From my study notes …
Repentance … as preached by Jesus …
Luke 13:3 … “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
And John the Baptist before Him …
Matthew 3:2 … “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
And the Prophets before them …
Ezekiel 14:6 … “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.”
So, I am saying repentance is a decision!
Though, to be balanced, it is too a gift from God!
Acts 11:18 … “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles GRANTED repentance unto life.”
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I failed to give this exact Reference …
Repentance and Faith are fundamentally related!
Acts 20:21 … “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Is repentance for the Believer, too?
Job 42:6 … “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Revelation 3:19 … “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
I say … YES!
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In our short Text, just two verses, we are told twice about the fact that mankind refuses to repent! Revelation 9:20-21 …
“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 their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
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In case you missed these facts …
Three times we find “vice lists” in Revelation … Paul uses these too! (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, for example.)
Three occurrences in Revelation …
Revelation 9:20 … “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: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
Revelation 21:8 … “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Revelation 22:15-16 … “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
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The Lord values repentance so highly that He has devoted several whole chapters (Psalms) to illustrating it, teaching it to our minds and hearts!
Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 come to mind!
There are others, often called the “Penitential Psalms.”
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I briefly mentioned this fact. Here are the details …
Beginning with our current Text … Revelation 9:20 … the noun “plagues” (as plural) occurs 10 times in Revelation (plus twice more in the singular)! Twelve times in all!
Revelation 9:20 … “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these PLAGUES yet repented not of the works of their hands …”
Then in Revelation 11:6 (in reference to the Two Witnesses), 15:1 and 6 and 8, Revelation 16:9, 18:4 and 8, Revelation 21:9 and 22:18! The singular occurrences are both in Revelation 16:21.
Wow!
Things (these judgments) are intensifying!
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Notice that God gives the opportunity “to hear” before He ever allows harness of heart!
Hebrews 4:7 … “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will HEAR his voice, harden not your hearts.”
Which is quoting Psalm 95:7-9 … “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will HEAR his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.”
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Watch the linkage between mere idols and actuals devils, demons …
Psalm 106:36-37 … “And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils … “
Pretty clear!
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But, better yet, watch the video class …
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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