After all the judgments in Revelation, which include earthquakes, fiery meteors that destroy the water supply, giant meteors that wreck the world's oceans, and huge stinging locusts that look like something out of a nightmare, John adds these words:
Revelation 9:20-21 (NASB): 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; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
Imagine. People reject God, even though the Two Witnesses (about whom we'll hear in Revelation 11) prophesy; the world is being destroyed; people know the source of judgment (yes, they KNOW!):
Rev. 6:17-21(NASB): Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
But still, they will not turn to God.
So much for people not having a chance to make up their minds. In the book of Revelation, everything is clear. Nothing is obscured. The people who accept the Antichrist KNOW BETTER; they just think they can get away with their evil one more time.
It's like John is shaking his head, saying, "You gotta be kidding me! They're not repenting!"
We always assume that if people have enough knowledge, or if the message is communicated in just the right way, or if God speaks to them through signs and miracles, they will turn to Him.
Apparently not. There is apparently a very large group of people on our planet who will NEVER turn to God. They just won't.
"God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9)" but they won't repent, and will perish, because even if they know God's judgment will take them, they still won't turn to Him.
This mystifies Christians, but it should not. People make their own choices, and they have to live with them. It also goes to show that if someone truly wants to reject God, not even the Almighty can save him.
Revelation 9:20-21 (NASB): 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; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
Imagine. People reject God, even though the Two Witnesses (about whom we'll hear in Revelation 11) prophesy; the world is being destroyed; people know the source of judgment (yes, they KNOW!):
Rev. 6:17-21(NASB): Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
But still, they will not turn to God.
So much for people not having a chance to make up their minds. In the book of Revelation, everything is clear. Nothing is obscured. The people who accept the Antichrist KNOW BETTER; they just think they can get away with their evil one more time.
It's like John is shaking his head, saying, "You gotta be kidding me! They're not repenting!"
We always assume that if people have enough knowledge, or if the message is communicated in just the right way, or if God speaks to them through signs and miracles, they will turn to Him.
Apparently not. There is apparently a very large group of people on our planet who will NEVER turn to God. They just won't.
"God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9)" but they won't repent, and will perish, because even if they know God's judgment will take them, they still won't turn to Him.
This mystifies Christians, but it should not. People make their own choices, and they have to live with them. It also goes to show that if someone truly wants to reject God, not even the Almighty can save him.
