What does "the great day of their wrath" reveal about God's judgment? Setting the Scene Revelation 6 opens the first six seals of the scroll. By the time the sixth seal is broken, cosmic disturbances leave kings and commoners alike hiding in caves, crying out: “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:17) The Phrase Unpacked “The great day of their wrath” points to a specific, climactic moment when the Father and the Lamb (Revelation 6:16) actively pour out judgment. Three words stand out: • Great – unmatched in scope and intensity. • Day – a fixed, appointed time on God’s calendar. • Wrath – not uncontrolled rage but righteous, measured justice against sin. Characteristics of God’s Judgment Highlighted • Certainty – The day “has come,” stressing inevitability (cf. Hebrews 9:27). • Universality – “Who is able to withstand it?” No rank or status exempts anyone (Romans 2:11). • Severity – Creation itself convulses; this is no symbolic slap on the wrist (Isaiah 13:9). • Righteousness – Wrath answers accumulated rebellion; it is holy, not capricious (Nahum 1:2-3). • Dual Source – “Their” links Father and Son; rejecting the Son invites the Father’s anger (Psalm 2:12). • Delayed but Not Denied – God’s patience today (2 Peter 3:9) will give way to judgment then. Echoes from the Rest of Scripture • Zephaniah 1:14-15 – “a day of wrath… of distress and anguish.” • Joel 2:11 – “Indeed, the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful—who can endure it?” • Romans 2:5 – storing up wrath “for the day of wrath.” Together these passages confirm that Revelation 6:17 is the long-prophesied Day of the LORD, now centered on the Lamb who was slain yet lives. Hope for the Redeemed • 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – “God has not appointed us to suffer wrath.” • Romans 5:9 – we are “saved from wrath” through Christ’s blood. For those in Christ, the great day is not a terror but a vindication; wrath fell on Jesus at the cross, securing our rescue. Living in Light of the Coming Day • Stand in awe—God is both Savior and Judge. • Share the good news—mercy is still available before that day dawns. • Pursue holiness—grace trains us “to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives” now (Titus 2:12). • Rest assured—every wrong will be righted; justice will not be unfinished. The sixth seal reminds us that God’s judgment is real, righteous, and inescapable—yet, through the Lamb, escape is freely offered today. |
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