A Revelation Invitation

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. (Revelation 9:1-6 ESV)

I have seen entire New England forests defoliated by a plague of gypsy moth caterpillars. I have witnessed the devastation of swarming grasshoppers on Oklahoma farmland. In both instances the damage was immeasurable. Those calamities stirred feelings of helplessness, anger and disgust within me, but not fear because they never threatened my life nor my livelihood. (Those farmers weren’t so fortunate.) In contrast the sounding of the fifth trumpet brought a frighteningly sinister invasion of locusts released upon the world.

What made this plague so malevolent is its source: the shaft of the bottomless pit. This swarm was demonic. It was released by the star that fell from heaven—Satan himself. And instead of destroying vegetation as we would expect, these locusts tormented people so brutally that people preferred death. What may seem puzzling at first is that this evil seems to be God ordained! The fallen star is given the key to unlock the abyss. The locusts were given the power of scorpions. They were allowed to torment. Given and allowed by whom? The implication is that these actions were authorized by God. At the same time the locusts were told (by God it is implied) that the people with the seal of God on their foreheads were off limits. And the torture God allowed was limited in two more ways: It would last five months and the locusts were forbidden to kill. Thus, God exercised his sovereignty over these affairs, but it was a sovereignty which permitted evil and torment.

Let’s consider how this might transpire in our own world. John described the sun and the air being darkened by the smoke from the shaft. Might this represent a moral blindness brought on by depraved living? Evil can be enticing at times, but is always destructive. Satan clouds the minds of people leading to ruinous living. Many people in our materialistic, humanistic society are unwilling to acknowledge that evil forces are at work in the world and even in their own lives. People deny or ignore the spiritual, unseen dimension of the world. But it is as real as the ground we stand on.

Our puzzlement at the seeming contradiction of the sovereign Lord being in league with evil can be resolved if we understand how God uses evil against itself. The evil that God allows to be released is targeted on an unbelieving world, not on his people. The unbelievers are cursed while God’s people are protected. In his sovereignty God limits what this fallen star can do. The wicked people of the world really do need to suffer the consequences of the evil they indulge in or at least tolerate. Only through suffering might some of them repent. Unfortunately most in their stubborn pride would rather die than turn to God. As this scene shows us, evil must be allowed to operate robustly so that it may destroy itself. And in all this suffering and torment, God is using evil to accomplish his will. Over it all, God remains sovereign.

The seal of God protected his people from the torment that the people of the world endure at the hands of Satan and his swarms. Might Christians also suffer as the demons torture the people of the world? Yes, but it won’t separate us from the love of God nor will our salvation ever be in jeopardy. As long as we remain faithful to the Lamb, we will enjoy the peace and protection of our God.

Oh God who sits upon the throne that rules heaven and earth, you are sovereign over your creation. Even as you give much latitude to the demons to operate in this world, you surrender none of your sovereignty. That gives me genuine comfort and security even in the midst of a cruel and chaotic world. Thank you for your protection. In your faithfulness you will reward my faithfulness as weak as it may be. I am truly grateful. Amen.