Text: Rev 13:1-10
OT Text: Daniel 7:1-8 Featured Verse: Rev 13:2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. Main Idea: Satan works through totalitarian political powers to deceive the nations and oppress the church. [This is the second vision of the sequence and introduces the second enemy of the church. Together with the beast that rises from the sea - introduced in the next vision - they form an "unholy trinity" in opposition to the gospel.] Analysis The first beast rises from the sea and has a "throne and great authority" given to it by the dragon. The message is that the dragon uses other agents to accomplish his purposes. The role that this first beast plays is political. In fact, the extent of his power extends to "every tribe and people and language and nation." (13:8) So what is this all about? The first frame of reference is to compare this to the biblical context. The OT prophet Daniel wrote of world empires that were represented by beastly figures. (Dan 7:1-8) The language that John uses is clearly drawn from Daniel. We also recognize that the beast is a counterfeit messiah. Jesus had warned of "false Christs" (Matt 24:5) and this seems to be just that sort of thing. The beast (like the true Lamb) has the appearance of being slain with a mortal wound (13:3), he is followed and worshipped like the true Christ. He also has a counterfeit world-wide kingdom and claims universal power that only belongs to Jesus. The reign of the beast from the sea is for 42 months - throughout the age of the church.*** The second frame of reference is to compare this to the historical context. While the beast represents the corruption of political power which is found throughout the church age, the actual form of the beast will look different at different times. When we look at this beast through the eyes of the first century churches, the beast looks a lot like the Roman Empire. Only one character fit the bill of someone who had world-wide dominion (13:7-8) - the Emperor of Rome. As the first century was winding down, the practice of worshipping the Roman Emperors as gods began to increase in practice. This would explain the "blasphemous names on the heads." (13:1) In fact, the temptation to demand total allegiance from its citizens motivated the Empire to demand emperor worship from its citizens. This is a demand that faithful Christians could not submit to. Though it could cost them their lives, Christians in these churches in Asia Minor would need to refuse the idolatry of Emperor Worship and the demands of the totalitarian state. Through this vision, John was revealing the true nature of this conflict. When these Christians refused to participate in emperor worship, they were not just resisting the power of an earthly despot. They were participating in a heavenly battle, and refusing to compromise with the beastly agent of the devil. NT scholar Richard Bauckham* wrote, "The images of chapters 12-13 place the coming confrontation between Christians and the power of Rome in the perspective of the cosmic war of evil against God and his faithful people." Conclusion and Application Because the reign of the beast is throughout the age of the church, we recognize different forms of the beast in different ages. Though the beast seems to wear the "clothing" of first century Roman Emperor Domitian in this image, Domitian would pass away and other beastly figures would emerge. In general, Christians are called to submit to the political authorities (Rom 13), unless it conflicts with their calling as disciples. Sometimes faithful (non-violent) disobedience is required.** Whenever a totalitarian leader uses political power to demand absolute allegiance he is acting beastly. Whether it was the Third Reich or Communist USSR, or modern powers, the totalitarian state recognizes no limits on its power and makes demands that Christians cannot comply with. Though this power may be used to kill those that refuse, noncompliance in the processes of beastly worship is done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Those believers who refuse to submit, who refuse to "love their lives unto death" will "conquer by the blood of the lamb." (12:11) So it is for our brothers and sisters around the world. While we, in the West, may not face those same consequences right now, the pressure is real for us too. Our seemingly small choices, in the face of what can feel like overwhelming political power, are actually part of a "cosmic war." Notes *Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation ** You may notice this reference to Wang Yi's new book, Faithful Disobedience. Pastor Wang Yi has been imprisoned in China for refusing to submit to government regulations regarding worship. This is a very applicable connection to vision of the beast from the sea. *** As we have discussed previously, assuming that "7 years" represents the entirety of redemptive history, then it is divided in half by the cross of Christ into two periods of time called the former days and the last days. In that way of reckoning, 3.5 years, or 42 months or 1,260 days or "time, times and half a time" are all ways of describing the entirety of the church age - that is, the "second half of redemptive history."
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Text: Rev 12:13-17
OT Text: I Peter 5:8-11 Featured Verse: Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. Main Idea: Spiritual warfare means that we battle the devil by resisting his purposes in the midst of our lives here on earth. [This is the conclusion of the first vision, which shows the battle that Satan (the "dragon") wages against the church.] Analysis Earlier in this vision we saw that Satan was unsuccessful in his battle against the women and her child. I take that to refer to his inability to prevent the mission of Jesus. The end result of Christ's gospel victory was that Satan also lost the war in heaven. Cast down to earth, he now rages against the woman's offspring.* The church is forced (again) into the wilderness, but the protection of God continues.** This theme resonates with the message of many parts of the NT that God's people will find themselves as heavenly citizens in earthly exile. (Heb 11, I Peter 1-2) Though they are not in a position of visible strength and security, God continues to care for his church (both "the woman" and her "offspring.)*** Conclusion and Application What we see in this passage is that the spiritual war that began in heaven will continue on earth. The seven churches of Revelation are meant to see themselves in this vision. Though they are small, and though they are facing increasing oppression, God cares for them. If they remain steadfast, they will conquer in Christ. But John's visions show the costliness of faith. For some, conquering will mean that they do not "love their lives unto death." (12:11) The transition in this section is important. When we think of "spiritual warfare", we may be tempted to think of it as something that happens out there. But, the cosmic battle between Satan against the church is playing out down here. The seemingly everyday things that conspire to lead us away from Jesus are part of that battle. In the next vision we will see how Satan works through earthly agents (the two "beasts") to continue this war. One beast will coerce with political power. The other beast will seduce with prosperity and alluring idols. What John reveals here is the way in which Satan stands behind the visible earthly powers that we deal with day in and day out. By taking the lid off of this conflict he reminds us how much is at stake. But, even more importantly, he shows us that the power of Satan is limited now, and that one day it will be fully defeated. Notes * We can again be thankful that John identifies the meaning of his symbols. In verse 17, he tells us that the offspring of the woman are "those who hold the testimony of Jesus." ** We are told that the woman was nourished in the wilderness for "time, times and half a time." This is another reference to the 3.5 years which demark the church age. Since the woman represents the people of God, she is both the mother of his child and also identified with the ongoing believing community. *** We see God's care for the church in multiple ways. They are given wings to fly, the river from the serpent is swallowed up, and they are "nourished" in the wilderness. Text: Rev 12:1-6 OT Text: Psalm 2 Featured Verse: Main Idea: [As was noted in a prior post, it seems that the third series of judgments would have been the seven thunders (10:4), but they were "sealed up" and not made known. In their place, John received an edible scroll which leads to these seven visions. This is the first of the seven, each beginning with the phrase "and I saw" or "I looked" or "a sign appeared."] Analysis In place of a series of seven judgments, we now have a series of seven visions. These visions show the conflict between the church and the powers of darkness. These chapters epitomize the theme of "revelation."* Through these visions, John is revealing the true conflict which lies behind the struggles that the church faces. Fortunately, the visions are a little easier to understand because John clearly identifies the symbolism. In verse 9, John calls the dragon, "that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan." The male child is said to be destined "to rule the nations with a rod of iron." (12:5) This is a messianic psalm which points to Jesus. The woman has a crown of twelve stars. In a sense she represents Mary, but the inclusion of the 12-star-crown shows that she is representative of faithful Israel as a whole, which comes to include believing Gentiles. For this reason, her flight to the wilderness to escape the dragon (12:6) is a picture of the church in exile during the last days. Again, we see the reference to 3.5 years (1,260 days) which is symbolic of the church age. The dragon could not stop the birth of this child, nor prevent his saving mission. But, the believing community will continue to face the anger of this ancient serpent from their place of exile in the wilderness. Conclusion and Application Like the prior series of judgments, the seven visions cover the period of the church age. In this first vision, they go back to the beginning. Back to the nativity of Christ, and the spiritual conflict which quickly ensued. We will see in coming weeks that the dragon directs his agents against the church. John is revealing that there is a spiritual battle going on behind our struggle to remain faithful. We will continue with the dragon vision in the next two posts. Two things to explore: 1.) You may have already noticed, the picture that we have been using for the online blog comes from this vision. It is from an ancient church building and it depicts the confrontation of the dragon and the woman. 2.) I attached a YouTube video from Michael Card's album about the book of Revelation. This particular song narrates the drama of these visions. There are no hokey graphics, just music and lyrics based on this passage. Notes * Many commentators highlight the significance of these seven visions in the book as a whole. Derek Thomas and Greg Beale call them the "key to the entire book." Text: Rev 11:14-19
OT Text: Joshua 6:1-21 Featured Verse: Rev 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Main Idea: We see (another) picture of God bringing redemptive history to a close and establishing his eternal kingdom as the kingdom of this world crumbles at the seventh trumpet blast. [The interlude of chapters 10-11 has come to a close. Verse 14 tells us that the final woe and the seventh trumpet will bring this second series of judgments to an end. Also, this fits the pattern of the four series of seven judgments (seals, trumpets, thunders/visions, bowls) in that each of the final visions gives us a look at the throne room of heaven as God brings final judgment onto the earth.] Analysis The dominant OT background for the first six trumpets was the Exodus account. The blowing of the trumpets is expressed in terms of the plagues that God used to deliver Israel from the bondage in Egypt. This will be further confirmed in chapter 15 when we hear the redeemed people singing the song of Moses. But the interlude of chapters 10-11 introduced another line of concern which will come together in this final trumpet blast. In yesterday's passage we saw the people of God giving faithful witness in the midst of a hostile world. And when God brought final vindication parts of the city walls crumbled. There is reason to believe that those two themes (the exodus and a crumbling enemy city) have come together in this final trumpet blast. The OT story of the exodus did not end in the desert, but followed Israel into the promised land. (Yes, there is also an interlude in that story - 40 years of wandering.) The entrance to the promised land required the defeat of an enemy city which stood on the border of the promised land. Moses did not live to make this journey, but his successor, a young leader named Joshua, led the people of God around the city in a procession of faithful dependence on God. Seven days of marching and a trumpet blown each day. On the seventh day, the final trumpet was blown and the fortified city of their enemy crumbled and the barrier to the promised land was removed. In a similar way, the seventh trumpet blast brings down the kingdom of this world and opens the pathway to the promised land. Like the Joshua account, the seventh trumpet blast brings the judgment and destruction of the enemies of God. In the book of Joshua, it was the hostile inhabitants of Jericho. In this vision from Revelation, it is the entirety of the world that will be brought into judgment (11:18). Conclusion and Application The biblical theme of universal judgment can be a hard doctrine. Partly, it is hard because we fail to see the seriousness of