. . . Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. ( 1 Thessalonians 1:10 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, `even' Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come. )

Do you remember the time you were lost as a child, or slipping over a precipice, or about to drown? Then suddenly you were rescued. You held on for “dear life.” You trembled for what you almost lost. You were happy. Oh, so happy, and thankful. And you trembled with joy.

That’s the way I feel at the end of the year about my rescue from God’s wrath. All day Christmas we had a fire in the fireplace. Sometimes the coals were so hot that when I stoked it my hand really hurt. I pulled back and shuddered at the horrendous thought of the wrath of God against sin in hell. Oh, how unspeakably horrible that will be!

Christmas afternoon I visited a woman who had been burned over 87 percent of her body. She has been in the hospital since August. My heart broke for her. How wonderful it was to hold out hope to her from God’s word! But I came away not only thinking about her pain in this life, but also about the everlasting pain I have been saved from through Jesus.

Test my experience with me. Is this trembling joy a fitting way to end the year? Paul was glad that the Lord from heaven is “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” ( 1 Thessalonians 1:10 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, `even' Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come. ). He warned that “for those who . . . do not obey the truth . . . there will be wrath and fury” ( Romans 2:8 8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, `shall be' wrath and indignation, ). And “because of [sexually immorality, impurity, and covetousness] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” ( Ephesians 5:6 6 Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. ).

Here at the end of the year, I am finishing my trek through the Bible and reading the last book, Revelation. It is a glorious prophecy of the triumph of God, and the everlasting joy of all who “take the water of life without price” ( Revelation 22:17 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely. ). No more tears, no more pain, no more depression, no more sorrow, no more death ( Revelation 21:4 4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. ).

But oh, the horror of not repenting and holding fast to the testimony of Jesus! The description of the wrath of God by the “apostle of love” (John) is terrifying. Those who spurn God’s love will “drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night” ( Revelation 14:10 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: –11). “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” ( Revelation 20:15 15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. ). Jesus will “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” ( Revelation 19:15 15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. ). And blood will flow “from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia [about 184 miles]” ( Revelation 14:20 20 And the winepress are trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs. ).

I tremble with joy that I am saved! Oh, the holy wrath of God is a horrible destiny. Flee this, brothers and sisters. Flee this with all your might. And let us save as many as we can! No wonder there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ( Luke 15:7 7 I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, `more' than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance. )!