One of Jehovah’s judgments during the Great Tribulation involves a nightmarish species of locust that stings like a scorpion ascending out of a bottomless pit. (Re 9:2-3) The locusts are given power to torture humans for five full months (4), everyone except 144,000 witnesses chosen and sealed by God beforehand. (5) The suffering is so intense everyone tries to commit suicide, but no one is allowed to die. (6)
The immediate context of this brutal horror is most all of humanity engaging in active rebellion against our heavenly King, resolutely refusing to submit to Him and honor Him. (Re 6:15-17) Consequently, after ample warning (Re 8:13), God brings upon the wicked unimaginably dreadful plagues, yet not a single soul ever repents of their wickedness. (Re 9:20-21) What does this judgment tell us about human nature, and also about the heart of Jehovah? (Ps 9:16)
What is perhaps most obvious is that obedience is not optional in God’s kingdom: He hates willful sin. He becomes very angry when we deliberately violate His laws and it grieves Him. (Ge 6:5-6) His wrath falls on us when we defy Him (He 10:28-31), when we commit to disobeying Him as a manner of life. (1Jn 3:8)
Similarly, it should be obvious that Man is incredibly, even insanely committed to sin. (Je 17:9) Evidently, it doesn’t matter what God does to people or how long He waits (Ps 81:15), no one seeks God and submits to Him of their own accord unless He gives them grace (both the inclination and willingness) to do so. (Ro 3:10-11) This makes no logical sense whatsoever, that people would defy God on purpose, but it’s likely true of nearly everyone we know; (Mt 7:14); we just can’t see it very clearly yet because for the time being God is significantly restraining human depravity. (2Th 2:7)
The patience and longsuffering of God is also apparent in this particular judgment; He could easily destroy all His enemies in an instant and plunge them all into the Lake of Fire, where we all deserve to go. (Ro 9:22) So, though torturing everyone with stinging locusts seems like cruelty, it’s actually an act of love and forbearance. He is telling everyone He has no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. (Ez 18:32) He is giving everyone every possible reason to repent. (2Pe 3:9)
Finally, we can see the wisdom of God in exposing the nature of His enemies: apart from God violating their free will, there is nothing that can be done to rescue them. This is not God’s fault; the root cause lies with humanity. And if God were to short-circuit this process it would not be so obvious what the alternatives are: God must either destroy His enemies or suffer their insolence eternally.
One might argue that God should just override our choices and force everyone to repent; in other words, question very gift of free will. Sure, God could make us all robots, but that would miss the whole point: God’s pleasure in revealing Himself. (Ro 9:22-23) If it were not for human rebellion, we would know very little of God’s power, love and wisdom, and nothing at all of His longsuffering, wrath and justice. God’s manner of revealing Himself and the opportunity to know Him for eternity as a result trumps all innocent suffering.
And since God Himself has suffered more than any other being up until He finally judges humanity, it is unreasonable to claim He’s been self-serving. (Ro 3:4)
And what would it continue to say about Jehovah God, if in His infinite mercy (Ps 103:11) He were to keep His door wide open for anyone who is ever willing to repent and turn to Him, even from the fires of Hell? (Ps 136:1) And what would it say about fallen humanity if no one ever does, throughout all the ages?
Nothing more than what we have already observed in pondering the judgment of the 5th trumpet, but it would be an ongoing, profound demonstration of the intrinsic nature of both God and Man. Whether this would glorify God or not He will judge. I can certainly see how it would.