Disciples Global Network

In Revelation, wrath refers to the final judicial sentence of God on His enemies. Tribulation is what the church endures .  The “ wrath of God ” is  NOT  synonymous with “ tribulation ,” and it is identical with the “ plagues ” unleashed by the three series of “ seals ,” “ trumpets ,” and “ bowls of fury .” And despite the devastation of these plagues, impenitent men do not repent. “ Wrath ” refers to the sentence of God on His enemies.

Revelation moves inexorably from the death of Jesus to the final day when God judges the wicked and vindicates the righteous .  At the conclusion of his ‘ Olivet Discourse ,’ Jesus gave his parable of the Sheep and the Goats. On the day when the “ Son of Man arrives in glory ,” his angels will gather all nations before him for judgment, and he will divide them into two groups. One will receive “everlasting destruction,” and the other, “ everlasting life .”

Final judgment scenes occur several times in  Revelation . The sevenfold series of “ seals ,” “ trumpets ,” and “ bowls of wrath ” all culminate in the final judgment, and each time it is punctuated by terrestrial and celestial upheaval. And these three “judgments” are in addition to the one that occurs as the “ Great White Throne of Judgement ” when the wicked are cast into the “ lake of fire .”

Following the defeat of the “Dragon,” the final judgment unfolds before a Great White Throne  –  Revelation 20:11-15 .  Now, the “ Dragon ,” the “ False Prophet ,” the “ Beast from the Sea ,” and “ Babylon ” have all been judged. Their conspiracy against the “ Lamb ” and his followers only ended in their own demise. What they intended for evil the “ One Who Sits on the Throne ” employed to achieve His purposes.

The ingathering of the fruit of the vine represents the wrath of God on all men who take the mark of the Beast – Revelation 14:17-20.  Next,  Revelation  presents the ingathering of the “ fruit of the vine , which is then pressed in the “ winepress of God's wrath .” This is the fate of all men who swear fealty to the “ Beast ” and take its “ mark. ” The “ saints ” are gathered to the “ sanctuary of God ,” but the “ inhabitants of the earth ” are “ tread underfoot ” in His winepress.

Angels announce the judicial sentence on Babylon and the inhabitants of the earth, but "rest" awaits the followers of the Lamb .  Next, “ another angel ” announces the “ fall of Babylon ,” and he is followed by “ a third angel ” who pronounces the judicial sentence on the men who gave their allegiance to the “ Beast ,” namely, torment by “ fire and brimstone .” God is about to vindicate His “ martyrs .”

Whether one follows the Lamb or the Beast, he will reap everlasting consequences as a result in the coming final harvest  - Revelation 14:6-7.  The preceding sections presented two very different groups - the “ inhabitants of the earth ” that render homage to the “ Beast ,” and the  priests of God , the “ first fruits ” of the earth purchased by the blood of the “ Lamb .” Now, an angelic herald issues the final summons to humanity to repent and pay homage to God while time remains and before the “ final hour ” begins.

When the seventh seal was opened, a half-hour of “silence” ensued before the seven angels began to sound their “trumpets.” During that interlude, the prayers of the “saints” were heard ascending to the throne of God. Now, when the “seventh trumpet” sounds, “loud voices” declare the triumph of the kingdom and the possession of the nations by the “Lamb” as promised in the second Psalm.

According to the Apostle Paul, the “ Revelation ” of Jesus “ from Heaven ” will result in vindication and reward for his faithful followers, but it will also bring about everlasting loss for all men and women who reject the Gospel, especially for the persecutors of the Body of Christ. The same event will generate the dispensing of “ just judgment ” for the righteous and the wicked.