And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (Revelation 16:10)

The greatest contrast imaginable is that between the scenes portrayed in the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis and the horrors described in the Book of Revelation; the contrast between the peace and beauty of Eden and the roaring inferno of the last days.

The result of the transgression of Adam and Eve has been thousands of years of agony and death. The history of mankind has been tragic. But of all the catastrophes of history, including the Holocaust perpetrated on the Jews by the Nazis, nothing has occurred as yet on the scale outlined in the Book of Revelation.

We may wonder, why would God permit such awful torment and chaos to be visited on the earth?

There are good reasons.

First we must point out that the Lord God takes no pleasure in the pain that comes upon man. The anguish man experiences is of man's own doing. It grieves the Lord to see a single human being suffer pain and confusion. It is the conduct of man that brings pain and confusion upon him. Spiritual laws are inviolable. Certain kinds of behavior bring love, joy, and peace. Other kinds of behavior bring murder, torment, and anxiety.

God has done all in His power to save man. If God went any further in controlling the conduct of people they would cease to be human beings and would be puppets possessing no will or judgment of their own.

God is permitting Satan to realize and express all that is in his personality. The exposure of Satan's personality will continue until sin and self-will have been brought to maturity.

God's purpose in allowing Satan to utilize the physical world to portray the consequences of his ambitions and lusts is to provide an object lesson for the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. All the creatures of God now have portrayed before their eyes the results of not abiding in the will and love of the Father. Indeed it is a horrible sight.

At the same time, God is bringing forth sons in His image. God's sons will be filled with glory and, under Christ Jesus, will reign supreme over all the works of God's hands. The angels are ministering spirits for these heirs of the Divine salvation. But before the sons are fully born (to be fully born as a son of God we must be born of woman, born of the Spirit, and raised from the dead) they must be thoroughly exposed to Satan's being and works.

Each son must of his own will choose to abhor Satan and cleave to God. The Lord Jesus Christ came to help us do that. God's Glory is revealed, not only in forgiving sinners but in bringing forth sons in His image sons who, under the most difficult of circumstances, have chosen to obey their Father in all things.

We are drawing near the days of vengeance. It may be true that the hour of temptation already is upon us. Even now the tares may be being removed from the wheat. The foolish virgins may be running out of oil. (from The End-time Judgments)