Filthy Rich: Epstein, Injustice & a World Without God
Courtesy of Netflix
My wife and I just finished watching the four-part Netflix series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and to be honest, it really broke my heart. The docuseries traced Epstein’s rise to power, and how he managed to maneuver himself into the circles of the political and economic elite. Creating a pyramid scheme of sexual exploits through blackmail and manipulation, Epstein sexually abused some of the most vulnerable and underprivileged girls in America and abroad.
Whatever you think of the series, it is clear that injustice is the dominant theme. The first clear sign of this is in Epstein’s actions towards underaged girls who were powerless to fight back. According to the documentary, he lured these girls and stripped them of their purity and dignity, subjecting them to experiences no human should ever be put through. Second, the negligent and corrupt behavior of the FBI and the New York City Police Department is ruthlessly exposed. In particular, the series revealed how the FBI took nearly 10 years to respond to a 1996 report of child sexual abuse—a horrendous act of injustice and dereliction. Third, there is the fact that Epstein never actually attended his trial because he “committed suicide” in August 2019. Of course, there are questions as to whether his death was actually a suicide or not, but what is for sure is that he is not currently in prison, and it would seem to victims that he has once again evaded justice.
One victim of Epstein, Shawna Rivera, expresses this sentiment in one harrowing sentence:
“There is no justice in this. There is just so much more to be said that will never be said.”
As someone who has a younger sister, I can only imagine the grief and pain that the victims and their family members are going through. However, while I was shattered to hear the stories of countless victims, what was equally saddening to my soul was witnessing their frustration and agony at the prospect that Epstein will never receive justice for his wicked deeds. There seemed to be a profound sense of emptiness that filled the victims as they considered the reality that the man who destroyed their lives never even faced his trial.
As unsettling as it sounds, if there isn’t a God, this is a hopeless situation: Epstein got let off the hook. If there is no ultimate justice, then the greatest judgment Epstein received was an earthly punishment dealt out by imperfect judges. He spent his whole life deceiving, manipulating, molesting, and destroying the lives of young girls, and eventually evaded justice through the escape-hatch of death.
But here’s the point—though many of Epstein’s victims have scars that will remain with them for the rest of their lives, the reality is that there is a God, one who is just and will hold all people to account for the way they have lived their lives—including Epstein. This should be of great comfort; God’s judgments are never unjust because His knowledge, wisdom, and judgment are absolute and perfect. In Revelation 20:11-12, God gives us a glimpse into the final scene of world history when He will judge both the living and the dead:
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Though Epstein lived as if he were in control of his universe, and while he thought he could escape judgment through death, he will be held to account for his actions on the day of judgement. From our knowledge of his unrepentant life of sin, Epstein will spend an eternity in hell for the evil deeds he has committed against image-bearers of God, and therefore God Himself.
It’s common for people to ask, ‘How could a loving God send people to Hell?’ After witnessing Epstein’s deeds, the only question we can ask is ‘How could a loving God not send people like Epstein to Hell?’
