Disciple's Commission

What Does The Wrath Of God Mean In 1 Thessalonians?

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1 Thessalonians 1:10 CSB

“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9 CSB

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

These two verses are very often misinterpreted and taken out of context. Many apply these verses to the time of the Great Tribulation that is to come upon the earth in the Last Days, but theses verses and the other passages throughout the New Testament concerning God’s wrath deal with the wrath of God on the Day of the Lord or to the Second Death (eternal punishment). To look at these verses we will look at them from three points of view; a study of the word “wrath”, a study of the context of the passages, and a study of the theological meaning of wrath.

The Term Wrath

The two Greek terms for wrath found in the New Testament are thymos, which means wrath, anger, rage, or fury. It is only used 18 times in the New Testament of which only 5 times does it refer to God’s wrath. The other 13 times it speaks of an individual’s wrath. The other Greek term for wrath is orge, which means anger or wrath. It is often emphasized as emotional anger or retributive wrath. This timer is used 36 times in the New Testament and often speaks of God’s eternal wrath.[1]

The Context Of Wrath In 1 Thessalonians

Thou some interpret “the wrath to come” in these passages to speak of the coming Great Tribulation, it is important to look at the context of these passages. In both 1 Thessalonians 1 and 1 Thessalonians 5 the passages are found in the context of the discussion of election and salvation. MacArthur states, “The immediate context of Paul’s discussion of election and salvation rather than eschatology rules out temporal wrath and points to eternal wrath, as does the wrath mentioned in 5:9—“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[2]

Thou persecution is made mention of in 1 Thessalonians, it is important to mention that the passages in 1 Thess. 1:10 and 1 Thess. 5:9 are not placed in the context of persecution or Tribulation. Thus, to interpret that phrase “the wrath to come” as referring to the Great Tribulation would be eisegesis (reading into Scripture that which isn’t stated). However, by proper exegesis (the drawing out of Scripture) it can be stated, that the wrath of God to come refers to or eternal salvation from God’s eternal wrath.

To accomplish God’s purpose for our lives, we must put on “the armor of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8). It is this context of putting on armor and a helmet as to prepare for battle that verse 9 is placed. Tony Evans states, “without these, we have no protection in this world. With them, however, we can be confident in our deliverance since God has not destined us for eternal wrath.”[3] Again the context of the wrath mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is placed in the context of eternal salvation, not physical deliverance. As stated earlier the wrath mentioned by Paul in 1 Thessalonians is not a temporal wrath, but an eternal wrath or the second death (Rev. 21:8).

The Theological Meaning Of Wrath

The theological meaning of the day of wrath is God’s final judgment against sin, his irrevocable condemnation of impenitent sinners. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 Paul writes about the Lord Jesus’ action in directly punishing the disobedient.[4]

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 CSB

“It is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, ⁶ since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, ⁸ when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength ¹⁰ on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed.”

According to theses verses in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, there is a future climactic day when God will “punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (1:8). This punishment is “in flaming fire” (1:7), and “eternal destruction” … shut out “from the Lord’s presence (1:9).[5] It is also important to address that the Apostle Peter spoke of this day of judgement in 2 Peter 3:1-14 as he states, “By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Pet. 3:7). It is here in the teaching of 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 that it could be stated, “one of the most frightening doctrines of the Bible is taught. The doctrine of hell. There is a day of reckoning for the ungodly that is coming. It is in the future. This place of hell is a place of eternal destruction meaning never-ending pain and regret and separation from God’s presence.[6] After studying these passages and the word study of the term wrath in the Greek, it is my view that wrath in these passages refers to eternal punishment or the second death that is described in Rev. 21:8 for the ungodly. At no point does an exegetical study of 1 Thessalonian 1:10 or 1 Thessalonians 5:9 draw out of the Scriptures in their context a meaning that places the “wrath” as the Great Tribulation. To hold this view is to conduct eisegesis (or to read into the passage something that it doesn’t say). I have always been told, “it states what it states.” So do these verses, they state what they state.

Dr. Daniel Smith

D.Min. from Liberty University

S.T.M. from Liberty University

M. Div. from Liberty University

B.S. from Blue Mountain College