‘For God appointed us not to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.'
Here Paul tells us that God has ‘appointed' His own to the obtaining of salvation through Jesus Christ. This agrees with the constant revelation in Scripture that salvation is of God's doing. See for this the detailed comments on ‘election' on 1 Thessalonians 1:4. As Paul will tell the Thessalonians later, ‘God chose you from the beginning unto salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth' (2 Thessalonians 2:13). This might suggest that in both cases the ‘obtaining of salvation' has in mind final salvation when we are presented perfect before God, holy and without blemish. It may however have in mind rather the process of salvation, or indeed be all inclusive.
Salvation is an overall process. It commences when we first believe in Christ and have been ‘saved' (Ephesians 2:8), that is when we experience the work of the Holy Spirit and believe, and are accounted righteous before God through the sacrifice of the cross. It goes on as the Holy Spirit continues His work within us, changing us from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18), as we continue to grow in faith and are ‘being saved' (1 Corinthians 1:18), becoming more and more like Him. And it reaches its final accomplishment when we are presented before God holy and without blemish (Colossians 1:22; Ephesians 5:27), made like Him (1 John 3:1-2).
If we see this verse as referring to ultimate salvation, wrath will then indicate the final judgment. If, however, we see it as the process of salvation, wrath will refer to the continuing wrath of God against sin. If we see it as a combination of both then wrath will refer to all aspects of the wrath of God. Let us consider this further.
In this verse we thus have the comparison of two destinations, wrath or salvation. But we do not necessarily need to limit this wrath to one particular example of its manifestation, for those who do not believe are ‘children of wrath' in general (Ephesians 2:3), that is, under wrath all the time, however manifested. The contrast with ‘obtaining salvation', depending on how we interpret it, may be seen as suggesting that the main stress is on the wrath of the final judgment, or on God's wrath against sin in general (Romans 1:18). But as the latter always results in the expressing of that wrath in the day of judgment (Romans 2:5; Romans 2:8), we may hold that both are in mind here. Nor need we on that account exclude sin's consequence as seen in the outpouring of that wrath in judgment and destruction at other times, for in the end that is all part of that final judgment. But we cannot make it primary. Indeed this is confirmed by the use of ‘wrath' by Paul, and in the New Testament generally.
For ‘the wrath of God' in the New Testament see Matthew 3:7 and Luke 3:7 (wrath to come - ambiguous); Luke 21:23 (wrath on Israel at the destruction of the Temple and what followed); John 3:36 (where it is in contrast with ‘seeing (eternal) life', and therefore refers to the day of judgment); Romans 1:18 (where it is general); Romans 2:5; Romans 2:8 (where it has in mind the day of judgment); Romans 4:15 (general wrath); Romans 5:9 (the final judgment); Romans 9:22 (the final judgment); Romans 13:4 (present wrath revealed through judges); Ephesians 5:6 and Colossians 3:6 (could be present wrath or the final judgment); 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (‘the wrath to come' - ambiguous); 1 Thessalonians 2:16 (present wrath with final manifestation); Hebrews 3:11; Hebrews 4:3 (present wrath); Revelation 6:16-17; Revelation 11:18; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 14:19; Revelation 15:1; Revelation 16:1; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 19:15. It will be seen that most references refer to the wrath of God as expressed at the final judgment, with some referring to His wrath revealed in present judgments on sin, and some ambiguous in the sense that they can be turned to mean whatever expositors want them to mean. None obviously and specifically refer to a period of wrath prior to Christ's coming.
For it should be carefully noted that it is only in Revelation that some references definitely mean the outpouring of wrath in such a period, although even in Revelation other references refer it specifically to the day of judgment. Some are ambiguous depending on interpretation of the Book. But Paul could not have had Revelation in mind, for it was not yet written. Thus the overall testimony of the New Testament is that ‘wrath' here has mainly in mind God's wrath revealed in the final judgment, or God's general wrath which manifests itself in various forms.
Having said that we must recognise what we mean by ‘wrath'. By ‘wrath' the Bible indicates an attitude of God against sin. It is not one of uncontrolled anger, but indeed the very opposite. It is a set attitude of One Who is morally righteous in all respects, to that which is contrary to moral righteousness, a horror of, and determination to deal with, sin because of what it is, defiling and destructive.