Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. – Revelation 21:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 31, 2024): Revelation 21

It is the first request of the Lord's Prayer. "Our Father in Heaven, Holy is your name. Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus taught us to pray that what is up there will be brought down here. That heaven would come down.

It is in the heart of John Peterson's Hymn

            Heaven came down and glory filled my soul

            When at the cross the Savior made me whole

            My sin was washed away and my night was turned to day

            Heaven came down and glory filled my soul (John Peterson).

This is the truth that we know. God has come down here. He is in me. My life has changed because God came to me. The life of Jesus is an example of God coming down. We celebrate this in the moments of our faith journey: God came down.

We also believe that eternal life doesn't begin when we die. It begins now. I have a change that can only be explained by the idea that God came down. But this passage doesn't seem to speak about God coming down that way. John says, "Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband" (Revelation 21:1-2)

At first blush, it seems this passage might support a "disposable earth" philosophy that has dominated us. The passage says that the first heaven and earth had passed away. Except that, we only believe that the first earth is disposable. Isn't heaven eternal? So maybe this means the sun and the stars. That makes sense. It is not the heaven of God that passes away, but the heaven of the stars. Does that make sense?

Maybe, but what if this verse means precisely what it says? Perhaps it is the first heaven and earth that have passed away. But maybe not the actual heaven and earth, but the order of things that passes. That is what I believe the passage suggests. And so, in verse 4, John writes, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4. Italics mine). It is the order of things that pass away.

All of this is hinted at by the idea that there is no sea. I heard a pastor talking about this verse a while ago. He and his wife like to go snorkeling in the Caribbean. What they do is add to their life list all the fish that they have seen. He then lists them: blue tangs, rainbow parrotfish, French angelfish, and the occasional Octopus. He loves these trips to the Caribbean, where he snorkels with his wife in the ocean. He then comes to this verse in Revelation, and John says there is no longer any sea. Does this mean that God will destroy what we sometimes find beautiful? I am not a snorkeler, but my favorite places on earth are on the beaches beside great bodies of water. I love to look out over the surface of the water, see the boats slowly moving along the surface, and see the islands and birds. I want to ask God: "What is wrong and sinful with the sea that you would want to destroy it."

But that is not what John is saying. John lived in a time when going to sea meant taking your life in your hands. How many times did the disciples think they were about to die because they decided to cross the Sea of Galilee, which is nothing more than a large lake? A storm would come up and just about sink the boat, and they could do nothing.

The sea, in ancient writings, is often a placeholder for chaos. Chaos stole the lives of people who still had living to do. In the new order, the beautiful water is not missing. It is chaos—even the chaos introduced by suicide bombers and gunmen with the intent to kill. The chaos of thieves roaming the hills around Bethlehem will be gone, and all that will be left is the peace of sitting on a hill and looking down on a sleepy little town. It is a new order of life because what was up there has now come down here, and God has made his dwelling place with man.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 22

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. – Revelation 20:10

Today's Scripture Reading (July 30, 2024): Revelation 20

A few years ago, I took a Sunday and taught about our misconceptions about hell. And there are a few. I remember starting that morning by playing AC/DC's hit song "Highway to Hell." Yes, I knew I was pushing the envelope a little that morning. But I felt the song fit, and there were a few misconceptions about hell contained in the lyrics.

Now, just as an attempt to be transparent, because I know that someone will want to remind me, "Highway to Hell" is not actually a song about hell. The song is about life on the road and the trials you face when you are in a rock and roll band, living away from family, and sleeping in a different bed every night, trying to make a name for yourself.

And, of course, it is also about the partying that happens on the road. When you are young, you can do it, maybe. Many older rockers have admitted that they have had to curtail their extracurricular activities as they have gotten on in age. I say maybe because the sad reality is that Bon Scott, AC/DC's original singer, died from what the coroner called acute alcohol poisoning a short six months after this song was released. Bon Scott was only 33 at the time.  

One of the misconceptions I discussed that morning was the suggestion that "Hell is fun and Heaven is boring." It was reflected in the lyrics of "Highway to Hell." In the song, Scott sings.

Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do

(Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott

Highway to Hell)

I love the way Mark Twain described it. "Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company" (Mark Twain). We get this idea in our advertising. The angels often look bored, while the rule-breakers, destined for the other place, eat chocolate and drink cocktails on the beach. And I have admitted that it was the message I felt I got from the church when I was younger. As I listened to preachers when I was growing up, they often made it sound like Heaven was an endless church service. And while I hope you enjoy attending church, I don't want to spend eternity there.

The Psalmist writes this:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:11)

And Paul writes these words to Timothy -

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

And here, in Revelation, John writes this –

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever … Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10, 15).

If torment is your idea of fun, then I think we have some other problems we need to discuss. But in the end, we need to remember that hell is about torment and punishment, while Heaven is designed to be our reward.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 21

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. – Revelation 19:7

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2024): Revelation 19

Jesus told a parable about ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. These virgins were ladies in waiting and were an essential part of the wedding. But they didn't know when the bridegroom would show up. So, they were given the task of being ready. In the parable, five accepted the invitation, and five received the invitation but refused to get ready. When the bridegroom arrived, only half of the ladies in waiting were prepared for what came next. The other five were left hopelessly scrambling to try to get ready at the last minute, but it was an impossible task.

Every time I read the parable, the question that gets me is, what if it wasn't the ladies in waiting; what if it was the bride who wasn't ready? Isn't that Jesus's point? The bride needs to be ready for the bridegroom. Jesus taught that the Bride of Christ is the Church, and ready is an action word. So, the Christian Church needs to be actively preparing for the coming of Jesus. However, I am not sure that that is what we are doing.

On the Thursday night before the Crucifixion, Jesus went to pray. Here is how Mark tells the story.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him (Mark 14:32-40).

The bride wasn't ready; in this case, they couldn't stay awake. This group of disciples was the beginning of the Christian Church.

If we want to know what Jesus really believed, we need to spend some quality time with the Sermon on the Mount. It is the core of Jesus's beliefs and the pinnacle of biblical teaching. However, if we were honest, we would say that we aren't fulfilling the expectations of that one Sermon, three short chapters in the Bible (Matthew 5, 6, 7). What is worse is that deep down, we do not expect to fulfill what Jesus has asked of us. We will continue in our ways and settle for asking God for his mercy and forgiveness, but the reality is that we have fallen asleep.

A friend of mine, let's call him Harold, tells the story of when he fell out of contact with another friend. The two of them had gone to High School together. And then they drifted apart. After a while, this lost friend started to phone him. But Harold was busy. In his mind, he told himself that he would get back to him later. But "later" is hard. Have you been there? I have. You ignore that call so long that it becomes hard to answer. You don't know what to say.

Finally, my friend picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed the number. But the friend is not home. My friend is relieved. "Hey, it's Harold. I am sorry you're not home (no, I'm not), but I just wanted to connect with you." And he hangs up

Two minutes later – the phone rings. Guess who. Harold picks up the phone and begins to talk with an old friend. But it is awkward because he has ignored him for two years. He had just stopped receiving the calls.

Finally, Harold tells his friend, "I'm sorry this is awkward for me."

His friend replies, "I know, but I can do awkward. What I can't do is you not talking to me."

This is what I need you to hear. God can do awkward and he can do embarrassing. But he needs to talk to you. We must be actively getting ready for his feast because the wedding of the Lamb is here. But we can't do that if we have lost contact with the one who created us, loves us, and saved us when we needed him the most.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 20

When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. – Revelation 18:9

Today's Scripture Reading (July 28, 2024): Revelation 18

As the Second World War dragged on, American Bombers began to bomb strategic cites in Japan systemically. Tokyo was attacked on March 9-10, 1945. The bombing of the city, codenamed Operation Meetinghouse, was the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. Forty-one square kilometers (sixteen square miles) of the downtown area of the city was destroyed by the raid that left approximately 100,000 people dead and 1,000,000 people homeless.

The bombing of Tokyo and other cities meant that Japan's urban areas made plans for the possible bombing of their city. In Hiroshima, school kids as young as eleven years old were utilized to clean away any debris, and the students were also used to demolish houses to make firebreaks in the city. Maybe it is important to note that, at this point, Hiroshima had escaped any Allied bombing attacks. However, if they were attacked, Hiroshima had a plan to protect the people.

