What Does Psalm 2:5 Mean?
Psalm 2:55 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
David continues his record of God the Father’s speech. Whereas verse 4 is the Father’s speech in the present time, verse 5 is the Father’s speech in the future. He “will” speak to them in his wrath.
“Terror” – That’s How God Will Respond to the Rebelling Nations in the Future
That is definitely NOT a picture of God!
God the Father is presently responding to the nations with mockery and taunting (v.4), but in the future verse 5 says, He will respond to them with wrath, terror, and fury. Not exactly the picture of a grandfather on his La-Z-Boy chair.
But come on, really? I mean, what could be so terrifying about God? Let’s get something clear right now: God is not safe! He saves people and He saves them from sin out of His infinite love, but He isn’t safe.
“Future Terror?” Psalm 2:5 Commentary
When will God the Father speak to the nations out of His terror? Human, national rebellion and God’s anger against it will climax during the tribulation period and at the battle of Armageddon.
Take your Bible out and read … or hey, just read it below…
Revelation 16:12–1612 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
This is the valley of Megiddo in northern Israel. The nations will be gathered here at the end of seven-year tribulation period described in Revelation 6-19.
The battle is described in more detail in Revelation 14.
Revelation 14:17–2017 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
That’s 200 miles…. 200 miles of blood. All the nations in rebellion against God and Israel gathered in northern Israel and Jesus Christ comes back in Revelation 19 to destroy the nations.
How Should We Apply Psalm 2:5 Today?
Knowing the end helps us endure the present. Are we on the doorstep of WWIII? Hey, wake up. God’s in control, you’re not.
Be comforted, all wrongs will be made right.
“God is the ruler yet.”
What happens after that, after He terrifies them in that bloody battle? That’s next.
Go back to Psalm 2 from Psalm 2:5 Commentary