will god retain his anger
forever against the unsaved?
Updated - 12/31/10
From
time to time we read statements in the Bible to the effect that God does not
retain his anger forever. It has been suggested that these statements show that
the unsaved will be annihilated and will not experience any on-going conscious
affliction. We will look at some passages that have this kind of language.
Micah
7:18 teaches that God does not retain His anger for ever and it has been
suggested that Micah 7:18 teaches the annihilation of the unsaved. Lets
examine this verse in its context and determine if this is so. We read in
Micah 7:18-20:
18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth
by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger
for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our
iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham,
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
We
read in verse 18 concerning God that he
retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
People
read this and conclude that God will not be angry with the unsaved for ever, so
therefore they must be annihilated and that there cannot be continual conscious
affliction for them.
However,
we must always read any statement in the Bible in its context. For example,
the Bible says There is no God.
People can read that statement and conclude that the Bible teaches that there
is no God. However, we have to read the context in which this statement is
found. We find this statement in the following two verses:
Psalms 14:1 <<To the chief Musician, A Psalm
of David.>> The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They
are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth
good.
Psalms 53:1 <<To the chief Musician upon Mahalath,
Maschil, A Psalm of David.>> The fool hath said in his heart, There
is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is
none that doeth good.
When
we read the context, we find that the Bible is teaching that The fool hath said in his heart, There
is no God. It is the unsaved that say in their heart that there is no
God. The Bible is not teaching that there is no God. Rather, the unsaved say
that there is no God.
The
same is true for Micah 7:18-20. Verse 18 talks about remnant of his heritage. The word remnant refers to a small number and is used to point to the true
believers that are a remnant of
the people of the world. The word heritage
has to do with inheritance and the true believers are to receive the new heavens
and the new earth as their inheritance.
So
the phrase remnant of his heritage
sets the context of Micah 7:18-20 as talking about the true believers. It is
the true believers for whom God pardoneth
iniquity. If God pardoned the iniquity of the unsaved, then they could
come into heaven. However, the unsaved are not allowed into heaven because
their iniquity was never pardoned.
It
is also true that God passeth by the
transgression only for the true believers. If God passed over the
transgression of the unsaved, then they could come into heaven. But, the unsaved
are not allowed to come into heaven because God has never passed by their
transgression.
Thus,
it is only for the true believers that God retaineth not his anger for ever. God has already established the
context of verse 18 to refer only to the true believers.
Because
the true believers started out as unsaved sinners, they started out under the
anger or wrath of God just like the non-elect. We read about this in Ephesians
2:1-5:
1 Ά And you hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience:
3
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by
nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 Ά But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us,
5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;)
This
passage is talking about those that become saved. It says in verse 3 that
before salvation, the true believers were children
of wrath, even as others. We all start out under the wrath or anger of God.
However,
upon salvation, the payment for sins provided by the Lord Jesus covers all of
our guilt and all of the anger of God. So that the anger or wrath of God is
taken away from the true believers. That is why Micah 7:18 promises that for
the true believer, God retaineth not
his anger for ever. The true believers started out under the anger of God
because of their sins, as we read about in Ephesians 2:1-5, but that anger is
taken away by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.
God
indicates that at times He is even angry or His wrath is kindled against a true
believer because of his actions. For example, in Exodus 4 God is instructing
Moses that he is to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses wants God
to pick someone else to do the job. Finally, God becomes angry with Moses for
his repeated requests that God find someone else. We read in Exodus 4:10-16:
10 Ά And Moses said unto the LORD, O my
Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken
unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the
dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
12
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou
shalt say.
13
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom
thou wilt send.
14
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is
not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also,
behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad
in his heart.
15
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be
with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
16
And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even
he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of
God.
We
read in verse 14 that the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Moses. God became angry at Moses for his repeated
requests that God find someone else to do the job.
Because
Moses was a true believer, all of Moses sins and Gods anger associated with
them have been taken away by the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we see that God
was angry with Moses. But concerning Moses, God retaineth not his anger for ever, according to Micah 7:18, because
Moses was a true believer. Micah 7:18 and other passages promise that Gods
anger against Moses for his sin in Exodus 4 will not be retained for ever.
