A lot could be said about the judgments accompanying the next two trumpet blasts in Revelation 9. From the nightmarish appearance of the locusts to the vast army of horsemen, it is clear that horrible times have befallen the earth.
And yet, what stands out to me is the conclusion stated in vs. 20-21: "The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent..."
Rather than humbly admit their wrongdoing before the Lord and seek His forgiveness, the men and women described in these verses dig in and adhere to the sins that had brought this judgment down upon them in the first place. They fall victim to the plight of Pharaoh during the time of the Exodus: a hardness of heart, a merciless pride, that refuses to bend under the rod of chastisement.
My thoughts on this matter are short and simple: Guard against the pride that causes us to harden our hearts in the face of the Lord's discipline. How much better to have a humble and yielding spirit before God - how much trouble for ourselves could be spared!
Yes, this is a much more...direct approach to the one we read earlier. In chapter 3 we read Jesus saying "I stand at the door and knock." Now it is like God is saying "I stand at the door and blow it off the hinges. Take notice!" And these people are still standing at the threshold blocking God's way into their hearts.
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