Behold, a King Will Reign…

*Isaiah 32-33

*Psalm 115

Revelation 16

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Life can be scary.  We forget at times, because we don’t always see it directly with our limited senses, that God protects us.  In the famous Aaronic blessing (found in Num 6:24-27) the opening line is normally translated as “The Lord bless you and keep you…”.   Like many English translations from Hebrew, however, that just doesn’t really capture the full “flavor” of the word.  The actual word translated as “keep” is   וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ (wə·yiš·mə·re·ḵā) and honestly “keep” is a pretty inadequate translation.  The word itself can be translated as: to hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to.  To shield, in other words.

            In today’s reading of Ps 115, this is reiterated repeatedly: “9 O Israel, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield. 11You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield.” LSB.   The God that made you protects you.  Sometimes miraculously, as with the ancient Israelites.  Our senses may be limited at times, and we may not always see things that aren’t directly in our face if we’re not paying close attention.   Do you wonder why?

            Our senses are limited, but Ps 115 also speaks of blind and deaf idols, and says that those who make them are also blind and deaf.  “4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see;  6They have ears, but they do not hear; They have noses, but they do not smell; 7As for their hands, they do not feel; As for their feet, they do not walk; They do not make a sound with their throat. 8Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.” LSB.  In modern society, we don’t really make statues and worship them anymore, but can we truly say that our idols are not silver and gold?  If so, why wouldn’t we be blind and deaf? It tells us so, in scripture.

            The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th edition) defines worship like this: worship (noun) :1. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. 2. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed. 3. Ardent admiration or love; adoration.

            We live in a greed based society.  Becoming wealthy has become a primary focus, drive, and motivation for a majority of people.  How many times have you heard (or said) “If I could just win the lottery I’d…”?  There is a driving need to get better “stuff”, a bigger house, a better car, nicer clothes.  It seems like, according to the above criteria in the definition, we are still worshipping idols of silver and gold.  Gold itself has become the idol, the goal which most men seek fervently and reverently, a sacred object.  People are under the impression that having more wealth will make them “happy”, and that’s simply not true.

            Take for example this interesting fact:  in a counter-intuitive finding among people admitted to hospitals with mental illness, suicide risk was found to be higher for those with higher incomes compared to those with lower incomes (National Library of Medicine, BMJ 2001 Feb 10; Article titled: “Risk of suicide in relation to income level in people admitted to hospital with mental illness: nested case-control study”).  More money does not mean more happiness.  More importantly, if we are making gold and silver our idols, we will become as blind and deaf and unfeeling as those objects, according to Ps 115.  Of course that will cause us distress.

            Flipping over to our Isaiah reading today gives us a ray of hope, and a cure.  Despite the fact that sometimes the prophecies that describe the times leading up to the kingdom can be frightening, when the kingdom does finally arrive, it will be a time of healing and refreshing.  Isa 32 reads:  “1 Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly. 2Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a weary land.” LSB. 

            In another direct tie in with Ps 115, Isa 32 then goes on to say: “3Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will pay attention. 4And the heart of the hasty will discern knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.” LSB.  When our king comes, we will be healed as a people, and our (many times self inflicted) blindness, deafness, and unfeeling will be cured.  This line is poignant to me, because my father is blind.  When our king comes, he will see again.

            Is 32 goes on to say: “15Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful orchard, And the fruitful orchard is counted as a forest. 16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness will live in the fruitful orchard. 17And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and security forever.” LSB.  So yes, there may be scary times coming, but after that our king will come, and then God will pour out His spirit upon His creation once again and there will be a time of abundance and security that will last forever.

Who will be granted citizenship in this worthy kingdom though?  Isaiah 33 gives us some ideas: 

14 Sinners in Zion are in dread; Trembling has seized the godless.“Who among us can sojourn with the consuming fire? Who among us can sojourn with continual burning?”

15He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; He who rejects greedy gain of oppression, And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

16He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the strongholds of the cliffs; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

17Your eyes will behold the King in His beauty…

            We know from scripture that “…the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. “ Romans 8:18, LSB.  My blind father will see again.  My frail and aging mother will be renewed and strengthened.  The scales will fall from the eyes of those remaining and we will be able to see clearly again, our ears will be unstopped and we will hear once again the voice of our creator.  We will be restored.  All of the little things that afflict us will be fixed, and there will no more tears upon the earth.  While some of the prophecies of the times before the return of our king frighten me, when I consider this beautiful kingdom that God has prepared for us I can only say, in agreement with Rev 22:20 , “Come, Lord Jesus”.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

(or, The Kingdom of God Naturalization Test 101):

  1. Are you walking and speaking righteously and uprightly?
  2. Are you rejecting greedy gain, oppression, and bribes?
  3. Are you stopping your ears from hearing of bloodshed, and turning away from evil?

