Even when young, I was an avid student of the Bible. The fiery descriptions of God’s judgment activated my imagination. Early on, I embarked on a pilgrimage to reread every verse of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation while contemplating just one question: What is the meaning of the fiery language in Scripture?
Does human identity survive death? Descriptions of human souls floating off to an immaterial place after death do not reflect the hope that people long for. They don’t depict great joy or creative possibilities for an afterlife that will delight every fiber of our being.
When life is good, we enjoy experiencing it, but life is sometimes filled with problems. When it becomes painful or debilitating, we long for a balm to soothe our open wounds. We thirst for what lies beyond our short lives here on planet earth. Is brokenness and incompleteness all there is to life, or will we eventually find more?
While many are worrying about health and returning to work, some apocalyptic-minded Christians are concerned with theorizing about the cause of our current crisis.
When the Ark of God’s Presence falls on hard times, David wants to bring it to Jerusalem (1 Samuel 4–5). On the way, great festivity ensues that includes many band-accompanied songs. Everyone knows that something wonderful is happening, but suddenly, the cart transporting the sacred vessel is shaken by the oxen bearing it (2 Samuel 6:6). Uzzah, one of the servants attending the ark, responds by reaching out to steady it and is struck dead on the spot.
Many have expressed concern about the decline of faith and church attendance. The closing of places of assembly due to the current coronavirus scare has intensified worry about continued decline; some even consider these closures an infringement on our freedom to worship. Why are Christians so panicky as they try to keep their faith?
As the current crisis continues to capture global attention, many are turning to the Bible for answers. Some even look to the plagues described in the book of Revelation, reading them as God’s punishing judgments unleashed upon the earth. Is the current coronavirus one of these plagues?
The wrath of God is a nuanced and difficult concept to understand, but as the Apostle Paul states, “All things become visible when they are exposed by the light” (Ephesians 5:13, NASB).
God’s anger is His love directed against whatever exploits and abuses people and the earth. That’s good news as far as it goes, but what about the wrath unleashed as retribution against people in the Old Testament?
Many argue that the angry God of the Bible is an irrational and cruel tyrant who is not worthy of our admiration. You may feel some apathy toward this wrathful God, thinking He’s receiving His just deserts from people. Perhaps you have lingering fears about how we will be judged for failing tests of faith, for questioning the existence of suffering and divine damnation against the reality of God’s love, for harboring a sharp dislike for the wrathful potentate in the sky?
Theological InTents 