February 8th, 2026
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
When most people think about the book of Revelation, they immediately think of tribulation, apocalypse, and judgment. Dragons, wrath, and the end of all things dominate our mental landscape. But what if we've been missing something fundamental? What if Revelation isn't primarily about fear, but about faith and hope? Not just destruction, but deliverance? Not merely an ending, but the beginning of something glorious?
Revelation is hope revealed.
The Tragedy of Hard Hearts
One of the most sobering passages in all of Scripture appears at the end of Revelation chapter 9. After witnessing unprecedented supernatural judgments, after seeing the very fabric of reality torn apart by divine intervention, there remain people who simply will not repent.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 9:20-21 NKJV How is this possible? How can human hearts remain so stubbornly resistant in the face of overwhelming evidence?
The answer lies in understanding the nature of hard-heartedness itself.
A Tale of Two Nations
The book of Exodus provides a powerful parallel that helps us understand this spiritual condition. Consider the Egyptians and the Israelites during the ten plagues. Both nations witnessed the same miraculous events. Both saw water turn to blood, experienced the darkness, and witnessed the supernatural devastation of their land.
Yet their responses could not have been more different.
Pharaoh's heart grew progressively harder with each plague. The Scripture tells us that initially, "Pharaoh hardened his heart." But by Exodus 9:12, the language shifts dramatically: "God hardened his heart." When we persist in rebellion, God eventually gives us over to what we've chosen. His mercy, love, and grace, though abundant, do have limits according to His own character and timing.
The Israelites, on the other hand, witnessed these same miracles and responded with faith. They saw the Red Sea part before their very eyes, walked through on dry ground, and watched as the Egyptian army was swallowed by the waters. Moses and Miriam sang songs of praise and deliverance. But here's the stunning reality: less than forty days later, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were at the base of the mountain creating a golden calf to worship.
Hard-heartedness can happen in a heartbeat.
The Sixth Trumpet: Judgment and Mercy Intertwined
As we examine Revelation 9:13-14, we encounter the sounding of the sixth trumpet. A voice comes from the four horns of the golden altar before God, commanding: "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
This golden altar is significant. It's the altar of incense, the place where prayers rise before God, mixed with the sweet-smelling fragrance of worship. In Revelation 8, we read that an angel took fire from this altar and hurled it to the earth, resulting in thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. The prayers of the saints are directly connected to God's judgments on earth. This should both comfort and challenge us. Our prayers matter. They are not bouncing off the ceiling. They are heard by the One who created us, and they have a real impact in the spiritual realm.
The voice from the altar commands the release of four bound angels. These are not holy angels. Scripture never describes God's faithful messengers as bound or restrained. Binding is consistently associated with judgment and the restraint of evil. These must be fallen angels, held in reserve for this specific moment in history.
Yet even in their release, they are not free to do whatever they want. They operate under God's sovereign hand, released at a specific time for a specific purpose. Even in judgment, God maintains perfect control.
The Spiritual Battle We Cannot See (angels)
The book of Daniel provides crucial insight into what's happening behind the scenes. When Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks, an angel finally appeared with this remarkable explanation:
Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Daniel 10:12-13 NKJV
There is a spiritual battle raging that we cannot see with our physical eyes. Angelic forces contend over nations and peoples. Prayers are heard immediately, but answers may be delayed by spiritual warfare. This doesn't mean God is weak or distant; it means we live in a contested reality where our prayers and faith matter tremendously.
Why We Were Made for More
Hard-heartedness doesn't develop overnight. It grows through repeated choices to ignore conviction, to rationalize sin, and to resist the gentle pull of the Holy Spirit. Understanding the specific nature of our temptations can help us recognize what the enemy is trying to steal from us. For example…
If you struggle with substance abuse or anything that damages your body, it may be because your voice was meant to worship and be heard, and the enemy is trying to silence you.
If you battle crippling self-doubt and insecurity, it's likely because you were meant to lead and inspire. The enemy knows your potential and seeks to neutralize it.