Please note: If you have answered no to any of these questions, you may need to retest for kingdom citizenship, for as long as the testing booths are open.  Good Luck.

PRAYER

Father God, I give you all of the praise.  Forgive me Father, humble me, and keep my focus on Your kingdom and being a servant that pleases you.  Help me when I stumble, and guide me when I am confused.  Thank you for all of the blessings you have given me.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Plagues and Worship

Isaiah 29-31

Psalm 115

Revelation 15

-Devotion by Daniel Smead (MN)

Revelation 15 involves the seven angels who will soon pour out seven bowls of God’s wrath onto the earth, completing that wrath. We first meet them here, before they receive the bowls of wrath, but they are spoken of as possessing seven plagues (v. 6). This seems inconsistent, but it may show that the “plagues” do not refer to the effects of God’s “wrath,” and that what they poured onto the earth was a mixture.

This chapter also presents a hymn, sung to worship God, by the crowd of those who overcame the beast. The song is referred to as “song of Moses” but is not the hymn that appears in Exodus 15. There is some similarity, the Exodus hymn includes more narrative sections about how God aided the people, and some verses in the middle that praise God. The Revelation text is shorter, and entirely in the second person (all “You,” “Your” statements). I have seen a list of citations proposed that figured these few verses of the hymn cite at least five Bible books, including four Psalms.

At the start of the chapter John said he saw “another sign in heaven,” and his use of the term “sign” suggests not everything he describes took place as literal events. I think it is a bit unusual for Revelation that John mentioned the sign several verses before the sign enters his account. It would be more usual for him to write about something just when it shows up in the story. One of the most common phrases in Revelation, “I saw,” appears dozens of times. As it turns out, writing the way he did about the seven angels allowed John to bring the total references to “wrath” in Revelation up to seven (six about God, and one for the wrath of the Lamb).

The intense emphasis on “seven” in Revelation might serve to emphasize a contrast with the number of the beast, which ‘falls short’ of being sevens. That is one hypothesis, anyway. Dozens of sevens overlap throughout Revelation. More than twenty sets of items are easy to recognize, like stars, candlesticks, etc. Less obvious are combinations of words, and categories of thought, like the presence of seven blessings, and seven uses of the phrase “will no longer.” Revelation has a very complex structure. Aside from all of that repetition, it is estimated to use over 500 references to Old Testament scripture (while never actually quoting it).

It may be worth refreshing our memory of the way Revelation 11 ended (despite how recently you probably read that text). The angel with the seventh trumpet sounded it, and then loud voices in heaven announced that the kingdom of the world had become that “of our Lord and of His Christ.” The twenty-four elders around the throne fell in worship, and part of what they said was to thank God:

because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

(Revelation 11:17b-19, NASB 1995)

First, notice the list of five points verse 18 gives:

Nations enraged

Arrival of wrath

Dead judged

Rewards for “the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name”

Destroying “those who destroy the earth”

It’s a workable list. You might even say God has an agenda.

Second, at the end of chapter 11 things left off with the temple in heaven just having opened. And soon after John returns to describing the Temple, in chapter 15, the seven angels who will pour out the seven last plagues emerge from the Temple. (Their outfits, shining linen and gold sashes, take us back to the first vision of Christ; 1:13.) Almost immediately after this the Temple fills “with smoke from the glory of God and from His power,” after which no one can enter it until the plagues are finished (15:8).

It seems reasonable that this scene with the heavenly Temple would appear similar to events centuries earlier at the dedication of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Moses’ time (Exodus 40:34-38; compare Numbers 9:15-16; 10:11-13), and the Temple in Solomon’s time (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). In both cases the scripture tells us that fire descended (presumably to the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies) and a “cloud” filled the space. Our Revelation text refers to “smoke” rather than “cloud,” but perhaps we could think of the Temple as being filled with a ‘cloud of smoke’ and maintain both thoughts. The key element for us to keep in mind here is the glory of God; consider these verses:

In 18:1 we learn that an angel had sufficient glory to illuminate the earth while arriving.

In 21:11 we see that the New Jerusalem was brilliant, “like a stone of crystal-clear jasper,” illuminated from within by “the glory of God.” (Its wall and first foundation stone were clear jasper, v. 18-19. How does one recognize colorless jasper? I think that some of what a vision relays may just be knowledge that gets directly passed into the viewer’s awareness.)

In context, the other incidents of God’s glory entering the buildings seem like they were evidence of God’s approval of the buildings. In this case perhaps the glory is a sign of approval for the fact that judgment at last takes place. The entire fact of these verses of delay has to do with how momentous this situation is in history – this is the end of thousands of years of patience, this is judgment finally coming, the day of God’s wrath.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for your generosity. Reading about your glory, and thinking through the implications of your holiness and how different I am from you, I look at some of the darker portions of Revelation and have to acknowledge “there, were it not for the grace of God, might indeed be me.” You have done more than lift me out of miry clay, Lord, you have reshaped me. Help me to have all the patience it takes to handle the strains of your kneading hands, because I want to become what you intend me to be.

