Revelation 9:12-21: a reflection

12The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this. 13The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. 16The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them. 17Thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. 18By these three plagues, one third of mankind was killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads; and with them they harm. 20The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can’t see, hear, or walk. 21They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

In this vision of judgment, terrible plagues fall upon a rebellious world, and yet the passage ends on a sobering note about the survivors: The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up their idolatry, their murders, their immorality, their thefts. Even under severe judgment, even after such calamities, the human heart, unchanged, refused to repent. The plagues fell, but the hearts stayed hard.

Notice the sobering truth: even severe judgment did not, by itself, produce repentance. We might assume that terrible calamity would surely move people to turn to God; but the passage shows otherwise. The survivors experienced the plagues and still did not repent; their hearts remained set on their idolatry and sin. Judgment alone, however severe, cannot change a hard heart; a heart determined to go its own way can endure even calamity and still refuse to turn.

That is a sobering warning against presuming that hardship will move us, or others, to repentance. We may think that if things get bad enough, we will surely turn to God, or that judgment will bring others to their senses. But a hard heart can endure much and still refuse to repent; hardship alone does not guarantee turning. What is needed is not merely calamity, but a heart willing to turn, softened by God's grace. Do not presume that judgment or hardship will move a hard heart, yours or another's. Ask God for a soft, repentant heart now, while it can be given, rather than assuming calamity will produce it. And plead God's mercy for those whose hearts are hard, that he would grant the repentance that judgment alone cannot produce. Repent while your heart is soft; do not wait for a calamity that may find you still unwilling.

Lord, your word soberingly shows that even under severe judgment, the survivors did not repent of their idolatry and sin; their hearts remained hard even through calamity. Warn me against presuming that hardship will move me, or others, to repentance. I may think that if things get bad enough, I will surely turn to you, or that judgment will bring others to their senses; but a hard heart can endure much and still refuse to turn. What I need is not calamity, but a soft, repentant heart, which only your grace can give. Give me that heart now, while it can be given, rather than assuming hardship will produce it later. Soften my heart to repent willingly, and I plead your mercy for those whose hearts are hard, that you would grant the repentance judgment alone cannot produce. Keep my heart soft and turning to you.