The feared attack would come on Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:15 in the morning, as the average person was either getting ready or on their way to work. The August 6 attack was beyond anything the world had experienced or imagined. That was when the nuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on the city. The bomb killed 150,000 people and destroyed or severely damaged 80% of the buildings in the city, not just in the downtown core. If the attack on August 6, 1945, had been a conventional bombing raid, maybe the preparations that had been made in the city would have made a difference. But to "Little Boy," it was all just a lot of wasted work.

"Little Boy" contained a fraction of the power that is possessed by the bombs that we have now. Just as the people of Hiroshima couldn't conceive of the power of the bomb that was heading their way, I don't think that we can imagine the power of the bombs that we have today.

John sees the destruction of Babylon. It is the seat of wickedness in the world. The real Babylon was well past its prime in John's days and was abandoned entirely within the next 1000 years, but the ancient city can still grab the attention of Jewish and Christian believers. The name Babylon has become a placeholder for places of evil. Some readily submit Rome, or even the Vatican, as the place of destruction described here. Others suggest other sites, including even the North American Cities of Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, as the sites of Revelation's Babylon.

However, according to John, the destruction of the New Babylon will be beyond what we can imagine, and the world who has shared in her evil will mourn at her loss.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 19

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. – Revelation 17:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 27, 2024): Revelation 17

Her name was Semiramis. Today, she is considered part historical person and part mythical creation. She was the wife of Onnes, an Assyrian army general under King Ninus's leadership. According to the story, King Ninus fell in love with Semiramis, and at some point, Onnes committed suicide, allowing Semiramis to marry the Assyrian King. Some have identified Ninus as Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah. Nimrod was a mighty warrior who came from Babylon before he founded the city of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire.

Semiramis is believed to be a priestess and the originator of the Babylonian religion and brought idol worship into the heart of the world during that era. Semiramis gave birth to a son she called Tamuz, who was conceived of miraculously. This son of Semiramis was considered to be the Savior of the World. Tammuz was also believed to have been killed by a wild beast and then brought back to life.

It may be the story of Semiramis that John has in mind as he begins to write about the great prostitute. The city of Babylon would itself become the image of the great harlot, but the story of Semiramis who instituted Idol worship in Babylon and had miraculously had a son who would be the Savior of the world must have hit John as an inferior form of the story he knew from the life of Jesus. And so, he would be interested in the punishment that would be suffered by the one who was nothing more than an inferior copy of the one he served.

Semiramis, Tammuz, and the Babylonian form of idol worship would be a thorn in the side of the Hebrew people throughout their journey on the earth. Ezekiel would preach against the practice of weeping for Tammuz, which God said was detestable.

Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this" (Ezekiel 8:14-15).

And Jeremiah speaks against the practice of making cakes for the Queen of Heaven, Semiramis.

The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven [Semiramis]. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger (Jeremiah 7:18).

The local Canaanites called the Babylonian Tammuz by a different name: Ba'al. John reveals that, in the end, Tammuz and his mother, Semiramis, will be defeated.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 18

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." – Revelation 16:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 26, 2024): Revelation 16

How can a loving God pour out his wrath on the object of his love? It is an important question, especially if there is no opportunity for the object of his passion to make restitution and come back to God. It is related to the question of how God could allow evil to exist on the earth. Why are children dying in Ukraine or Gaza? Why are people starving in some places in Africa? And yes, part of the answer to the question is that we must acknowledge that our sin directly causes a portion of this pain. There are forces in Eastern Europe who have caused harm where there didn't need to be pain. The military in Palestine has put children at risk and actively killed them in Gaza when another path was open to them to get their point across. And regardless of which side you might stand with, the truth is that both sides have caused pain.

But these circumstances are only part of the story. As I listen to the news, I am reminded that the storm season we are now in is likely to be worse than any storm season we have seen during our lifetimes. Part of this is directly related to global warming, but not all of it. We have always had storms, and people have died in those storms long before we realized the damage we were doing to our environment. This brings us back to the question of why. A friend admits that he would gladly give up his freedom to choose if it meant that children wouldn't have to die. I am not sure we know what life without the ability to choose would be like, but I understand his anger.