If you face constant distraction or procrastination, it's because you carry strategy, vision, and ideas from heaven. The enemy delays you because he cannot stop you.
If you wrestle with lust or pornography, it's because you carry a deep capacity for intimacy, covenant, and healing that Satan wants to pervert.
If you fear rejection or abandonment, it's because you carry a spirit of belonging and reconciliation that threatens the kingdom of darkness.
You were made for so much more than what you currently see. Your life is not primarily about financial success, position, or title. You were created to point people to Jesus, to reflect the image of God, and to participate in His redemptive work in the world.
The Choice Before Us
The people in Revelation 9 had seen seal judgments, trumpet judgments, cosmic disturbances, and demonic torment. Yet they would not repent. Their hearts had become so hardened that even the most severe circumstances could not break through.
But here's the crucial truth: if repentance were impossible, God wouldn't keep warning us. The very fact that Scripture records their refusal proves that repentance was still available. And it still is today.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV
Repentance is always available. God's patience should never be mistaken for permission to continue in sin, but neither should we despair that we've gone too far. As long as we draw breath, the invitation to return remains open.
God separates our sins as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more. If you're a believer in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit within you. You are not defined by your failures but by His faithfulness.
Living in Light of Eternity
We don't know the day or hour of Christ's return, but we do know that God's appointments of judgment are set. Everything happening in our world today, every political upheaval, every cultural shift, every crisis, is not catching God off guard. He knows exactly what's going on.
Our response as believers should be guided by the Spirit, not by fear or political ideology. Prayer must be our first response, not our last resort. We pray for those who are lost, for those who are suffering, for those whose hearts are hardening even as we speak.
Please don't harden your heart. Listen to the Spirit who is present right now, calling you to something more. The temptations you face are not unique, and God has given you the power to overcome them. No temptation has seized you except what is common to humanity, and God is faithful. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
Revelation is not ultimately a book about fear. It's about hope, hope that God will make all things right, hope that justice will prevail, hope that those who have suffered for their faith will be vindicated, and hope that we were made for so much more than this present darkness.
The question is not whether God will fulfill His promises. The question is whether our hearts will remain soft enough to receive them.
Revelation is hope revealed.
The Tragedy of Hard Hearts
One of the most sobering passages in all of Scripture appears at the end of Revelation chapter 9. After witnessing unprecedented supernatural judgments, after seeing the very fabric of reality torn apart by divine intervention, there remain people who simply will not repent.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 9:20-21 NKJV How is this possible? How can human hearts remain so stubbornly resistant in the face of overwhelming evidence?
The answer lies in understanding the nature of hard-heartedness itself.
A Tale of Two Nations
The book of Exodus provides a powerful parallel that helps us understand this spiritual condition. Consider the Egyptians and the Israelites during the ten plagues. Both nations witnessed the same miraculous events. Both saw water turn to blood, experienced the darkness, and witnessed the supernatural devastation of their land.
Yet their responses could not have been more different.
Pharaoh's heart grew progressively harder with each plague. The Scripture tells us that initially, "Pharaoh hardened his heart." But by Exodus 9:12, the language shifts dramatically: "God hardened his heart." When we persist in rebellion, God eventually gives us over to what we've chosen. His mercy, love, and grace, though abundant, do have limits according to His own character and timing.
The Israelites, on the other hand, witnessed these same miracles and responded with faith. They saw the Red Sea part before their very eyes, walked through on dry ground, and watched as the Egyptian army was swallowed by the waters. Moses and Miriam sang songs of praise and deliverance. But here's the stunning reality: less than forty days later, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were at the base of the mountain creating a golden calf to worship.
Hard-heartedness can happen in a heartbeat.
