Sermon Summary: They Did Not Repent
Revelation 9:1–21

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Main Idea:

Revelation 9 continues the trumpet judgments with terrifying images of demonic torment and mass death. Yet the most sobering reality in this passage is not the judgment itself—but humanity’s refusal to repent. Even as suffering intensifies, people cling to their sin, echoing the hardened heart of Pharaoh in the book of Exodus.

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1. The Fifth Trumpet: Demonic Torment Unleashed (vv. 1–12)

“And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth…”

• A “star” falls from heaven and is given the key to the bottomless pit—likely a spiritual being or angel.
• When the pit is opened, smoke and locust-like creatures emerge.
• These locusts are not natural—they symbolize a demonic force, sent not to destroy the earth but to torment humanity for five months.

Key Characteristics of the Locusts:

• Like warhorses, faces like humans, hair like women, teeth like lions, tails like scorpions
• Their king is Abaddon/Apollyon (meaning “Destroyer”)
• They only torment those not sealed by God—likely all unbelievers
• Their sting is so painful people long for death, but death flees from them

Big Picture:

This trumpet judgment pulls back the veil on spiritual warfare—what John sees is the nightmare version of an army, perhaps the demonic manifestation of real-world torment.

God is asking: If My goodness didn’t draw you, will My judgment wake you up?

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2. The Sixth Trumpet: Death Spreads, Hearts Remain Hard (vv. 13–19)

“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates…”

• The sixth trumpet releases four bound angels—likely fallen angels held for this moment.
• They unleash a massive plague of death, killing a third of mankind, following an earlier quarter (Rev. 6:8).
• John sees an army of 200 million—a symbol of overwhelming power, possibly a spiritual vision of an earthly plague or judgment.

Descriptions of the Army:

• Horses with lion’s heads
• Breathes fire, smoke, and sulfur
• Tails like serpents
• They kill by plagues, not swords—a likely reference to burning torment, perhaps like amplified disease or infection

Big Picture:

Whether literal or symbolic, the scene is one of horrific global devastation.

But the most stunning part comes in what happens next.

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3. They Did Not Repent (vv. 20–21)

“The rest of mankind… did not repent.”

Despite:

• Apocalyptic torment
• Worldwide death
• Clear signs of divine judgment

The people did not repent. Instead, they:

• Worshiped demons and idols (worthless, powerless things)
• Persisted in sin: murders, sorceries (Greek: pharmakeia – possibly drug-related), sexual immorality, theft

Comparison to Pharaoh:

Like Pharaoh during the Exodus, they hardened their hearts in the face of mercy and judgment.

They would rather suffer in sin than surrender to God.

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4. What We Learn

• God’s judgment is real—and it escalates for a reason: to awaken repentance.
• Demonic powers are real—they are terrifying, but always under God’s sovereign authority.
• Sin blinds and hardens—the deeper people go into rebellion, the more resistant they become to grace.
• God still offers mercy—even in judgment, the door is open to anyone who will turn to Him.

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5. Application: Are You Clinging to Sin or Turning to God?

Revelation 9 reminds us:

• It’s not just what happens to you, but how you respond.
• Judgment alone won’t soften the heart—only surrender to Jesus will.
• The time to repent is now, not later.

“The shock of Revelation 9 isn’t just the horror—it’s the hardness of people’s hearts.”

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Key Takeaway:

Judgment reveals the heart.

God is patient, merciful, and calling—but that call has an expiration date.

Do not wait until it’s too late to repent.

Ask yourself today:

• Am I sealed by the Holy Spirit?
• Am I holding onto sin that is keeping me from surrendering to Jesus?
• Am I responding to God’s call—or resisting it?

Today, turn to the God who offers life, forgiveness, and freedom, before judgment falls again.