I have a feeling that I can't prove, but it is something about which I openly wonder. My question is this: recognizing that this world in which we live is broken, and for the most part, it was the human race that broke it, what is God's role in restoring this world? It is something that I began to consider when I was studying the passage where God sent snakes against Israel in the wilderness. Now, snakes in the wilderness are not an unusual thing. And yet, Israel seemed to not struggle with them. Is it possible that God had placed a cone of protection around them that kept the snakes away, and then, in their disobedience and only for a moment, he removed his protection and let the snakes in among the people? Is that possible?

If that happened with the snakes, could it have been the circumstance with the original plagues that hit Egypt and resulted in Israel being let go from their slavery? Just for a moment, God's protection slipped. The people had fought against God and his protection, so for a moment, God revealed what it might be like if his protection was removed.

Maybe, as the angels symbolically poured out God's wrath, what is really happening is God is letting his protection slip once again, protection that we don't seem to want anyway. It is part of this broken world, which continues to break only because of our sin. And God will continue to remove his protection, even for a moment, so that we see what life might be like without him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 17

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. – Revelation 15:7

Today's Scripture Reading (July 25, 2024): Revelation 15

It was a challenge back in Junior High. The question was, can you drink a medium-sized bottle of Coke in one swig? I think it was a sixteen-fluid-ounce bottle of Coke at the time. I remember kids trying to down the Coke bottle without removing it from their lips. Most had tears streaming down their faces long before reaching the bottle's bottom. From experience, trying to get the liquid down your throat like that could be painful. I was successful, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. (Maybe that is why I drink my pop so slowly now.)

I wonder if my mouth and throat have toughened or if the carbonation level in pop has decreased in recent years. I haven't taken the challenge in the last few decades, but it doesn't seem like it would be as hard now as it was when I was a kid.

The King James Version translates this verse: "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever" (Revelation 15:7 KJV). At issue is the word "vial" or "bowl." And the NIV's bowl is probably a better translation, although both have a problem. The item in question is not a vial, often pictured as a deep container with fluid or a bowl but is much more like a shallow plate. We need to picture something that might be placed under burning incense or a shallow ashtray. The idea is that these bowls could be wholly and quickly emptied or poured out. It would be harder to keep a fluid in these bowls than to pour it out. And no residue would be left after the bowl or vial had been emptied.

It would be definitely much easier than trying to drain the bottle of Coke I drank as a kid. The wrath of God will be poured out on the planet quickly and effortlessly. In the past, when God poured out his wrath on our planet, there was a moment when God could relent and go no further, but this would be different. It is not that the wrath would be less, but that it would be completed much quicker.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 16

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. – Revelation 14:14

Today's Scripture Reading (July 24, 2024): Revelation 14

It happened on the day of the crucifixion. Jesus had been arrested. The trial wasn't what we would accept as a trial. No one was present to help defend Jesus. And Jesus refused to lift his voice in his defense. All that would be heard on this day were the words of the accusers and, of course, the cries of the people, revved up into frenzy by the enemies of Jesus, calling for the crucifixion of the Rabbi. As the trial neared its completion, the Apostle John gave us this description of events.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they slapped him in the face (John 19:1-3).

Maybe Pilate hoped that crucifixion could be avoided. Maybe if Jesus were beaten, maybe if the Rabbi of Galilee were humiliated, that would be enough to satisfy the crowd. So that was what Pilate decided to do. Jesus was flogged, and the soldiers took a crown of thorns and pressed them down onto his head, jokingly calling him "the King of the Jews" in an effort to humiliate the teacher. Of course, the message was probably directed at other pretenders to the throne. Do as this Jesus has done, and this is how we will treat you.

But it wasn't enough for the crowd. Jesus was beaten and humiliated, and in the end, he was still crucified.

