Coming in Wrath to Destroy His Enemies 

Early in the world’s history prophets began to speak of a time when God would bring a worldwide judgment of unspeakable destruction against His enemies. As Scriptures unfold we begin to link this worldwide judgment with Christ’s second coming, the end of history, and His righteous reign. In Psalm 2 we see the threat of violent judgment against rebellious nations; before the Son takes David’s throne on the Holy Hill, Zion. He will avenge Himself on those  who resist Him and “dash them to pieces like pottery.” 

Psalm 2:1-12: “Why do the nations conspire [Hebrew; Septuagint: rage] and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’ 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron sceptre; [Or will break them with a rod of iron] you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”  10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” 

In Revelation chapter 12, John sees a vision of a Woman who gives birth to a male child. I believe the Woman is the righteous remnant of Israel, and the male child is, of course, Christ: 

Rev. 12:5: “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” 

This refers to the Ascension of Christ at the end of His First Advent. His rule was yet future: He “will rule all the nations.” It is at His Second Advent that Christ and His triumphant, overcoming Church will first judge the nations in fierce wrath, then reign over them. 

Rev. 2:26-27:  “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — 27 He will rule them with an iron sceptre; he will dash them to pieces like pottery — just as I have received authority from my Father.”

This worldwide judgment, of which I speak, came to be called the Day of the Lord, That Great Day, and the Day of Christ. The prophet Joel spoke of it. The following passage in Joel represents an invading army of locusts, sent by the Lord, as a type of events of the last days.  

Joel 2:25-27: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten — the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.  27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.” 

This clearly cannot refer to any time prior to Christ’s Second Coming because the promise is: “Never again will my people [the Jews] be ashamed.”  Since that promise the Jewish people have known much, much shame; so it must refer to a time yet future. Joel goes on to prophesy of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter cites this prophecy on the Day of Pentecost and says, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:20). 

Joel 2:28-29:  “And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” 

But Peter quotes the latter part of the prophecy as well, a part which cannot speak of Pentecost. It speaks of the Second Coming, the Day of the Lord, which Joel calls “dreadful.” 

Joel 2:30-31: “I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” 

Zephaniah speaks of it: 

Zeph. 1:14-15:  “The great day of the LORD is near — near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness...”   

In Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39, the prophet foretells the restoration of Israel, a new and spiritual covenant, the reuniting of Judah and Israel, the rule of Christ, the Son of David, and a terrible battle (apparently Armageddon). The rebelling nations, represented as Gog, Magog, Meshech and Tubal, come against Israel and her King.  

Ezek. 39:l-8: “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD. 7 I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of.” 

I want to call particular attention to the last sentence: “This is the day I have spoken of,” which Ezekiel says “is coming” (that is, future to Ezekiel). It is still future to us as well, for nothing remotely resembling the battle described here has ever occurred. But it will occur. Every jot and tittle of Scripture will be fulfilled. God will punish those who refuse His rule, and especially those who mistreat His people. The long-expected, often-foretold day is coming. 

Rev. 6:10-11: “They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” 

Luke 18:8-9: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 

II Thess. 1:6-10: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” 

It is yet future; it is coming. When the 7^th Trumpet sounds and Christ returns with His saints and angels, that Great and Terrible Day of Wrath will begin. 

Rev. 16:13-14, 16-21:  “Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist] and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. Then they [the 3 Satanic spirits] gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’  

This is it! The Day of which He spoke. IT IS DONE!  The Wrath is complete. 

Zech. 14:1-3; 5; 10- 12: “A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle... 5 Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him... 10 ... Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, ...11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. 12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” 

The Day of Wrath is coming, and on that dark and dreadful day... 

“Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17) 

Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!