I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. – Revelation 15:1

Today's Scripture Reading (June 11, 2021): Revelation 15

Comedian Phyllis Diller argued that we should "Never go to bed mad." Instead, we should "Stay up and fight." It might be good advice. When we swallow our anger, it only builds until, eventually, we explode. But our actions, borne out of anger, can never rule us. There is nothing wrong with anger. I am angry every time someone uses a gun to kill an innocent person. I am angry every time a child is hurt or abused by someone who should be their defender. I am angry every time those with power exploit someone without power. And I am willing to stay up and fight. The anger feeds my purpose to do something or even support something, making a difference and stopping the bad actors. But I also know that uncontrolled anger leads me into sin, making the situation worse. I need to measure my anger so that it, hopefully, changes my world.

John's vision is about many things, and one of those things is the concept of God's anger or wrath. The Greek word that John uses here is "thymos." It is a word used in the New Testament eighteen times, with ten of them occurring in John's Revelation. And it is a loaded word that denotes "passion" or "angry heat." It can describe anger that is out of control, but that is a difficult reading to apply here. Plato offers an alternate definition. "Thymos" can also indicate an "indignation which has arisen gradually and become more settled." It is an anger that serves an eternal purpose.

I think it is this latter definition that is intended here. The idea of God's wrath is an ancient one. Part of the Levites' job was to insulate the Israelite community from the tabernacle so that God's wrath didn't fall on Israel (Numbers 1:53). But God poured out his wrath in some situations, but at other times he swallowed it back and extended his mercy.

John says that he sees seven angels with the seven last plagues. And they are last because this is the end of God's wrath. In this act, God's wrath would be "completed," indicating that the wrath would have fulfilled its "eternal purpose."

The history of Israel begins with Moses and the ten plagues on Egypt. But then God turns his attention to Israel. And it is to the emerging nation of Israel that God says, "if you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve" (Leviticus 26:21). While the first set of God's plagues was aimed at Israel's enemies, the next set of plagues would be for Israel to deal with unless they walked with their God. But at the end of all things, the last plagues will be poured out against any enemies of God.

But this is the end of God's wrath. It is a fight, but it results from an "indignation which has arisen gradually and becomes more settled." And after these plaques have been poured out, once this last fight is had, God's wrath will be no more because it will have completed its eternal purpose.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 16