There are people who express the idea that when they read the Old Testament, they see the God of heaven as a God of wrath, but when they read the New Testament, they see Him as a God of love. Thus, for some at least, their choice is basically to ignore the Old Testament and focus on the New. After all, who wants to read about anger and punishment when there is a more pleasant alternative – reading about God’s love? What about it? Is there really a "God of love" and "God of wrath/anger" distinction to be made? Let us consider some questions to help us see the nature and activities of our Creator.

Is the God about whom we read in the Old Testament the same One that we read about in the New Testament? To say that the God of the Old Testament era is different from the God that is mentioned in the New Testament would mean that either there are two true Gods, or else one of them (either the one in the Old, or else the one in the New) is false. Remember, the Bible teaches that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; Ephesians 4:6). The Lord God that created the earth is the only real God. He is, indeed, the same God about Whom the apostle Paul preached in Athens when he declared that "he is Lord of heaven and earth," and dwells not in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24).

Hebrews 1:1,2 states, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." According to these verses, Who spoke to the fathers via the prophets during the Old Testament era? "God" did. And, Who was it that spoke to mankind through His Son? "God" did – the one and same God that had spoken in the past via the prophets. So, yes, indeed, the God about whom we read in the Old Testament is the very same God that is described in the New Testament.

Is it true that we read about God showing His anger or wrath during the Old Testament era? A number of times it is written in the Old Testament that the Lord’s anger or wrath "was kindled" against someone because of that person’s disobedience. For instance, in Numbers 11:1 we read of God’s dealings with the children of Israel: "And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burn among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."

Hundreds of years after the incident noted above, Jehovah poured out His wrath on the children of Israel by sending them into Babylonian captivity. "And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees . . ." (2 Chronicles 36:15-17). Did you notice this sequence in God’s dealings with His people? (1) God showed compassion on His people, (2) They mocked the messengers that God sent to them, (3) God’s wrath was stirred up, and finally (4) He brought the Babylonians (also called "Chaldeans" in some passages) to take them into captivity. Without a doubt, in the Old Testament we see the wrath of God.

But what about God’s love – do we ever read about that side of Him in the Old Testament? The Psalmist wrote, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings" (Psalm 36:7). "Lovingkindness" means "tender and benevolent affection" [Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]. Is there any specific reference to God’s "love," though? When Moses reminded the Israelites about God choosing them, he told them, "The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers . . ." (Deuteronomy 7:7,8). Look again at one statement of fact that was composed of four words: ". . . the LORD loved you." How about the familiar reading of Proverbs 3:12? It states, "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." These two examples clearly show that the Old Testament does portray the Creator as a God of love. Thus, in the Old Testament we see the true God of heaven as both a God of wrath and a God of love. Now let us turn our attention to what is revealed in the New Testament.

Does the New Testament show the Lord God as a God of love? This is not a difficult question to answer, is it? "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Yes, the Bible says that "God is love" (1 John 4:8).

Does the fact that God loves us eliminate the possibility that He is still a God of wrath? We know that God is described as a God of wrath in the Old Testament, but does the New Testament also show the Lord to be a God of wrath? First of all, consider the fact that the expression "the wrath of God" is used a number of times in the New Testament. For instance, in Ephesians 5:6 it is written, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (see also John 3:36; Romans 1:18; Revelation 15:1,7).

Furthermore, anger or wrath is ascribed to our meek and lowly Savior. On one occasion when Jesus had entered a synagogue on a sabbath day, some of the people watched Him in order to find some fault in Him. Jesus was angered. The Bible says so: "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts . . ." (Mark 3:5). Thank God that Jesus loves us! But let us not forget that Revelation 6:16 speaks of "the wrath of the Lamb."

But are there any New Testament instances in which we see God’s wrath poured out on people that were living on the earth in the first century? In the Old Testament, we frequently read of that happening, but are there any cases of such recorded in the pages of the New Testament? Here are three examples from the Book of Acts: (1) Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11); (2) After King Herod Agrippa I accepted the praises of men and did not glorify God, "the Lord smote" him and he died (Acts 12:21-23); (3) When Elymas, also known as Bar-Jesus, tried to withstand the preaching of Barnabas and Paul, "the hand of the Lord" struck him blind (Acts 13:6-11).

We have searched the Scriptures to find the answers to five questions about the wrath and love of God. What did we learn from our studies – is He a God of love, or a God of wrath? The Bible teaches that He is both, and this truth is seen in both the Old Testament and New Testament alike.

When you and I think of the Lord, and when we tell others about Him, let us make certain that we see and give the whole picture: "Behold therefore, the goodness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22).

-- Roger D. Campbell