Introduction

From Genesis 3:14 until Revelation 22:19, divine judgement is a topic that cannot be avoided in scripture, but characteristically is by the contemporary church. God is speaking about this from a perspective that to us seems contradictory. The true nature of his wrath can only be known through a revelation of his Fatherly gentleness. This topic is of supreme importance, for as this article will demonstrate, human anger is a stumbling block to God’s purposes of renewal.

Since we respond to anger with defensiveness, how we approach this theme is foundational. We must start with human experience, recognising however that this will bring us to a radically different conclusion than if we commenced with the revelation of God in Jesus.

Humanity’s Experience of the Anger of God

It is human rather than divine anger that begins the cycle of separation between us and God[1]. The first explicit biblical mention of anger is found in Genesis 4:5, “but for Cain and his offering he (the LORD) had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”[2] That God was not angry with Cain comes out in the caring fatherly warning, “The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted[3]? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”” (4:6- 7). Cain’s sin indeed spirals out of control so that through murder he “went away from the presence (literally: “face”) of the Lord” (4:16)[4]

When God says, “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isa 59:2), it means his presence cannot indwell our angry, self- righteous judgement[5]. James says, “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (1:20) and “judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.”(James 2:13). Both texts teach that human vehemence meets with divine disapproval.

Jesus confirms this, “For with the judgment[6] you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matt 7:2). His parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23- 35) expounds the difference between the anger of God and of man[7]. A servant owes his master an impossible debt[8] , threatened with enslavement he pleads “‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’” (v.26). The word for “patience”, makrothymia, is literally to be “long – tempered”, or “to put anger far away”. “Out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt” (v.27). The key words are commonly used of God’s generous grace in forgiving sin[9], and the one translated “pity” is that used for Jesus frequent “compassion”[10]. It is God’s will that “mercy triumphs over judgement” (James2:13).

However, the story goes on to describe how the forgiven servant mercilessly refuses to release another servant from a minor debt. Hearing of this “in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt[11]. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (vv.34- 35). The unforgiving servant by hardening his heart against God’s mercy experienced the wrath of God as the mirror image of his own mercilessness.[12] In demanding “justice” without makrothymia we exclude “mercy”, so that the image of the Judge is our image and the content of the wrath of God becomes our own anger[13].

This sets up a vicious inescapable cycle, man experiences God as unjustly angry with him and is angry with God and sins without godly fear[14]. This humanly unholy rage is what God pours out in his judgement as he presents himself to humanity according to their likeness. From human sacrifice in ancient Israel[15] to the jihad terrorists of today, the wrath of God is visible in the rage of man. This action never pleases God, he detests it; “For God, his anger is pain.” (Heschel)[16] While human beings feel self- justified in their anger, it is God’s forbearance and removal of judgement that justifies him[17]. Nothing pleases him more than to show mercy, and to say, “I have no wrath.” (Isa 27:4).[18]

Jesus’ Experience of the Anger of God

For sinful human beings the real issue with God’s anger is his power. To an evil conscience an impotent deity, no matter how wrathful, is trivial. Jesus shatters our perception[19] of the divine anger by manifesting a new form of power.

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”” (Luke 3:21- 22). This is Jesus’ first encounter with the immensity of the Father’s power[20]. The dove- image of the Spirit reveals that at the centre of God’s strength is gentleness (who ever heard of an angry dove!). The dove, an image drawn from the Flood story[21], signifies grace beyond a coming flood of judgement[22]. Through this anointing Jesus knows that inside the heart of the Father there is no anger[23], his human spirit of gentleness is in perfect union with the gentle but forceful presence of the Holy Spirit[24].

Since in seeing Jesus we see the Father (John 14:9), the call ““Come to me…for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:28-29), is a revelation of the gentle Father[25]. This is firstly manifested in the ministry commission given to Jesus through God’s gift of the Spirit, ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”” (Luke 4:18 -19 )[26].

It is the cross however that is the supreme demonstration of the truth of an infinite gentleness at the heart of God’s power, both in mercy and judgement. I believe this for two reasons, the first as a personal revelation, the second, and more substantial, from scripture.

A New Image of Judgement

The personal revelation is a simple one. While praying about this subject I saw the arms of the Father lifting Jesus up to the cross and with infinite gentleness placing upon him the sin of the world[27]. In delivering Jesus up to our sin and condemnation God acted through his heart of mercy in the power of the Spirit.

It was because Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) that the Spirit descended upon him as a dove. Even more forcefully, “Christ …through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,” (Heb 9:14). In order that Jesus might save the world and not condemn it [28] he must be full of the knowledge that at the centre of God’s anger is compassion. This is the revelation that his Father’s heart recoils at the need to judge[29].

To more fully grasp the power of the cross we must return to the concept makrothymia, “to put anger far away”. When Jesus “became sin” (2 Cor 5:21) for us, he entered into the place of forsakenness[30], the final repository of evil that it is as “far away” from God as possible, hell. As the crucified identifier with our iniquity Jesus is handed over to a realm outside the mercy, gentleness and grace of God’s Spirit. He experiences that transition from the realm of God’s presence to the solitary place of man separated from God[31]. This is a transition for Christ so traumatic it must be described in terms utterly oppositional to the true nature of God’s dove – like holiness but true to the violence of humanity[32], he experiences being “cast into the outer darkness”[33] and “thrown into the lake of fire.”[34]

In this image of the crucified Christ is the image of the judge judged. Firstly, the Lord takes his judgement into himself so that we see his pure heart of mercy and forgiveness. Secondly, we see our judgements about God’s character exposed and judged. He is neither hard nor cruel – no excuse remains for our hard heartedness towards his love. We recoil lest we fall into the condition of the merciless[35].

Beyond Christian Anger

Many of us have fallen into the sin of the Pharisee, self- righteous in our Christian values we neglect to show mercy towards the sexually promiscuous, abortionists, addicts, lazy, greedy – rich, homosexuals, indigenous people and so on.[36]

Many Christian leaders (me too!) have failed to enter the promised land because like Moses in tiredness at the grumbling of the flock of God we have struck out in anger (Num 20:10- 13). We have failed to reveal the face of the Father and kept the church in the wilderness. Whilst the gifts and kindness of God are irrevocable (Rom 11:29) (the water still flowed from the rock to the thirsty) our Holy Father could not take us further without repentance[37]. Like Moses and Aaron, who knew God’s pardoning first hand, we have not revealed the constant mercy and righteousness of God but the anger of man.

We need to ask Jesus to teach us that whilst his Spirit – moved human anger on earth was bearable (e.g. by the Templedealers) his coming wrath is unbearable[38]. We need a direct impartation of godly fear from the Spirit, who was with Jesus in his anguish and passion[39], of judgement falling on the lost.

Conclusion

“O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Hab 3:2)

Revivals fail when the church depends on its gifts, leadership, numbers, methods etc., rather than on the mercy of God in the cross. The people of God themselves become the site of his judgement. Before us are two ways[40], light or darkness, good or evil, and in this paper, the way of the serpent in the garden[41] or the dove upon Jesus. Our fleshly anger, having no dove – like qualities, is evil, but to desire gentleness is to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit. May God speak to us about these matters.