sin or the holiness of God. Partly, it is hard because we know that sin marks our own hearts and lives also. Celebrating the final judgment (as is frequently done in the book of Revelation) can feel like we are basking in hypocritical self-righteousness. But we need to remember the context. Persecution is real and the removal of persecutors is necessary for complete salvation. Verse 18 tells us that those who are destroyed are "the destroyers of the earth." The exodus story reminds us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God but are saved (passed over) because of the blood of the Lamb of God. It also reminds us that the removal of opposition is necessary for complete salvation. There are two ways in which enemies of God can be removed. The first is conversion. Hence the urgency of the church to be faithful witnesses (11:4). Granted, Revelation doesn't show a lot of conversion stories, but the people of God are described as a "great multitude that no one could number from every nation" (7:9). As the story unfolds throughout the ages, many of God's former enemies are repenting and entering the kingdom by faith in the Lamb Slain. And yet, Revelation tempers our hope with a measure of reality. In spite of God's visible power, many people will refuse to repent (9:20). Those who continue in their opposition to God (which often leads to oppression for those who follow God) the day of judgment will be a day of wrath (11:18). For those who do not repent, their opposition to God will be removed in the final judgment. This is a stern and sober truth that should motivate our prayers and our witness. Text: Rev 11:1-14 OT Text: Ezekiel 40:1-6, 43:1-10 Featured Verse: Rev 11:4-5 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. Main Idea: God shows his protection of the witness of the church through the measuring of the temple. [We are continuing with the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet.] Analysis Ok. I think that this might be the chapter that finally puts some people over the edge. A person sets out to read through the book. There are lots of strange images, but also lots of things we can intuitively grasp. (Letters to churches, worship in heaven, etc.) This section however, seems to be impossible to decipher at first glance. Personally, I am pretty familiar with Revelation, but when rereading this passage I found myself thinking - what is going on here? Let's start by stepping back from the details to look at what we know. First, the temple is measured. Then two witnesses give bold testimony. At first they seem to be unbreakable. Then the beast (who will be introduced more fully in chapter 13) conquers them and they lie in the streets before being resurrected. Then the city is shaken. The first question to ask is: What is the temple? The answer to this will determine the direction we take for the rest of the section. If the temple is meant to be understood physically and literally, then either this section has to refer to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, or it has to look forward to a time when the temple is rebuilt, because there is not temple now.* However, if the reference to the temple is meant to be symbolic, then it can refer to the entire church age, because the church is the temple. Here are several arguments which favor reading this as a symbolic temple - representing the people of God. 1.) The book is already highly symbolic, and in many places John explicitly interprets things in symbolic ways. (lampstands = churches.) 2.) The OT background for the measuring of the temple is Ezekiel 40-43. In those chapters, the reference is not to the first temple (which had been destroyed in 586 BC), nor to the 2nd temple (which was rebuilt after the return from exile and continued until 70 AD.) Rather it is clearly to a (symbolic) temple which will be rebuilt by God at the end of history. Therefore, it would seem to be best to regard this temple in a similar manner. 3.) Jesus, himself, spoke of his body being the true temple, not the physical building. Now, as the Body of Christ, Christians are the temple because God dwells in them. The rest of the NT speaks of the Church as being (symbolically) the temple of God. (1 Peter 2:4, Eph 2:20-22, 1 Cor 3:16-17, 2 Cor 6:16.) 4.) All other references in the book of Revelation to the temple are describing the ideal heavenly temple, not a physical building on earth. (7:15, 11:19, 14:15-17, 15:5-8, 16:1, 16:17) 5.) Finally, the book is addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor. Given the NT de-emphasis on the physical temple and the practical matter that they lived very far from Jerusalem and would be largely unaffected by the events there, it seems hard to understand how the destruction of the temple in 70 AD would relate to them. 6.) The presence of lampstands in verse 4 is a reference to Zechariah 4. John has already interpreted the lampstands as being churches. So, interpreting the temple as a reference to the church makes sense also. If the temple (and the lampstands) are symbolic, then it makes sense to continue with a symbolic reading of the passage as much as possible. Rather than try to elaborate and defend each point (which would make this a book and not a blog entry) I will simply offer a consistently symbolic interpretation in the space below. Conclusion and Application Reading this passage symbolically renders a meaningful interpretation which is harmonious with other parts of the book of Revelation and with other NT theology. In this way of reading it: The measuring of the temple represents God's protection over his people. She is known intimately by God and prepared for his presence in it. (A presence which will be fully realized in chapters 21-22.) The two witnesses are modeled after the two great OT prophets and demonstrate some of their notable traits. (11:6) For example, Moses turned water into blood (Ex 7:17-25) and Elijah stopped the rain with a prayer (1 Kings 17-18.) They represent the faithful witness of the entire church, that is the new temple of God. It also seems best to understand the lengths of time in this passage as being symbolic. Because seven represents wholeness or completeness in the book of Revelation, seven years would represent the complete scope of redemptive history. The Bible thinks of time hinging on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The time before Jesus is "the former days" and the time after Jesus is the "latter days" or "last days".** Splitting seven years in half would bring 3.5 years, 42 months, or (roughly) 1,260 days.*** These lengths of time are used to represent the age of the church, or the time between the resurrection and the return of Jesus. What we see in this vision is a partial protection. Because the saints are sealed (chapter 7) their souls are safe in God. They also experience a partial physical protection. Their souls are secure in God, but their bodies are safe until they have completed their testimony. (11:7) The measuring of the inner court of the temple while the outer court is trampled seems to be a pictorial representation of this reality. However, at the end of the church age the beast will achieve an apparent victory. The two witnesses will be killed. But this apparent victory will last a comparatively short time (only 3.5 days compared to 3.5 years of protection.) Many scholars think that this points to a great persecution of the church before the return of Christ, a truth that seems to be presented elsewhere in the Bible. However, God will get the final victory. The church (two witnesses) will be raised up and exalted, while the earthly city will be shaken. In short, God will guard our souls, even in the face of death. Death cannot defeat us. And while God does not promise to protect his people from all physical harm, he can completely protect us while we continue our mission of faithful witness. As one missionary once said, "we are immortal until we have completed the work that God has given to us." Notes *The Preterist View of Revelation holds that the book is mostly about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Futurist View (generally what people are most familiar with in regard to Revelation) looks to nearly all of the events in chapters 6-22 as happening in the future. **The NT writers believed that they were living in the last days (Acts 2:17 and Heb 1:1-2.) Paul seems to refer to the writings of the OT as things written in the "former days." (Rom 15:4) *** The expression "time, times, and half a time" is also used in both Revelation 12:14 and Daniel (7:25 & 12:7) to describe a similar period of time. Text: Rev 10:1-11
OT Scripture: Ezekiel 2:9-3:9 Feature Verse: Rev 10:11 "And I was told, 'You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings." Main Idea: John is commissioned to give another set of prophecies. Similar to the OT prophet Ezekiel, he is given (in a vision) a scroll to eat which he will pass along in a series of seven visions. We have seen that the seven seals and the seven trumpets had many parallels. In this section we see another similarity. In between the sixth and seventh seals there was an interlude that showed the sealing of God's people for protection in the midst of the various plagues. In a similar manner, chapters 10-11 appear to form an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. In the second chapter of the interlude (chap 11), the church's witness is shown to be protected through the measuring of the temple (more on that tomorrow.) Analysis In the first part of the interlude we are also introduced to a new series of events. John sees a mighty angel coming down from heaven with a scroll in his hand (10.1). He hears seven thunders sound (10:3) but he is told not to write down the prophecy of the seven thunders. Instead, he is given a scroll to eat, which will enable him to bring a new series of prophecies (10:11). So, what is this all about? It may seem weird for a prophet to eat a scroll, but that is how the prophecy of Ezekiel was introduced in the OT (Ez 2-3.) This is a picture of internalizing God's word. John takes it in, then shares it with his churches. Of course, all of this is part of the vision, I don't think we are meant to understand this as literally eating a scroll. Because the the seven thunders are not written down, it seems that the scroll contains prophecies that are in place of the seven thunders. It appears that the expected pattern has been interrupted. If we look back at the seven seals and the seven trumpets, then take a peak forward at the upcoming seven bowls of wrath (chaps 15-16), a pattern emerges. - Seven Seals effect 1/4 of the people. - Seven Trumpets effect 1/3 of the earth. - [Seven Thunders not recorded, but we would expect them to impact 1/2] - Seven Bowls effect all of the world or 1/1. In place of the seven thunders, we are given a different set of pictures. It seems that the scroll that John eats - instead of recording the seven thunders - leads to a series of visions. These visions, which come after the seventh trumpet, show the conflict between Satan and the church and the final victory of Christ over the forces of evil. (More on that in chaps 12-14.) Summary and Application 1.) Like many other parts of the Bible reading and internalizing God's word is often described as feeding on the word. Jesus himself said that we cannot live on bread alone, but that we need to eat the word of God for spiritual health (Matt 4:4.) Our interaction with God's word needs to be more than just glancing over the words. We need to internalize the message, take it into ourselves and let it change us. 2.) The world-wide scope of the gospel is again affirmed. Ezekiel ate a scroll and had a message for the people of Israel (Ez 2-3.) But, John's message will be more expansive, it is for "many peoples and nations and languages and kings." (10:11) 3.) We don't know why the seven thunders were "sealed up" and replaced by this new scroll and the seven visions which will unfold very shortly. But, many scholars see those seven visions (chaps 12-14) as being the real heart of the book. In these sections, the witness of the church will withstand the onslaught of Satan. Perhaps this is the solution to the closing words of yesterday's text. After the seven seals and six trumpets the people still "did not repent." (9:20-21). In the next series of visions, we will see the faithful witness of the church in the face of persecution. Perhaps it was decided that what we most need to see is not another series of judgments (if indeed the seven thunders were similar judgments effecting 1/2 of the world.) Rather, we need to see God sustain his people for faithful witness even as the world around them brings crushing pressure and the devil himself wars against them. That is what we will see in the coming chapters. May it bring hope in the midst of conflict. "Text: Rev 9:13-21
