It depends what you mean. The Meaning of God’s Wrath . Question: "What does the Bible say about fear?" In fact, God offers us help for fighting the effects of wrong kinds of fear. What is the wrath of God? Six Things You Need to Know About God’s Wrath. What is the biblical meaning of the wrath of God? If you grew up in a church that portrayed God as always waiting to strike you down for the slightest fault, then fearing God probably sounds pretty terrible. Fear is often discussed in God's Word. God tells us to fear not because he goes through the trials with us. They can’t keep company. In order to understand what the Scriptures reveal concerning the anger and wrath of God, it is necessary to consider his character, the contexts in which they are spoken of, and with whom God is displeased, angry, or wroth. The first type is beneficial and is to be encouraged. See our article “How to Deal With Fear and Stress” for more on this. In some places fear is condemned, yet elsewhere it is encouraged. God has made no secret of his wrath, and neither should we. Depending on your background, the fear of the Lord can sound incredibly distasteful. God’s wrath is to be feared because God promises eternal punishment apart from Christ (Matthew 25:46). Many think of the wrath of God as thunder and lightning, and judgment, fire and brimstone, and the sudden destruction that comes upon obviously guilty sinners. The anger of God is not like our anger. When we think of fear, the idea of being afraid is usually our first thought. The difference in these cases is the original meaning and context. The wrath of God is, according to John Stott, “His steady, unrelenting, unremitting, uncompromising antagonism to evil in all its forms and manifestations.” 1. But that is not what it means in these verses. Let’s begin with a simple definition of wrath as one of God’s attributes. The world are fools, having no fear of God. When we speak about the wrath of God, remember that it is the wrath of God. Answer: Wrath is defined as “the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice,” often translated as “anger,” “indignation,” “vexation,” or “irritation.” Both humans and God express wrath. It’s important to get a proper definition because when we use the word wrath we tend to think of uncontrolled anger. Here is what the Bible says about the importance of having a fear of God and what it means to fear the Lord. Image: Given what we have said, the primary location of God’s wrath is not in God, it is in us. 3. Perhaps the best definition I have heard of God’s wrath is this: God’s wrath is our experience of the total incompatibility of our sinful state before the Holiness of God. Again, to "fear" God is to have a proper view of Him that leads to love, service, and obedience. A longer definition of the word wrath is "the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice." But the Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God, so we make a mistake when we downplay it. The Bible is clear to define wrath as not only the physical result of anger, but also as a righteous based wrath or an unrighteous based wrath. It is true that these are all manifestation of the wrath of God, but the wrath of God is not just something to come; it is also present now. Wrath is often translated as "fierce anger," "indignation," "vengeance," or "punishment." I often hear people explain the fear of the Lord as a mere respect or reverence. However, "the fear of the Lord" includes a different meaning, one important to our spiritual health. Meaning of the fear of the Lord The only ones who are to "fear" God in the sense of "being afraid" are those who have not placed their faith in … What is the fear of God? Six Things You Need to Know About God’s Wrath. Obviously this fear is not what God is looking for. Sin and God’s holiness just don’t mix. Question: "What is the biblical understanding of the wrath of God?"