The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts, (9:20-21).
The Silence is over. And the trumpets are blasting. “In OT times the trumpet served to announce important events and give signals of war. The seven trumpets in Rev 8—9; 11:15-19 announce a series of plagues more severe than the seals but not as completely devastating as the bowls (ch.16),” NIV Study Bible.
And after the supernatural upheaval of the natural created order that ushered in the Silence, the deafening roar of His Wrath explodes once more. And it really is beyond our ability to fathom that it can possibly get any worse. And yet it does.
There was hail and fire mixed with blood (8:7), a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea (8:8), a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch (8:10), a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened (8:12), and an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” (8:13).
But there are still the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets that have yet to be sounded; trumpets of “woe, woe, woe” to all those remaining on earth, beginning with the fifth trumpet and the opening of the bottomless pit that unleashes the unfettered powers of hell.
Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit, (9:1-2).
And so horrific are the plagues that death would be a welcomed, yet unattainable, relief.
And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them, (9:6).
But there will be those who bear the Seal of the Living God on their foreheads and are protected from the torturous sting of the demonic powers.
They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, (9:4).
Next, the sixth trumpet sounds; and this colossal, otherworldly army, prepared according to His time, marches forth to kill a third of mankind
And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths, (9:15-18).
And as my head was swimming at the thought of the widespread desolation and destruction, comes a repeat! And we know how significant His repeats are in Scripture. Twice, it is pointed out that the rest of mankind did NOT Repent. And since there were those who refused to Repent, that means that even up to this point, at the end of the sixth trumpet, He will continue to offer His Refuge. And as we tune our ears to hear, in each trumpet blast we will hear the sound of His voice Calling those “who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads,” to Repent and Come Into His Refuge!
And yes, there is much to ponder of the trumpets blasting forth the signals of His Wrath, but so much more to consider in His Heart of Mercy and Grace Calling. And even for those who repeatedly resisted, rejected, and refused His invitation, He continues to extend His Grace as He repeatedly Calls the rebellious to Come Into His Refuge.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts, (9:20-21).
Consider His Call to Repent and Come Into His Refuge
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from the powers of hell
- He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit, (9:2).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from the rule of the enemy
- They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon, (9:11).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from eternal death
- A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths, (9:18).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from the plague of sin
- The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues… (9:20).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from the works of our hands
- …did not repent of the works of their hands… (9:20).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from demonic idolatry
- …so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk, (9:20).
- He Calls us to Repent and Come Into His Refuge from all immorality and evil
- and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts, (9:21).
How do we respond to His Call to Repent and Come Into His Refuge?
Our English definition of this word, repent, always carries the idea of feeling sorrow and regret for some wrongdoing that moves us to seek forgiveness. That is one part, but not the whole. Biblically, repentance means to change directions between two trajectories that are diametrically opposed. We can either continue on the path headed straight into the woes of His Wrath or we can turn and head in the opposite direction, straight into His Refuge.
Today is a day to consider the trajectory of life. In which direction are we headed?
And He has told us there is only One Way to Come Into His Refuge… His Name is Jesus.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).
He has also told us His heart for mankind is that none would perish but all would answer His Call to Repent and Come Into His Refuge.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9).
But we must never presume upon His patience. For while we don’t know when, He has told us He has fixed That Day when the Wrath of the Lamb will fall on those who refuse His proof in the Resurrected Christ and refuse to Repent and Come Into His Refuge. For on That Day, only those who bear the Seal of the Living God will be spared.
Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31).
They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, (9:4).
Do we have the assurance that we have been marked and Sealed by His Holy Spirit through faith in the Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ? The Bible says that we can have that assurance as we respond to His message of Truth, turn to Him for salvation and Repent and Come Into His Refuge for all eternity.
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13).
But His Call to Repent is also not a one-time occurrence. Let us learn from our time in the prophecy of this book that we would seek to live in a way that is pleasing to Him Who Is Holy, Holy, Holy. And when we fail, let us be quick to answer His Call to Repent that we would confess our sins and Come Into His Refuge from the defilement of our sin and receive His forgiveness and cleansing.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, (1 John 1:9).
Let us turn our ears to hear and our hearts to obey, ever seeking to follow His direction for our life. Oh, that we would daily answer His Call to Repent and Come Into His Refuge that we would remain in His Refreshing Presence until That Day.
But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (Acts 3:18-19).