However,
in various places, the Bible teaches that the anger of God remains forever
against the unsaved. The Bible indicates that anger of God is tied into the
fires of Gods wrath, and that Gods anger goes on forevermore against the
unsaved. We read in Jeremiah 17:4:
And thou,
even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I
will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for
ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
This
verse represents the anger of God as a fire and that fire of Gods anger will
burn for ever. This anger will burn against the unsaved forevermore.
Sometimes
people like to argue that for ever
is not really forevermore. However, the same Hebrew expression translated for ever in Jeremiah 17:4 is used to
speak about the duration of God, His Kingdom and His promises to the true
believers. Are those forevermore or do they have an end?
They
are forevermore.
For
example, we read in Psalms 18:50 about the mercy of God towards the true
believer that goes on forevermore:
Great deliverance giveth he to his king;
and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
The
phrase for evermore in Psalm 18:50
is the exact same Hebrew phrase that is translated for ever in Jeremiah 17:4. Psalm 18:50 is talking about Gods
mercy towards the true believers and that mercy is truly forevermore. By using
the same Hebrew phrase in Jeremiah 17:4, God is teaching that the fires of Gods
anger will burn for as long as Gods mercy lasts for the true believers, which
will be forevermore.
We
read in Psalm 48:8 that God will establish his Kingdom, which includes the city
of God, the body of true believers, for
ever. We read there:
As we have
heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our
God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
We
know that the Kingdom of God which includes the true believers does go on
forevermore. By using the same Hebrew expression in Psalm 48:8 to describe the
eternal duration of the Kingdom of God and the believers in it, God is teaching
in Jeremiah 17:4 that His anger against the unsaved likewise endures
forevermore.
We
read two other verses that use this same Hebrew expression to describe the
eternal character of the Kingdom of God:
Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or
ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God.
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
We
know that Psalms 90:2 and Isaiah 32:17 are truly talking about forevermore. Following
the Biblical rule to compare Scripture with Scripture, we learn that just like
the Kingdom of God truly reigns forevermore, the anger of God against the
unsaved truly lasts forevermore.
To
confirm that the same Hebrew expression translated for ever in Jeremiah 17:4 is used in the verses cited above, these
verses have been included below, along with the Hebrew expression translated for ever in Jeremiah 17:4. The Hebrew
phrase and the corresponding translation are underlined.
To
download the Hebrew font used on this page, right click the link below. Select
Save Target as, then use the Control Panel in Windows to install the font.
Jeremiah 17:4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue
from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine
enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine
anger, which shall burn for ever.
dqwt Mlwe-de ypab Mtxdq sa-yk tedy-al rsa Urab Kybya-ta Kytdbehw Kl yttn rsa Ktlxnm
Kbw htjmsw Jeremiah 17:4
Psalms 18:50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and
sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
Mlwe-de werzlw dwdl wxysml dox hvew wklm
twewsy ldgm <18:51> Psalms 18:50
Psalms 48:8 Ά As we
have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of
our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
hlo Mlwe-de hnnwky Myhla wnyhla ryeb twabu hwhy-ryeb wnyar Nk wnems rsak <48:9> Psalms 48:8
Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or
ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God.
la hta Mlwe-de Mlwemw lbtw Ura llwxtw wdly Myrh Mrjb Psalms
90:2
In
other places of the Bible, God confirms that His anger against the unsaved goes
on forevermore. For example, we read three verses in Mark 9 that teach that the
fires of Gods wrath are never quenched. We read in Mark 9:43-48:
43
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched:
44
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched:
46
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to
enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast
into hell fire:
48
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
The
fire identifies with the wrath or anger of God as we read in these verses:
Deuteronomy 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and
shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase,
and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Psalms 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the
time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire
shall devour them.
Psalms 78:21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was
wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against
Israel;
Isaiah 42:25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of
his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about,
yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,
and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his
rebuke with flames of fire.
There
are more verses that identify the fire with Gods anger or wrath and that the
fire of Gods anger burns forevermore against the unsaved.
The Bible gives plenty of verses to show
that God retains His anger forevermore against the unsaved. This confirms that
the context of Micah 7:18-20 only refers to the true believers.
