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Over at Jesus Creed, Scott McKnight has a series of posts, 17, about the uses of “wrath” in the New Testament. You can peruse through his theology category to pick them all out. Basically, his conclusions fall in line with what we understand about Apocalypticism in the first century. And as I’ve read more and more about the history and the religious groups that form Judaism at that time I have one large question looming in my mind. But I have to start somewhere.

McKnight goes through each NT text that contains the word wrath, and analyzes it to see if it is talking about either a historical wrath, or an eternal/evangelistic wrath as is commonly presented in Gospel evangelizations (i.e. the Way of the Master). Ultimately, he finds a variety of texts that support both ideas, which is, of course, to be expected.

We should understand that God does act now in this time in ways of judgment. When we read the prophets that God sets up kingdoms and tears down kingdoms - this is only one way. When Jesus is asked whether the tower of Siloam falling on these men, or Pilate’s killing of men to be mixed with the sacrifice, is because they are being judged by God, Jesus replies that they were not judged by God. However, he tells them that unless they, the askers, repent, they will be judged by God. And this is talking about God acting in history.

And that gets me to my question. How can we know what God is working through? We know that God acts now in history. Both redeeming and restoring. Both watching and judging. Perhaps it isn’t even the answer in the immediate time that is important, but the thought? I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.