Wrath of the Lamb of God

One of the most common references to Jesus Christ is what the Bible says about Him and that is “He is the Lamb of God”. We hear this identifying name of our Savior and see Him as Who He was in His first advent in emptying Himself in the likeness of sinful flesh. The scriptures say that He was slained before the foundations of the world. In this the word is giving us His redemptive picture, and by this we learn that His blood was the atoning blood that which was given on the altar. The eternal sacrifice that cleanses all men’s sins and the only way to the Father. Throughout the entire new covenant scripture we learn about Him as our only means to the Father and that by His own sacrifice He gave us a new hope for eternal life. The principal of His resemblance to a lamb is His incense and separation from all sin.

The scripture always shows us that God is Holy and separated from sin and His Son in His humanity boar that image, which knew no sin. Jesus coming in the image of God in the appearance of man was the total picture of God’s plan of salvation for all who would receive Him. He was the beginning and the end the Alpha and the Omega, meaning the only solution for the lost world in all its different dimensions. The Book of Leviticus chapter 17 speaks of life of every man being in the blood, and the need of atonement for sins also by the blood. Since no one is sinless, then only Jesus coming in His deity in a form of a man was worthy of this honor, therefore He received this matchless name to be called “The Lamb of God”. We read in the gospels that when He was refused entry to the cities of the northern region His disciples asked His permission to command fire to come down on those rejecting Him, just like what Elijah did. But Jesus said “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” A very clear proclamation of His mission in His first coming.

Another reference to His sacrificial atonement is His own fulfillment of the Passover. The unblemished lamb of the Passover slained by the Jews in Egypt was the symbolic portrait of Jesus’s own death on the cross. King David of Israel almost a millennium later sees this event in the future and describes it in two of his Psalms. In Psalm 22 David completely portrays the Lord’s sacrificial death on the Cross, but in Psalm 69 we see another side of this historical, yet spiritual act of God on behalf of all human kind.

In Psalm 22 we read a very clear picture of the Lord in His first advent as the “Lamb of God” or “The suffering servant”. The man of sorrows as Isaiah 53 describes Him; however the picture changes as we read Psalm 69 verses 20 through 24. Here King David sees again the future in a prophetic sense. Here he sees what many of us would miss about this “Lamb of God”.

Just as the rest of the prophetic scriptures where few verses could speak of an era and then other chapters or verses of another, so it is in this Psalm which says the following. “They also gave me gall for my food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.  ²² Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap.
²³ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; and make their loins shake continually.  ²⁴ Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let your wrathful anger take hold of them.”  Here it is as though King David paints a complete different picture of the forgiving and life saving Messiah. This is where many of us become completely unaware of this side of the Lord. Yes in a close observation we can appropriate a different facet of this incredible prophetic Psalm. Here there is no more talk of redemption, but a prayer or a demand of revenge and anger or wrath.

The interesting thing here is that King David escaping from the Mercy Seat jumps to the judicial act of the Lamb. Something the modern Christianity is unwilling to speak about. We in general like to see the one side of the coin, the side that would not make us or anyone uncomfortable. Soothsayers and those who only like to speak about the one aspect of His deity try to avoid this side of Him. However the scripture itself testifies to the whole truth. Even Apostle Paul in Romans the 11^th chapter verse 9 quotes King David on this. Ofcource Paul does it under the light of the grace given to the spiritual circumcised and speaks about those who denying Him were blinded in all generation and were thus condemned. Apostle Paul brings this argument to prove that starting from the Jews who crucified Jesus until this very day all who “Jew and Gentile” reject Him in His atoning work would suffer His eternal punishment and wrath.

Just like in Zephaniah chapter 1 where Prophet Zephaniah warns the people of God of their complacency , so is the rest of the scriptures in this one-sided view of our God and His work of salvation in our lives. Prophet Zephaniah speaks about the people of Judah who were too comfortable in their salvation. He speaks about “The day of the Lord” in this way. Be silent before the Sovereign LORD,    for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited. On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king’s sons and all those walking in foreign clothes. On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud. Later on in verse 12 the prophet says …

“”I will search with lamps in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad.

Here is what the prophet of God was saying to the Jews and us who have been granted to the natural Olive tree. To the unbelieving or the spiritually uncircumcised the Lord says there will be a day of reckoning and wrath, but to the unrepentant believers too He says like the words of prophet Zephaniah that we should not be complacent in saying God would not punish me since I have Him as the “Lamb of God”, therefore I do not fear His wrath. I am under the protection of His blood. Yes and No. The author of the book of Hebrews says woe to those who count the blood of His sacrifice a common thing by continuing in living in unconfessed sin. Apostle Paul elsewhere in his first letter to the Thessalonian Church in chapter 5 speaking about “The same day of the Lord” saying“ Let us live as sons of the day and not like the rest of the unbelievers doing what they do. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us.

The problem is many interpret the passage of the 2^nd Corinthians chapter 5 in its one dimension only, they forsaking its complete meaning just speak of believer’s rewards. Paul here again in speaking to the believers in verses 10 and 11 says the following. “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” Why is the “Fear of the Lord” even mentioned here if all we would wait for is a reward? Also we always say I have nothing to worry about, since I am saved, but where did the five virgins in the parable of the 10 virgins appear in the end? Or The ones in Matthew chapter 7 who were calling Him “Lord”, “ Lord” with even claims of ministry in His Name?

To rap it all up we need to look at the Book of Revelation chapter 6 where the Bibles says it in this way. “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come and I look, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” Then it goes on to speak about the six seals being opened and in verse 16 we read this amazing truth about this “Lamb Of God” and His new identity kept until this part of the scripture, which says. “And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. Wrath of Who? I beg your pardon?

Here is what the Church at large misses. Am I saying we would not be kept from this hour? Ofcource not? But I want us to ponder these words in our hearts. Why? Because it is all new to many who do not know Him in this way.