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You should get to know an Orthodox priest and direct your questions to him so that you could get consistent answers. Asking them here is like asking a committee of folks who aren\'t aware of where each other, let alone yourself, is coming from. A priest who is a spiritual father, try the parish nearest you, is your best resource for resolving your confusion. Whatever opinions you receive here could, I\'m afraid, have the same effect as all those articles--confusion.
I would just like to add that the term angry and rejoice and jealous (etc) attributed to God must not be understand as we understand it in human terms, since these terms where written by holy men (and the writing per say is not truth in itself, but the proper interpretation contains the truth about God). This is evident by the protestant churches, since they have hundreds of interpretations about any given sentence in scripture. So the bible itself is not perfect, but the proper interpretation of the bible can come close if not to total perfection. There is no way we can fully describe God using terms from our language first of all since we cannot compare God to anything and secondly because we cannot describe Him except by using terms we ourselves associate with the fallen world. Generally what I understand \\"God being angry\\" to mean is this: I have distanced myself from God and turned my back on Him. What I understand \\"God rejoicing\\" to mean is this: humbling myself before God and calling upon Him and turning my face back unto Him who patiently waits for our return. What I understand \\"God being jealous\\" to mean is this: turning to idols (anything can be an idol) and proclaiming them to be the true God.
It is probably best to follow Reader John\'s advice and speak about this to a priest.
Very well said, brother Moses. I\'m delighted to see such a penetrating description given in such a brief and passing comment. Glory to God.
Just to add a little We would never say God Cannot, Since the very meaning of God is that he Is. As human beings we cannot Understand God and yet God is very Close to us, Bishop Kallistos Ware offers up more information on this in a book of his... In short the only way a human being can understand something being spoken is through a Mouth and so when God speaks it is through a mouth, and when God listens it is through his Ears. Hope that helps a little?
I looked up the wrath of God in the Orthodox Study Bible and this is what I found on the explanation on Romans 1:18...\\" The wrath of God is His righteous and holy judgement. It is not the loss of temper or self control, but the revelation of His divine truth, love and power confronting those who reject Him.\\"
All I know is God does everything to save our souls which are most precious.
So sorry I wrote down the wrong verse! This is what I meant to put... :o
Also in the Orthodox Study Bible on Gen 4:14 \\"God is dispassionate; therefore He does not possess passion in His nature. He is said to be angry by way of analogy with man\'s anger. In this sense, the Lord is displeased with Moses, but He Himself is without such passion.\\"
I saw a dvd once with a famous Orthodox speakers/writer . Sorry his name excapes me, but he authored \\"Introduction to the Orthodox Church\\", a book given to my by my priest. In the DVD, his entire talk was how \\"Hell is the love of God.\\" Basicly, in his talk, we react to the pure love and glory of God either with a pure heart or with a hardened heart, each person would expirience this differently. It is like wax and clay in direct sun. The sunlight is the same but depending on the material expiriencing the sun..one hardens, the other softens. I hope that helps.