OT Scripture: Joel 2:12-17 Featured Verse: Rev 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 worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Main Idea: Like the sixth seal in a prior chapter, this sixth judgment seems to point toward a climactic battle at the end of time. We are reminded that God has a final purpose Analysis Many commentators recognize that this section of the book is particularly difficult to understand. (Fortunately, later visions will be a little clearer, so hang on.) For now, we want to recognize some of the patterns that we can see and set some parameters around what is known... and what is uncertain. The sounding of the sixth trumpet causes four angels to be released. Like the demonic powers seen in the vision of the fifth trumpet they seem to be forces of evil that bring destruction on the earth. In verse 16, they are compared to an army that numbers "twice ten thousand times ten thousand" (200,000,000.) That is a large army. Scholars say that is greater than the entire population of the Roman Empire at the time. The army is portrayed in grotesque ways similar to the demonic locust hoard of the fifth trumpet vision. Unlike the demonic locust hoard (which did not kill), this army of mutant horses kills one third of mankind with "fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths." (v.18) Is this referring to demonic powers that look like an army, or to an army that is an agent for demonic powers? I am not sure. Here are some things we can be more confident seeing in the passage. There are several important patterns that can be observed. The sixth trumpet has important similarities to other events in the book of Revelation. The sixth judgment in each of the three series of seven seems to relate to a climactic battle that occurs at the end of history. Other descriptions of a final battle in the book of Revelation are found below: - Sixth Seal (6:12-17) - "then the kings of the earth and...the generals... hid themselves in the caves... for the great day of [God's] wrath has come." - Sixth Trumpet (9:13-19) - "the number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand."** - Sixth Bowl of Wrath (16:12-16) - "the kings of the whole world assembled... at a place...called Armageddon." - Rider in White (19:19) "Kings of the earth gathered to make war." - Satan Defeated with God and Magog (20:7-10) - "nations at the four corners of the earth... gather... for battle." So, what do we make of this? There are a few possibilities. The approach that we have taken so far is to recognize a pattern of recapitulation in the book, such that a single event is described repeatedly. While that seems to take us a long way toward understanding what is happening in the book of Revelation, there is more that we can add to it. Because the series of seven judgments increase in magnitude* there is also a sense that the whole scene of judgment is escalating. While it seems that many of these accounts, listed above, seem to point toward a single final battle, it is a known feature of biblical prophecy to describe contemporary judgments with the language of the ultimate last battle. For example, the fall of Jerusalem (in both 486 BC and 70 AD) is described in language that sounds like the end of the world. In other words, it should not surprise us that bad things happen in history. When they occur, they give us a foretaste of the final conflict. History has periods of peace interspersed with intense conflict. The Persecution of Domitian, the Fall of Rome, the Black Death, the Civil War, World Wars I & II... all felt like world ending cataclysmic events to those who participated. In a sense they carried with them the echoes of final judgment. Because the sixth trumpet is said to affect "one third" of mankind, it may be a window into this phenomenon. Conclusion and Application Well, perhaps that seems a little complicated or a little abstract. Our final landing point is to see the impact of these judgments on people. God has a purpose in bringing judgments into history. They serve to bring justice and reveal his glory. But they are also opportunities for repentance. When any particular bad thing happens it is a reminder that we are naturally separated from God and need to be reconciled to our creator. Every war or disaster is an opportunity for people to review their spiritual situation and turn back to God. Hard things can serve as wake up calls for repentance. Unfortunately, John shows us that the majority of people do not respond in this way. Although they had experienced a judgment that was meant to stir them to repentance they did not turn from their rebellious sin. (9:20-21) Humans experience suffering for many reasons. Sometimes it is our fault. Often it is not. Sometimes we even suffer because we are pursuing righteousness. But regardless of the reason, suffering is always an opportunity for deeper repentance and more dependent faith. When we hear of "wars and rumors of wars" and when our land is marked by "famines or earthquakes" or disease (See Matthew 24:6-8), let us place our trust in our heavenly Father, who through Christ has sealed us for redemption, and let us draw near with more heart-felt repentance. Note * The seven seals affect 1/4 of mankind. Then the seven trumpets affect 1/3 of mankind. (The fraction is becoming greater as the denominator gets smaller.) The seven thunders (10:4) are "sealed up" so we don't get to hear what this judgment would be, but following the pattern we would expect it to affect 1/2 of mankind. Finally, the seven bowls of wrath complete the cycle of judgment. They affect the entirety of mankind - essentially 1/1. ** The "second woe" is not said to end until after the interlude of chapters 10 and 11. In these visions, a different perspective on warfare is introduced. The temple of God is sealed and two witnesses give faithful testimony until they are martyred. This will be discussed in more detail later, but I reference here because it seems to be part of the sixth trumpet (the second woe) and includes continued themes of warfare that is witnessed throughout the earth. Text: Rev 9:1-12
OT Text: Joel 2:1-11 Featured Verse: Rev 9:4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Main Idea: Even the demonic powers from the "bottomless pit" are constrained by the purposes of God. Their malevolent actions cannot harm God's people who are sealed by his Spirit. We saw yesterday that the seven trumpets have a great deal of similarity to the 10 plagues of the Exodus where God brings judgment on Egypt and deliverance for his people. The first woe continues this trend with the plague of locust. However, the OT minor prophet Joel also has an expanded section on a locust plague which also shapes this passage. It is particularly helpful to read Joel 2:1-11 to see the OT background for this sort of prophetic imagery. Analysis With the fifth trumpet we enter into one of the most provocative images that we have seen yet in the book of Revelation. John describes a judgment that uses OT imagery from the Exodus plagues (Ex 10) and the prophet Joel (Joel 1-2.) The locust plague in the Exodus was directed at the Egyptians, the locust plague in Joel was directed at Israel, and the locust plague in this vision is expanded to shake the whole world. How should we understand the references to the locust? What are they, actually? It is important to note that John indicates that he was having a hard time relating this vision to actual things that people were familiar with. He repeatedly uses the phrase "they were like" then gives a more common description. The challenge for us is to try to put all of these things together into one coherent vision. Are these meant to be understood as actual locust? Or do we think of them as being related to ancient warfare?* Or modern warfare?** There is actually another option which seems to match well with the language of the passage. It seems likely that John is describing demonic powers by comparing them to things that people are familiar with. Since the origin of these creatures is from "the shaft of the bottomless pit" (9:1), and since the king who is over them is an "angel of the bottomless pit" called Apollyon, it makes the most sense to regard these creatures as malevolent spiritual beings - that is demons. In conclusion, we may simply point out that because demons are not something that people see in the physical realm, it would make perfect sense that John would struggle to describe them and would necessarily compare them to things we have seen before. (Locusts like battle horses, with hair like women's hair, teeth like lion's teeth who came with a noise like many chariots.) Conclusion and Application The Bible tells us that there are spiritual powers that seek to harm humans. We know little about the world of demons, but the Bible tells us what most people in most cultures have believed about the world - that there are dark spiritual powers that mean us harm. However, the Bible offers to followers of Christ complete protection from demonic powers. In this vision we are specifically told that these locust could not harm the people who had been sealed in the vision from chapter seven. (See 7:1-4 and 9:4) In a similar manner, the Bible tells us that Jesus has won a complete victory over the spiritual powers of evil (Col 2:15) and that if we resist the devil, he will flee (1 Peter 5:8, James 4:7) Modern, Western cultures are prone to dismiss spiritual powers as superstitious or uneducated. It is not so in the rest of the world. In a recent adult Sunday School class a missionary from Africa reminded us that nearly all Africans believe in a spiritual world and Christianity on that continent brings powerful explanatory power to this part of their observed experience. Most importantly, Christianity teaches us that we need not fear demonic powers because Christ has power of a higher magnitude. In the visionary sequence of the seven trumpets we are reminded that the demons are limited in power and only allowed to operate within God's predetermined limits. The authority of the Lamb of God to open the scrolls binds and directs all of the actions within. That does not reduce the evil found in these forces, or their intent to harm humans. But it reminds followers of Christ that his victory on the cross places us beyond the power of the devil. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, our souls are safe in Christ. We suffer in this life, and we may even follow Jesus into losing our lives in our earthly pilgrimage. But nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8) To be sealed is to be spiritually safe, knowing that our eternal destiny is secure. Notes: * The prophet Joel also describes a locust plague, but does so in a way that makes the locust plague seem like a marching army. Scholars are unsure if he is describing a locust plague that acts like an invading army, or an invading army that acts like a locust plague. Sometimes, it is not easy to tell which way the figurative language is meant to go. ** As you may imagine, passages like this are ripe for imaginative connection to modern circumstances. Interpreters who see the visions of Revelation as primarily representing the future are prone to connect these visionary images to modern warfare, such as tanks or helicopters. While it is certainly possible that God could bring a fulfillment of this in that manner, it seems to take us far afield from the concerns of the early church. Revelation Text: Rev 8:6-13
"The Seven Trumpets as History Retold" The text for today will be covered in the sermon during the morning worship service which is Livestreamed on YouTube and recorded on our channel. Note A: "The opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets point us to the same great reality but from different perspectives. The seals view the unfolding of the redemptive purposes of God from the point of view of God’s people those who are sealed [under the altar, crying “how long”.] the trumpets view this same reality from the point of view of the unsealed, those who are NOT the people of God. The opening of the seals brings consolation to the people of God. The sounding of the trumpets brings great woes upon those who are not the people of God. The seals are comforting; the trumpets are warnings.” - Derek Thomas, Let's Study Revelation Note B: Comparison of the Seven Trumpets to the 10 Plagues of Exodus
The Fifth Trumpet describes a horde of demons that look like super scary locust. The eighth plague in Exodus was a plague of locust. The Sixth Trumpet describes a vast multitude of "mounted troops" who are pursuing humanity and seeking their annihilation. This catches echoes of Pharoah's army which pursued the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea, seeking their destruction. Finally, Revelation is a clear parallel to a scene from Exodus after the Red Sea Deliverance. Rev 15:2-3 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb… Exodus 14:30, 15:1 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore...Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea." Text: Rev 8:1-5
