Day 88: More Worship, More Warnings, No Repentance

Again, John sees visions of the saints (the 144,000) worshipping around the throne of the Lamb.  I love the detail about the name of the Lamb and his father written on their foreheads.  They sing a "new song" in front to the throne and (here's something I'm going to remember, too) no one can learn the song except the 144,00).  It's not that I'm eager to exclude people who can't learn the song, it's just that lately I've become so aware of the power of music, and how God uses music to imprint the truth of his love on our hearts.

Three angels bring warnings to the earth about the coming judgment.  They warn people to worship God, to turn from following "The Beast", to watch out for Babylon.

(and do you notice this line?  "Favored are the dead who died int he Lord from now on."  "Yes, says the Spirit, so they can rest from their labors, because their deeds follow them." -- this is where we get our hymn, "For all the saints, who from their labors rest.")

Then there is the judgment, the two harvests.  The Human one has a sharp sickle in his hand, for the harvest is ready.  there is another angel as well, also reaping a harvest, but this is a harvest of judgment. The image is clusters of grapes, "cutting the vineyard of the earth" -- again, here's a song with which you may be familiar, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord/he is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored".  This hymn was written during the civil war, a bloody conflict that must have seemed like the end of the world to those who were fighting.  Both sides felt that God was on their side, and that truth was on their side.  But this hymn was written by an abolitionist, and she used words from the Revelation to express God's judgment on the country for the sin of slavery.

After this there are seven bowls with plagues that will come over the earth.  To me, what I notice most in these chapters is not just the plagues, but the fact that it seems that no matter what plagues are unleashed on the earth, people do not repent.  (This reminds me of the story of the Pharaoh and the people of Israel in Egypt.  God sends many plagues, and yet Pharoah does not repent.  It also reminds me that the book of Revelation was written during a time of great persecution, and was written for a people who were being persecuted.)

We are nearing the end of the book of Revelation.  How much destruction is left?  What more can be said?

Day 87: It gets Worse

...and weirder, too.

This section of scripture is filled with strange, and fearsome images.  We're no longer talking about famines and wars and plagues, but both worship and wars in heaven.  There are beasts and dragons.  So it's obvious that all of this is symbolic, not literal.  What are these visions about?

In chapter eleven a temple is being measured, and there are prophets.  Many people think that this refers to the literal rebuilding of the temple.  Others believe that the measuring and rebuilding of the temple refers to the growth of the church, until the end of the age.  Prophets will come who will testify to the truth of Christ's victory over sin and death, and ultimately, no one will be able to stop the prophets' witness, even though terrible things happen.

The scene shifts to heaven, where the heavenly throng worships and sings "the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ..."  (see how this keeps happening?  reminding beleaguered people of the ultimate victory).

Even though we think of the beast and the dragon as future enemies, it's very possible that the early Christians read them as powerful people who were actively persecuting them then.  Emperors of the Roman Empire and other leaders opposed to the church were waging war against Christians, and the dragon and the beast might be those leaders.

Some people consider that the woman being pursued is the ideal church (remember that sometimes the church is compared to a bride.)

It's worth mentioning that number "666", since so many people refer to it.  Some people try to read it as a code, and think that it might refer to a specific evil person.  Others point out that in Hebrew, numbers have meaning (for example 7 is the number of perfection,  3 represents completeness, and 4 is the number of the earth).  So 6 is one short of a perfect 7, and 666 might just mean "perfect evil.'

Day 86: The Terrible Things

Back on earth, the seventh seal is broken, and things begin to happen on the earth that no one prays for and no one hopes will happen.  Seven trumpets are ready to be blown, and each will unleash a new plague on the earth.  The first four plagues have to do with things that will happen in creation, and the last three will be plagues on the people.  And incredibly, the plagues do seem to have something to do with the incense, the prayers of the saints.  Are the terrible things that are happening a sort of repayment for what has been done to God's people?  I don't know.  And I'm not sure that it is good to try to think about it too hard, to figure it out too closely.  It is enough to know that Terrible Things are happening on the earth.  Some of the references will be familiar to those who read the Old Testament (regarding wormwood, and also locusts, and the day becoming like night).