We
receive more confirmation that Micah 7:18-20 can only be talking about the true
believers as we examine verse 19. We read there:
He will turn
again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou
wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
If
we read this verse carefully, we see that it can only be talking about those
that God has saved.
God
says that He will subdue our iniquities.
If God subdued the iniquities of
the unsaved, then they would have no guilt before God and they could go into
heaven. However, the Bible is clear that the unsaved cannot go into heaven. As
a result, we know that verse 19 cannot be talking about the unsaved.
Also,
we read in verse 19 that God will cast
all their sins into the depths of the sea. This is used as a figure of
speech to indicate that those sins can never held against the true believers.
If God cast all the sins into the
depths of the sea for the unsaved, then the unsaved would have no guilt
before God and they could go into heaven. However, as mentioned before, the
unsaved cannot come into heaven. Their sins are not taken away by the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, Micah 7:19 cannot be talking about the unsaved.
Thus, God has given many witnesses in
Micah 7:18-20 that this passage can only be talking about those that become
saved. It cannot be talking about the unsaved.
God
tells us in verse 20 to whom this passage refers. We read there:
Thou wilt
perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast
sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
God
talks about Jacob and Abraham in this verse. These refer to
the true believers. They do not refer to the unsaved, but rather to the true
believers. This confirms that the context of Micah 7:18-20 is talking about
those that become saved. God says that He will perform mercy to Abraham. That is, God will be merciful to the true
believers, represented by Abraham. This defines the ones which will receive the
mercy of God. Lets look again at this passage and we will see the word mercy
used in both verses 18 and 20. We read there:
18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth
by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger
for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our
iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham,
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
We
read in verse 18 that God delights in mercy.
As we have seen, the context of this passage is talking about those that become
saved. They are the ones who receive the eternal mercies of God. In case there
was any doubt about whom the mercy of God is directed in this passage, God
tells us in verse 20 that He shows mercy
to Abraham. That is, Gods mercies are to the true believers. The true
believers are the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
Other passages are clear that there will
be no mercy towards the unsaved at Judgment Day.
For
example, we read in James 2:13:
For he shall
have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against
judgment.
Those
that hath shewed no mercy are the
unsaved, according to the Bible. They have not showed the mercy of God to
others. Upon them, God will have
judgment without mercy. That is, there will be no mercy on Judgment day
for the unsaved.
Below
are some more verses that teach that there will be no mercy for the unsaved at
Judgment Day:
Psalms
59:5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of
hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to
any wicked transgressors. Selah.
Psalms
109:12 Let there be none to extend mercy
unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
Isaiah
9:17 Therefore the Lord shall have no
joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and
widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth
speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still.
Isaiah
27:11 When the boughs thereof are
withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on
fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made
them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no
favour.
Jeremiah
13:14 And I will dash them one against
another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not
pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter.
And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have
mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
Hosea 2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children;
for they be the children of whoredoms.
We
want to remember that all of these verses are given by God Himself, so they are
true and trustworthy. They clearly teach that there will be no mercy for the
unsaved at Judgment Day.
Lets
consider the word compassion found
in Micah 7:19. This same Hebrew word is translated mercy in Isaiah 9:17, Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 13:14, Hosea 1:6 and
Hosea 2:4. These verses are cited above. These verses show that God will not
have mercy or compassion upon the unsaved at
Judgment Day. This gives further confirmation that Micah 7:18-20 is only
talking about those that become saved. When God says in verse 19, that He will turn again, he will have compassion
upon us. This can only be talking about those that become saved. As God
declares in the above verses, there is no compassion
(translated mercy in the above
verses) for the unsaved at Judgment Day. This provides further confirmation that
the context of Micah 7:18-20 refers only to those that become saved.
If
we examine the Bible carefully, we learn that it teaches that there will be no
mercy for the unsaved at Judgment Day. Today is the day of Gods mercy. For
more information on this subject, please see the study below.
When we carefully examine Micah 7:18-20,
which includes the phrase he retaineth not his anger for ever, we find many
proofs that this passage can only be talking about the true believers.