OT Text: Zeph 1:7-18 Featured Verse: Rev 8:4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Main Idea: The profound silence of heaven prepares the scene for the final verdict of the judge. The silence is broken only by the prayers of the saints which always come into the presence of God. Analysis We have now returned to the seventh seal. Given all of the chaos that has happened before, we may expect more mayhem when the seal is opened. But instead, we are ushered back into the throne room of heaven where we hear the most startling thing of all - absolute silence. For a half hour.* That is a long period of time. We sometimes have a "moment of silence", which may occasionally stretch to a minute. Also, we usually pause for silent prayer during the worship service at City Reformed. In my experience, people get antsy after 30 seconds. If I am conducting the service I will wait for 45 seconds, but I have to look at my watch because it feels uncomfortable to wait that long. Can you imagine the impact of this in the vision. 30 minutes of waiting for something to happen. So what is going on here? First, silence is the prelude to the judgment of God. Just as the courtroom is silenced before the arrival of a judge, the silence in heaven prepares the way for the final verdict of God. If you read the background Scripture from Zephaniah, you will see that the long description of the "Day of the Lord" and the judgment of God begins with the command, "Be silent before the Lord God." (Zeph 1:7) Second, the end of this passage uses the language of judgment that is found at the end of each series of seven.** This shows that what is being portrayed here is one perspective on the final judgment of God. Third, this is an extension of the the sixth seal. While seals 1-5 seem to cover the entirety of church history, the sixth and seventh seal cover the final judgment. They are two sides of the same coin. The two features that go together in final judgment throughout the book of Revelation are (a.) the destruction of God's enemies - 6th seal, and (b.) the courtroom scene of God as judge - 7th seal. These features are particularly strong at the end of the book in chapters 19-20. Two other features interrupt this scene of final judgment in the throne room of heaven. The seven trumpets are introduced. They will offer a recapitulation of the scope of the seven seals, but will be more intense. As we will see tomorrow, the impact of the judgments will be increased from one fourth to one third. Also, the presence of incense is highlighted in the throne room. In particular, the incense is connected to the prayers of the saints, which "rise before God" (8:4) in the throne room of heaven. Conclusion and Application Maybe it seems weird to think of your prayers being stored in a golden bowl and lifted by the hand of an angel into the presence of God. Again, we recognize that these symbols are meant to convey spiritual truths. When we let the vision ruminate in our minds, the picture becomes really encouraging. John shows us that our prayers are stored before God. They may not be immediately answered - God's timing is not our timing - but God hears us and God will act. In this case, the prayers of the saints in 6:10 - "how long oh Lord?" - are finally answered. But we can also take encouragement from the vivid picture of prayers being lifted before God like incense rising in wafts of smoke.*** When we pray we don't literally see or hear God. Sometimes, in our weakness we wonder... is God even listening? This vivid picture shows us through visionary means the confidence we can have in prayer. When the throne room is silenced and all of creation hangs on the final word from God... it is the prayers of God's children which "break the silence." Yes, God is the sovereign king of heaven, and yes God is working all things according to his purposes. But he delights to receive the prayers of his children and he determines to use their prayers as part of the chain of events which complete the redemption of the world. I will close with a quick story that some at church have heard before. My father was an attorney and worked hard to establish his practice, often logging fairly long hours in his office. As part of his work he needed dedicated times to focus on cases. But he made it a point to tell his secretaries and his receptionists that he always wanted to be interrupted by his children. I didn't realize this at first, but when a new receptionist was added while I was away at school they might not recognize my voice or know me by name. But once I was properly identified, the doors were open, his meetings were interrupted, and I was taken off of hold (on the phone.) While his work was important, it was clear that for my father, family was more important and he delighted to be interrupted. (This is something that I really appreciated about my father.) But John's vision shows us a picture of a far greater heavenly office, where God is enthroned and the cases of all humanity are tried. However, the ruler of the universe is our Heavenly Father. He delights in being "interrupted" by his children. In the words of the old song, "what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer." So, find some quiet time today. Sit in silence, then let your prayers interrupt our heavenly Father. Bring to him your joys, your concerns, your frustrations. He is eager to hear and he promises to act in the appropriate time. Notes *Half hour of silence. Some suggest that this time period is symbolic, and while it may be, it is far from obvious what the symbolism should mean. ** The Seventh Judgment as Final (Similarities) Rev 8:1,5 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal… then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Rev 11:15,19 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet… Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. Rev 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. *** The offering of incense would become a deadly test of faithfulness for first century Christians as Emperor Domitian required his citizens to burn incense in worship of himself. It is believed that the tribulation many Christians in these seven churches might one day face could hinge on their willingness to worship a counterfeit god in this way. Refusing this idolatry could be costly - even deadly. Even as they suffered, their resistance would have been fortified by knowing that their prayers were rising to the real God in the throne room of heaven. Text: Rev 7:9-17
Parallel Text: Phil 3:8-11 Featured Verse: Rev 7:14b "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb." Main Idea: Just as John "layered" images of the royal lion and the slain lamb (5:5-6), he also pictures the followers of Jesus as a marching army and an international multitude of martyrs. The church will "conquer" the same way Jesus conquered - through steadfast endurance and costly sacrifice. Analysis The connection between this vision and the prior vision (144,000 sealed) opens up one of the more interesting features of the book of Revelation. In chapter 5, John "layered" images of Jesus to show his true identity. In the vision, he heard "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah", then he turned and saw "a lamb standing as though slain." What he heard and what he saw are the same person, but portrayed very differently. Both things are true of Jesus. He is the conquering lion. The conclusion of this book will show him returning in power and majesty to defeat his enemies and to establish his church. But his first arrival was characterized by humility and sacrifice. It was through his atoning death that he "ransomed people for God, from every tribe and language and people and nation, and made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth." (5:9-10) When we take the two visions of chapter seven together, we see a similar picture of the church. On one hand, John hears of the tribes of Israel marching in their battle formation.* They are 144,000 strong, ancient Israel in its ideal form, and sealed by God for protection in their spiritual conflict. But when he actually sees the people of God, they look very different. "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,... 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.'" (7:9-14) Notice four important connections: - First, they are the international people whom Jesus ransomed as the slain lamb. (v.5:9-10) - Second, they are the same victorious army previously depicted as being the sealed tribes of Israel. - Third, they have "come out of the tribulation**." Like Jesus - the lamb slain - they are steadfast in the face of persecution, even when facing death. Also like Jesus, they are victorious over death and join him in the heavenly throne room. - Fourth, they receive the same comfort that will one day be extended to the entire church in the New Jerusalem. (21:1-7) Conclusion and Application The Christian life doesn't always feel very glamorous. Living faithfully for Jesus in a fallen world sometimes involves moments of brave defiance. But it also has lots of moments of drudgery. Sometimes we see the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. And sometimes we feel like we are dying daily. Slow, small daily deaths. Often, living for Jesus means carrying a cross and joining him in a cruciform life. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said that he shared in the sufferings of Jesus. (Phil 3:11) But looks can be deceiving. The exact moment in which the church looks most like a slain lamb is the moment when they are most victorious. The moment in which they cling to Christ and forsake the world is the moment when they conquer. The moment in which they are marked by the trials of the lamb of God, they are also sharing in his victory as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. * In his book, Climax of Prophecy, Richard Bauckham showed that the numbering of the twelve tribes is related to the OT practice of taking a census as the army prepared for battle. (See Numbers 1:21, a numbering of "all who were able to go to war.") With this OT practice in the background we see that God's people are here portrayed as a conquering army, moving in perfect assembly. It is, in a sense, like a military parade - showing the power of the conquerors. Here we see God's people with the image of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. We know from the parallel vision that their victory will not be one of military conquest, but from steadfast obedience in the face of opposition. They will conquer in the footsteps of the lamb who was slain. ** What or when is the "tribulation? References to "the tribulation" often make people think of a great period of testing just before Jesus returns. It seems likely that there will be an intensification of persecution in the future, but the dominant use of the term "tribulation" in the Bible refers to the present difficulties that are faced by the church. For example, John understood his own experience in exile as being something that made him "partner in the tribulation" which is characteristic of all who are in Christ. (Rev 1:9) Jesus also warned his disciples that the common experience of those who follow him is that they would have "tribulation" in the world. (John 16:33) When we read the description of the great multitude as those who have "come out of the tribulation" we understand that to be a reference to all Christians who have suffered throughout the age of the church. Which is all Christians, because we all suffer. We may not all become martyrs, but it is characteristic of every follower of Jesus that they would pick up their cross. In his book, Let's Study Revelation, Derek Thomas writes, "What John seems to depict here is the story of the church, emerging throughout history from one tribulation after another. It has always been so, and it very will be until Jesus Christ brings it to a close by his coming." Text: Rev 7:1-8
Parallel Text: Eph 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Featured Verse: Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000 from every tribe of the sons of Israel. Main Idea: God seals his people with the Holy Spirit to preserve their faith in the midst of trials. Analysis It is not immediately clear how this passage relates to the others around it. Remembering that prophecy does not follow a linear trajectory of sequential events helps us to follow the actual flow of the argument. We finished the sixth seal yesterday, which ended with the question: The great day of the wrath of God (and of the Lamb) has come, who can stand? The vision of God's people being sealed on their foreheads (7:3) is meant to show protection for God's people in the midst of the judgment of God. This vision is therefore not something that happens sequentially after the six seals. Instead it is an answer to the question about who can stand in God's judgment. We begin by seeing four angels holding back the four winds. It may be the four winds are meant to be connected with the four horsemen of 6:1-8. The picture is one of protection. The background imagery is taken from Ezekiel 9:4-6 in which the OT prophet sees God sealing his faithful followers for protection prior to the invasion of Babylon and the fall of Jerusalem. In that vision, those that resist idolatry are sealed for protection. We know from the rest of Revelation that the followers of Jesus are not protected from all physical harm. Instead, they are called to follow Jesus in the way of the cross. They are celebrated as "those who do not love their lives unto death." (Rev 12:11) The naming of the 12 tribes reminds us of the OT origins of the Church. Like most numbers in Revelation it makes the most sense to think of the number 144,000 as being the combination of several symbols. Later in the book, the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles together are portrayed as being foundational in the renewed city of God. (21:12-14) Rather than refer to a literal number of people, it seems best to regard this as a symbolic way of representing the people of God in their completeness. (12 OT tribes x 12 NT apostles x a "complete" 1000 = 144,000.) As we will see tomorrow, the surrounding context of this passage further supports this interpretation. Conclusion and Application In this vision, John sees spiritual protection for the church in the face of various trials. We saw a picture of suffering during the church age as the four horsemen brought death and destruction to the world. We also saw a picture of the final judgment and heard the question, who can stand? The answer is that God seals his people so that they can endure suffering in this age and so that they can stand in the day of judgment. Other parts of the NT speak of God's people as being sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13-14, 2 Cor 1:22) Baptism is a picture of this sealing. It shows that we belong to God and that his Spirit is active in everyone who calls on the name of Jesus. As we face difficulties now, and recognize the reality of coming face to face with God after death we take comfort in God's gracious salvation. All who are in Christ are spiritually protected by God himself. When the judgments of God shake the world people respond in different ways. Humans that choose to cling to their independence are hardened by suffering. They may even blame God for their circumstances and entrench themselves in their rebellion. But God's grace empowers his people to respond differently. Those same trials which harden the unrepentant can be used by God to refine the faith of his followers. (James 1:1-2, 1 Pet 1:7) Sorry for the delay, I accidentally set this to post at 5:00 PM, instead of 5:00 AM.