John provides us with a different scene in Revelation. It is still the same Jesus, but this time, he is sitting on a throne, a cloud. This time, Jesus is wearing a crown, not one made of thorns, and not a ceremonial crown weighed down with jewels, but a simple victor's crown that indicates that Jesus has won the battle. On that day at Golgotha, it looked like he had lost. In Revelation 13, it appeared that the forces of evil would win the day, but Jesus wears the golden victor's crown here. Charles Spurgeon phrases it this way;

How different it will be to see him with a crown of gold upon his head from what it was to see him wearing that terrible crown of thorns which the cruel soldiers plaited, and thrust upon his brow! The word used here does not usually refer to the diadem of power, but to the crown won in conflict; and it is very remarkable that it should be said that, when Christ comes to judge the world, he will wear the garland of victory, the crown which he has won in the great battle which he has fought. How significant of his final triumph will that crown of gold be about those brows that were once covered with bloody sweat when he was fighting the battle for our salvation (Charles Spurgeon)!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 15

So that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. – Revelation 13:17

Today's Scripture Reading (July 23, 2024): Revelation 13

Tommy Tutone is probably best remembered for the destruction of a phone number. The destruction came In his song, Jenny, and most of us who grew up in that era probably already have the phone number memorized. I may not be able to remember my phone number from the early 1980s or the numbers of any of my good friends, but I know the phone number of Tommy Tutone's fictional Jenny; it is 867-5309. The poor people who had that number had to quickly get rid of it as thousands of nuisance calls started pouring into these phones asking for Jenny. If they weren't aware of popular music, it would probably be quite a mystery why all these people would have suddenly thought that someone named Jenny might have lived there. Since 1981, the year the song was released, 867-5309 has become synonymous with Tommy Tutone's Jenny.

John says that no one will be able to buy or sell anything unless they have the mark, which is the name or the number of the beast. It was a common practice in that culture to transcribe a name into a number by assigning a number to each letter of the alphabet. In English, it would be like saying A=1, B=2, C=3, etc., and then totaling up the numerical value of the letters of your name. (I did mine just for fun, and I think my name works out to a value of 196.) There is graffiti among the ruins of Pompei that has a message that reads, "I love her whose number is 545."

Some have argued that this prophecy was actually fulfilled soon after John wrote it down. Several times in history, a name or a number was required to sell something in the main square. Even today, cities require the purchase of a business license to sell goods and a tax number to ensure that the government gets its required cut. However, such an understanding doesn't apply to the conditions described in this passage.

Others have argued that what is described here sounds suspiciously like the projected move to a cashless buying and selling system in our current society. It is already possible to implant a chip in our hands, and then, when we go to the store, we could just present our hands, and the transaction will go through rather than trying to find our credit or debit card. But again, the description that is given in this passage seems to be of something more nefarious than a simple business transaction.

Whatever it is, I think it will be obvious when the time comes. Then, we will once again realize that we must choose between God and the designs of the beast, whose number we know but whose name remains a mystery.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 14

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. – Revelation 12:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 22, 2024): Revelation 12

During the Middle Ages, there was a battle between the secular rulers and the church. The Roman Church claimed all authority for itself, which set up a fight between the church and the European Kings. If the kings didn't do as the church wanted, then the church would withdraw its support from the King and refuse to minister to the nation, withdrawing the various spiritual supports to which the people had become accustomed.

Sometimes, this manifested itself in strange ways. In an event that is still clouded in mystery, Pope Leo III performed the coronation of Frankish King Charlemagne as the Roman Emperor on Christmas Day 800 C.E. Charlemagne became the first reigning Roman Emperor since the removal of Romulus Augustulus in 476 C.E. The intention of this coronation is murky. Still, many believe that Leo III was trying to impress upon the nations that he had the power to make an Emperor and the power to take one down. The earthly kings served the power of God and the church, personified in the figure of the Pope. However, there is a question as to whether this was an honor that Charlemagne even wanted, or at least if he wanted to be crowned at the hands of the Pope.

In similar situations in Europe, some have seen the image of the dragon, the multiheaded kings of the earth, against the power of good, represented by the Pope and the Roman Church. The downfall of the Roman Church was that the people eventually decided that there was precious little good to be found in many of the Popes and their priests. As a result, any such interpretation of John's vision as being summed up in the struggle between the secular kings and the Roman Church seemed to be more of a description of evil struggling against evil than evil struggling to overcome good. However, such a description does not fit well with our contemporary situation.

