Theological Articles

Propitiation
by Fred T. Di Lella

 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (1 John 4:10).

The term propitiation may seem like a real mouthful.  It does, however, have a very important meaning for sinners.  Propitiation means to quiet, to appease, to pacify someone’s wrath. 

UNPOPULAR TO MANY 

In today’s high tech, sophisticated, and “educated” society, a word like propitiation is not very fashionable.  After all, if we believe that propitiation is necessary for our sins (e.g., 1John 4:10), we must also believe that God is angry with us.  The belief that God can be angry at sinners is very offensive to many.  They say, “If God is love, how can he be full of wrath, too?”  Some would even dare to say, “The wrath of God is merely a primitive idea!  Only ignorant stone age types could believe nonsense like that.  Man has advanced too far to believe ridiculous myths about a god of wrath.”  

GOD’S WRATH 

Is there wrath in our Lord?  In order to answer the above questions and understand the reality and importance of propitiation, we must search the Bible. 

God’s Wrath: The Old Testament 

The phrase, “the wrath of God,” occurs 580 times in the Old Testament alone.  In Psalm 7:11 David says that God is angry with the wicked every day.    In Psalm 21:8, 9 David says, “Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.  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.”  Psalm 5:4-6 shows that God “hatest all workers of iniquity” and “will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.”  Clearly, the Old Testament demonstrates that God is full of wrath against sinners. 

“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.  The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.  Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man…The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.  The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.  For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.  Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.  Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah…The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.  Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup…Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.  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.  Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.  For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.  Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power…Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be  a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.  And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.  For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod…But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation…The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly…For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.  Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.  Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.  And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.  A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.  And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.  He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger. (e.g., Pss. 5:4-6; 9:16-20; 11:5, 6; 21:8-13; Isa. 30:27-31; Jer.10:10; 23:20: 25:15-38). 

God’s Wrath: God the Son 

But someone might say, “Hold on, that is the Old Testament.  What about the New Testament?  Jesus is love.”  We need only look at the Four Gospels in order to locate plain instances of Christ’s anger at sinners:  Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple (e.g., John 2:13-17), His wrath at the scorners of His merciful Sabbath healing (e.g., Mark 3:5), His powerful chastening of the Scribes and Pharisees (e.g., Matt. 23),  and His vivid descriptions of the just end of the wicked in Hell (e.g., Matt. 18; 25; Mark 9).  The Sermon on the Mount (i.e., Matt. 5-7) and numerous other Gospel passages exhibit the Lord’s anger at sinners. 

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity… But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!  Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven…But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.  Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar… When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal… And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.  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:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  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:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  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:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched… And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” (e.g., Matt. 7:21-23; 18:6-10; 23:13-35; 25:31-46; Mark 9:42-48; John 2:13-17). 

God’s Wrath: The Father and The Son 

Psalms 2 and 110 show forth the wrath of God in the persons of the Father and the Son: 

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

 

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.   The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.  The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.  The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.  He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.” 

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God…He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  (e.g., John 3:18, 36). 

God’s Wrath: New Testament Epistles 

The New Testament Epistles also regularly point out the reality and depth of God’s wrath at man for his sins. 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them… Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him… 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… Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience… Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience… Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you…And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day… It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God… For our God is a consuming fire… 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:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand… And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail… The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name…And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God… And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever… And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great… And out of his mouth goeth 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 and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (e.g., Rom. 1:18f.; 5:9; Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Col. 3:5, 6; 2Thess. 1:6-10; Heb. 10:31; 12:29; Rev. 6:16, 17; 11:18; 14:10, 11: 15:1, 7: 16:19-21; 19:15, 16).  

The above passages and many others make it clear that the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments, teaches that the Lord is angry at sinners. 

THE NEED FOR PROPITIATION 

Throughout, the Bible God repeatedly warns that He is angry at sinners.  God’s Word also make it plain that there is a genuine need for the quieting of God’s wrath.  The Bible explains that the Lord Jesus Christ did quiet the wrath of God against sinners through His death on the cross.  That is where propitiation comes into focus for us. 

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world…Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (e.g., 1John 2:1, 2; 4:10). 

Propitiation: Examples 

In Numbers 16:41-50 we see a powerful Old Testament example of propitiation.  In this passage Moses quiets God’s wrath against the murmuring Israelites by making atonement for them.  

We find another example of propitiation in the account of Jacob’s return to the land of Cannaan in Genesis 32.   In this case Jacob is not attempting to quiet God’s wrath.  Instead, he is attempting to placate his angry brother, Esau.  Jacob sent numerous goats, sheep, cows, and donkeys to quiet Esau, who was coming to meet him with 400 men. Throughout the Old Testament we see the principle of propitiation in the atoning sacrifices and in the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat.  

