Revelation 9:20-21: Hardness of heart

Outline

• Theodicy
• Idolatry

Introduction

The puritans used to say that our worst enemy is not the devil but ourselves, and the worst judgement we can receive is to be handed over to ourselves. This is the judgement of God upon those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness in Romans 1 and the judgement of God in Revelation 9:20-21, ‘The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshipping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.’ Another saying of the older writers is this, ‘the same sun that melts butter hardens clay.’ Here we see that as God pours out judgements, just as with Pharaoh during the 10 plagues, the judgements do not soften hearts but harden them. Sometimes God by means of hardship causes us to turn to Him and not from Him, but if He is acting in judgement affliction will have no effect and even turn people from God.