I was told, by a scholarly friend, that there were Christian sects that split over an inability to reconcile as one God the vengeful, society destroying God of the old testament and the loving, forgiving God of the new. I figure that, like most of us, he softened up after having a kid.
God, in the new testament parable of the banquet - "throw out those without wedding clothes into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; and for those who didn't want me to be king, take them into the street and butcher them." Still sounds vengeful to me
Old habits are hard to break.
I look at God like this: In the Old Testament, he was an alcoholic father. When he was sober, he was loving and tender, but when he was on a bender, it was hell fire, brimstone, and whatever plagues were at his disposal at that moment.
In the New Testament he's sobered up, and he's trying to make amends.
And then in Revelation, he has a relapse and is back to his old self.
Good interpretation! I always suspected Ward Cleaver of the same thing. Really was always telling Beaver that dad was going to clobber him, but he never did. That was because Wally was old enough to remember when Ward was drinking and used to beat the family in a drunken rage. And June! The minute he stepped in the door she was on him. "Ward, the boys....