After the devastation of the first six of the trumpets, the people of the earth do not repent of their idolatry (Revelation 9:20-21). This description of idolatry is consistent with the Old Testament, idols are things crafted by men that cannot do anything (Ps 115:5-7; 1 Cor 10:20). Standing on the foundation of texts like Deuteronomy 32:17, Revelation 9:20 says the worship of idols is the worship of demons. This is certainly the same view of idolatry as other Second Temple Jewish literature:
1 Enoch 99.6–7 “Again I swear to you, you sinners, for sin has been prepared for the day of unceasing blood. 7 (And those) who worship stones, and those who carve images of gold and of silver and of wood and of clay, and those who worship evil spirits and demons, and all kinds of idols not according to knowledge, they shall get no manner of help in them.
Testament of Judah 23.1 “My grief is great, my children, on account of the licentiousness and witchcraft and idolatry that you practice contrary to the kingship, following ventriloquists, omen dispensers, and demons of deceit.
The people of the earth do not repent of any of their offenses: murders, magic arts, sexual immorality, and thefts.” Three of these four are in the ten commandments (murder, adultery, and theft). The fourth, “magical arts” is sometimes translated “sorcery” (φάρμακον). Although this particular offense seems out of place alongside three of the Ten Commandments, the related φάρμακος describes the Egyptian magicians in the Septuagint (Exod 7:11; 9:11). Sorcerers or magicians are among those consigned to the Lake of Fire in Revelation 21:8 and 22:15.
The Old Testament often associated sorcery and idolatry. For example, 2 Kings 9:22, Jehu says there can be no peace in Israel because of the many “the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel.” Magicians are associated with sexual immorality in some Second Temple literature. For example, in the Testament of Reuben 4.9 Egyptian woman used magicians and potions for him to entrap Joseph sexually.
In the Temple Scroll idolatry and magic are abominations which will result in exile:
11Q19 Col. lx:17-20 Among you there should not be found anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass 18 through fire, anyone who practices divination, astrologers, sorcerers, wizards, anyone who performs incantations, anyone who consults a spirit 19 or oracles or anyone who questions the dead; because all those who do these things are an abomination to me. 20 And owing to these abominations I shall dispossess them before you.
I suggest the immediate context of idolatry and sexual immorality is participation in festivals and banquets honoring Roman gods, perhaps even the imperial cult. The letters to the seven churches often warned believers to repent (2:5 (2x); 2:16; 2:21, 22; 3:3; 3:19). In the case of Thyatira (2:18-28), the use of Jezebel clearly associates idolatry and immorality, as in 2 Kings 9:22, “the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel.”
That the people of the earth refuse to repent after the sixth trumpet is consistent with the sixth seal. Rather than repent, the people of the earth call on the rocks and mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. Greg Beale draws a parallel to the conclusion of the plagues in Egypt, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Revelation, 517). He argues there is a “theological purpose” to these warnings, God is providing sufficient opportunities for repentance so that he may demonstrate his sovereignty and justice when he finally judges those who are not sealed by God when the seventh trumpet sounds (11:18).
Like the plagues on the Egyptians in Exodus, the plagues in Revelation 7-9 are not evangelistic. They are fair warnings by the sovereign God that final judgment is coming soon even if the ones who are warned are have no interested in repenting.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
they don’t know how…have hardened hard against goodness of God and don’t believe …can’t change mind…don’t believe they are forgiven…/accept forgiveness..