Thank you for being the kind of God I can trust with my heart.

Amen

Reflection Questions

  1. Does thinking about the “glory of God” texts help you consider how different God is from God’s creation?
  2. What traits of God stand out to you as the most unlike humanity, the most unlikely for us to replicate, or most difficult for us to comprehend? Do you see a day coming when your doubts or confusion on these points will be at an end?
  3. What does it mean to you that there are sections of hymns built into so many chapters of Revelation? (I have seen it suggested there are about a dozen hymns, and several doxologies as well.) Looking at them, how many can you recognize lyrics have been taken from for songs you know?

I have some new thoughts about the thing “like a sea of glass,” “like crystal” from Revelation 4:6. It didn’t really fit into the devotion well, so I wanted to set it down here as a note. For a long while I linked the “glass / crystal” thing in my mind with the “sea” in Solomon’s Temple and thought of it as like a storage container for water used in ritual washing. I now want to think of it more in terms of Ezekiel 1:22-26, as perhaps existing like a barrier between the throne and others. When Revelation 21:1 says “there is no longer any sea” I kept thinking of the comment in terms of God having made a new earth, but it may involve God having made a new heaven, with an adjusted layout. I’m unsure why the changes take place of it seeming to have fire in 15:2, maybe some interaction with God’s glory.

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When it’s the Dead Who Will be Blessed

Isaiah 27-28

Psalm 114

Revelation 14

-Devotion by Daniel Smead (MN)

Revelation 14 refreshes our minds about God’s greatness and victory, along with the glory of the Lamb, after what might be seen as chapter 13 emphasizing evil’s “successes.” The chapter opens with the Lamb and the 144,000 together at Mt. Zion – this is the first time the Lamb has been part of John’s vision since 6:1, and the first time the 144,000 have appeared since chapter seven. They make a fine demonstration of the principle that God has a remnant, in this case one which did not yield to the wills of the two beasts. But this is not simply a remnant, it is a first fruits (v. 4) preparing for the greater harvest.

The special status held by the 144,000 came from their being sealed with the seal of God. This sealing put the name of God, and the name of the Lamb, on each of their foreheads. Chapter seven said the group is twelve sets of 12,000 men, coming from twelve tribes of Israel, and that description gave a strong impression of symbolism rather than literal meaning. Some of the term they are described with align with Old Testament standards of purity in preparation for combat (Deuteronomy 23:9ff; 2 Samuel 11:9ff). It has been pointed out that this application of physical terms to spirituality with the 144,000 parallels the way Revelation speaks against idolatry in physical terms elsewhere in the book (for example how it links sexual immorality and idolatry at Pergamum and Thyatira in chapter 2, and with Babylon multiple times).

In 9:4 the 144,000 were referenced without being named, with the locust-like creatures with scorpion tails restricted that they could only hurt “the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” That statement seems to require that the “144,000” stands for the entirety of those who were seeking to serve God and the Lamb in that time, even if it is 170,000, for example.

The inclusion of the sealed 144,000 in the vision here emphasizes the contrast between what God offers and what the beast(s) have been demanding and threatening. Those who accepted the beast’s mark are subject to God’s wrath, but those who accepted God’s seal are eligible for life (14:9-10; 20:4; 22:4). But the time for such decisions is basically finished. What is about to begin involves the “full strength” wrath of God (v. 10).

The situation is so dire that John is told “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” (v. 13). This passage doesn’t even mention the idea of remaining alive allowing a person to provide useful service; it seems like in what little remained of the age that would not be relevant.

In 14:6-11 three different angels make announcements which prepare us for what is coming: fear God, for the hour of judgment is come; Babylon is fallen; the end is fast coming for the beast and those things aligned with the beast. Future chapters address all of those points.

The chapter closes with a description of harvest (14:14-20) that ties in with a somewhat vivid illustration involving a winepress for blood (perhaps tied to the idea that God is producing a cup of wrath for the nations to drink). The section seems to draw on Joel 3.

“Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, tread the grapes, for the wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon have become dark,
And the stars have lost their brightness.

(Joel 3:13-15; NASB)

The image of the vats overflowing with grape juice / blood is described with the liquid getting up as high as a horse’s bridle (so, several feet) and spreading for a great distance – close to 200 miles – though whether that spread is to be thought of as a circle or semi-circle or along a straight path is unclear. The image seems to fascinate people, and attempts have been made to calculate how many human bodies it would take to produce that much blood. Those efforts involve assuming the blood is all human, and that the image is meant literally in the first place, neither of which can I be sure of. I will just note that some of the suggested totals are a bit absurd, amounting to more blood than exists in the world at present, so if this is a literal image its interpretation probably calls for some conservative guesses at what is meant (straight path flow, etc.).

