The Anger of God: Against: The Wicked
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The concept of God's anger against the wicked is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, reflecting His holiness, justice, and righteousness. God's anger is not capricious or arbitrary but is a response to sin, rebellion, and the violation of His divine law. This entry explores the biblical basis for understanding God's anger against the wicked, drawing from various passages in the Berean Standard Bible .

Biblical Foundation

1. Nature of God's Anger: God's anger is an expression of His holiness and justice. It is a righteous indignation against sin and evil. Unlike human anger, which can be impulsive and unjust, God's anger is always justified and measured. In Nahum 1:2-3 , it is written, "The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished."

2. God's Anger in the Old Testament: The Old Testament contains numerous instances where God's anger is directed against the wicked. In Psalm 7:11 , it states, "God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day." This verse underscores the continuous nature of God's righteous anger against sin. Additionally, in Deuteronomy 32:22 , God declares, "For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devouring the earth and its produce and setting ablaze the foundations of the mountains."

3. God's Anger in the New Testament: The New Testament reaffirms the reality of God's anger against the wicked. In Romans 1:18 , the Apostle Paul writes, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." This passage highlights that God's wrath is not only a future reality but is also being revealed in the present age against those who reject His truth.

4. Purpose of God's Anger: God's anger serves several purposes. It acts as a deterrent against sin, a means of purifying His people, and a demonstration of His justice. In Ezekiel 25:17 , God says, "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them." Here, God's anger is shown as a means to reveal His sovereignty and righteousness.

5. God's Anger and Repentance: While God's anger is directed against the wicked, the Bible also emphasizes His desire for repentance and reconciliation. In Ezekiel 18:23 , God asks, "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn't I prefer he turn from his ways and live?" This verse highlights God's preference for repentance over judgment, demonstrating His mercy and love even in the context of His anger.

6. Final Judgment: The ultimate expression of God's anger against the wicked will be realized in the final judgment. Revelation 20:15 states, "And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." This passage underscores the eternal consequences of rejecting God's grace and persisting in wickedness.

Conclusion

The anger of God against the wicked is a profound biblical truth that underscores His holiness, justice, and righteousness. It serves as a warning to those who persist in sin and a call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, through whom God's wrath is satisfied for those who believe.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Psalm 7:11
God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
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Psalm 21:8,9
Your hand shall find out all your enemies: your right hand shall find out those that hate you.
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Isaiah 3:8
For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
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Isaiah 13:9
Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
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Nahum 1:2,3
God is jealous, and the LORD revenges; the LORD revenges, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies.
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Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
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Romans 2:8
But to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
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Ephesians 5:6
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God on the children of disobedience.
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Colossians 3:6
For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience:
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Library

Against those who Fancy that in the Judgment of God all the ...
... And this reasoning is equally conclusive against those who, in their ... bad men, or
true of good men and wicked angels, but ... [1552] Yet in this anger God does not ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 24 against those who fancy.htm

Of God, his Care and Anger.
... give [1750] up His own honours, to see wicked and unjust ... This cannot exist in God,
because He cannot be injured ... Where, then, is that just anger against offenders ...
/.../chap xvii of god his care.htm

Of the Loosing of the Devil, and of the Second and Greatest ...
... shall be concealed under caves of the earth, until the anger of God against the
nations and ... But the whole race of the wicked shall utterly perish; and there ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxvi of the loosing of.htm

A Treatise against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop.
... for I have sinned." [5384] At once the anger of God ... do everything that is harsh and
hostile against David ... and faithful in the house of God, himself subsequently ...
/.../a treatise against the heretic.htm

Of God and his Affections, and the Censure of Epicurus.
... Necessity compelled him even against his will to fall. ... You see, therefore, to what
point he comes, when anger is removed and taken away from God. ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap iv of god and his.htm

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He ...
... by his authority and command, the wicked are excited ... the Assyrian the rod of his
anger, and the ... David, not murmuring against God, but acknowledging him to be a ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 18 the instrumentality of.htm

"Who Will Rise up with Me against the Wicked?"
... the least appearance of malice, bitterness, anger, or resentment ... of thought, as well
as against pride, wrath, or ... of sacrifice, offering all to God, through the ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 52 who will rise.htm

Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy.
... cranes and swallows for the fear of God's anger (Isaiah 38 ... Hebrews 6:6); nothing
makes the sin against the Holy ... desire to repent is as acceptable to God, as the ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations against despair or doubting.htm

This World is Ruled by the Providence of one God, who is Both ...
... Against Heresies: Book III Chapter XXV."This world is ruled by the ... of God, and thinking
that they had found out a God both without anger and [merely ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxv this world is ruled.htm

Article I: of God.
... Again, that we murmur against the doing and will of God, when He ... feel that their
hearts are easily inflamed, now with ambition, now with anger and wrath ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 1 article i of.htm