There are many people today who refuse to repent. Is that because they do not properly know how? Or do they not want grace? I feel like this answer varies across the board. It is also common for people to avoid repenting as they think they can fix the sin on their own. They think they can become righteous at their own attempt when we know it is only God who can make it right. If we repent, God will forgive us. This is the only answer. Repenting cannot be avoided. Repenting is not always easy. Many prideful people struggle with it. It is hard for people to admit that they were wrong and to have to ask God for forgiveness. It is essential for our salvation though as Christians. Oftentimes, repenting is not a time for cheer and praise. It is time to admit your wrongdoings and lay it all out in front of God. He already knows what you did, but it is up to you to ask for forgiveness. Many people like to avoid their problems which results in being dishonest with yourself and with God. The only person that it affects is yourself. What if God will not forgive us? He does. Time and time again, God forgives us. God is so gracious and so kind. He is a loving and forgiving God. I also once read an interesting article about how our identity is within our sin. I cannot remember where it came from but it talked about how sometimes people see themselves and categorize themselves with their sin. For example, if you drink, then it get associated with being an alcoholic. People struggle with this. That is why confrontation and repenting does not come easy. Some people do not know who they are within sin. That is sad to say but very true. The last idea that came to mind was that some of our sins may not be seen as a sin. What we think is right and wrong is different from what others believe and what God tells us is right and wrong. Ultimately, we do know that God’s way and law is the only right way and we must obey Him at all costs. God loves us no matter what. He loves and forgives. Simply, just go to God and lay it all out and just ask Him to forgive you. It will work. You just have to have patience, time, and faith.
Amid the people’s refusal to repent in Revelation 9:20-21, we see God’s mercy shine through. It may not seem like it at first, but just by mentioning that they would not repent makes it clear that God was giving them another chance to do so (9:20). Their unrepentance was not out of ignorance, God gave plenty of evidence as we can see in the previous verses. You (P. Long) compare chapters 7-9 with the plagues on Egypt in Exodus. You say that both are warnings “even if the ones who are warned … have no [interest] in repenting”. God’s abundant mercy, even for those who do not wish to repent, is seen in other places in the Bible as well, including the story of Sodom in chapters 18-19 of Genesis. In the story, injustice in the city is abundant, and God has mercy on those who are suffering. However, God says that he will not destroy the city if at least ten righteous people can be found. This, too, displays God’s mercy. Even destroying the city is an act of mercy for those who were suffering, and God is merciful in allowing Lot to escape with his daughters. Even though we may not see it at first, God’s mercy shines through even in passages where he is punishing those who are against him.
Idolatry was a common theme throughout the Bible. The people who were created by God, with the purpose of to serve God on this earth, constantly decided to put other things above God. I believe that this is still a theme to ring true in the world today. People demonstrate the act of serving idols in the world today by putting things such as other people, sports, habits. I believe that really anything that is being put above the Lord is considered idolatry. According to the blog post idols are considered to be things that are crafted by men that cannot do anything, pretty much things that do not have a true purpose. The worship od idols is considered to be the worship of demons according to Deuteronomy 32:17 and Revelation 9:20. In Revelation, it mentions how people do not repent to the following offenses: murders, magical arts, sexual immorality, and thefts. The ironic part about the offenses that are listed is that three of the four are part of the ten commandments and the fourth one is translated to sorcery. The connection with sorcery is that the Old Testament often associated it with idolatry. The letters to the seven churches, which is written about in Revelation 2-3, frequently warned the believers to repent for their sins. Repenting also has a connection to the trumpets that are played in Revelation. By the time of the sixth trumpet, it is warned that people are to repent. God provides opportunity after opportunity throughout the Bible—and throughout our daily lives in the modern world–for people to repent, but there is a time that that chance is no longer open (when the seventh trumpet sounds).
What a coincidence, while I was reading this post, I was thinking about the plagues on the Egyptians in Exodus. It reminded me that Pharaoh would not let the people go. It relates to refusing to repent. I could not understand why Pharaoh did not want to let the people go, it sounded like he owned them like human trafficking but different. I see why God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The people that refuse to repent are those that don’t allow the Holy Spirit to work on them which leads to feeding their flesh. The antichrist will do anything to deceive the people because he can imitate the Lord. Any miracles that he will do are through Satan. Those who have accepted the Savior in their hearts will not tell the difference. I can think if the person’s conscience had been seared with a hot iron, and no sensitivity toward the Holy One. Men will have pain, feel miserably, they will blaspheme and not repent their evil ways just like Pharaoh did. The last plague in Egypt was the death of the firstborn. Those who refuse salvation, name their own death by taking the mark of the beast by choosing their punishment of worshiping a false god. The plagues are there because mankind refuses the goodness in heaven and what is left for them is punishment. I just have trouble understanding why people refuse to repent and do not want to believe it. I would want to repent and see on the other side of what the Lord has in store for me.
Sometimes revelation can be a hard book to understand if it is not interpreted in the correct context. The imagery throughout the book is a really interesting way of using literary devices in order to make a point. In relation to this the idea that the plagues in Revelation 7-9 and similar to the plagues on the Egyptians is a great comparison to give an even stronger understanding to this section of revelation. I rember learning a lot about the plagues on the Egyptians when I was younger, so the idea that they are similar to what is being referenced and written about in Revelation 7-9 was helpful. In addition to that the issue of repentance is a common theme in society today and something that is easily understandable for the way it is represented among the world. I am curious if the reasons people choose not to repent today are the same as the subjects in the book of revelation? What does this look like and why is it? It would be really interesting to find out the relation between the two.
These judgments are yet another example of the grace and mercy of God which some may perceive as His wrath or anger. Divine punishment in scripture seems to be done like a good parent disciplining their child in order to help them see the truth rather than a bad parent disciplining out of anger. Beale seems correct in his connecting of the plagues of Egypt to the plagues of Revelation and their ultimate outcome. Some who reject God will only be hardened by plagues and suffering, but they have no excuse. The plagues serve as warnings, and if the people’s hearts remain hardened through the warnings, then their rejection of the Lord is final and will result in judgment, as written in Proverbs 28:13-14.
This is why we should not “follow our hearts” as we are often told to do by secular culture. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that the heart is desperately wicked. To follow the heart would be to continually fall into sin. However, Ezekiel 36:26 says that the Lord will give us a new heart and a new spirit, and we will be able to follow Him more fully.
I like the point made at the end of this blog post. You stated: ” God is providing sufficient opportunities for repentance so that he may demonstrate his sovereignty and justice when he finally judges those who are not sealed by God when the seventh trumpet sounds.” I like how this reiterates the fact that everything God does is for His own honor and glory. Even when it comes to us and the way God choosing to do the thing He does, it is to reveal characteristics and attributes of Himself. It is never about us at all and completely about His revealing Himself and showing His power through His own plan in His timing. The book of Revelation is all about God showing Himself as all authoritative and Him as King in His glory and power. I think this last statement sums up that even the things that God gives to us (like the opportunity to repent, the resources, talents, etc) is because He will use that for Himself at some point and for His plan.
It is interesting to see how the Bible also parallels with the hardening of eh hearts in Egypt and the hardening of hearts in Revelation. Like this blog post mentioned, the heart of pharaoh but gave him multiple opportunities to repent first. The people in Revelation are given multiple opportunities as well to repent, but they do not. God uses both situations though to display His power and authority, ultimately bringing glory to His name.
The question of “why do the people not repent” is one that has plagued my mind for a great deal of time? I am not sure that we can come up with a correct universal answer for all mankind. But I am grateful that professor Long took the time to write about this issue because it is something that is on the minds and within discourse amongst many believers. I can second the thoughts of the testament of Judah of the deep grief felt by those who serve idols and other gods and participate in evil and their lack of repentance.
It is so clear in the word that for us to be saved their needs to be repentance. And in revelation there is such a lack of it. This is also something that makes me think that we are in or near the end of days because there is such a lack of repentance and rather a twisted justification of/for sins in our current day and age. We have to be aware and on the lookout for these signs and prepare our hearts for Christ’s return.
In revelation it is only confirmed that God is a God of grace and mercy but also of punishment, justice, and consequence. We see God rightly when we see all of him rather than only recognizing the grace and mercy pieces. Seeing God rightly will help us to better prepare and understand for the end of days and for judgement.
In a world where there are so many people who refuse to repent, you wonder what most of the reasons for this are. I wonder if a lot of these people did not want to repent in the time that is talked about in Revelation simply because they did not know better, in a world where it was normal and actually encouraged to mix religions. Thus many of the people who repented in this time may have been mixing their original paganism with this new Christianity because the more gods the better right? But they did not fully understand that to be fully with Christ you have to give up your past life. It is interesting to think about the many people that have not repented today, even hearing the Gospel. A lot of it may have to do with the many controversies surrounding Christianity and the Bible and they do not want to be seen as not accepting and one sided.There are so many people who disagree with the Bible and what it has to say because of what the world says, and they think that all Christians are the TV version that are awful to unbelievers and sinners, but truth is most Christians understand that we are all sinners and that we all need Jesus. To do this we have to change our worldview to that of Christ. But many may not come simply out of spite, they want to believe that they don’t need a god to help them because they are doing fine in life one their own.
The overall question to “Why do people refuse to repent” is a a million dollar question. There are “Christians” that are strong in their faith and from one day to the next they walk away from God. We can make many assumptions as to why but at the end of the day only God knows the answer. I believe that majority of the unbelievers only see the materialistic things like money, cars, houses and other pleasures. They don’t want to believe that there’s a God who created everything including their existence. Revelations 7-9, goes through the seven last plagues that correlate with the plagues in Exodus. The Egyptians were punished because they refused to let the Israelites be freed. There are people that are chained up by their sin and it is not allowing them to be freed. But they will remain chained up until they accept Jesus as their Savior. God has been gracious enough to allow people time to repent. One day that grace will be gone and He will punish those that have not repented.
Why Do People Refuse to Repent? This is not just a question that is limited to Revelation 9:20-21, it is a question that can be found several times throughout the entirety of scripture. The tension between God and man created by sin has been an issue since the fall, all the way back at creation. But in the context of this particular chapter of Revelation, I believe the refusal to repent here has significant implications and is a great question worth answering. Perhaps this is a section that which we as readers can draw parallels with modern-day society. People in America today are more self-centered and self-seeking than ever before in human history, and we as Christians are not immune to this. When there exists a society where people can convince themselves that all their needs can be met by wealth, status, and quality of life, then perhaps that does not exist a need or desire in their hearts to repent. That is why we as believers must strive to fight against the flesh and sinful nature to live into the selfless, wondrous life that Christ has called us to. If we’re wise, we will repent and seek forgiveness from Christ.
I believe some refuse to repent because they are bitter and angry at God for putting them through the plagues and this emotion is a barrier to true forgiveness. Also some are jealous of those he has saved thinking those with faith got “lucky”, and some do not worship him as God but view him as a dictator which is a twisted idea that comes from an evil soul.
Once you accept Jesus your spiritual sin debt is paid, those who haven’t are under the Old Testament laws and try to use good deeds to outweigh bad. This is a spiritual system that feeds their soul something that’s taken me years of study and prayer to understand but you need to think spiritually not physically.
Believers souls are fed by ‘the river of flowing waters’, so aren’t under the law but grace. Famine is happening now but it’s on a spiritual level. Evil elites like Gates etc use charities to offset their sin debt. It is like a deceitful karmic trick. Many that do it but I think they will pay the price at the end for it because you can’t trick God. Also showing you the truth through predictive programming in movies/tv shows they believe offsets karmic debt instead of lying but many people don’t take it seriously. If they give millions of dollars to charity they believe they can commit evil deeds like rituals and get around Gods anger(His fire). “We didn’t start the fire – Billy Joel”.
The ones who are still asleep to the spiritual reality don’t believe in God so don’t repent. They still could go either way. Most are becoming aware though of God I’ve noticed since 2020 on a massive scale.
The more plagues they go through and the more they sin the harder their heart gets hence some high up secret society members have no emotion when doing rituals that are horrific. Others also are ashamed and think they can’t get forgiven so condemn themselves already as they don’t know Gods word. I’ve recently spoken to friends who never believed in God and laughed about it for years but now all of a sudden they seem to have a knowing he exists, but when I tell them how to get saved they still won’t repent and accept Jesus’ sacrifice.
I’m now praying for God to soften their hearts and have mercy upon them. Also to remove or bind any strongmen that may be blocking their ability to call out to Jesus. Demon possession effects a persons will and beliefs of the unbeliever. Jordan Peels movie ‘Get Out’ is about demonic possession. The floor represents the subconscious mind. His other movie ‘Us’ is also about the demons that possess some unbelievers minds, they’re evil copies that come from underground(hell) and replace them.
We’re told in the bible to tread on scorpions and snakes and have authority to order evil spirits out of people in Jesus’ name, but your faith must not waiver!
That said the Father must ultimately draw them but we as vessels of his spirit can play a part through prayer.
In Revelation 9:20-21, we are confronted with a poignant portrayal of human nature in the face of divine judgment. Despite experiencing calamities and plagues, a significant portion of humanity stubbornly refuses to repent of their sins. This passage prompts us to reflect on the complexities surrounding repentance and the various factors that may hinder individuals from embracing spiritual change. One of the primary obstacles to repentance highlighted in these verses is the allure of idolatry. Despite witnessing the consequences of their actions, many people remain ensnared by false gods and idols, unable or unwilling to break free from their grip. This attachment to idolatry blinds individuals to the need for repentance and prevents them from fully embracing the truth of God’s sovereignty. The passage lists a range of sinful behaviors that individuals refuse to repent of, including murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft. This highlights the profound influence of sin and the human propensity to persist in wickedness even in the face of divine judgment. Despite experiencing the repercussions of their actions, many people remain entrenched in their sinful ways, demonstrating a hardened heart unwilling to acknowledge wrongdoing and seek forgiveness. Spiritual blindness also emerges as a significant barrier to repentance in Revelation 9:20-21. The reference to worshiping demons suggests a state of deception or ignorance that prevents individuals from recognizing the need to repent and turn to the true God. This spiritual blindness clouds their judgment and distorts their understanding of divine truth, making repentance seem unnecessary or unattainable.
I think that the idea of repenting is a idea that is seen as simple but in reality is very complex. To truly repent, one has to be actually sorry for doing wrong and have a desire to be better. I don’t remember the verses but I do recall that Bible says that not all those who claim to be Christians are truly Christians. The articles brings up Egypt because the Plagues in Revelation are similar to the ten Plagues in Exodus, I would like call attention to the Pharoh, he saw the chaos that the plagues and still chose to refuse, we seen a similar happening with the kings and people, both refuse to change their ways even when given clear warning of what is to come. I think that both events tells of the nature of humanity, humans for years have denied God what He deserved. Refusing to change is a common fact of the sinful nature of man, both times the rejection of the true is because of Pride. I truly believe that the reason why so many people have refused to repent and those who will refuse is because of our pride and desire to be right.
The question of why people refuse to repent is an interesting one. In Revelation 9:20-21, the remaining people refused to change their ways. Rev. 9:20-21 says, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” The people did not want to repent and give up their ways regardless of them knowing that what they were doing was wrong. So, why do people refuse to repent? At the end of the day, I think it comes down to control. Repentance, by definition, is the act of confessing one’s sins to God and turning from their old ways. However, repentance and changing one’s ways is not easy to do, especially in today’s society. In today’s world, it is easier to go along with the crowd, which means a person will continue on in their sinful ways without thinking about repenting. The people in Revelation were no exception to this. They continued worshiping demons and idols and they remained in their wicked ways. It is weird to read Revelation 9 and to realize that mankind has not evolved as much as we think. People today are still worshiping their own idols and following their own fleshly desires.
Looking at these verses I feel like it can often be asked of how these people could just keep on going without even thinking about repenting before the Lord. Plagues and judgements have been poured out on the earth and still they do not even care to turn towards repentance (Rev. 9:20). I often think of how strange it is that these people would still turn to false idols and not to the Lord. It is clear as day that prophesy of the Bible is being fulfilled and yet nothing. This is not something that I would think is new for us living today. We see all over the. Internet people who truly have no reverence towards God at all. They openly mock him and do things to protest him. It is truly something terrifying and reminds me of what is going on in this scripture. God is all around and yet we see people openly reject him. Another aspect that I think shows Gods love is that this sixth trumpet is in a series of warnings for those not saved. God is giving multiple chances for the people to repent before the last trumpet sounds and the end comes (Rev 11:18). Revelation is about the end of times but also, I believe to be a beautiful testament of who God is. There are so many warnings and chances for those who want to accept. It truly is those who want nothing to do with him that are left, ignorant of the consequences of their choices. It is not a lack of God trying in this section of scripture but a lack of us as humans choosing to step out of our own idol worshipping ways.
A lot of people are in denial and don’t want to acknowledge that they have sinned, done evil things, and need to repent. Some simply feel comfortable about sinning and don’t appear to care, while others believe that their evil deeds are typical and not at all awful. In Revelation 9:20–21, it says, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” When it comes to breaking God’s commandments, such as idolatry, murder, and adultery, people in the time of Jesus would not repent and would instead keep committing the same sins repeatedly without showing compassion. This is similar to how people today have evil in their hearts and will pay a price for their transgressions if they do not turn from their sins in order to receive the forgiveness that is only available through faith in Jesus. Sin is a part of being human, but when we give our lives to Christ, He transforms our hearts, souls, and minds. Our thoughts then become His thoughts, and our feelings become His feelings. God changes us and helps us in our development into His likeness when we sincerely ask Him to do so. He changes us and gives us the tools we need to live lives that exalt His name. We cannot truly emulate Jesus in our lives on our own. However, when we turn from our sins and surrender our lives to Him, He takes away our old selves, renews our minds and spirits, and creates new creatures in us. This is not to say that we will never sin; rather, it means that when we do sin and feel bad about it, we can turn to Him in humility and He will forgive us of our transgressions, casting them into the depths of the sea and forgetting about them forever. Dr. Long provided a valuable perspective by drawing a connection between the six trumpets and the six seals. He said that since people on earth choose to hide rather than repent, they will not be destroyed. God is still merciful to the earth, releasing humanity for their transgressions out of compassion and a desire to see no one perish. The ones who choose not to turn from their sins will perish eternally when God’s grace runs out (Long, 2020).
In Revelation 9:20-21 people on earth refuse to repent after the six trumpets. The people on earth ask for the mountains to protect them from the judgment and the creator. This is a common theme of idolatry that is show throughout the entire bible. The people on earth neglect the creator and praise the creation. During this time, God is offering ways out of this judgment through repentance. However, the hard heart of man refuses to repent and turn from their sins. Because of this the justice of God is administered to these people on earth in the seventh trumpet. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21 ESV). This passage explains the sins that they are committing. Although they are being punished, they do not repent. There is a clear reality that the people on earth have succumb to the ways of the devil and do not intend to turn to the Lord. This blog post does an excellent job at exposing the historical connection to the Old Testament idolatry and the hardness of hearts then compared to when Revelation nine unfolds. The story of sin is always repeating itself and will always be judged according to the standard of God.
The conclusion to Revelation 9 is truly tragic. Though there are plagues of hail, plagues that kill one third of the sea life and turn one third of the sea to blood, plagues that turn one third of the drinking water bitter and many other plagues, the response by the people is tragic (Rev. 8:7-12). Instead of listening to these obvious signs that judgement has come because of their actions, those who have survived the plagues will not repent and turn away from their works (Rev. 9:20-21). Sadly, the story of humanity is one of unrepentance and the desire to ignore God and go our own way. There is a lot in common between those who have survived the plagues and Pharaoh. Pharaoh, though he was presented with these plagues, did not let Israel go, but rather ignored God (Ex. 18:19). Those in Revelation are doing the exact same thing as Pharaoh. This problem can also be seen in the history of Israel. There are many different examples of this. A specfic example is God telling Ezekiel that the people will not listen to him because their hearts are hard (Ezek. 3:7). Even during Jesus’ ministry they did not listen (John. 8:43-47). The plagues that are presented in Revelation 9 “Unlike the first four trumpet plagues, these latter directly target the human world…” (Boxall, 2019, p. 87). The trumpets are not a hidden judgement but are obviously seen by the entire world. Revelation 9:20-21 is a cumulation of humanities history of unrepentance, though God has presented everyone with the opportunity to repent and turn to him.
reading the passage in Revelation 9 really revealed how wicked the heart of those people, it was very sad to see how the people of that land nearly lost everything but still had harden hearts and refused to repent. stories such as pharaoh who had experienced famine,the loss of people and plagues because of his harden heart reveals that this isn’t something new and wont be the last time we see it.(Ex 8). I think these example just show how stubborn and hell bent on power we as a people can be, in most people head the act that was done would make you want to repent for example ” (revelation 9:18-19) third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. this alone is freighting but I think it reveals how much men had fallen in love with sin, on the contrary I believe that this is also what we see in today’s time, Sin is powerful, and has a hold on our people. Most importantly in all of human kinds disobedient I think it shows how God is a just God but a merciful God. In the time he spent punishing those people he could of easily killed everyone but he spared others showing them Grace. in all I think that this is the biggest message of this passage, which is the love of God still shining through even through the people of that land had harden hearts.
I think the people in Egypt and Pharoh are great examples of how people would not repent of anything no matter what has happened. Like for them the river turned to blood and boils, and even a thunderstorm of fire and hail. It sounds a lot like some of the plagues that are going to happen during Revelation. For the Egyptians, it took for every family there to lose their firstborn son to give up the Jewish people. For us, we can think any family member that would die would be devastating, but during that time the firstborn son was unbelievably important. For that family the firstborn son was everything. God needed his people out of Egypt and so he did what it took because “Pharoh’s heart was hardened” and so God knew that it was the only thing that was going to get his people out of Egypt. The sad part about Revelation is that for the people who continue to refuse to repent, he is not looking to save them from the earth. He wants them to be saved because they are his creation, but he wants us to keep our free will and it would not be free will if he forced everyone to “be saved”. I know I don’t have to read the Bible to find stubborn people beyond “correction”. I can look at the world around me and even see people like “Karens” who are totally and completely in the wrong yet they will die on the post they stand on so that they can be right. The sad part is that usually, it isn’t about eternal things that they are stubborn about. It’s if their coupon gets accepted or not. I can’t even imagine how hard your heart would have to be to see all of the things happening across the earth and more than likely the rapture has happened by this point and yet they still stand there and refuse to believe and repent in God.
Those who refuse to repent, even after losing everything and witnessing God’s wrath, are mostly likely in denial or simply refusing to believe they were in the wrong about the things they have been doing. In the biblical texts, idolatry is mostly associated with “things (that are) crafted by men that cannot do anything (Ps 115:5-7; 1 Cor 10: 20)” (Long, 2018, para. 1). For instance, the first mention of an idol worshiped specifically by the Israelites was in Exodus 32:1-6 when Aaron crafted a golden calf for them to worship after getting out of Egypt. God noticed their sin and informed Moses, who was on Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 commandments at the time. When Moses came down he broke the stone tablets in his fury and sadness upon seeing the altar to the golden calf. What I find interesting is when you bring up that, “Standing on the foundation of texts like Deuteronomy 32:17, Revelation 9:20 says the worship of idols is the worship of demons” (Long, 2018, para. 1). At first, when I think about idols and the worship of them, I think of them being empty vessels based on folklore and mythology that have no reason or grounds to verify their true existence. I never thought of idols as demons, but, then again, in today’s world an idol is something you give more attention to than you do God, or at least what has more sway and control over you, such as a phone, social media, electronics, books (other than the Bible), work, and so forth. The demons tempt us with worldly things, and an idol is a worldly thing. Thus, if we worship a worldly item then we are essentially worshiping demons at the same time, giving them power over us when we should be giving that power over to God. Additionally, when the people hide from the wrath of God, it reminds me of when Adam and Eve hid from God when they ate from the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). The book of Revelation seems to be the conclusion of a typical essay, referencing all of these books and events that happened in the narratives of the books of the Bible, and then compiling it into the future. It feels like it is saying history repeats itself; without God, wrath will fall upon you and your sins will be judged; with God, and your sins will be judged and you will be welcomed in Heaven—though this is with the implication that God (your faith) is present in your heart, mind, soul, and actions. It is also a neat way to wrap everything up, leaving behind a footprint of information to dwell upon, while also addressing how much is not yet complete, that the story is not finished until Jesus comes again.
Repentance is one of the most important things we as Christians can do. Repentance to God brings us closer to him and through Jesus we are able to not only repent for our sins but also be forgiven for them as well. But repentance is also one of the hardest things to do because as sinful humans we are very prideful and stuck in our own ways. God is a merciful and forgiving God but there are times throughout the bible where God decides that enough is enough. A good example of this would be the flood in Genesis. God says to Noah in Genesis 6:13 “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” This is one of the times throughout the bible where we see God take direct action against the world and its sin. One of my favorite things about the story comes from Genesis 6:18 where God even though he is upset with humanity and seeks to wipe them out he is faithful to Noah who loved God and walked with him. God despite his anger said to Noah, ‘’But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you’’. This to me is why God is so worthy of praise and why we should repent to him because he will always be faithful to us if we choose to walk in his light.