Will young men now humble their hearts before God and give themselves to His service? Will they not accept the holy trust, and become light-bearers to a world ready to be consumed by the wrath of an offended God? {CME 38.1}

All around him the apostle beheld witnesses to the Flood that had deluged the earth because the inhabitants ventured to transgress the law of God. The rocks thrown up from the great deep and from the earth by the breaking forth of the waters, brought vividly to his mind the terrors of that awful outpouring of God's wrath. In the voice of many waters--deep calling unto deep--the prophet heard the voice of the Creator. The sea, lashed to fury by the merciless winds, represented to him the wrath of an offended God. {AA 572.1}

As Jesus moved out of the most holy place, I heard the tinkling of the bells upon His garment; and as He left, a cloud of darkness covered the inhabitants of the earth. There was then no mediator between guilty man and an offended God. While Jesus had been standing between God and guilty man, a restraint was upon the people; but when He stepped out from between man and the Father, the restraint was removed and Satan had entire control of the finally impenitent. {EW 280.2}

In the rent altar, in the palsied arm, and in the terrible fate of the one who dared disobey an express command of Jehovah, Jeroboam should have discerned the swift displeasure of an offended God, and these judgments should have warned him not to persist in wrongdoing. {PK 107.1}

The prophet was safe from the malice of the king whose sins had brought upon the land the denunciation of an offended God. {PK 126.2}

The heavy judgments that were to befall the impenitent, --war, exile, oppression, the loss of power and prestige among the nations,--all these were to come in order that those who would recognize in them the hand of an offended God might be led to repent. {PK 309.1}

How intense was the desire of the humanity of Christ to escape the displeasure of an offended God, how His soul longed for relief, is revealed in the words, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." {5BC 1103.8}

In earnest, agonizing prayer they call for God to pass them not by. The kings, the mighty men, the lofty, the proud, the mean man, alike bow together under a pressure of woe, desolation, misery inexpressible; heart-anguished prayers are wrung from their lips. Mercy! mercy! Save us from the wrath of an offended God! A voice answers them with terrible distinctness, sternness, and majesty: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." {2T 41.2}

If you much longer pursue the course you are now following, you will become infidel in regard to the truth and in regard to the word of God. Watch and pray always. Dedicate yourself unreservedly to the Lord, and it will not then be difficult to serve Him. You have a divided heart. This is the reason that darkness, instead of light, encircles you. The last message of mercy is now going forth. It is a token of the long-suffering and compassion of God. Come, is the invitation now given. Come, for all things are now ready. This is mercy's last call. Next will come the vengeance of an offended God. {2T 225.1}

Satan will oppose every effort they may make. He will present the world before them in its most attractive light, as he did to the Saviour of the world when he tempted Him forty days in the wilderness. Christ overcame all the temptations of Satan, and so may your children. They are serving a hard master. The wages of sin is death. They cannot afford to sin. They will find it expensive business. They will meet with eternal loss in the end. They will lose the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him, and will lose that life which measures with the life of God. And this is not all. They must suffer the wrath of an offended God for having withheld from Him their service and given all their efforts to His worst enemy. Your children have not yet had the clear light, and condemnation only follows the rejection of light. {2T 286.2}

Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus "Peace and safety" is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together. {5T 211.2}

Our work must be an earnest one. We are not to fight as those that beat the air. The ministry, the pulpit, and the press demand men like Caleb, who will do and dare, men whose eyes are single to detect the truth from error, whose ears are consecrated to catch the words from the faithful Watcher. And the Spirit from the throne of God will make itself felt upon a degenerate Christianity, a corrupt world, ready to be consumed by the long-deferred judgments of an offended God. {TM 407.2}

I think the meaning is best described by Chapter 1 of "The Great Controversy," which is, by far, the most detailed explanation EGW gave on this theme.

Here's a portion from that chapter:

Tom, what does "the direct decree of God" mean to you, as opposed to "Satan was permitted to rule them according to his will."

Where did Satan get his permission to demonstrate his "vindictive power over those who yield to his control."

Also, where in this passage does Sister White refer to this event as the wrath or vengeance of an offended God?

"Direct decree" means something that God specifically willed, as opposed to something God permitted to happen, only after His Spirit had been rejected for centuries, and there was nothing else God could do. Regarding Sister White's use of "wrath" in the chapter, she uses it 5 times. Since we're dealing with concepts, and not the choice of some particular word, that the phrase "offended God" does not appear is moot. The concept is explained in great detail in the chapter.

Isn't the portrayal of God, or God's wrath, in GC chapter 1 very appealing?

The idea of the wrath of God in Scripture is not that God has fits of pique because He loses His patience. His wrath is not like the wrath of men. His wrath is His giving up the object of His desire up. This is seen in many places throughout Scripture. I'll quote one example from the New Testament:



In this passage we see how God's wrath is described in terms of the giving up of His creatures to the results of their decision.

The wrath of God in terms of Christ is described the same way. God "delivered Him up" as Paul and Peter put it (in Romans and Acts respectively).