We love to read what John saw in his vision and wrote down in his Revelation during his exile on Patmos and then attempt to puzzle our way through what he saw. I have battled through these exact images at various points in my spiritual journey. Sometimes, I wonder whether John might have seen some modern equipment in his vision. If you were John, living in the First Century, how would you describe a modern tank or a military helicopter? These things were unimaginable in John's world, yet they are somewhat common in ours.

I am probably in the minority with my line of thinking. Most experts seem to take what I would call an emotional approach to John's prophecy. In the current passage, the predominant thought is, "Of course, John didn't see a big red dragon in his vision. That doesn't make sense. John saw something evil, which he described as an enormous red dragon. Whatever he saw was evil and powerful, so John told us it was a dragon, even though it wasn't."

I am not convinced that is true. I think John saw something that, with his knowledge, he could not understand. Whatever it was, it was powerful and claimed authority over its surroundings. With its seven crowns, it wanted to give the impression that it was royalty even though it wasn't. But it was willing to steal the royal crown from the rightful King.

What did John really see? We will probably never know, but every generation will puzzle through the vision and make some guesses of its own until the day when we will see the fulfillment of the prophecy and the revelation of the red dragon.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 13

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. – Revelation 11:7

Today's Scripture Reading (July 21, 2024): Revelation 11

An interesting question has arisen in the myriad of trials being brought against the former President, Donald Trump. The question concerns the length of time that the gag order should be kept in place. Or, when is it that the President should be allowed to speak concerning the things about which, until now, he has been forbidden to speak? What makes this interesting is that a gag order has to have an ending date, but when is not clearly defined.

Maybe it is easier to think about the concept in a case that does not involve the former President of the United States. Gag orders are essential in all kinds of trials. It is illegal to tamper with witnesses during a proceeding, but intimidation has a long shelf life, maybe longer than a gag order. In other words, a criminal may be ordered not to talk about the witnesses or the jury during the legal proceedings. Still, when the gag order is removed, and the one under indictment is once again allowed to speak his mind about the jury and witnesses, these essential cogs in our legal system, the jury and witnesses, might find themselves in the same trouble that they were before, just trouble delayed. If that sounds like a threat, it could be in the hands of the wrong person. And that is the problem.

There is a persistent teaching in Western Christianity that if you do what God wants, you will be blessed. What being blessed means to us is that good things will happen. So, our measure of whether we are doing good seems to be whether good things are happening to us. If we fulfill God's plans for our lives, we will have the things we want. If we are struggling, then God must not be happy with us.

It is a persistent teaching, but it is an incorrect one. We can be struggling yet still be in the center of God's will, as strange as that might sound to some. Our Father might own the "cattle on a thousand hills," but that does not mean our Father wants us to be rich. Many Christians live and die with enough, but no more. The story of our lives is not about us; it is and always has been other-directed.

John tells the story of the witnesses in Revelation. The witnesses come, and for a while, they are protected. God has given Satan a gag order, and nothing can overcome them. There is a significant difference between "witness" and "testimony." A witness is who we are, and it is who these two people were. Testimony is an action that a witness does. These two witnesses are doing precisely what God has intended them to do: be witnesses by giving their testimony.

For a while, the witnesses are protected. They can defend themselves against whatever comes against them. But the protection is only for a time, in this case, the time it took to testify. When the testimony is finished, the beast, introduced to the reader in Revelation 9:11, comes and kills them. It was not that the witnesses had stepped outside the bounds of the will of God but that their testimony was finished, and so the protection order God had given them was removed.

God protects his witnesses until their tasks are completed, reinstating an idea we sometimes find disturbing. If we are here, then there is still some purpose that God has for us; there is something that God needs us to do. Do you know your purpose?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 12

 

 

Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings. – Revelation 10:11

Today's Scripture Reading (July 20, 2024): Revelation 10

Outside my office door is a group practicing for their Sunday service. I don't speak their language, so I often don't understand what they are singing. Sometimes, I might recognize the tune of the song and then make a guess at what they are saying. There have been times when I realized that they are actually singing in heavily accented English, but even then, I sometimes can't puzzle out the lyrics. Part of my problem is that I don't deal well with accents, regardless of where we are. But that is my problem, not theirs.

