“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 NIV).
The final verse of Revelation chapter nine references several unlawful or destructive behaviors. First among those behaviors is murder, or the unlawful killing of one human being by another. (1) While homicides come in various forms, these killings are clearly premeditated and would likely meet the legal threshold for first-degree murder in many jurisdictions.
The next item on our list from Revelation 9:21 is “magic arts” or “sorceries” (NKJV). Although we commonly associate these practices with witchcraft, they also encompass the use, or administering, of drugs. (2) These words are derived from the word pharmakeia in the original language of this passage, a word that serves as the basis of modern-day terms like “pharmacy” and “pharmaceutical.” In contrast to a contemporary pharmacy where qualified professionals dispense medicinal compounds to heal the sick and injured, this term carries a very different meaning…
“In ‘sorcery,’ the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.” (3)
So this informative portion of Scripture tells us that any teaching or philosophy that involves the use of drugs to achieve an altered state of consciousness is not of God.
Next comes “sexual immorality.” This refers to any type of physical relationship that occurs outside of a Biblically valid marriage partnership. Jesus defined that standard for us in the following manner…
“…at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:6-9 NIV).
This list of negative behaviors then closes with a reference to “thefts.” This word embodies the idea of a “thing stolen.” (3) While we might associate this idea with the actions of a bank robber or shoplifter, this concept applies to anyone who takes something that does not belong to them, regardless of their intent or the value of that item.
So the horrific events described here in Revelation chapter nine should underscore our need for prayerful self-examination to help ensure our lives are free from similar practices today.
(1) murder. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
(2) G5331 – pharmakeia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5331/kjv/tr/0-1/
(3) G2809 – klemma – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2809/kjv/tr/0-1/