Sin results in eternal death, not because God kills those who don't do what He says (God doesn't violate His own commandments, which are a transcript of His character), but because sin is itself lethal. God works to free us from sin. But there's a problem, which is that sin has polluted our minds, and deceived us as to God's true character. Instead of perceiving God to be like Jesus Christ was in the flesh, we perceive Him to be different, One who is severe, and will destroy those who cross Him; One who will rejoice when then wicked are destroyed (as opposed to weeping over them, as Jesus did over Jerusalem).

In order to heal us from out distorted ideas as to His character, God sent His Son to reveal God to us, in order that we might be reconciled to Him. We are reconciled when we believe the truth, which is that God is like Jesus Christ; compassionate, merciful, patient, peaceful, gentle, courteous, kind, considerate, loving, gracious, non-condemning, forgiving, self-sacrificing, humble, and all the other wonderful things Jesus Christ revealed in His life and teachings.

When Jesus taught things such as "if someone smites you one the cheek, turn the other cheek," He wasn't just mouthing words, but He was enunciating the very principles of His life, and more than that, the life of the One He came to reveal. Similarly when He said to "love your enemies," we learn that God is like that. When Jesus took up a towel to wash the feet of His disciples, saying that the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, we learn that God is like that.

If we will allow ourselves to appreciate the beauty of God's character revealed by Jesus Christ, our hearts will thrill. God longs for the intelligent, willing worship of His creatures who admire His character.

Tom, what you say about God's loving character is true. Thank you. I doubt anyone would disagree. However, your description of God's wrath and vengeance seems a bit lopsided. This thread concerns the wrath and vengeance of an offended God.

You've described the wrath and vengeance of an offended God in terms of having to reluctantly give up on unpardonable sinners, of having to permit evil angels to punish and destroy them. You seem to think this explains the wrath and vengeance of an offended God. But it sounds more like a parent grieving a court decision to execute their child.

If your view is correct, it is horribly cruel, misleading at best, to use words like "wrath" and "vengeance" to describe a grieving Father. I am offended. However, the truth is more meaningful, more understandable. It describes a loving heavenly Father punishing unpardonable sinners, even though it causes Him unimaginable grief and sorrow, because it is the right and best thing to do.

God employs one of three ways to either permanently punish or to administratively discipline sinners. Either 1) He does it Himself, 2) He commands holy angels to do it, or 3) He permits evil angels to do it. The results are the same in either case, namely, the right and best thing is accomplished.

Tom, do you agree that the following passages describe God killing people with fire?

Leviticus
10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Numbers
11:1 And [when] the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard [it]; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed [them that were] in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Numbers
16:35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

2 Kings
1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I [be] a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I [be] a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

NOTE: Compare this fire with the following fire:

Leviticus
9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

1 Kings
18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.

I find it very ironic that you are "offended" because my idea of God's wrath is not vengeful enough for you, one who has labeled God as "bloodthirsty."

Here's something from an Eastern Orthodox cite:



When one refuses to follow God's ways, eventually God will give them up.







The following is from a sermon I found on line:



What this speaker pointed out is correct. The wrath of God is His "turning over to judgment," His "giving up" or "delivering up" the one upon whom His wrath is visited.

We see this same exact thing described in the Spirit of Prophecy. For example:



You appear to have the mistaken impression that if the wrath of God is as is being here described, that this would somehow make God soft on sin. But according to the SOP, never was there given a decisive testimony to God's hatred of sin and to the certain punishment than will fall upon the guilty than his turning Jerusalem over to judgment, to use the above quoted speaker's words, or to use EGW's words:



What's happening here is very clear. The Jews, by their action, caused the protection of God to be withdrawn from them. They were visited by God's wrath. God gave them up.

TE: I find it very ironic that you are "offended" because my idea of God's wrath is not vengeful enough for you ....

MM: What did I post that gave you this impression?

TE: You appear to have the mistaken impression that if the wrath of God is as is being here described, that this would somehow make God soft on sin.

MM: What did I post that gave you this impression?

Tom, do you agree that the following passages describe God killing people with fire?

Leviticus
10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Numbers
11:1 And [when] the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard [it]; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed [them that were] in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Numbers
16:35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

2 Kings
1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I [be] a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I [be] a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

NOTE: Compare the fire above with the fire below:

Leviticus
9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

1 Kings
18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.

There was another point I wanted to make about this, which is that if you look at the life of Christ, you see that when He wasn't wanted, He simply departed. When asked to rain fire from heaven, according to the mistaken idea that his disciples had (and you as well(?)) He replied that they did not know what spirit they were of in desiring this.

When we look at the life of Christ, we see clearly that He was non-violent.

According to Ellen White, "all that man can know" about God was revealed in the life and teachings of Christ during His earthly ministry. Where do we see the picture you have in mind of God? We don't. Anywhere.

Numbers
11:33 And while the flesh [was] yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

Numbers
25:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

Deuteronomy
9:19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.

2 Chronicles
29:8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

Psalm
78:31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.

Isaiah
13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Isaiah
28:21 For the LORD shall rise up as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as [in] the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

Jeremiah
49:37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:

Lamentations
4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

Zephaniah
3:8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

John
3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Ephesians
5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Revelation
6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation
14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation
15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Revelation
19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
19:16 And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.