Hilasmos: The Septuagint 

The Septuagint (i.e., the LXX) translators also clearly saw God’s wrath and propitiation in the Old Testament, when they employed the hilasmos Greek family of words to translate the Hebrew words signifying propitiation.  

Hilasmos: Secular Greek Writings 

In non-Christian Greek writings the hilasmos family also means propitiation, too.  

Hilasmos: The New Testament 

The New Testament writers also employ the same Greek group of words (i.e., hilasmos) to point out that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ truly did propitiate an angry God (viz., quiet the wrath of an angry God). 

In Hebrews 2:17 the Apostle Paul declares that our merciful High Priest made propitiation (i.e., hilaskesthai) for our sins.  In the Old Testament the worshippers approached God through the mediation of a priest.  This mediatorial service was essential, because God was angry at the sinner for his iniquities.  Now Christ, as our Redeemer and High Priest, serves as the only Mediator between God and man 

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (e.g., 1Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6).

In describing the earthly sanctuary in Hebrews 9:1-5, the Apostle Paul again uses a member of the hilasmos family to signify the mercy seat, where the atoning blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled to quiet God’s wrath. 

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.  For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.  (e.g., Heb. 9:1-5). 

In John 2:2 the Apostle strengthens us, informing us that even when we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, who is the Propitiation (i.e., hilasmos) for our sins.  This verse shows us that we, as sinners, need an advocate to stand in the presence of a Holy God, Who is full of wrath against sinners.  God is light and in Him there is no darkness.  God hates sin.  God is angry at sinners.  Therefore, we need an advocate, an attorney, to stand before the Father.  

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (e.g., 1John 2:1, 2). 

The Propitiation: The Lord Jesus Christ 

What is even more overwhelming, though, is that this Advocate, this Mediator, is Himself the propitiation for our sins.  Jesus Christ the Righteous, our Advocate, is Himself the one who made propitiation for our sins He Himself quieted God’s wrath).  What assurance the Apostle John provides for God’s people in this passage. 

Other New Testament passages also employ the hilasmos family to point out Christ’s propitiatory work (e.g., Rom. 3:21-25; Heb. 8:12; 1John 4:10).  Each of these passages discuss Christ’s sacrificial work of quieting God’s wrath (viz., propitiation). 

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God… For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more…Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (e.g., Rom. 3:21-25; Heb. 8:12; 1John 4:10). 

Hilasmos: The Greek Fathers 

The Greek fathers of the early New Testament Church, the Classical Greek writers, and the secular Greek writers of the 1st Century A.D. also consistently utilize the hilasmos family of words to indicate propitiation, the quieting of wrath.   Therefore, we clearly see from the teachings about God’s wrath in the Old and New Testaments, from the use of the hilasmos family of words in the New Testament and the Septuagint, and from the consistent meaning of propitiation for the hilasmos group in extra-biblical literature (including non-Christian Greek writers and noteworthy early Christian teachers and commentators) that God is truly angry with sinners.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, although it may not be fashionable to “civilized,” modern man to speak about an angry God, it has become abundantly clear that God is full of wrath over man’s sin…  We would not have found a bumper sticker on the back of Noah’s ark saying: “Smile, God loves you.” 

The Lord Jesus Christ has made propitiation for the sins of God’s elect.  Jesus Christ has quieted, quelled, placated, appeased the wrath of God for sinners.  God was angry at us… We were by nature the children of wrath (e.g., Eph. 2:1-3).  BUT God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for our sins… Herein is love! 

Each person must ask if he under the wrath of God.  He should apprehend if he is a sinner in the hands of an angry God.  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…For our God is a consuming fire.” (e.g., Heb. 10:31; 12:29)  

The Lord Jesus Christ has made propitiation for sinners. 

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (e.g., John 3:36) “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (e.g., Acts 16:31) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (e.g., John 6:47) 

Each person should ask if he is under the wrath of God?  Is he a sinner in the hands of an angry God?  Or does he have a true sense of his sin and apprehend the mercy of God in Christ, who is the propitiation for His people? 

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  (e.g., Romans 5:1, 8, 9) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (e.g., 1John 4:10) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. (e.g., 1Thessalonians 5:9)  

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) 

The only answer for man’s sin is the Lord Jesus Christ, THE propitiation for sinners. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY propitiation for sinners! 

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God…He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (e.g., John 3:18, 36)

Rev. Fred Di Lella is pastor of Covenanted Reformation Church in TX which is part of The Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King.