The Sixth Trumpet: Judgment and Mercy Intertwined
As we examine Revelation 9:13-14, we encounter the sounding of the sixth trumpet. A voice comes from the four horns of the golden altar before God, commanding: "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
This golden altar is significant. It's the altar of incense, the place where prayers rise before God, mixed with the sweet-smelling fragrance of worship. In Revelation 8, we read that an angel took fire from this altar and hurled it to the earth, resulting in thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. The prayers of the saints are directly connected to God's judgments on earth. This should both comfort and challenge us. Our prayers matter. They are not bouncing off the ceiling. They are heard by the One who created us, and they have a real impact in the spiritual realm.
The voice from the altar commands the release of four bound angels. These are not holy angels. Scripture never describes God's faithful messengers as bound or restrained. Binding is consistently associated with judgment and the restraint of evil. These must be fallen angels, held in reserve for this specific moment in history.
Yet even in their release, they are not free to do whatever they want. They operate under God's sovereign hand, released at a specific time for a specific purpose. Even in judgment, God maintains perfect control.
The Spiritual Battle We Cannot See (angels)
The book of Daniel provides crucial insight into what's happening behind the scenes. When Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks, an angel finally appeared with this remarkable explanation:
Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Daniel 10:12-13 NKJV
There is a spiritual battle raging that we cannot see with our physical eyes. Angelic forces contend over nations and peoples. Prayers are heard immediately, but answers may be delayed by spiritual warfare. This doesn't mean God is weak or distant; it means we live in a contested reality where our prayers and faith matter tremendously.
Why We Were Made for More
Hard-heartedness doesn't develop overnight. It grows through repeated choices to ignore conviction, to rationalize sin, and to resist the gentle pull of the Holy Spirit. Understanding the specific nature of our temptations can help us recognize what the enemy is trying to steal from us. For example…
If you struggle with substance abuse or anything that damages your body, it may be because your voice was meant to worship and be heard, and the enemy is trying to silence you.
If you battle crippling self-doubt and insecurity, it's likely because you were meant to lead and inspire. The enemy knows your potential and seeks to neutralize it.
If you face constant distraction or procrastination, it's because you carry strategy, vision, and ideas from heaven. The enemy delays you because he cannot stop you.
If you wrestle with lust or pornography, it's because you carry a deep capacity for intimacy, covenant, and healing that Satan wants to pervert.
If you fear rejection or abandonment, it's because you carry a spirit of belonging and reconciliation that threatens the kingdom of darkness.
You were made for so much more than what you currently see. Your life is not primarily about financial success, position, or title. You were created to point people to Jesus, to reflect the image of God, and to participate in His redemptive work in the world.
The Choice Before Us
The people in Revelation 9 had seen seal judgments, trumpet judgments, cosmic disturbances, and demonic torment. Yet they would not repent. Their hearts had become so hardened that even the most severe circumstances could not break through.
But here's the crucial truth: if repentance were impossible, God wouldn't keep warning us. The very fact that Scripture records their refusal proves that repentance was still available. And it still is today.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV
Repentance is always available. God's patience should never be mistaken for permission to continue in sin, but neither should we despair that we've gone too far. As long as we draw breath, the invitation to return remains open.
God separates our sins as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more. If you're a believer in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit within you. You are not defined by your failures but by His faithfulness.
Living in Light of Eternity
We don't know the day or hour of Christ's return, but we do know that God's appointments of judgment are set. Everything happening in our world today, every political upheaval, every cultural shift, every crisis, is not catching God off guard. He knows exactly what's going on.
Our response as believers should be guided by the Spirit, not by fear or political ideology. Prayer must be our first response, not our last resort. We pray for those who are lost, for those who are suffering, for those whose hearts are hardening even as we speak.
Please don't harden your heart. Listen to the Spirit who is present right now, calling you to something more. The temptations you face are not unique, and God has given you the power to overcome them. No temptation has seized you except what is common to humanity, and God is faithful. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
Revelation is not ultimately a book about fear. It's about hope, hope that God will make all things right, hope that justice will prevail, hope that those who have suffered for their faith will be vindicated, and hope that we were made for so much more than this present darkness.
The question is not whether God will fulfill His promises. The question is whether our hearts will remain soft enough to receive them.
Lars Dahl
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