Those who repent and trust in Christ can be forgiven because their sin has been dealt with on the cross. When the wrath of God is poured out at the return of Christ, those who are shielded by the cross will be spared.
On two different occasions, Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” Both have to do with the pouring out of God’s wrath. Both have an eternal impact.
The Last “It Is Finished”
The final “it is finished” occurs in Revelation 16:17. Leading up to this passage, God has poured out the first six bowls his judgement. With the seventh, he will finally and fully pour out his wrath on evil so that believers can live in a place with no sin. As he pours out the seventh bowl, the Lamb cries out a loud voice from the temple saying, “It is done!”
As the end comes, God unleashes his wrath on all sin that has not been atoned for. Babylon the great is made to “drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath” (v.19). These plagues are violent and bloody, matching his great hatred for sin.
If believers hope to live in a place where sin no longer dwells, where there is no death and no tears, then it’s necessary for God to put an end to sin. By pouring out his wrath, God is dealing with sin and making everything new. While many balk at the idea of a loving God pouring out wrath, we actually want God to punish evil! Otherwise, there’s no heaven!
Our culture has tried to tame Jesus. We try to make him safe and palatable to our tastes. We like the love passages while ignoring the passages about wrath. However, Jesus actually talks a lot about wrath and judgment.
- Jesus said hell is a place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
- He says that all the nations will gather before him, and he will separate out the sheep and the goats. The sheep will inherit the kingdom, but to the goats he says: “depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25).
- In Matt. 13:41-42, Jesus teaches: “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
These are the words of the Son of Man, Jesus! This is not the culture’s repackaged version of Jesus!
Subscribe to Free “Top 10 Stories” Email
Get the top 10 stories from The Aquila Report in your inbox every Tuesday morning.