Holy Wrath?

How did holiness ever become the scapegoat for Hell ? 

In Scripture holiness is clearly connected to mercy, not wrath.  That’s right - holiness is tethered to mercy. 

God is a holy God of mercy, not a holy God of wrath.

God is holy, but His holiness compels His mercy to limit His wrath: “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth…(would those who hold to eternal torture wish to end the verse here as proof that God’s holiness demands endless torment? 

But we read on and learn the wonderful reason to sing:) “For his anger endureth but a moment” (Psalm 30:4, 5). 

“His holiness” is hinged (“for”) to the merciful limitation of his anger, which “endureth but a moment.” 

His “anger endureth but a moment,” but His “mercy endureth for ever.” 

God is holy, but His holiness does not induce His wrath to continue unabated through the unfathomable reaches of eternity. 

His holiness compels His mercy to limit His wrath: “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name” (Ezekiel 39:25). 

Does our Great God’s jealousy for His holy name provoke His anger?  No, His mercy!  God is jealous for His holy name - He doesn’t want it tarnished - so He has mercy.

The beauty of holiness is God’s everlasting mercy: “And when he (king Jehoshaphat) had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever” (2 Chronicles 20:21). 

To praise the beauty of holiness is equated with praising the Lord because “his mercy endureth for ever,” not his wrath.

The Holy One defends His honor: “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee (Hosea 11:9). 

Why would God not execute the fierceness of His anger?  Because He is holy!  The Holy One says I am God, and not man. 

Angry men may execute the fierceness of their anger, but not God - He is holy.  “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). 

Enough of the malicious charge that imputes endless wrath to Divine holiness! 

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36).  God is not like men; men should be like God.

A defensive defender deflected, “Yes, but when did God say that about not executing the fierceness of His anger?” suggesting that it was in and of this temporal life, but could and would be different in the afterlife. 

“But God’s character remains the same,” I insisted, “and God bases His benevolent behavior on His holy character.  He’s God and not man both in life and the afterlife.  That doesn’t change.” 

Consider also that it is in “the most holy place” that we find “the mercy seat” (Exodus 26:34)! 

And when we pray to our God, we should lift “up holy hands, without wrath” (1 Timothy 2:8), which is apt because Christ, our high priest who “ever liveth to make intercession” for us is “holy, harmless” 

 (Hebrews 7:25, 26). 

“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated” (James 3:17). 

Holy - mercy. 

Holy - without wrath. 

Holy - harmless. 

Pure - peaceable. 

We began this chapter with God’s tender promise “I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made” (Isaiah 57:16). 

Behold it now in the full glory of it’s context: 

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth” (vv. 15, 16).  

The One whose very name is Holy, who dwells in the high and holy place, will not be always wroth.  Mercy, not wrath, is welded to holiness.

Let’s put it all together:

“His holiness” = “his anger endureth but a moment”

“Jealous for my holy name” = “Now will I… have mercy”

“The beauty of holiness” = “his mercy endureth for ever”

“The Holy One in the midst of thee” = “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger” 

“The most holy place” = “the mercy seat”

“Holy hands” = “without wrath”

“Such an high priest is holy” = “harmless”

“The wisdom from above is first pure” = “then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated”

“The high and lofty One… whose name is Holy; for I dwell in the high and holy place” = “I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth”