"But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood – idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21
The Revelation of Jesus Christ very vividly describes the consequences that will come to a world disobedient and indifferent to their Creator…the infinitely Almighty God. Chapters 8 and 9 document further judgment on the earth and its people. Seven trumpets are to be sounded by seven angels, each trumpet bringing a different catastrophe. A third of the earth is set afire, a third of the seas become blood, a third of all living things in the sea perish, a third of ships at sea are destroyed, a third of the sea becomes so bitter that many people die drinking it, a third of the sun moon and stars becomes dark, and a third of every day and night become dark as well. An eagle soars through the air warning of pending terror when the last three trumpets are blown.
The first of these final trumpets bring locusts up from the bottomless pit but these are no ordinary locusts. Instead of harming the plants, grass or trees, these locusts are given the ability to sting like scorpions and are ordered to plague all who do not bear God’s seal for five months. The stings of the locusts were tempered so they would not be fatal. Rather, those attacked would be under such affliction that they wish they would be put to death rather than continue to suffer. But this wasn’t as bad as it would get.
For the sixth trumpet is sounded and four angels are released from the Euphrates River to kill one third of all people on earth. They would lead an army of 200 million to carry out the task, many riding horses who spewed fire, smoke, and burning sulfur from their mouths to kill the prescribed one third. All this and there was one final trumpet to be sounded.
Now given everything above, you would think that the entire world would be cowering in fear and willing to do whatever God required of them to spare their lives. But that’s not what happened. Our passage today states that those who "did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds." That’s simply amazing to me but then again, creation has turned from God since the very inception of sinfulness in the Garden of Eden. Since then, Satan has continued to convince countless numbers to follow his desires and the desires of their hearts vice be obedient to the God who created Him. We would call these people stubborn and foolish; Jesus called them stiff-necked. Regardless, they are destined for destruction short of turning from their sins and repenting.
Question: Do you have a deep respect for what the bible says? If so, how will you fare when the trumpets sound? Will you be marked with the seal of God and spared? Or will you be one of those who are afflicted and then eventually perish, missing the opportunity to be part of God’s new creation when he hits the reset button and starts over with His faithful ones? It’s your choice.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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