Therefore, the promise of this passage that God will not retain His anger
forevermore only applies to those that become saved.
JEREMIAH 3:12 HAS BEEN OFFERED AS A
PROOF THAT GOD DOES NOT RETAIN HIS ANGER AGAINST THE UNSAVED FOREVERMORE.
Jeremiah
3:12 has also been offered as a proof of the annihilation of the unsaved. It contains
some similar language to Micah 7:18-20. Let us examine Jeremiah 3:12 in its
context. We read in verses 12 to 15:
12 Ά Go and proclaim these words toward
the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and
I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith
the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the
LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green
tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
14
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you:
and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to
Zion:
15
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed
you with knowledge and understanding.
Sometimes
we can read a verse or passage and quickly form a conclusion concerning what it
is teaching. However, if we read it more carefully we find out that it saying
something quite different than what we first thought. Verse 12 starts out with
an important command from God. God commands, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD. This is actually
a command that God is giving. It is a command to Israel to repent of their sins
and turn to God.
The
statement following in verse 12 applies to those who do obey the command. The
next thing that God says is and
I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you:. This statement applies to
those that obey the command that we just read to Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD. The promise that
God will not cause mine anger to fall
upon you can only apply to those that become saved. The anger of God will
fall upon those that remain
unsaved.
If
Gods anger did not fall upon the
unsaved that would mean that God was not angry with them. But, the Bible is
clear that God is angry with the unsaved. We read about Gods anger or wrath
that is upon the unsaved in many verses, for example:
Psalms 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psalms 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with
the wicked every day.
Psalms 69:24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let
thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
Psalms 78:21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was
wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against
Israel;
Psalms 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his
anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among
them.
Psalms 78:58 For they provoked him to anger with their
high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
Psalms 106:29 Thus they provoked him to anger with
their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
Psalms 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled
against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Many
more verses of this nature could be given. These verses are given to make the
point that Gods anger is upon the unsaved. So, when God says I will not cause mine anger to fall upon
you, God cannot be talking about unsaved people. God is talking about
those that become saved, those that obey the command, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD.
The
Bible indicates that God does all the work of salvation and that God causes us
to obey commands like Return, thou
backsliding Israel, saith the LORD when He saves us. Nevertheless, this
command, Return, thou backsliding
Israel, saith the LORD, applies to the true believers and is fulfilled in
them by God Himself.
So, when we read Jeremiah 3:12
carefully, we find that it only applies to those that become saved, those that
have returned to God. It cannot be talking about those that remain unsaved.
The
last part of Jeremiah 3:12 says for I am
merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever..
Yes, it is the great mercy of God that God has a salvation program. And, those
that become saved do return to God because God finally fulfills this command in
them by causing them to walk in His ways.
Today,
the mercies of God are in this world. However, we just looked at a number of
verses (James 2:13, Psalms 59:5, Psalms 109:12, Isaiah 9:17, Isaiah 27:11,
Jeremiah 13:14, Hosea 1:6 and Hosea 2:4) that indicate that at Judgment Day
there will be no mercy towards the unsaved. For that reason also, we know that
the statement for I am merciful,
saith the LORD does not apply to the unsaved on Judgment Day. That is also
because the context of Jeremiah 3:12 refers to those that become saved, those
that obey the command, Return, thou
backsliding Israel, saith the LORD. This same context applies to the last
part of verse 12 which says, I will not
keep anger for ever. Before salvation we are children of wrath, even as those that remain unsaved, according to
Ephesians 2:3. Gods anger was upon us before salvation because of our sins.
When God saves us, Christs payment for our sins is applied to us and Gods
anger is taken away.
We
see confirmation that the context of Jeremiah 3:12-15 only refers to those that
become saved when we consider verses 13 to 15. We read in verse 13, Only acknowledge thine iniquity. This
is done by those that God has saved. God commands in verse 14, Turn, O backsliding children, saith the
LORD. Only those that God saves will obey this command.
In Jeremiah 3:12, God commands mankind
to return to God and gives the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the
removal of Gods anger that comes to those that become saved. A careful
examination of this verse shows that it does not promise the removal of Gods anger
from the unsaved.