By Bob Vaughn -
uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
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Wrath
or Tribulation? Both or Neither?
When interpreting scripture some view the words wrath and tribulation as if they are interchangeable. They are
not. Wrath is the results of anger. God’s wrath is the results of His
righteous anger. Tribulation is trouble. Tribulations may be the
results of nature, God’s testing, God’s correction, persecution or any
of the other many sources of trouble. All who live in this world
eventually experience tribulation.
Yes, even Gods people experience tribulations - troubles. In John 16:33
Jesus said , "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world". But the tribulation of God’s people
often is different than the tribulation of others. Because of the clean
and peaceful lifestyle they lead, they don’t experience the troubles
that often come from living in excess and immorality. But they do
experience tribulation in the form of persecution from non-Christians.
The Apostle said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “...all who will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”. Also our loving Father may
bring correction to us through troubles. Discerning the source and
reason for our troubles and then making adjustments where needed is a
major part of life.
In the period of time immediately before the Exodus, God’s wrath fell
on Egypt several times. His wrath towards Egypt was not without
purpose. We read in Exodus 7:5 that His purpose was that all the
Egyptians would know that He was God. It seems that He used the ungodly
Egyptians as an object lesson for the whole world. And even though his
people, Israel, lived among the Egyptians, they didn't suffer his wrath
(Exodus 8:20-23, 9:1-6, 9:22-26, 10:21-23, 11:4-7). Gods wrath is never
towards his people. Psalms 91:8 says "only with your eyes shall you
look, and see the reward of the wicked". In I Thessalonians 5:9 the
Apostle says "God did not appoint us to wrath". His wrath can be upon
the ungodly all around us, and yet not touch us, even as with Israel in
Egypt at the time of the plagues. Also consider Noah and Lot.
Bob Vaughn