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:
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of
their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21
John saw, in a vision, a time when awful
judgment would come on the earth and
a third of man would be killed. This judg-
ment would come on those who rebelled
against God. On those who worshipped
demons. And on those who loved in sin.
John was amazed at the results of these
terrible events. Most people still refuse
to change.
Why wouldn't these survivors be humbled
and overwhelmed by the devastation they
witnessed?
How could they not see that this judgment
was the result of their sin and unbelief? Or
their rejection of God? Or their acceptance
of idolatry? How could they not help but
believe in God and turn to Him?
Yet the Bible tells us that those who lived
"did not repent of the works of their hands."
They were stubborn and refused to change.
This is prophetic of the events to come. It
also gives a picture of the hearts of people
throughout history.
Before they entered the Promise Land,
God told the Israelites that they were
"a stubborn people" [Deuteronomy 9:6].
Later, God sent Ezekiel to "stubborn and
obstinate children? [Ezekiel 2:4]
He told Jeremiah how "this people has a
stubborn and rebellious heart" [Jeremiah
5:33].
And that the generations to come would
not be rebellious like their fathers [Psalm
78:8].
Today, many unbelievers are just as stub-
born. They need to experience a relation-
ship with God!