Text: Rev 6:12-17 OT Text: Isaiah 2:12-19 Featured Verse: Rev 6:12-13 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. Main Idea: There will be a day of judgment, when God will bring perfect justice to rebellious human systems. Analysis We have reached a point at which our interpretation of this passage will create a massive shift in how we read the rest of the book. When someone first reads this section, including words like, "the sun became black...and the stars fell from the sky" it sounds like the end of the world. I think that is exactly what John is portraying here*, but that creates a host of problems. If we think that the sixth seal pronounces the end of the world, then how do we understand all of the other visions that happen in chapters 6-19?** Do things happen after the end of the world? These chapters are structured around a series of judgments that come in groups of seven (seven seals, seven trumpets, seven visions, seven bowls). We will discuss this more in coming weeks, but for now it is helpful to see that the questions we wrestle with here naturally relate to the other parts. Our fist inclination is to assume that the series of judgments in chapters 6-19 are events which happen in linear consecutive order. (This creates problems because it is hard to see how the sixth seal could be the end, and then we still have other judgments to come.) If Revelation were written like a history book this would be a normal way for us to read it. But Revelation is a book of prophecy, and does not necessarily present events in linear order. It is not uncommon for prophetic images to come out of sequence or to repeat key events from different vantage points. (I am thinking particularly of the book of Isaiah.) In fact, growing consensus has emerged that it is better to think of the sets of seven judgments listed above as being parallel descriptions of the same type of events and not separate events in a series. I argued previously that the first four seals (four horsemen) were meant to be understood as events which were initiated by the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and characterized all of the church age. That is, God is shaking the heavens now, as he builds his eternal kingdom (seals 1-4). But, the fifth seal shows a period of waiting, as the saints under the altar ask how long until God brings perfect justice. The answer is - until the suffering of Christians is complete. That will only happen at the end of history. The sixth seal then begins to show the final judgment of God on earth, thus completing the timeline. If the sixth seal is showing the end of the world, then the whole sequence of seals, from one through seven, is depicting the entirety of the church age. This argument has picked up a great deal of steam in the Evangelical and Reformed world in recent years. It is clearly articulated in Greg Beale's massive Revelation Commentary and further advanced in other popular commentaries like Tim Chester's "Revelation for You." Here is how the argument goes: The seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls have similar language. They all end with a very similar description of what appears to be the end of the world.*** They also have very similar features in the first four seals. While they are not meant to be exactly the same there is clear repetition. What changes is the increased magnitude of the judgments. For example, the six seals impact 1/4 of the earth, the seven trumpets impact 1/3 of the earth, and the seven bowls of wrath impact all (1/1) of the earth. There is a clear amplification as the series is repeated, but all are essentially showing a similar thing. That is, they are depicting the work of God through history (shaking and building his church), culminating with the final judgment and the end of the world. Conclusion We've already done more than is reasonable for a single blog post, and that is after I downloaded some information into the nerdy footnotes down below. I'm spending time on this because this interpretive decision is crucial to how we understand the rest of the book. More application will follow in coming days. Today I want to end with an illustration. The use of recapitulation to tell a similar story from different vantage points may strike us as odd, but even modern culture uses this more than we realize. When an important news event happens, the TV channels will air the event again and again. This happened after the attack on the world trade center on 9-11-01. There were two planes involved in the event, but the video was shown repeatedly. A person who was not familiar with the way TV works might think that there were more than two planes hitting two towers. They might think that there were dozens of planes. But, a careful look at the buildings involved would make it clear that this was a one series of events, shown repeatedly from different angels and perspectives. Sometimes the video would be longer or sometimes shorter, but always it was dealing with the same fundamental series of events. For those of us who lived through it, it was a life changing event and one that would have resounding consequences for years to come. While Revelation takes a much longer view of history, it is dealing with something that is without doubt the most consequential series of events in the history of the universe, following the death and resurrection of Jesus. So, it is not a surprise that the work of God throughout the church age as it leads up to the end of the world is worth looking at from various angles. Notes * First "nerdy footnote": The reference to the stars falling from the sky is actually harder to interpret than what we may think at first. That language is used in the Bible to describe the destruction of earthly kingdoms that have already occurred in history. (See Matt 24:29, Is. 34:4.) There is a pattern in the Bible in which all judgments of God in history are linked to the final judgment at the end of history. As a result, it is can be difficult to know if a particular prophetic passage is pointing to God's judgment in the midst of history (like the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and 70 AD), or the final judgment at the end of the world. In this particular case, however, the repetition of similar phrases in Revelation seems to show that this is the end of the world. The language of "the sky rolled up like a scroll" and "every mountain removed" (6:14) really seems to leave little room for any human history to happen after this. **Second "nerdy footnote": In chapter 20 we see the clearest description of the final judgment followed by the re-creation of the earth as God comes to live among his people for all eternity. People who disagree about how to best understand chapters 6-19 can still come to agreement as the closing chapters bring the story to a close. ***Third "nerdy footnote": Compare the following sections which are either the 6th or 7th in a series of judgments. In either case the final judgment is either after this (as in the seventh seal), or part of this event in the series. Either way this appears in all cases to be the end of the world. The similarity of language is a strong argument that all of these series of judgments are essentially ending by looking at the same thing from a different angle. - Rev 8:1,5 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal… then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. - Rev 11:15,19 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet… Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. - Rev 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. Text: Rev 6:1-11
OT Text: Zech 6:1-8 Featured Verse: Rev 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Main Idea: The four horsemen show God's sovereign guidance over human history. In particular, the forces of oppression, war, famine and plague - while in themselves evil - are still constrained by God's power and used for God's purposes. Analysis Today we meet four of the most iconic figures in the book of Revelation. The four horsemen are sent to the four corners of the earth to shake the nations and bring preliminary judgment on the earth. Perhaps as much as any figures in the book, they have captivated the imagination of people and have filled pop-culture with endless references, including 4 great running backs on the Notre Dame football team in the 1920's, a modern horror movie "Knock at the Cabin", and songs by punk rockers The Clash, and metal band Metallica. For our purposes, the horseman provide one of the first really significant interpretative challenges... Who are the horsemen? The horsemen represent evil powers that are used by God to bring a first measure of judgment on the earth. They represent oppression, war, famine and plague/death. This is confusing because they respond to the authority of Jesus opening the scroll so some people think that they must be godly figures. But the final horseman is associated with death and hades, which are later in Revelation called enemies of God which are thrown into the lake of fire. (20:14) We understand that God can use all things for his purposes and so we can affirm that these four forces are negative things God uses them to shake the nations and establish a measure of punishment on rebellious humanity. In the OT God used wicked Baylon to chastise his people, though he later brought judgment on the Babylonians for their wicked actions. (See Hab 1-2) When do they ride? Because of the apocalyptic nature of this event, it is tempting to see the breaking of the first four seals and the release of the four horseman as something that still remains in the future. But a careful look at the context of the book shows otherwise. First, the breaking of the seals on the scroll is conditioned on the death and resurrection of Christ. ("Worthy are you... to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God." 5:9) So, the context of the book shows that the seals begin to be opened after the risen Lord Jesus is seated in power in heaven. In fact, the presence of oppression, war, famine and plague are said by Jesus to be characteristic of the entire period of the church - which lasts until his return at the final judgment. (See Matt 24:6-8) Also, notice that the scope of these judgments are limited to one fourth. They are partial judgments of God which happen throughout the church age. The fifth seal shows us that while these horsemen are riding, the martyrs of God are asking for the final judgment and a complete salvation. They ask, "how long before you will judge?" (6:10.) The answer is "until the number of their fellow [martyrs] is complete." (6:11.) We will see tomorrow, that the sixth seal looks forward to a period of time at the end of church history when God will finally bring a complete judgment. But that does not happen until God has completed his work of redemption. In summary, the work of the four horsemen covers the entirety of church history from the resurrection of Jesus until his return. I recognize that this may represent a significant departure from how some people have approached the book in the past. We will continue to unpack this approach throughout the coming chapters. For now, try to hang with us and consider how this approach illuminates the message of Revelation and allows it to be applied to people from every age of the church. Application Why is this good news? In the introduction John offered "grace and peace" to his churches. It may seem hard to connect the vision of the four horsemen (and indeed with many of the judgments that follow) with "grace and peace." Understanding the OT background of this imagery can help us to see why the work of the horseman could be beneficial. The OT prophet Zechariah shared two images of spiritual horseman riding across the earth as bookends of an eight-vision cycle given to the post-exilic community. In the first of the two visions, the horseman reports that the earth is "at rest." That may seem like a positive, but for the post-exile Jewish community it was not good news because they were in a position of weakness experiencing oppression from the surrounding people. No one wants their situation to be at rest if a 600-pound gorilla is sitting on top of them. If you are underneath a resting gorilla, disruption is a good thing. Toward that end it is a relief to the people of God to learn from a second vision of four chariots that the shaking of the heavens will extend to the far corners of the earth. This OT prophecy matches exactly the situation described in the fifth seal. The spirits of those believers who had suffered on earth, at the hands of the enemies of God, are crying out for justice. They will not be satisfied until God shakes things up. They long for the return of Christ and the final judgment to remove oppression and suffering. Until then, they cry "how long?" We see the work of the horseman bring preliminary and limited judgments (one fourth), so we know that God is active even now - shaking the kingdoms of this world, bringing down dictators and provoking complacent people into repentance. But only the completion of God's redemptive purposes for the "full number" of his people will allow the curtain to close on history and the final judgment to come. Until then, we know that even the seemingly chaotic forces which shake our present world (oppression, war, famine, plague) are constrained and limited by God. We also know that God has a purpose in the midst of human suffering. We know that the shaking of the earth is used to bring the eternal and unshakeable kingdom of God. (Heb 12:26-29) Finally, we look forward to a day in which justice is perfectly established by God. Until then, we know that God is working out his plan of redemption even as his people share in the suffering of Christ. Text: Rev 5:8-14
