see, the footsteps of Jesus is the footsteps of complete obedience to the Father, and it was walking in complete obedience to the Father that made Him perfect, from incarnation to dying on the Cross.
Thus, to conform to the true image of Christ, the true oneness with Christ, and the true unity in Christ, is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, as following in His footsteps is the only way to please the Father without provoking Him to wrath, be it wrath of chastisement or wrath of severe judgment.
Daniel 12:10
“Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”
Hebrews 10:26-27
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Truly, blessed are those who have insights to understand, and subject themselves to the wrath of God’s purging, purification, and refinement by fire, even though it may be sorrowful for a moment, for they will not suffer the wrath of judgment like the wicked who continues to do detestable and idolatrous things in the sight of God – all the more so considering all that God has done for us by His grace through His Son, who was also given to us through much suffering as our model to follow and power to overcome.
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