What is the meaning of Revelation 9:21? Furthermore, they did not repent • Even after the terrifying trumpet judgments (Revelation 9:13-20), the survivors cling to sin instead of turning to God. • Revelation 16:9 and 16:11 show the same hard-hearted response during later plagues, underscoring a pattern of stubborn rebellion. • Romans 2:4-5 reminds that refusing God’s kindness stores up wrath; Revelation 14:6-7 shows He still calls the world to repentance in the midst of judgment. • The verse teaches that judgment alone cannot soften a heart; only humble submission to Christ brings true change (2 Peter 3:9). Of their murder • Murder violates the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13) and strikes at the image of God in humanity (Genesis 9:6). • Jesus connected anger and hatred with murder (Matthew 5:21-22); 1 John 3:15 states, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.” • Revelation 21:8 lists murderers among those facing the lake of fire, showing how seriously God views the taking of life. • The end-times world will be marked by escalating violence, yet many will remain unrepentant. Sorcery • Sorcery involves seeking power or insight from occult sources rather than God (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). • Acts 8:9-24 and 19:19 reveal how the gospel confronts occult practices and calls practitioners to repentance. • Galatians 5:20 lists sorcery among “works of the flesh,” warning that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. • Revelation 21:8 and 22:15 place sorcerers outside the New Jerusalem, emphasizing the incompatibility of occultism with faith in Christ. Sexual immorality • The term covers all sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage. Exodus 20:14 commands, “You shall not commit adultery.” • 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 calls believers to flee immorality because the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. • Ephesians 5:3 says “sexual immorality or any impurity… must not even be named among you.” • Revelation 14:8 links rampant immorality with end-times Babylon, showing how sexual sin characterizes a world in rebellion against God. And theft • Stealing breaks the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15). Jesus affirmed the heart behind it when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). • Ephesians 4:28 urges the thief to “steal no longer, but rather work… so that he may share with the one in need,” highlighting transformation that accompanies repentance. • 1 Corinthians 6:10 warns that thieves will not inherit the kingdom unless they are washed, sanctified, and justified in Jesus (v. 11). • Persistent theft in Revelation 9:21 reveals a society that refuses to acknowledge God’s ownership of all things. summary Revelation 9:21 shows a people hardened in four blatant sins—murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft—despite overwhelming evidence of God’s power and judgment. The verse underscores humanity’s deep-seated rebellion and the necessity of genuine repentance through Christ for salvation. |
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