Resources
Does God have emotions? | GotQuestions.org

What can we learn from the tribe of Simeon? | GotQuestions.org

What can we learn from the tribe of Levi / the Levites? | GotQuestions.org

Anger: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Subtopics

Anger

Anger in Prayer be Free From

Anger of Cain Slaying Abel

Anger: A Characteristic of Fools

Anger: A Work of the Flesh

Anger: Ahab, Because Naboth Would not Sell his Vineyard

Anger: Ahasuerus, Toward Vashti, for Refusing to Amuse his Courtiers

Anger: Anger of God

Anger: Asa, Because the Prophet Rebuked Him

Anger: Avoid Those Given To

Anger: Balaam, Toward his Ass

Anger: Balak, Toward Balaam

Anger: Be Slow To

Anger: Brings Its own Punishment

Anger: Children should not be Provoked To

Anger: Connected With: Clamour and Evil-Speaking

Anger: Connected With: Cruelty

Anger: Connected With: Malice and Blasphemy

Anger: Connected With: Pride

Anger: Connected With: Strife and Contention

Anger: Elihu, Because Job had Beaten his Friends in Argument

Anger: Ephraimites, Toward Gideon, for not Soliciting Their Help Against the Midianites

Anger: Forbidden

Anger: General Scriptures Concerning

Anger: Grievous Words Stir Up

Anger: Haman, Because Mordecai did not Salute Him

Anger: Herod, Toward the Wise Men Who Deceived Him

Anger: Jews, Against Stephen

Anger: Jonah, Because the Gourd Withered

Anger: Jonathan, on Account of Saul's Persecution of David

Anger: Justifiable: Jacob

Anger: Justifiable: Moses

Anger: Justifiable: Nehemiah

Anger: Justifiable: Our Lord

Anger: May be Averted by Wisdom

Anger: Meekness Pacifies

Anger: Moab

Anger: Moses, Toward Pharaoh

Anger: Naaman, Because Elisha Directed Him to Wash in the Jordan

Anger: Nebuchadnezzar, on Account of the Insubordination of the Three Hebrews, Who Refused to Worship his Idol

Anger: Paul, Toward Ananias

Anger: Pharaoh, Toward Moses

Anger: Saul, Toward Jonathan, on Account of his Sympathy With David

Anger: should not Betray Us Into Sin

Anger: Simeon and Levi, on Account of the Humbling of Their Sister, Dinah

Anger: Sinful: Ahab

Anger: Sinful: Asa

Anger: Sinful: Balaam

Anger: Sinful: Cain

Anger: Sinful: Esau

Anger: Sinful: Haman

Anger: Sinful: Herod

Anger: Sinful: High Priest

Anger: Sinful: Jews

Anger: Sinful: Jonah

Anger: Sinful: Moses

Anger: Sinful: Naaman

Anger: Sinful: Nebuchadnezzar

Anger: Sinful: Saul

Anger: Sinful: Simeon and Levi

Anger: Sinful: Uzziah

Anger: The People of Nazareth, Toward Jesus

Anger: Uzziah Toward Azariah, the Priest, Because of his Reproof of

The Anger of God is Averted from Them That Believe

The Anger of God is Averted Upon Confession of Sin and Repentance

The Anger of God is Righteous

The Anger of God is Slow

The Anger of God: Against: Apostasy

The Anger of God: Against: Idolatry

The Anger of God: Against: Impenitence

The Anger of God: Against: Sin, in Saints

The Anger of God: Against: The Wicked

The Anger of God: Against: Those Who Forsake Him

The Anger of God: Against: Unbelief

The Anger of God: Aggravated by Continual Provocation

The Anger of God: Averted by Christ

The Anger of God: Cannot be Resisted

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Aaron and Miriam

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Abimelech

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Builders of Babel

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Cities of the Plain

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Egyptians

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Enemies of Israel

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Five Kings

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Israelites

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Korah

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Men of Bethshemesh

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Nadab

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Saul

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Saul's Family

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Sennacherib

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: The Old World

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: The Spies

The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Uzzah

The Anger of God: Extreme, Against Those Who Oppose the Gospel

The Anger of God: Folly of Provoking

The Anger of God: Manifested in Judgments and Afflictions

The Anger of God: Manifested in Terrors

The Anger of God: Removal of, should be Prayed For

The Anger of God: should Lead to Repentance

The Anger of God: Specially Reserved for the Day of Wrath

The Anger of God: Tempered With Mercy to Saints

The Anger of God: The Justice of, not to be Questioned

The Anger of God: To be Born With Submission

The Anger of God: To be Deprecated

The Anger of God: To be Dreaded

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Kei'lah (16 Occurrences)

24000 (10 Occurrences)

Vapor (6 Occurrences)

Vanished (13 Occurrences)

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Knop (4 Occurrences)

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Zaphon (4 Occurrences)

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The Anger of God: Against: Sin, in Saints
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