OT Text: Psalm 148 Featured Verse: Rev 5:13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” Main Idea: As we continue to witness the expansive worship of God in the heavenly realm. It is expansive because it extends to people from every background and is joined by praise from all of creation. This section overlaps slightly with the sermon text for Sunday Feb 26. In that passage we saw that Jesus is the Lord of history and because of his victorious death/resurrection he is able to open the scroll of God's divine plan which unfolds through the shaking of the nations (see Heb 12:28-29.) Today we will focus more closely on the "new song" which erupts in response to the gospel. Analysis and Application After Jesus - the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Lamb who was slain - is found worthy to open the scroll of redemptive history, praise and worship explode in heaven (5:8.) John tells us that they "sang a new song." (5:9) This song connects the opening of the scroll with the redeeming work of Christ. They sing, "you are worthy to take the scroll...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God." The authority that Jesus has as the risen Lord flows from his faithful execution of the divine plan of salvation. The scope of the song continues to roll outward in its magnitude. The ransomed people of God are from "every tribe and language and people and nation." (5:9b) This does not mean that every person will be saved. Unfortunately, many will persist in their rebellion. But it means that God will draw and awaken people from every group on earth. Every type of person will be saved. This is the vision that propels world missions. We send missionaries and call our members to go across oceans and language barriers and cultural divides because God is bringing people of every ethnic group on earth into his kingdom. Our identity as a church is not based on any one nation or people group. The church transcends those barriers as it incorporates a world-wide population into the kingdom. But John's vision does not end there. The resounding praise is not merely from the heavenly realm, but it is from earth as well. The entirety of creation "in earth and on earth and under the earth" calls out praise to God. It is interesting to think of animals worshipping God. Clearly, they do not do this as humans do. I suspect that when animals live into their calling as creatures, they glorify God. Of course, they are not made in the image of God and we can't apply any human faculties to them. But it is nice to think that God delights in his creation and receives their praise with gladness. I am writing this on an unseasonably warm February day. The birds are singing and whole earth seems set to emerge from its frozen slumber. It may not be as nice when you are reading this, but there are still opportunities for us to see how the beauty of creation points to the glory of the creator. Make some time to get outside. Today we will read the daily passage (Rev 5:1-10) during the Sunday Worship Service. If you are not able to attend in person, then you can watch the service on our Youtube channel.
Text: Rev 4
OT Text: Isaiah 6:1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Featured Verse: Rev 4:9-10 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Main Idea: In heaven, God is worshipped. This chapter is a huge turning point in the book of Revelation. John's attention is turned from earth, where the seven struggling churches are in various states of faithfulness as they face external oppression, false teachers, and spiritual lethargy. By contrast, in the heavenly realm, God is worshipped perfectly with unending splendor. Analysis After two references to "doors" in the last sections, John again sees a "door standing open in heaven." (4:1) This phrase introduces a heavenly scene in which he is given a vision of heavenly worship. In the Bible, the heavenly realm is contrasted with the earthly realm. In the heavenly realm God receives perfect worship, but in the earthly realm humans resist his authority. Jesus taught his followers to pray for God's name to be recognized as holy "on earth as in heaven." This vision forms a bookend with the final two chapters of Revelation, where the New Jerusalem descends down from heaven and God dwells on earth with his redeemed people. In the end of Revelation, the Lord's prayer is fully answered. In the meantime, John gives his struggling churches a picture of heavenly worship. Right now, City Reformed - like all of God's people throughout the world - is invited to enter into this chorus of heavenly worship when we meet together or worship on our own. Conclusion and Application Remembering this in context brings a striking message. The seven churches of Asia Minor face significant challenges. In addition to their own struggles with spiritual vitality and the allure of compromise through false teachers, the pressure from the outside world is ratcheting up. John has been exiled to Patmos "on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" and is a partner with these churches in "tribulation." (1:9) We also heard in the address to Philadelphia that "an hour of trial is coming on the whole earth." (3:10) Even the best of them have "little power" (3:8) and an outward appearance of "poverty" (2:9), so they is little that they can do to change the situation. We know from history that the first empire-wide persecution of the church broke out at the end of the first century. The warnings in this book would fit well if they were given to the church on the eve of that particular time of tribulation. So... what does John offer to the churches in this position? - "Repentance and faith." If we are honest, this is not the answer that we initially want. We may want strategies to effect change, tips for greater power, secrets to unlock untapped potential. Instead, John brings a prophetic word from Jesus in which the seven churches are corrected and encouraged. In other words, he calls them to greater and deeper repentance. Rather that speaking to them as victims of insurmountable opposition, John's Revelation calls them to examine themselves and respond with repentance and renewal. But he does not end there. John also invites them to join him on a tour of the throne room of heaven where God is worshipped in infinite splendor. And... as the revelation unfolds, John shows that our present calamities are being used by God to usher in the everlasting kingdom of God here on earth. As we face difficulties and opposition, this is what we really need. Repentance and faith. May this vision be the shaping perspectives on our lives. Text: Rev. 3:7-22
Parallel Text: Col 4:2-4 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-- that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Featured Verse: Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Main Idea: We connect with God's power through humility. The lowly church in Philadelphia has "little power" but they are commended for their faithfulness. The proud church in Laodicea boasts of their self-sufficiency, but the door to their connection with Jesus is closed and their spiritual condition is "pitiable." Analysis: When it comes to addressing the churches, John has saved the worst for last. The next-to-last, Philadelphia (like Smyrna before it) is a church that appears to be largely faithful. Jesus has no prophetic word of correction for either of these congregations, though they are warned of coming difficulties. By contrast, the final church - Laodicea - has no positives to speak of. They are "lukewarm" in their faith, "neither hot, nor cold" (v.3:15-16) so Jesus warns that he will spit this unappealing water out from his mouth! That is a pretty stark picture of heavenly rejection. The irony is that the Laodicean Christians seem to be thinking pretty well of themselves. They don't recognize the truly wretched state of their spirituality. Instead, they believe that they are "rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing" (v.3:17) Jesus calls them to repent and receive freely the righteousness that comes by faith (v.18-19.) The key principle in both of these sections is humility. The Philadelphia Christians seem to have "little power", at least from a human perspective (v.3:8), but in their dependence upon God they are connected to his almighty power. One day this will be demonstrated before the watching world as their current enemies are caused to recognize their royal connection to Jesus. (v.3:9) By contrast, the Laodiceans regard themselves as "rich and prosperous", but in their pride their lukewarm spiritual condition is "pitiable." (v.3:16-17) Conclusion and Application An interesting feature of the two passage is that both have symbolic references to doors. Jesus has placed before the faithful Philadelphia Church - "a door that no one is able to shut." (v.3:8) When we consider other ways that this idea is referenced in the NT (see Col 4:2-4) it would appear that an open door is a reference to the ability of the church to witness faithfully to Jesus. That is, this church has power to be a faithful witness, even though they appear to be weak from a human perspective. By contrast, the Laodecians have closed the door to Jesus. Jesus continues to pursue them, he "stands at the door and knocks" (v.3:20) summoning them to open themselves up to his saving power. Even after their spiritual deadness he continues to "knock" and hold out the potential that they could repent, return and renew their fellowship with their savior. In what ways to do you experience "little power" like the Philadelphians? How do the promises of Jesus challenge your perspective on that and bring encouragement? In what ways do you find yourself self-satisfied, content and spiritually lukewarm like the Laodecians? How can you open the door to trust him (humility and repentance) and experience greater fellowship with him? (You can begin by praying.) Text: Rev 2:18-3:6
Creedal Reflection*: WCF 25.5 The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error, and some have so degenerated as to become not Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there will be always a Church on earth, to worship God according to his will. Featured Verse: Rev 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Main Idea: Jesus has a strong rebuke for these two churches. Both have a surface level appearance that all is well, but Jesus is the one who searches hearts and minds (2:23). He does not tolerate hypocrisy but challenges his churches to call them back to faithfulness. Analysis: As the saying goes, "looks can be deceiving." Both of the churches in Thyatira and Sardis have a mixed record. A person looking in from the outside would likely be convinced that all was well. After all, Thyatira had "love and faith and service and patient endurance (v.2:19.)" But Jesus had concern that they were tolerating a false teacher, who like the OT figure Jezebel who was actively leading people into sexual and religious transgression (v.2:21) In a similar way, Sardis had a "reputation of being alive" but Jesus proclaimed their spiritual health to be the opposite (v.3:1.) So he calls them to "wake up" (v.3:1), lest he be forced to come against them. Similar to yesterday and the two prior churches, Jesus is portrayed as actively disciplining his churches to return to them health and vitality. Conclusion and Application Part of what is being revealed here is the character of Jesus. He is portrayed as one who has "eyes like flames of fire" (v.2:18), whose vision penetrates "mind and heart" (v.2:23.) We cannot fool him with an outward religious appearance. How does it change our perception of our spiritual life if we think of the sight of Jesus penetrating our thoughts and desires ("hearts and minds")? For me, it stirs me to repentance and to fresh pray for spiritual help in the daily struggles. The other part of what we see in this section is the persistence and active ministry Jesus has to refine his church. While there could be a situation in which God's presence leaves a church as he left his OT temple (Ez 10), it is often a case that our churches - like the churches addressed in Revelation 2-3 are mixtures of good and bad. Truth and error are side by side. This reality should guard us all against complacency. We cannot lean into our reputation before others while indulging spiritual apathy. On the other hand, this leads us to be more gracious with others. It is often easier to see the sin and error in another person or another church. It is easy for us to assume that once we see that error we can dismiss them and wash our hands. While there are examples of Churches that have departed from the faith, it is always the case that all of our congregations are "mixtures of truth and error" as we are taught in the Westminster Confession (WCF 25:5.) Jesus does not immediately write off the congregations of Thyatira and Sardis, but engages with them, calling them back to faithfulness and life-giving spirituality. As always, Jesus cares enough to say the hard thing. He cares enough to pursue spiritual good even when it means shouting "wake up" to the Christians in Sardis that have drifted into a deep spiritual slumber. *There is a slight change from the typical arrangement here. Usually we have an OT reading or a parallel passage from another place in the NT. Today I substituted a creedal reading from the Westminster Confession of Faith since it seemed to be so relevant to the discussion. Text: Revelation 2: 8-17 OT Text: I Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Featured Verse: Rev 2:16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. Main Idea: Jesus brings correction to wayward churches to restore them to faithfulness. After a flurry of activity to get acquainted with the book, I hope to see the daily devotionals settle into a shorter and more approachable length. Today we will look at two more of the churches in Asia Minor. If you have not yet looked at the chart for the "Seven Churches of Revelation", you will find it below. It is a helpful tool to quickly see the patterns which are present across the addresses to each of the seven churches in the book.
