END OF TIME PROPHECIES 123

The deception of the masses

"And the rest of the men which were not killed 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 the sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thefts.        Revelation 9v20-21

This is one of the saddest portions in all of the bible.   God exercises His government upon the earth, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, depending on the circumstances.   He does this to gain our attention when we are not responding to Him as we should.   Here we have the most intense judgment of God that has ever fallen on the world, which could not possibly be mistaken for anything less than the hand of God;   yet it is recorded  "they repented not."   In an almost insane response to the situation, there was no change of heart in those who were spared.   Simply put they didn't  "get it."  

Their disobedience to God in the face of the severest of punishments reveals a hardness of heart, which is hard to explain intelligently.   The summary of their behavior is that they continued in idolatry (verse 20) and they continued in immorality (verse 21).   These twin evils are fundamental to the understanding of human nature.   When I am wrong with God, I will be wrong with my fellow man and vis- versa.   Many portions teach this and in Luke chapter 10v25-28  we see the two things coming together.   The whole of the demands of God on the human race, as contained in holy scripture can be summarized in two short commandments  "love God......love your neighbor as yourself."   Other incidents of unrepentant groups are found in the book in chapters 13v15-17, 14v9,16v2,16v9,16v11.

The Holy Spirit begins with the idolatry in verse 20.    They have rejected the God of creation, despite all the evidence placed before them.   This is modern day Humanism.   Rather than acknowledging the true God they have carved out gods of their own making whether or gold or silver or stone or wood etc. and the comment here is that these gods they have made cannot see, hear or walk!   Here we have man, the highest of God's creation bowing down to inanimate objects.   The whole thing bespeaks a total lack of dignity of the human persona.   Furthermore it says they were worshipping demons.   An understanding of chapters 8&9 here would be that half the world's population have just been destroyed by demons.   They are bowing down to the very agencies that are destroying them.   The only word for such behavior would be insanity, produced by willful departure from the God who made them.  

This rejection of the true God leads to all kinds of unrighteous, unjust and selfish behavior such as is described in the rest of the bible.   In Romans chapter 1 it is made clear that what produces the unrighteous acts if verses 29-31 is the ungodliness which is explained in verses 18-28.   Men and women are unrighteous because they are ungodly, and only a right relationship with God their Maker will put that right.   In the face of such severe and overwhelming evidence it is recorded  "they repented not."   He then goes on to innumerate four aspects of evil being practiced by ungodly people.

• Murders.   The pre-meditated unlawful killing of another human being.   Human life is sacred and comes directly from the hand of God; man is created in the image of God and to take away such a life is a great evil in the sight of God.   Way back in Genesis chapter 4 where the first murder took place, in which Cain unlawfully slew his brother, the words of God are heard ringing across the ages concerning every murder and unlawful killing that has taken place "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground."   God takes a dim view of all unlawful removal of life, and when we say unlawful we do not mean unlawful in man's understanding but in God's.
• Sorceries.   The word is "pharmakeia" from which we get pharmacy.   What this is about is drug abuse, but particularly linked to the occult.  What this means is drug- fuelled contact with demons, a practice which is on the increase and which is more prevalent today than we might imagine.
• Fornications.   The word is "porneia" and refers to all forms of sexual deviancy including extra marital sex, adultery, and all homosexual activity.   God designed the precious act of sexual intercourse to be enjoyed by a couple who were joined in union, forsaking all others.  It is well known that all forms of fornications are prevalent today and will continue even in that day.
• Thefts.   The removal of possessions whether material or intellectual or spiritual from the rightful owners.   The possessions we have are God given for our own sacred use and not to be taken by others.   There are many forms of this, but it is rife today and will continue even in the face of extreme judgments from heaven  

People are prone to satanic deception much more than they would care to admit.   They ability of unseen demons to control minds and actions are manifest and will increase in the day which is to come.   Paul reminded his readers that  "the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not."  2nd Corinthians 4v4.   He spoke also of the day which we have just been describing when he said  "God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie."  2nd Thessalonians 2v11.   He sends this delusion through satanic agencies to people who have been hardened by sin.   Do not allow yourself to be deceived into to ultimate eternal punishment, which is where the unbelieving world is headed.   "the devil that deceived the was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone."   Revelation 20v10