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. Revelation 6:16
Neighbours of ours had a small flock of sheep on their farm. In the spring, the children loved to visit the farm, to see the new lambs that had been born. The pretty little creatures were a delight to watch playing in the pasture. They would allow the children to pet them and even to hold them in their arms. Sometimes the farmer’s wife would bring out a small bottle of milk and allow the children to feed the lambs, to the great delight of both. As we watched them playing, we considered how it would be impossible to imagine anything more harmless and innocent than those lambs. That is why the expression in our text ‘the wrath of the Lamb’ seems so very unusual.
On at least two occasions, John Baptist pointed to the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God. As we review His life as portrayed in the Gospels, we see One Who was always gentle and kind. He did much to alleviate pain and suffering, and never inflicted pain or discomfort on anyone. When we consider His submission to those who would arrest, torture, and crucify Him, we must recognize His gentleness and humility. As we consider such a meek and gentle Saviour, how could we understand Him to have such fierce wrath that the world’s population would seek to find protection from Him? We do so by realizing that the meek and gentle Lamb of God Who has provided and who offers His great salvation to all must someday stand in judgment on all those who have rejected Him.
Many encountered the Lord Jesus in His meekness, in His presentation as the Lamb of God. Those who seized Him at Gethsemane, those who buffeted Him at Gabbatha, those who mocked Him at Golgotha, all saw Him in His submission to the will of His Father and to the cruelty of His creatures. Most of those who beheld His meek submission as the Lamb will one day stand before Him and recognize the Lamb as the Judge. They will know Who He is. Consider Pontius Pilate, for example. The Lord Jesus, as a lamb to the slaughter, submitted to Pilate’s false judgment. At the gre4at white throne, Pilate will quake as he sees the roles reversed and he must submit to the wrath of the Lamb. What excuse will Pilate have to offer. None! Nor will all of those who rejected Him at that time and ever since.
Even at Golgotha, some recognized that there was more to meekness of the Lamb. A few faithful stood weeping. A few astonished stood quaking. And the Roman centurion acknowledged His deity. Since that time, a few have always seen beyond the meekness and submission to the reason for it all. A few have acknowledged that He is indeed the Lamb of God, and have appreciated that the One Who will dispense all judgment on all who rejected Him bore all judgment to save all who accept Him.
To those who have rejected the Lamb of God, He will forever be their judge. To those who have accepted the Lamb of God, He will forever be the Lamb. -Jim MacIntosh