Analysis
Yesterday we saw that the addresses to the seven churches follow a pattern. This is easily visible in the chart attached above. One of the features of this pattern didn't make an impression on me until I was involved in this current study. I failed to make the connection between the opening vision of chapter 1 and the address to the churches in chapters 2-3. In particular, each of the addresses starts with a description of Jesus. But the description in each of the seven addresses is drawn from the opening vision of chapter 1. In other words, after showing a general picture of the ministry of Jesus - present in the midst of the lampstands, John highlights a particular aspect of the ministry of Jesus which is important to each church. The church in Smyrna is regarding as being faithful, but they are going to face a coming trial (v.10, "for ten days you will face tribulation.") These people are facing persecution which could even result in death (v.10b), so it is important for them to be reminded that Jesus is the one "who died and came to life." The corresponding promise also applies to this. Jesus promises that for the ones who are "faithful unto death... I will give you the crown of life. (v.2:11.)" By contrast, the church in Pergamum is not as faithful. There is a mixed record. Consequently, the picture of Jesus is one suited to correction. He is shown as having a "sharp two-edged sword" in his mouth (1:16,2:12.) This is a symbolic way of saying that Jesus will speak words which bring discipline and correction. Pergamum started well, but was being seduced into error. They had been steadfast in past persecution (v.2:13), but now are being led astray by false teaching, which is called "the teaching of Balaam." This is a reference to the experience of Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 23-25.) The king of Moab had been frightened of the Israelites so he hired a prophet to curse Israel. This prophet, Balaam, was unable to attack Israel through this direct spiritual attack. God made it clear his intention was for spiritual blessing. So, Balaam taught the Moabite king to come at the problem in a different way. He counseled a path of sensual corruption rather than direct power encounter. He showed the king (Nu 31:16) how to lure the people into idolatry and its accompanying sexual practices (Nu 25.) What he could not accomplish through direct power encounter, was achieved through seductive temptation. In the OT account, God brought severe judgment on the people of Israel because they "yoked themselves" to a foreign God through their idolatry (Nu 25:5.) In a similar manner, Jesus threatens to war against the church in Pergamum if they do not repent (v.1:16.) Conclusion and Application From this we learn that God takes it seriously when we turn from him and "yoke ourselves" to a rival spiritual power. He does for our good - to bring us back to himself. He does this for the good of his church - to limit the damage to the rest of the church. He does this for his own glory - so that his character will not be misrepresented by his followers in their witness to the world. But this brings up an uncomfortable truth. Being part of the church means that we are subject to discipline from God. For all of the good reasons listed above, "judgment begins with the house of God." We learn from this that we have more to fear from temptation than from direct spiritual attack. It was not attacks of Satan or even the death of a disciple which are the great causes of concern. Rather, it is the alluring temptation to compromise - especially in ways that align with the surrounding culture and its sexual immorality. We learn from this that there is a healthy fear that comes from belonging to Jesus. The same Jesus who stands in the midst of the lampstands for support, warns his church of the proximity of discipline. His presence brings both comfort and appropriate concern for faithfulness. At the end of the day the encouragement is for those who repent. They are promised the blessing of God ("hidden manna.") Surely this is far greater than anything offered by the sexually immoral idolatry which was creeping into their congregation. In what ways are you being tempted to compromise? How does it help to know Jesus brings correction, but also offers the comfort of being known and cared for (v.2:17.) Text: Rev 2:1-7 Parallel Text: Hebrews 12:5-7 Featured Verse: Rev 2:3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." Main Idea: Like the other prophets before him, John brings a corrective word from God to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Nearly 20 centuries later, we are in need of the same thing. Through John, Jesus brings an address for seven churches in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. These cities are all real places that existed in the first century and everything about the letter indicates that this is intended to be a prophetic word of correction and rebuke for each of these churches. The number seven is a biblical number of completion and is used figuratively throughout the book. It may be that John chose to list seven churches because there are representative of other churches and this was a way to show the totality of Jesus interactions with the first century church. As we have already said, one of the important ways that we ground our interpretation of Revelation is to recognize that the letter is addressed to actual people and interacts with their specific situation. Analysis And what does Jesus say to the churches in Asia Minor? He brings encouragement and correction. This is not a surprise, because nearly every prophetic word in the Bible includes some combination of encouragement and correction. Jesus is speaking the truth in love (Eph 5:18) to the church for their good and for their growth. We see a pattern that Jesus acknowledges something specific about how they are doing. [At the end, I have attached a chart that shows the way this pattern plays out through all seven churches.] First, there is commendation (what they have done well.) Second, there is a critique (where they need to improve.) Then he gives a promise (“to the one who overcomes”) and in many cases he offers a warning, (“if have this against you”, so “if you don’t stop this will happen.”) As we move through the addresses to the seven churches, we want to keep the big picture in mind. Ask yourself: What does Jesus get concerned about here? What are his priorities? How can I learn from these rebukes and be encouraged by these promises? In his first address, to the church in Ephesus, John brings a commendation about their positive regard to doctrine. They have rejected false teachers. (2:2.) The critique is that their hearts don't seem to be in it anymore. They "abandoned the love they had at first." (2:4) I think that this word of warning is particularly relevant for conservative Presbyterians. People in our circle are inclined to spend a lot of time on doctrine, and give a lot of focus toward orthodox teaching - as we should. But Jesus told the Ephesian church that he was concerned about their affections. Do you love Jesus as passionately as you have at the early phases of your Christian journey? Do you love him as you should? As he deserves? Fortunately, we are not left to generate this affection out of the thin air. Love, itself, is a fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5) Renewed faith in Christ naturally stirs up our emotions. We are drawn to love Jesus as our vision of his beauty is refreshed. The entire book of Revelation will work toward that purpose. Emersion in God's word is a powerful tool toward regaining the "love we had at first." In this particular case, Jesus calls the Ephesian church to remember and repent (v.5.) But he grounds this in the visionary promise. Jesus "holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands" (v.2.1.) He is with us, holding us close. Jesus also holds before the church the vision of future restoration which will form such an important part of the book as it reaches its conclusion. The promise for those who remain faithful and "conquer" is that they will "eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God" (2:7.) We will see how this promise is shown to be fulfilled in the New Heavens and the New Earth (22:2.) Hebrews 12:5-7 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.
