Object lessons

Why would Calvinists believe that God needs to reprobate some people for the benefit of his own glory? How could this be? Let’s start by putting the problem in perspective. Consider this passage from Revelation 5:

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they were saying:

   “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

   “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

At first blush one would have thought this is a maximally glorifying state of affairs for the creator. But apparently many Calvinists demur, believing that the maximally glorifying state of affairs for the creator requires that some creatures reject his Lordship. On this assumption, the following revised scenario is more glorifying:

13Then I heard many creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

   “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

But other creatures were screaming:

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be curses and hatred and shame and destruction,

for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” in response to the first group while appreciating God’s glory more fully because of the second group and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Now let’s not pretend that this is a plausible assertion on the face of it. It is, to say the least, counterinuitive.

http://randalrauser.com/2011/11/calvinism-and-the-contrast-effect/

Unfortunately for Rauser, his appeal to Revelation overlooks evidence detrimental to this thesis. For instance:

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven (11:13).

As Caird remarks:

Modern readers are apt to be shocked at the idea that God should be prepared to kill off large numbers of men in order to prove an object lesson for those who survive.

G. B. Caird, The Revelation of Saint John, 113.

This despite the fact that Caird was no Calvinist.

Continuing with Rauser:

And he doesn’t require reprobate objects to perceive his own glory…

Notice Rauser’s non sequitur. The contrast effect doesn’t require the reprobate to perceive God’s glory. Rather, it would be sufficient for elect men and angels to perceive God’s glory in his just punishment of the reprobate–over against his gratuitous mercy towards the elect.