Strange thing that, “the wrath of the Lamb”. One does not come to expect wrath from a Lamb, yet here it is that very thing which is proclaimed. Wrath has often been connected with God (as in the Father), but seldom connected with the Lamb of God (as in the Son), but the Bible tells us plainly there is a time coming in which ‘the great day of his wrath is come.’ This day will be the day of the wrath of the Son of God. What are the characteristics of this wrath? Unlike the wrath of man, which can often find itself putting forth as much violence as possible, the wrath of God on the earth is always tempered with mercy. For if God were to unleash the full force of His violence, none could stand, but we still hear of men standing in that time, so we must understand this wrath to be tempered with mercy.
What is the purpose of this mercy? First we have to understand the purpose of this wrath. It is not intended to be a destructive wrath, but rather a sifting wrath, reserved for those yet to trust in the risen Christ. They are not yet saved but need to be sifted unto salvation! Sifting of itself is somewhat of a violent process, there is an external mechanism which exerts a force on powdered flour such that the finest of flour individually falls through. No lumps of flour fall through and no other impurities fall through, because the sifting mechanism only allows that which is as fine as flour to pass through. Each particle is rubbed vigorously against another and grated, breaking it down such that it can be made to fall through the sifter. In this same way, mankind will be sifted through the wrath of the Lamb and rescued by the wrath of man, such that the finest of flour will come through.
This time of the wrath of the Lamb is the great sifting of that flour which is left behind. Many new believers will be sifted out of that time period, but none will enter it. Sifting is a process reserved for lumpy flour not yet ready for its final use, and need not be used on that which is fresh. In other words, the wrath of the Lamb is not meant to be for those who are already saved, because he ‘hath not appointed us to wrath’ (1 The 5:9), but rather it is reserved for those who are still His enemies (Nah 1:2). Therefore the fresh flour will be raptured, and the lumpy flour (that not yet made fit for its intended use) will be left behind for its sifting. The Lord knoweth them that are His, and He knows those who are left behind that will be sifted unto His own. He knows these will be delivered unto Him by the wrath of man, such that they through this sifting, will be made meet for the master’s use.
This will be a period of wrath, nevertheless it will be the wrath of the “Lamb” which came to redeem those who were His enemies, making it also a redeeming wrath. His way of redemption is still in effect, He still saves “by grace through faith” such that those that are His from the foundation of the world will not be lost, but will be redeemed. If you happen to find yourself in this time know this: The Lamb that was slain also from the foundation of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ the crucified and risen Saviour, still saves all who come to Him by faith. When you trust Him, you will find yourself subject to the wrath of man whereby you will be delivered from this present evil world, but you shall be saved!
As we watch the world seemingly coming apart at the seams we ought to expect that the wrath of the Lamb is not far off, but as we sorrow over many of the lost, it does us good to remember that though it is wrath, it is the sifting, redeeming wrath of the Lamb which came to seek and to save that which was lost!
Rev 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?