Text: Rev 1:4-20
OT Text: Daniel 7 Featured Verse: Rev 1:5b-6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Main Idea: The OT background of Rev 1 shows that Jesus fulfills prophecy by receiving a kingdom that will never end. The kingdom is established at his resurrection, runs throughout the church age and finds completion at his return. Welcome to day #2 of our Revelation reading project. Today will be a more standard entry, compared to yesterday - a post full or introductory material. We will continue to look at chapter one and consider important background information which shapes our understanding of this important vision. In verses 12-20 John tells us about a vision in which he saw "seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man..." (v.12) Please read Daniel 7 if you have not done so already. Analysis Alright. If reading Revelation feels a little crazy, then reading Daniel 7 may convince you that other parts of the Bible are similarly difficult. We won't try to explain all of Daniel 7 today, but there are several really important things to take note of. (1.) Notice how a similar style of prophecy is found in both places. The use of symbolic images to describe God's intervention in human events is remarkably similar between the two books. - Remember the way Daniel describes the world kingdoms as "beasts with horns" which devour. (Dan 7:1-8) The language of "beasts" will be very important later in Revelation. Just remember, it didn't appear out of thin air. - Notice the way in which Daniel describes the appearance of God - the ancient of days. God appears in humanlike form, though Daniel does not give specifics of his features. He has white hair, like "wool" and fire comes from him. (Dan 7:9-10) When John sees Jesus in this opening vision it bears a striking resemblance to the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7. Jesus also has hair that is "like white wool, like snow and his eyes were like a flame of fire." It is as if John looks at Jesus and says, "here is divinity!" - Notice also the similar refrain of God establishing an eternal kingdom (Rev 1:6 and Dan 7:14, 18,27.) (2.) Notice also that in Daniel a second figure shows up. Viewed through a Trinitarian lens, we can see that God the Son and God the Father are able to interact. In Daniel's vision, "one like a son of man" shows up "with the clouds of heaven." (It would be strange for anyone other than a divine figure to appear "riding the clouds" given the way that terminology is used in Psalm 104:3 and Isaiah 19:1.) Think about how this vision forms a backdrop of Revelation 1. - In Revelation 1:7, Jesus is described as riding on the clouds of heaven. - Jesus is also described as "one like a son of man." (1:12) This was his favorite term for self-description in the gospels. (Though it was not a clear messianic term at the beginning of the first century, the connection with Daniel 7 and clear use of the term by Jesus solidified this connection.) - Jesus has a "dominion that is everlasting" (Dan 7:14), also called "dominion forever and ever" (Rev 1:6.) - Through his sacrificial ministry, Jesus brings believers into his kingdom (1:5-6) which fulfills Daniels vision where "the saints of the most high receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever and ever" (Dan 7:18.) Conclusion and Application I took time to draw out these comparisons, because it is important to underscore the connection between the imagery of Revelation and other parts of the Bible, particularly OT prophecy. Seeing the parallels helps us to understand how the symbols are being used and can make them feel less random. Seeing these connections also underscore the interpretive meaning. Daniel 7 is a passage about world-wide conflict in which God's agent (the son of man) will receive authority and establish an everlasting kingdom which overcomes the oppressive power of the worldly (beastly) kingdoms. Let's connect that to the idea that was discussed in the first blog post. John shows us that the son of man is standing in the midst of the lampstands holding the stars in his hand. As we saw, that means that Jesus is present with his church, representatively* holding the Christians in his right hand. Combined with the background of Daniel 7 our reading of the vision is given added depth. We now see that Jesus is able to care for his church because he has received power and authority from the Ancient of Days. The very purpose of this power (dominion) is to establish his kingdom and uphold it forever. In the face of "beastly" opposition from world powers, we have confidence that Jesus can hold us fast. * Jesus spoke of the stars as the "angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20.) It is not clear exactly what is meant by an "angel." Because the term means "messenger" it could be a human messenger (ie. a human leader) or a divine being that has special connection to a particular congregation. Either way, that figure has a representative relationship with the church as a whole, such that when we see Jesus holding the stars in his hands, we know that same care is extended to everyone in the church. Text: Rev 1:1-20
OT Text: Zechariah 4:1-13 Featured Verse: Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. Main Idea: Because we understand that Jesus is the son of man and that the lampstands represent the seven churches of Asia minor, we understand that John's vision is meant to show us that Jesus dwells in the midst of his church and that he is able to help us in our Christian journey. Welcome to the CRPC 2023 Reading project. In the last two years we have done some very ambitious reading projects. In 2021 we read through a large part of the history sections of the Bible and talked about the "story of salvation in Scripture." Last year, for 90 days, we read through all 150 Psalms and talked about worship. This year, the number of readings will be less - only 50 days. Also, the amount of reading each day and the amount of devotional material will be reduced. The goal is to make the reading program more manageable and sustainable. However, as you will see the task before us is no less challenging and no less rewarding. We will be reading through the final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. It is a book filled with strange and provocative images. It can be both intimidating and bewildering. It has produced in the church opposite reactions of morbid fascination or silent dismissal. What we shall see if that Revelation is a book designed for pastoral purposes. It is meant to stir faith and repentance in the church by revealing the spiritual realities of our present struggle and the power and presence of God in human history as it moves toward his final victory. A word about the website The homepage for our website has three "buttons" on it. The first goes to an 8-page intro to the book of Revelation. I recommend reading that before you start. It will give important theological background on the book. The second button links to daily readings. Each day a new blog post will pop up which will work through the section of Revelation assigned for that day. (If you are reading this now, you probably found out how to use that button and access the blog posts.) The final button links to a 50-day reading schedule. This shows you the big picture of what we are hoping to accomplish between now and Easter. A word about the daily posts The daily posts will be a little shorter this year. We will not have a full liturgy of prayers and songs. I encourage you to continue to incorporate our daily readings into a larger time of personal worship. You can use the weekly liturgy from Sunday (in the bulletin) as a guide for worship throughout the week. As with former years, you can engage with the reading in several levels of involvement. - The fullest engagement is to read both the passage from Revelation and the accompanying passage listed at the top of the post. Today, the reading from Revelation is chapter 1, and the accompanying passage is from Zechariah chapter 4. Because Revelation has so many biblical allusions, we will best understand the meaning of this book when we see it in its biblical context. - However, if you don't have time to read everything, you can simply read the passage from Revelation and the devotion which follows. - Finally, we will also include a "featured verse" and a "main idea." If you are really pressed for time, you can simply read the featured verse and the main idea and get a sense of what we are talking about. This will provide a good summary of what we see in each passage and will be written with one eye toward the purpose of being a resource for families to use together. A word about prophecy The most important thing to understand is that Revelation is a book of prophecy. We are told that explicitly in verse 3, "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy." As such it has similarities to other book of prophecy in the Bible. But reading prophecy is not natural for us. There are several things that we need to consider as we seek to read this together. (1.) Biblical prophecy is God speaking to his people. John understands that to be the case. In his very first sentence he titles this work "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants." When we read Revelation we expect to hear God speaking to his people. (2.) Prophecy uses symbols to show spiritual truths. Revelation is a highly symbolic book. This can be confusing, because sometimes people associate reading the Bible symbolically as being unfaithful. Some people make it their goal to try to read the book as literally as possible. The only real question to ask is, how did John intend for this to be understood? The most faithful reading of anything is to follow the author's intention when receiving input. In this case, it is actually quite clear. Most biblical prophecy is highly symbolic. Furthermore, in the first passage, John shows us that his vision has symbolic value. He tells of a vision of the son of man in the midst of lampstands (Rev 1:12.) Then, he interprets the vision by showing us the symbolic value of the images that are shown. In verse 20 he tells us, "the seven lampstands are the seven churches." If you were to try to interpret this vision literally you would miss the whole point. It has nothing to do with a literal lampstand. The message of Rev 1 is that Jesus is standing in the midst of his church ready to support them in their hour of need. (3.) Symbols are interpreted by context. (This is discussed more in the "Introduction" paper.) In short, the rest of the Bible provides biblical context and the situation of the seven churches provides historic context. These two contexts guide our interpretation so that we understand the meaning of the symbolic visions. This is (admittedly) not always an easy thing to know for certain, but grounding our interpretations in biblical and historic contexts is a helpful and necessary guide. In the case of Revelation chapter one, the visionary image of the son of man is drawn from Daniel 7 (more on that on Day #2), and the visionary image of the lampstand is drawn from Zechariah 4. Zechariah's use of the lampstand image would indicate that we are meant to understand it as representing the church in need of divine assistance. Which is exactly what John tells us it means in verse 20. (4.) Prophecy relates to present and future events. One way theologians talk about his is to say that prophecy is both foretelling (future) and forthtelling (present.) The vision of Jesus among the lampstands is an example of forthtelling. It is not about some future event, but it shows a present reality in a visionary way. In a similar manner, the next two chapters involve prophetic addresses to the seven churches. In those addresses, we hear Jesus address each church directly, calling them to greater repentance and faith. By contrast, other parts of Revelation (especially the last couple of chapters) are clearly about future events. We see a powerful depiction of the return of Jesus and the restoration of all things. In between, the visions of Revelation combine some mixture of the two - which we will try to sort out as we move along. (5.) Prophecy calls for action. The point of prophecy throughout the Bible is that God wants his people to respond with greater repentance and faith. This is what the OT prophets do. This is what Jesus did in his earthly ministry. It is precisely what the seven churches are called to do in chapters 2 and 3. But we can easily lose sight of this core principle. The dramatic images of Revelation can stir our fascination. But if we are not led to repentance and faith, then we are missing the point. Others are tempted to see in Revelation an exact template for understanding the events which accompany the end of the world. They try to match the visions to modern day events and develop a timeline for the return of Christ. Considering that Jesus himself said, "No one knows the hour or the day of my return", (Matt 24:36) this is clearly a mistake. More importantly, this fixation often distracts from the primary message of the book. Revelation was not given so that (so-called) experts of biblical prophecy could tell us the exact dates for the end of the world. (Again, this is a possibility that Jesus, himself, excluded.) Rather, it is written that we would be led to deeper repentance and faith. When he addresses the seven churches they are called to "repent" (v.2:3,18, 3:19), "not fear" (v.2:8), "hold fast" (v.2:25, 3:11), "wake up" (v.3:2), and "hear the voice [of Jesus]" opening our lives up to up. In fact, this first chapter ends with a call to action. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." A word about the lampstands Most blog entries will not be so long. In fact, most Sundays the blog entry will be replaced by a link to the sermon. But given that there is so much groundwork to cover, it seemed good to start with some more introductory comments. But Revelation chapter one also includes a very powerful visionary image. In addition to several comments about what the book is (prophecy) and how we should respond ("listen"), the opening image is powerful. On day #2 we will explore the background image of Jesus as the son of man. But I want to briefly consider the significance of Jesus standing among the lampstands. The seven churches in Asia Minor were facing many difficulties. There was opposition from outsiders. It seems likely that this was written in the face of increased persecution from Rome. John himself was exiled on the island of Patmos because of this beginning "tribulation." (v.9). They were also facing increased danger from within as false teachers were beginning to corrupt the churches (see chaps 2-3.) And they were wrestling with their own sinful hearts as their "first love" for Christ was beginning to fade (v2:4.) Finally, in all of these things a massive spiritual battle was being waged in which Satan was seeking to destroy the church. Much of Revelation will serve to reveal the nature of that spiritual battle. What was the church to do? Through repentance and faith they were called to hold fast to Jesus. As we shall see throughout the book, those who hold fast to Jesus in the face of all this opposition will be "overcomers." And how do we overcome? We overcome by trusting that Jesus is able to care for us. That is why the opening vision is so important. In this vision we see "one like a son of man" (Jesus) standing amidst the lampstands (churches) with the stars (leaders of the churches) in his hands. Think about what this means. Jesus is with us. Jesus is holding his saints in his hands. When all the armies of Satan war against the church, and when we are wracked by spiritual division, persecuted by Ceasar, and when we face the dullness of our sinful hearts - Jesus is with us. We can trust him. We can trust that he has the ability to defeat our enemies and bring us into his heavenly kingdom. His final victory is certain and as he dwells in the midst of his people. He has the power and position to give them grace to help in times of need. Revelation brings hope in the midst of conflict. |
AuthorMatt Koerber (unless otherwise noted). Because this devotional links so closely with the sermon series, the preacher for a given week will also write the daily devotionals. Archives
April 2023
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