But if we read both the Old and New Testament, we should see an image of God different from the "god" which is often created in the image of the minds of humans.
The apostle Paul knew "the terror of the Lord", and Paul said to us the following.
II Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
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After I was born again, God took me to the Old Testament and had me start by reading that.
In the OT we see many shocking things done by God.
Joshua 4:23-24 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.
Pharaoh dared to go into the Red Sea against the people of God ... and God brought the waters back upon the sea and killed Pharaoh and all his horsemen in the sea, while delivering HIS people.
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When God judged Jericho, we read:
Joshua 6:21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
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In the book of Revelation, Chapters 8-16 ... we read the events ordained by God when the wrath of God comes upon this earth in the end of the world.
A few of those things are:
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld,
and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a
loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of
the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to
sound!
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God always brings HIS Word and HIS will to pass.
The
end of this world, the wrath of God, the great tribulation will bring
things that only God can cause ... yet people who profess knowing God do
abominable things in the sight of God and show they have no real
respect for God nor fear of God.
How can we hope to escape unless we honor God above honoring ourselves and other men?
Psalm 111:10 The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have
all they that do HIS commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
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