It's a pretty dark picture, with people begging for death, but not dying, and yet not repenting of their sins, continuing to focus on themselves and on things that aren't lifegiving.  And if I thought that anyone gloated over such a scenario, and said, "they will get theirs!", I would want to throw the book of Revelation out of the Bible.

But then, I think about the Holocaust, and those who were vilified, and imprisoned, and killed.  The star of David was imprinted on them, but used as a means to seek them out and kill them.  And I wouldn't blame them at all if they thought of those who sent them to gas chambers, and if they thought, "they will get theirs!  They won't ever repent!"

That's the sort of time that Revelation was written for.

So during this dark time, those who had a seal on them will be saved.  It that seems heartless, think of it like a star of David, which at one time was used to identify those who would be killed.  But not it will be used to identify those who would be protected.  I think that's what John is doing.  "You were singling us out for death," he says.  "But later, God will single us out for protection."

Then (notice again) the scene shifts to heaven again, and the most awesome angel imaginable appears on the scene.  John is not allowed to record what he hears from the roaring of the voice of the angel.  And he orders John to eat the scroll, and he finds it both bitter and sweet, like the Word of God contains both promises and commands, both comfort and judgment.

And John is ordered to prophesy again.

Day 85: Visions of Heaven and Earth

So, in Revelation, chapter 4, we start getting into the nitty-gritty of John's vision.  (One of my friends says that she's not sure what John was smoking, and yes, what he sees is strange, but....) Please note that the vision begins in heaven, not earth.   When we think of the book of Revelation and its visions of destruction, it's important to remember that there are other, alternating visions as well:  visions of worship, visions of the throne of the Lamb.  Those visions are just as important as the other ones (perhaps more so).

So the scene opens with the throne of God (and seven of all sorts of things again).  If you can close your eyes and imagine, it's not only strange, but awesome, with a rainbow like an emerald, and a sea of glass.  There are worshipping creatures around the throne, and they are singing "Holy, Holy, Holy"  (sound familiar?)  Many of our hymns come from the book of Revelation.

In chapter 5 there is a scroll to be opened, and no one worthy to open it.  John weeps.  But wait!  There is one who is found worthy to open the scroll!  The "Lion of Judah, the Root of David" (hint:  Jesus) is worthy because he has been victorious. And the Lion, the Root, steps forward, and guess what?  It is a Lamb.

Hey!  Here's a nice aside:  There are twenty-four elders, each holding a golden bowl of incense, and the bowls represent the prayers of the saints.  Somehow I like that, but I like metaphors.  "Let my prayer rise before you as incense..."

Anyway, at seeing the Lamb, everyone breaks into song again,  "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain..." (again, sound familiar?)

And then the Lamb opens the seven seals ..... and then, literally, "all hell breaks loose."  With each seal comes a new plague.  (Have you ever heard of "the four horsemen of the apocalypse?"  Here's where they cone from.  The first horseman is on a white horse, so some people think he represents goodness, but most believe that since, the other four are all negative, that first horseman represents false messiahs. The other horsemen are war, famine and death.  Some people think that these represent special forces let loose at the end times.  But others (and I am one of them) would like to point out that all of these things:  false messiahs, famine, war and death, exist in every time and place.

So, a whole bunch of bad stuff is happening.  Six of the seven seals have been opened.

And then we switch, and again we see visions of heaven.  There are the 144,000 (okay, this is not a literal number, but it is 12 X 12 X 1,000, which is a way of saying the fullness of those who will be saved -- and remember that !2 is the number of the tribes of Israel and of the disciples).

And again, there is worshipping.  Especially the people who are worshipping are those who have come through persecution.

Chapter seven closes with a promise:  "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Some people say that the only people who can really understand the book of Revelation are those who are being persecuted,* because the book was written for Christians who were being persecuted.  It was written to remind them that no matter how bad things are, no matter how bad things get, God is still in charge, will protect and vindicate them.  The one who rose from the dead is still victorious.

If we cut through the strange visions and just look for the core, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" comes up more than once.

*and by persecution, I don't mean having to listen to people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas.  I don't mean not being able to pray in school, or having atheists make fun of your faith, although I'm not taking that lightly.  I'm reserving persecution to mean "persecution"  -- being imprisoned, tortured, abused, oppressed for confessing and living your faith.