“The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood— idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).
Sometimes we wonder why God postpones His judgment against wickedness. He will certainly bring judgment against sin in every form but He is waiting to do that. The reason He postpones His judgment is made clear in this passage. It won’t bring these unbelievers to repentance.
This is an age of grace. It is characterized by God’s kindness and patience. The apostle Paul wrote, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4) God’s kindness leads us to repentance. His judgment is reserved for those who refuse to repent. God will judge sin, but now He has chosen, in His kindness and grace, to bring salvation to those who do not believe in Jesus. For believers, our judgment against sin has already taken place. Our sin was judged on the Cross.
There has been a tendency of human nature throughout history to divert worship from God to other “things.” The unbelievers in this chapter cling to their idolatries. The Old Testament provides a penetrating analysis of the futility of worshiping anything other than our God. Isaiah described a woodcutter chopping down a tree. “Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.’ From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me! You are my god!’ ” (Isaiah 44:16-17).
The message of the book of Revelation isn’t that complicated. It teaches us to place our trust in Jesus. In Him our salvation and eternal destinies are guaranteed. Judgment is coming! However, believers have already been judged at the Cross and declared not guilty. Jesus will triumph over evil and corruption. By believing in Him we will stand secure in our eternal destination when that happens.
