Read Revelation 8:6–9:21
Today’s passage is a long section covering lots of ground. There are many interesting things to see, discuss, and wonder about, whether you think the plagues from the trumpets are literal, symbolic, or somewhere in between. Regardless of the exact details, John makes it clear that all of these plagues have one purpose: to bring people to repentance. And yet, he also makes it clear that this purpose is not accomplished. The people who survived the plagues did not repent of their idolatry or their immorality. What gives?
Let’s look at how God can use such terrible events to try to draw people into a loving relationship with Himself.
Initially, this can sound like a very foreign idea to our modern ears. Why would a loving God use plagues to get people to repent? But this is not the first time He has done so. The most memorable example of this is the plagues God brought on Egypt, which we see in Exodus 7–11. Time and time again, God sent just punishment on the nation of Egypt for Pharaoh’s refusal to let the Israelites out of slavery. And time and time again, Pharaoh refused to let them go. Even when he finally lets them go, after the 10th plague, he almost immediately backtracks and begins pursuing the Israelites. While it might sound strange, God was showing grace to Pharaoh throughout the process of just punishment, as He is also showing grace to the people we read about in Revelation. God’s grace in these cases is His continued reminder to the people of the seriousness of their sin and a preview of their coming punishment if they do not repent. If God were lacking in this grace, He would immediately wipe us off the face of the Earth the first time we sinned. But His grace means that He gives us opportunity after opportunity to turn toward Him, the gospel of His Son, and newness of life through His Spirit.
