Which New Testament passages echo the themes of Psalm 34:16? Psalm 34:16 Revisited “But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.” Direct New Testament Echo • 1 Peter 3:12—Peter quotes the verse almost verbatim: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” – Peter applies it to encourage righteous living and warn evildoers that God’s opposition has not changed. Jesus’ Own Warnings • Matthew 7:23—“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” • Matthew 25:41—“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” – The same idea of separation and judgment falls on evildoers. • Luke 13:27 echoes the same dismissal. Paul’s Teaching on God’s Active Wrath • Romans 1:18—“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men…” • Romans 2:5–9—storing up wrath, tribulation, and distress “for every human being who does evil.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9—God repays affliction to those who afflict His people and brings “eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord.” General Epistles Reinforce the Theme • James 4:6—“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” • 1 Peter 5:5 repeats the same proverb, linking divine opposition with prideful, sinful living. • Hebrews 10:26–27, 31—deliberate sin invites “a fearful expectation of judgment,” for “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Apocalyptic Fulfillment • Revelation 6:16–17—The ungodly cry, “Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” • Revelation 14:10–11—The worshipers of the beast “will drink the wine of God’s wrath…tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.” – God’s face, once gracious to the righteous (Psalm 34:15), becomes a source of dread to the wicked, perfectly mirroring Psalm 34:16. Key Takeaways • The New Testament never soft-pedals God’s stance toward evil; it consistently declares His active opposition. • From Jesus’ parables to Paul’s epistles and John’s Revelation, Psalm 34:16’s theme—God turning His face against evildoers—remains unchanged. • For believers, this is both a sober warning and a comfort: the Lord defends righteousness and will one day erase evil entirely, just as the psalmist foretold. |
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