The people singing outside my office are my friends. I know many of them by name and am happy when I see them. However, they also prove that the mission field has come home. It wasn't that long ago when the only time you could hear the sounds I hear every week was to take a trip to Africa or catch a traveling African group in North America.

But now, I get to listen to the sounds almost every week. It is a gentle reminder that the Gospel message is for everyone, including my friends from different cultures. It is also a reminder that the nations and languages of the world have made their home where I live.

John sees an angel with a book, and he takes the book and eats it. The book is both sweet and bitter. Whatever is in the book has positive and negative effects on the reader. We have no idea about the specifics found in the book, except that it was intended for everyone. The message wasn't just for a particular group of people, and it wasn't directed just at the church. It was a message everyone needed to hear, so John had to internalize it and then go and tell everyone.

The message hasn't changed. Whatever it is that God is telling the church, it is not enough that the church knows. In fact, I suspect that if God's message is the least bit revolutionary, the church won't listen. But the world needs to know. And today, we don't have to travel far to find the world. Men and women of various cultures, from many countries, and speaking different languages are all around us. We don't have to go to them; they have come to us.

So tell them, if nothing else, that God loves them and that the one who created them wants to be their God and call them his people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 11

 

 

The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. – Revelation 9:20

Today's Scripture Reading (July 19, 2024): Revelation 9

I love the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." The tale is one of the stories attributed to Aesop (620-564 B.C.E.) and tells the story of a boy who learns he can attract the attention of the town folk by crying out that a wolf is attacking the sheep. This discovery becomes the central feature of the boy's nightly activity; the boy cries out about an attacking wolf and then waits for the town folk to arrive to try to save the sheep. Of course, the boy cries out so often that the people stop coming. After all, just because the young shepherd says there is a wolf doesn't mean the wolf exists.

The day came when the boy was out in the field taking care of the sheep, and a real wolf appeared. Immediately, the boy cried out for help, but by then, the townspeople had learned to ignore the cry, sure that boy was lying again. In the original story, the wolf ate all of the sheep and then went on its way. The North American version of the story says that the wolf ate the boy as well; we do seem to like things to be a little darker, even with the fables we tell our children.

I think I find the story vital because it is a temptation that we all face, not just in our childhoods but in adulthood. The rule that we, as adults, seem to ignore is that if we want those around us to believe us in the essential things, we must be honest in the small stuff. I had a boss who once counseled me that when I spoke to an audience, I should avoid using the phrase "I believe" and use the phrase "I know" in its place. The idea is that "I know" is the stronger sentiment.

I heard the lesson and tried for a while, but I found that the list of things I am willing to say "I know" about is relatively short. There are things I believe or even believe strongly, but not that I know.

I think this is part of the Christian problem. We have overstated what it is that we know. We have produced minor theories and created significant doctrines. We have talked about prophecy as if it were definite and quantifiable when the reality is that the answers to the events of the future have been shifting sand throughout the generations since the biblical record was produced. We don't know what the future holds; we have beliefs, some stronger than others, but none of them is inevitable. But that is not the impression we give to those who listen to us. We sound like we are sure that Jesus is coming back soon. We are sure that Revelation is a pathway to the future. We are sure that this is how things are going to play out.

In the future, John says the day will come when the signs and symbols will be overwhelming. There will be plagues, and everything will point to God, yet no one will repent, and no one will stop worshipping their false gods. Why? Good question, but I suspect part of the answer is that the Christian Church has been crying wolf, saying that we know things when we don't really know them for far too long. We have been pretending to be experts when the truth is that we don't know. We are just beggars on the journey along with everyone else. All I know is that God loves me and wants me to love the rest of creation. All the rest is my best guess. And that is okay with me because I am convinced I will need the rest of my life to learn how to love as he loves.

I wonder if it is too late for a course change.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 10