’THE WRATH OF GOD-WHAT IS IT’S PURPOSE?’
The wrath of God which is the Day of the Lord has a three-fold purpose. First of all, the wrath of God fully vindicates God’s justice and righteousness upon the ungodly Gentiles through His pouring out of His Day of the Lord judgments upon the people of the nations existing at the end of the age.
’But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word (of God) are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.’ (II Peter 3:7) ’And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, not hear, nor walk; Neither repented they of their murders, not of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, not of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20, 21)
In the same way God destroyed the earth through the universal flood of Noah’s day bringing His judgment upon the ungodly of the entire world for it is written of men in that day: ’God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth" (Genesis 6:5,7) His judgment came also upon the two wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) in like manner in the days of Lot illustrating this same principle and purpose of God’s righteous and just judgment upon the ungodly.
Secondly, God’s wrath, the Day of the Lord judgment will be poured out upon the ungodly nation of Israel to purge them of their sin. Isaiah 1:24-28 explains:
’Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies: And I will turn My hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning; afterward thou shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.’ Purging the nation of Israel from their sin will be necessary in that day before the Lord Jesus Christ, the Deliverer can come and save them in one day.
Third and coincidental with the purging process is the penalty and judgment of Israel ’to make reconciliation for their iniquity’ (Daniel 9:24) This pivotal passage of prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) reveals the necessity for the reconciliation of Israel. Yes, the sin must be purged and the penalty must be paid for the transgression of the Jewish people:
’And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on My name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is My people; and they shall say , The Lord is my God.’ (Zechariah 13:8, 9)
God’s unprecedented wrath during the Day of the Lord judgments as described by the Old Testament prophets and New Testament writers alike will be intensely devastating and destructive, but, the designed purposes of God are clearly seen in His Word. His eternal purposes will be accomplished. He alone will be exalted in that day as He brings about His three purposes for this horrendous time of fiery judgment!
