The Glory of God’s Wrath

Do you struggle with the idea of God’s Wrath? Does knowing that one day God is going to pour out the full force of His anger on unrepentant sinners trouble you? Well, if you’ve ever struggled with the idea of God’s wrath, you are not alone. Anglican scholar N.T. Wright tells of an encounter with a former tutor while Wright was working on his doctoral dissertation. Both were out cycling on a day off, and the tutor asked Wright how his research was going. “Actually,” he confessed, “I’m having a hard time with wrath.” “Aren’t we all,” the tutor said cheerfully and rode off on his bicycle.

What fuels our struggle with the wrath of God is that we often hear non-believers say something like this: “How can a loving God send people to hell?” “If that’s the God you believe in, then I want nothing to do with Him.” And what happens when we hear something like that, is that sometimes we find ourselves wanting to make an apology for the truth about God’s wrath, as if it is somehow a blight on God’s character.

But God’s wrath is not a blight on God’s character. If anything, God’s wrath actually reveals His holiness, His goodness, and the strength of His moral character. And the reason most of us struggle with the idea of God’s wrath, is that the glory of God’s wrath is rarely if ever taught to us. So, this morning, as we return to the book of Revelation, we get to change that. For if you’ve ever struggled with understanding why God plans to unleash His holy anger on unrepentant sinners at the end of the age, then the passage we’re going to look at today is meant to help us grasp how God’s wrath against evil is actually a good thing. So, if you brought your Bible today, let me encourage you to find Revelation 15. For it is in this chapter and the one that follows, we are going to see the glory of God’s wrath, as He reveals His holiness, unleashes His vengeance, and shows us why it is a good thing our God who doesn’t turn a blind eye to the evil in our world. And it all begins with another vision John receives of heaven, in what I call The Prelude to God’s Wrath: Please note the images John reveals in this vision to us:

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. Revelation 15:1-2 There are three key images God wants us to see here. The first is of the seven angels with seven plagues John tells us the purpose of their appearance. They are coming out of heaven as the means by which God completes the outpouring of His wrath on the followers of the beast; on those sinners who have rejected Him completely by worshiping the image of the beast.

The second image is of the “sea of glass mingled with fire” We learned earlier that the sea is a biblical image for the powers of chaos and evil that rise up against God’s creation and rule. It was from the sea that the dragon and his beast emerged in Revelation 13 to deceive the earth and wage war against God’s people. But now seeing this sea as calm, and yet mingled with fire, recalls Daniel 7:10-11 that pictures a river of fire in heaven before God’s throne, where the beast is judged and destroyed, revealing for us God’s permanent conquest over sin and evil.

Which brings us to the third image: those who had conquered the beast How did they conquer the beast? In two ways. The first was by their steadfast faith. In Revelation 12 we are told, “they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:11 So these are the ones who stayed faithful to Jesus in the midst of persecution and who were then martyred for their faith in Jesus.

Now they are standing by the sea of glass. This is a powerful image. It is an image of their resurrection. They now stand before the throne just as Jesus, the Lamb who was slain was seen standing in Revelation 5:6. This image of them standing shows us that by their resurrection, they had conquered the beast. And now they sing their victory song. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3-4

Here the saints do not sing of their victory over the beast. They sing about the glory of Lamb. They praise Him as the Lord God almighty for His great and amazing deeds. For their faith has been rewarded as they stand before Him experiencing their salvation. They praise Him for the justice He is about to unleash on the earth. Then they ask, “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?” They know Jesus is worthy of all praise. So, they declare “All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” This is the victory song of the redeemed. The Lamb is the Lord God almighty! The Lamb has done great deeds. The Lamb is just and true! The Lamb is Holy! They rejoice in the triumph of the Lamb! And out of this joyous celebration of victory, God’s final wrath is ready to be unleashed.

