Yes — God can remain loving and yet allow locust torment in Revelation 9, because when His grace ends, His righteous wrath begins after humanity rejects Him.
Les Feldick teaches that God has patiently poured out His love and grace on the human race for thousands of years, but humanity has reacted in unbelief and walked that grace underfoot (Clips 1–2). When the appointed day comes, His grace ends and He speaks in wrath, vexing the world — yet He does so righteously and justly, not arbitrarily (Clip 1). The locusts of Revelation 9 are part of that wrath, emerging from the bottomless pit to sting like scorpions (Clip 0).
Revelation 9:3 — The verse directly introduces the locusts and the scorpion-like power that causes the torment.
Psalm 2:5 — Les Feldick uses this verse to show that God's patient love finally gives way to righteous wrath.
Revelation 9 describes a star that falls from heaven and is given the key to the bottomless pit. When the pit is opened, smoke rises and darkens the sun and the air, and locusts come out upon the earth with power given to them as the scorpions of the earth have power (Revelation 9:1–3). The Psalms also testify that a time comes when God "shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure" (Psalm 2:5). Even after these plagues, Revelation 9:20 says the rest of the men "repented not of the works of their hands" but continued to worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood. Revelation 11:18 declares that "thy wrath is come" and that God will destroy them which destroy the earth.
Les Feldick teaches that the common assumption that God is only a God of love misunderstands the progression of Scripture. God was a God of love when He sent Christ to the cross and has continued to pour out His grace on humanity, but mankind has largely walked that grace underfoot (Clip 2). After the Church is out-called, God's grace ends and He becomes a God of judgment and wrath (Clips 2, 5). At that point, Psalm 2:5 is fulfilled: God speaks to the world in His wrath and vexes them — righteously and with all fairness and justness, because He has so patiently poured out His love while people reacted in unbelief (Clip 1). The locusts that emerge from the bottomless pit with scorpion-like power are part of this same wrath (Clip 0). Les stresses that people do not want to hear about wrath, but the Book says it is coming (Clip 3).
Les Feldick says no. He teaches that for the last 1900-plus years mankind has not seen the wrath of God. Earthquakes, wars, and other calamities that plague the human race are not acts of God's wrath; rather, God permits Satan to bring suffering and turmoil to His creation. Tonight God is a God of grace, and where sin abounded, His grace abounds even more. That grace ends with the out-calling of the Church before the tribulation, at which point the wrath of the Lamb is poured out.
Les explains that God has patiently poured out His love toward the human race for centuries, and that His love was most clearly shown when He sent Christ to the cross. But the human race has continued to react in unbelief and has walked His grace underfoot. So when the appointed day comes, God's grace is withdrawn and He becomes a God of judgment. He does this righteously, with all fairness and justness, because His patience has been exhausted by unbelief.
Les teaches that the judgments in the first half of the tribulation are terrible and that the second half will be far worse. Rulers and great men hide in the rocks and plead for death. When God's wrath is finally poured out, it will be three-and-a-half years of things beyond human comprehension, matching Jesus' words that the great tribulation will be unlike anything since the beginning of the world. The locusts of Revelation 9 are an early part of this wrath, with a sting that burns like a scorpion.
Revelation 9:20 shows that after the death and destruction of these plagues, the rest of the men who were not killed still repented not of the works of their hands. Instead they continued to worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood — idols that cannot see, hear, or walk. Les uses this verse to make clear that the wrath is not arbitrary; it comes after unbelief and rebellion persist.
Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
Les walks through Revelation 9's description of the locusts coming out of the bottomless pit smoke, and explains that their scorpion-like sting causes pain and burning — setting the scene for the torment in question.
God's Wrath Is Fair
Les shows from Psalm 2:5 that once God's love and grace are withdrawn, He speaks in wrath and vexes the world — righteously and justly, because He has patiently poured out love while humanity continued in unbelief.
God Is Not Just a God of Love
Les corrects the theology that God could never judge because He is love, explaining that His grace was poured out but humanity walked it underfoot, so His judgment is a legitimate response.
No Repentance After Plagues
Les reads Revelation 9:20 to show that even after these devastations, the survivors did not repent but kept worshiping demons and idols.
Wrath of the Lamb
Les notes that men hide and plead for death at the wrath of the Lamb, and that for the last 1900-plus years mankind has not seen God's wrath in this way.
Grace Ends, Wrath Begins
Les distinguishes the present age of grace from the coming wrath, explaining that grace abounds today but ends with the out-calling of the Church.
Thy Wrath Is Come
Les reads Revelation 11:18, where the nations are angry and God's wrath is come, underscoring that the tribulation is God's judgment on rebellious mankind.
Beyond Human Comprehension
Les says the poured-out wrath will be three-and-a-half years beyond human comprehension, matching Jesus' description of a great tribulation unlike any before.
Revelation 9:3: And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
This verse introduces the locusts and the scorpion-like power behind the torment.
Psalm 2:5: Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Les Feldick uses this verse to show that God's patience ends in righteous wrath.
Revelation 9:20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
It shows that survivors of the plagues still refused to repent.
Revelation 11:18: And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
It declares that God's wrath has come during the tribulation.
Revelation 6:16: And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
It shows even the powerful pleading to hide from the wrath of the Lamb.
Matthew 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Les connects this verse to the unprecedented severity of the tribulation wrath.
Revelation 9:3 says locusts came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit and were given power like the scorpions of the earth. Les Feldick describes the scorpion's sting as burning intensely, which conveys how painful the torment will be. The passage itself does not identify them as ordinary insects; they emerge from the pit during the tribulation.
Les Feldick teaches that God's love and grace have been poured out on humanity for centuries, but when the tribulation begins, grace ends and He becomes a God of judgment and wrath. His love is withdrawn toward those who have continued in unbelief, and He speaks in His wrath.
Les explains that God has patiently poured out His love while humanity reacted in unbelief and walked His grace underfoot. Psalm 2:5 says He speaks in wrath and vexes them, and Les says He does this righteously, with fairness and justness. The torment is not arbitrary; it is the consequence of persistent rejection.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation 9 Explained: Demonic Locusts & God's Wrath Unleashed