April 19th, 2026
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
Living in Prophetic Times
Look around at our world today. Wars and rumors of wars. Families are divided over theology and beliefs. Children rejecting their parents. Natural disasters. Political upheaval. Everything the Bible predicted about the end times is unfolding before our eyes. Yet in the midst of this reality, we're called not to fear, but to deepen our confidence in God's complete sovereignty.
What does sovereignty really mean? It means God has no beginning and no end. The triune God we worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is complete, eternal, and in control of all things. When we truly grasp this truth, it transforms how we live.
God's sovereignty extends down to the cellular level. If He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He certainly knows every cell in our bodies and how many times they regenerate. When cancer strikes, when illness comes, when life falls apart, God remains sovereign over every detail.
From Fear to Faithfulness
The first time the word "afraid" appears in Scripture is in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve sinned, God walked in the garden in the cool of the day and called out, "Adam, where are you?" Adam's response reveals something profound: "I was naked and ashamed, and I was afraid."
Fear entered the human experience through sin, not through God.
Living in fear or anxiety is not from God; it's from the evil one. It always has been. This is why Scripture contains 365 "do not fear" statements, one for every day of the year. Each morning, we can wake up and declare: "I will not be afraid. I don't care what's happening in the world. I will not be anxious, because I believe in God's sovereignty."
Understanding God's sovereignty should move us in three crucial ways:
From fear to faithfulness - We trust God completely, regardless of circumstances.
From silence to boldness - We actually talk to people about Jesus Christ without reservation.
From compromise to courageous obedience - We live out our faith with conviction.
When you open your mouth and tell people about Jesus Christ, it is the fulfillment of who you are in Christ. The Holy Spirit works through you as you physically speak with your physical mouth about the Savior. That's courageous obedience, even when rejection is possible.
The Measurement of the Temple
Revelation 11 opens with John being given a measuring rod and commanded to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshipers. But the outer court is excluded—given to the Gentiles to trample for forty-two months (or 1,260 days, or three and a half years).
This measurement isn't arbitrary. Throughout Scripture, when God measures something, it carries profound significance:
What's being measured in Revelation 11? Three things, each with deep spiritual meaning:
The Temple: God's Presence is Central
The temple has always pointed to God's dwelling place. From the tabernacle to Solomon's temple to the future millennial temple, these structures represent where God meets with His people.
God doesn't want to be just another part of your life. He wants to be central—not only during worship services, but in your workplace, your school, your shopping trips, everywhere you go. If you're a believer, you're a temple of the Holy Spirit. You carry the presence of the resurrected King wherever you walk.
The Altar: True Worship and Sacrifice
The altar points to sacrifice and worship. It represents drawing near to God. "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you," Scripture promises.
True worship is an act of surrender. Remember Thomas when he encountered the resurrected Jesus? He didn't just acknowledge facts, he surrendered: "My Lord and my God."
Real worship isn't just singing with our lips on Sunday mornings. It's surrendering our hearts to the risen King every moment of every day. Whether you're playing basketball, working at your job, or going about daily tasks, worship means living with a surrendered heart that declares, "My Lord and my God."
The Worshipers: God Knows His Own
God knows who truly belongs to Him. He's not fooled by external appearances or religious activity. As 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us: "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
You can attend church, hang out with church people, sing the songs, and go through all the motions. But the heart of the matter is literally the heart of the matter. Jesus always went straight to the heart when He spoke to people. Remember the rich young ruler who claimed he wanted to follow Jesus? When told to sell everything and follow, he walked away sad because his heart was attached to his wealth.
God is measuring genuine worshipers, those in a true covenant relationship with Him. These are faithful believers who remain loyal to God amid pressure, opposition, and hardship.
The Lord Is There
The ultimate reality that ties all this together is found in Ezekiel 48:35 and echoed in Revelation 21. After all the measurements, after all the descriptions of gates and walls and boundaries, Scripture declares the defining characteristic of God's city: "The Lord is there."
In Hebrew: Yahweh Shammah, the Lord is there.
Revelation 21 describes a city with no temple, because "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." No need for sun or moon, "for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."
This is our future hope, eternal presence with God, where He is not just near, but where His glory illuminates everything.
But here's the beautiful truth: we don't have to wait for eternity to experience Yahweh Shammah. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord is present with us right now. In our moments of worship, in our daily struggles, in our mundane routines, the Lord is there.
A Confession and a Cry
So we confess our dependence: "Lord, I need You." Not just for an hour on Sunday morning, but for all 168 hours of every week.
And we cry out for nearness: "Draw me close to You." We draw near to Him, and He draws near to us.
In a world spiraling toward prophetic fulfillment, in times of uncertainty and fear, we have an anchor: God's complete sovereignty and His abiding presence. We are measured, known, and loved by the One who holds all things together.
The Lord is there. Yahweh Shammah. And that changes everything.