So, let’s look at verses 5-8 where once again we are given three key images that reveal God’s character as He unleashes His wrath. And each of these images will teach us something of The Holiness of God’s Wrath: Let’s read verses 5 and 6. After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. Revelation 15:5-6 The first image that reveals God’s holiness is “the sanctuary of the tent of witness” How this reveals God’s holiness is that the sanctuary of the tent of witness is where God’s holy law and testimonies of His covenant faithfulness to His people are recorded. According to Psalm 27:4, to gaze inside God’s sanctuary is to see “the beauty of the Lord in all His holiness.” What makes God beautiful is His perfect holiness. There is no sin in God. There is no deceit, no destruction, no evil. It is from here, from God’s presence in the Holy of Holies, comes the seven angels. So, it is from this place of perfect beauty, love and divine splendor that the bowls of wrath come to be poured on the earth. The world may ignore and defy our holy God, but this image tells us that God will one day hold the world accountable for its sin. That’s the first image.

Here’s the second image: “The golden bowls full of God’s wrath” And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever Revelation 15:7 We will see God’s holy wrath poured out of these bowls in chapter 16. But for now, we need to note that these bowls are full of God’s wrath. He is going to hold nothing back in His holy anger against evil. As John Stott describes this wrath saying: “The wrath of God… Is His steady, unrelenting, unremitting, uncompromising antagonism to evil in all its forms and manifestations.” Sinclair Ferguson makes it simple: “God’s holy wrath is poured out on what He hates because it damages and destroys what He loves.” God in His holiness will pour out the full fury of His wrath to cleanse the world of its unclean and uncontrolled evil once and for all. That’s the second image.

Here’s the third image we are to take note of: “Holy Smoke” and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Revelation 15:8 God’s glory is always manifest during the time of His judgment. When Moses received God’s law on Mount Sinai, God revealed His holiness with fire and smoke. After Israel placed the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle, God’s presence was symbolized by fire and smoke. And now smoke of God’s glory fills the sanctuary to reveal His holy wrath. And the smoke of God’s glory will not subside until His wrath is completed.

This is a Holy Moment. For generations God has withheld His anger. Our God is slow to anger and rich in love. But now as the smoke of His glory fills the sanctuary, God’s Holy wrath will eradicate the evil presence of sin once and for all. So now as His angels pour out the first bowl of His wrath, what we now witness is this:

The Vengeance of God’s Wrath: Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” So, the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Revelation 16:1-2 John hears a loud voice. It is certainly the voice of God. He commands the angels to “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” And with the first bowl God’s wrath, God takes vengeance upon His enemies. These sinners didn’t just ignore God’s glory; they turned their backs on their Creator and rejected Him completely by taking the mark of the beast and worshiping its image. As one writer noted about their selfish rebellion: The sad reality is that these worshipers of the beast took the mark thinking to partake of earthly beauty and pleasure, so God will pour out sores and boils on their flesh. This recalls the sixth Egyptian plague when God inflicted boils and sores on the skin of the Egyptians. Zechariah says of this plague “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” Zechariah 14:12 The is the vengeance of God’s wrath. Here God is taking vengeance on His glory, for His honor against His enemies.

Now, as God avenges His glory, it is important for us to consider how we are to respond to sin and evil in our present evil age. At almost every turn, from the media to popular movies, we are taught to exact revenge. But God’s Word commands us not to take revenge. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19

Someday God will repay the evil done to us. That’s why God tells us to not take revenge but leave room for His Wrath. This is hard for us. When evil takes the life of innocent people, we want evil people to get what they deserve. That is why this Scripture is very important for us to apply today, especially in light of the evil that took the life of Charlie Kirk last Wednesday. God calls us to live at peace with everyone. To not take revenge but leave room for God’s wrath. Especially with those who celebrate Charlie’s death. Especially with those who don’t believe like you do. Charlie was a great example for us in this. He was a peacemaker. His whole purpose in going on those College campuses was to create environments where people could debate opposing viewpoints without violence and hatred. He wanted to live at peace with everyone.

That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to be peacemakers not revenge-mongers. In the same passage God tells us how we are to do this: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:20-21 One day God’s wrath will avenge. God will repay. That’s what we see with the first bowl judgment: the vengeance of God’s wrath. And at the same time, God will exact justice. That’s the next element of God’s wrath we see here.