Look around at our world today. Wars and rumors of wars. Families are divided over theology and beliefs. Children rejecting their parents. Natural disasters. Political upheaval. Everything the Bible predicted about the end times is unfolding before our eyes. Yet in the midst of this reality, we're called not to fear, but to deepen our confidence in God's complete sovereignty.
What does sovereignty really mean? It means God has no beginning and no end. The triune God we worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is complete, eternal, and in control of all things. When we truly grasp this truth, it transforms how we live.
God's sovereignty extends down to the cellular level. If He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He certainly knows every cell in our bodies and how many times they regenerate. When cancer strikes, when illness comes, when life falls apart, God remains sovereign over every detail.
From Fear to Faithfulness
The first time the word "afraid" appears in Scripture is in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve sinned, God walked in the garden in the cool of the day and called out, "Adam, where are you?" Adam's response reveals something profound: "I was naked and ashamed, and I was afraid."
Fear entered the human experience through sin, not through God.
Living in fear or anxiety is not from God; it's from the evil one. It always has been. This is why Scripture contains 365 "do not fear" statements, one for every day of the year. Each morning, we can wake up and declare: "I will not be afraid. I don't care what's happening in the world. I will not be anxious, because I believe in God's sovereignty."
Understanding God's sovereignty should move us in three crucial ways:
From fear to faithfulness - We trust God completely, regardless of circumstances.
From silence to boldness - We actually talk to people about Jesus Christ without reservation.
From compromise to courageous obedience - We live out our faith with conviction.
When you open your mouth and tell people about Jesus Christ, it is the fulfillment of who you are in Christ. The Holy Spirit works through you as you physically speak with your physical mouth about the Savior. That's courageous obedience, even when rejection is possible.
The Measurement of the Temple
Revelation 11 opens with John being given a measuring rod and commanded to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshipers. But the outer court is excluded—given to the Gentiles to trample for forty-two months (or 1,260 days, or three and a half years).
This measurement isn't arbitrary. Throughout Scripture, when God measures something, it carries profound significance:
- In Ezekiel 40-48, measurement represents restoration
- In Zechariah 2, measurement signifies protection
- In Revelation 21, measurement precedes the description of God's eternal presence
What's being measured in Revelation 11? Three things, each with deep spiritual meaning:
The Temple: God's Presence is Central
The temple has always pointed to God's dwelling place. From the tabernacle to Solomon's temple to the future millennial temple, these structures represent where God meets with His people.
God doesn't want to be just another part of your life. He wants to be central—not only during worship services, but in your workplace, your school, your shopping trips, everywhere you go. If you're a believer, you're a temple of the Holy Spirit. You carry the presence of the resurrected King wherever you walk.
The Altar: True Worship and Sacrifice
The altar points to sacrifice and worship. It represents drawing near to God. "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you," Scripture promises.
True worship is an act of surrender. Remember Thomas when he encountered the resurrected Jesus? He didn't just acknowledge facts, he surrendered: "My Lord and my God."
Real worship isn't just singing with our lips on Sunday mornings. It's surrendering our hearts to the risen King every moment of every day. Whether you're playing basketball, working at your job, or going about daily tasks, worship means living with a surrendered heart that declares, "My Lord and my God."
The Worshipers: God Knows His Own
God knows who truly belongs to Him. He's not fooled by external appearances or religious activity. As 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us: "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
You can attend church, hang out with church people, sing the songs, and go through all the motions. But the heart of the matter is literally the heart of the matter. Jesus always went straight to the heart when He spoke to people. Remember the rich young ruler who claimed he wanted to follow Jesus? When told to sell everything and follow, he walked away sad because his heart was attached to his wealth.
God is measuring genuine worshipers, those in a true covenant relationship with Him. These are faithful believers who remain loyal to God amid pressure, opposition, and hardship.
The Lord Is There
The ultimate reality that ties all this together is found in Ezekiel 48:35 and echoed in Revelation 21. After all the measurements, after all the descriptions of gates and walls and boundaries, Scripture declares the defining characteristic of God's city: "The Lord is there."
In Hebrew: Yahweh Shammah, the Lord is there.
Revelation 21 describes a city with no temple, because "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." No need for sun or moon, "for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."
This is our future hope, eternal presence with God, where He is not just near, but where His glory illuminates everything.
But here's the beautiful truth: we don't have to wait for eternity to experience Yahweh Shammah. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord is present with us right now. In our moments of worship, in our daily struggles, in our mundane routines, the Lord is there.
A Confession and a Cry
So we confess our dependence: "Lord, I need You." Not just for an hour on Sunday morning, but for all 168 hours of every week.
And we cry out for nearness: "Draw me close to You." We draw near to Him, and He draws near to us.
In a world spiraling toward prophetic fulfillment, in times of uncertainty and fear, we have an anchor: God's complete sovereignty and His abiding presence. We are measured, known, and loved by the One who holds all things together.
The Lord is there. Yahweh Shammah. And that changes everything.
Lars Dahl
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