The Justice of God’s Wrath: The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. Revelation 16:3-4 The second angel pours his bowl, and the sea becomes like the blood of a corpse. Every living thing dies in the seas of the earth. The oceans, which occupy 70 percent of the earth’s surface, become a toxic wasteland of water. Then what God did through His angel to the seas He now does to the fresh waters. All fresh water becomes undrinkable. It all turns to blood. Water is already scarce. It now becomes even more so.

Then comes one of the clearest statements of the Justice of God’s wrath: And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” Revelation 16:5-6 Here God is answering the prayers of the martyrs who cried out for justice. Since these evil sinners had shed the blood of righteous people, God now turns their water into cesspools of blood and death. Justice is served. The wicked receive in God’s wrath exactly “what they deserve.”

But before we celebrate the glory of God’s wrath here, it is important to remember, that prior to this, God continually offered to spare them this wrath if they turned from their sin and turn to God. But they continually refused. They continually rejected God’s love. Robert Mounce says it this way: “God’s wrath is not the outworking of impersonal laws of retribution which are built into the structure of reality, but the response of a righteous God to man’s adamant refusal to accept His love.” Since they reject God’s love, they get what they deserve. Since they spilled the blood of the righteous, God gives them blood to drink.

This outpouring of God’s wrath is sometimes hard for people to stomach. What makes it hard for people is that most believe God should overlook all injustice, all sin, and just forgive us because He’s a God of love. But if He did that, God would not be a just God.

So, here’s why it’s so important for us to understand how God satisfied His justice by giving His Son to die in our place on the cross. Think about how much we deserve to be punished for our sin: Every time you sin, you are rebelling against the very God who created you. If you were to sin only 10 times a day for one year, you would disobey God 3,650 times. But if you sinned 10 times a day for 15 years, you would sin 54,750 times! But by the time you turned 68, you’ll have offended your Creator nearly a quarter million times. And here now, since God is a just God and must treat all sin justly, you begin to realize that God would be completely just to treat you as your sins deserve. But that’s not what He did.

Instead, out of His great love for you, God who is rich in mercy devised a way for you to escape His wrath against sin. His plan was to give you Jesus, so He could take your place and take the punishment your sins deserve. And that’s just what Jesus did. God’s Word says it this way: God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 That’s the good news: Jesus took your place on that cross, so that God could pour out the full fury of His wrath on Him instead of you. That’s why God sent Jesus to die in your place. So He could give you mercy and save you from judgment.

And if you put your trust in Jesus, you will not just escape the justice your sins deserve. You will receive and the righteousness of Christ you didn’t deserve. You’ll receive forgiveness. You’ll receive His peace, His presence and His power to live in this present evil age. That’s the beauty of God’s love. He doesn’t overlook your sin. He deals with it justly! He removes it when you trust in Jesus. So, let me ask you: Have you been delivered from God’s wrath by trusting in Jesus? If not, you can be delivered today, by simply turning away from your sin, and turning to Jesus. Put your trust in Jesus, and you will be saved. Then rest in the love of God that’s found in Jesus.

So, yes, God’s wrath reveals His justice. But the good news is that no one ever has to experience His wrath if they trust in Jesus. Which leads us to the final element of God’s wrath this morning that’s revealed for us in verse 7, and that is this:

The Benefits of God’s Wrath: And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!” Revelation 16:7 Here the angels and the resurrected martyrs again see the beauty of God’s wrath, for they praise God for the initial outpouring of His wrath, declaring, “true and just are your judgments.” They are praising God for His justice; they are praising God for His vengeance upon evil. But at the end of the day, God’s wrath is doing a work for all of creation. In other words, the world cannot be whole, good and at peace while evil is at play. The good news of God’s wrath being directed at all sin and evil is that now, at the end of the age, the world will be cleansed of all evil, and now God’s righteousness will reign overall.

So not only do we see the glory of God’s holiness at work in His wrath; not only do we see God avenge His honor and the blood of the martyrs; and not only do we see God exact justice on those who have rejected Him, we see God’s holy fire purify His creation. There will now be no more violence, corruption, hatred, greed, murder or injustice. God’s world will be cleansed by the holy fire of His wrath.

And when this day comes, we will join in with the song of the Lamb and sing: “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” We will sing to the glory of God’s holiness and just wrath upon evil.