Prayer

Lord, please bring my mind into alignment with yours and help me to trust you and your decisions. I have no real desire to experience the hour of your wrath, even at a distance, but help me to trust that you have all things under control. Some decisions are yours, alone, to make. I may not be sure which parts of the vision are concrete events, but I know that you are real and I can focus on that. You are greater than me in wisdom, love, patience, and awareness of my own heart. I wish to have your name on my forehead, to be known as yours – even to be known by my own self to be yours, with no question, no hesitation, no cloud on my mind. With you, the road will not always be easy, but you can lead me to where I need to be.

In the name of your son, who you sent for me,

Amen

Reflection Questions

  1. Revelation contains some of the texts that people outside the church speak about when they accuse God of being “blood-thirsty” – how do you address that charge when you hear it?
  2. Have you ever been so fascinated by the details of a prophetic passage that you lose track of how shocking its meaning is? Have you ever attempted to read a scripture passage as though you were not yet a believer, to think through how it might look to someone from that perspective?
  3. What does it mean to you that John was told those who died from then on would be blessed?
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Facing the Beasts

Isaiah 25-26

Psalm 114

Revelation 13

-Devotion by Daniel Smead (MN)

Revelation 13 discusses the activities of beasts. The two break points in the chapter are when John declared “I saw a beast” and “I saw another beast” (v. 1, 11). To clarify, the Greek word behind “beast” conveys “dangerous,” describing wild animals in terms of posing a risk.

During a good chunk of Revelation John reports on short scenes, often with some shared elements, that don’t flow chronologically. Frequently these descriptions and explanations of them are split between scenes, as when the two witnesses are killed by the “beast” that came from “the abyss” (11:8). Only several chapters later do we get an angel talking about the “beast” from the “abyss” (17:8).

We can’t piece together the scenes John gives us to create one smooth story. But we can link several scenes which appear to overlap, through time references: “1,260 days” (11:3; 12:6), “a time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:14), or “42 months” (11:2; 13:5). These passages describe that period from several angles; among what we are told is:

it is a time when the nations trample Jerusalem,

while God’s two witnesses prophesy in the city wearing sackcloth,

meanwhile “the woman” has escaped the dragon and is being nourished in the wilderness,

and after her escape from the dragon, he sought a war with her children, conducted through the beast from the sea,

that beast uses the dragon’s authority to overcome the saints [here is the link with Daniel 7:25], and to be worshipped by all whose names are not in the book of life (that authority may also link with the fact that nations trampled Jerusalem – see above).

To some extent the complexity of the book, which helps maintain questions about its meaning, also points to God’s unconcern with whether most people over the centuries clearly understand everything that the book means. For most readers it may have been more important that the book bring encouragement.

Consider today’s text, for example. We read of the beast that comes “out of the sea,” which is often an image of the nations. It seems that this beast is a coalition of several kings/countries led by a blasphemous leader who should have died but survived. He parodies Christ in that way – his appearance of having been “fatally wounded” even uses the Greek phrase applied to the lamb that looked like it was slaughtered (5:6; 13:3). And rather than be repulsed by this foul-mouthed braggart, the world is awestruck by the beast. Perhaps their question “who is able to wage war with him?” is expressed a bit despairingly, picturing him as too powerful to oppose (v. 4). But some things are not opposed because you can overthrow them, but because you cannot give in to them. In any case, not too many chapters from now, his defeat will be total.

We also read of the beast “out of the earth” (perhaps this ought to be translated “out of the land,” that is, Israel, in keeping with an older theory that this other beast, also known in Revelation as the “false prophet,” is descended from Jacob). He has the dragon’s voice, revealing his true loyalties and affiliation, but in appearance tries to mimic the image of Jesus as the lamb. This beast got authority shared with it by the beast from the sea, who in turn had that authority from the dragon / “serpent,” “devil” – who we are told was able to deceive “the whole world” (12:9). (Maybe it makes sense for all this delegating of authority to occur. If evil doesn’t delegate, how do you get some sloth in the mix, to cover all seven of the ‘deadly’ sins? Meanwhile, good is more open to sharing the load and getting the job done – though it is a completely different job. But I digress.)

Much of the description given about the beast from the earth involves the relationship of the second beast with the first, as he builds up the influence and worship of the first beast (13:11-17). The second beast can do signs, and with them “deceives those who live on the earth.” That isn’t saying that the signs are faked, but that the people who accept what he calls them to are deceived because they are being directed toward death, in the lake of fire (13:14). So, perhaps he got his ability to deceive “the whole world” from his master. He won’t use it very long. And looking at the list of events happening during those 42 months, it doesn’t sound like he convinces the “whole world,” either. God always has a remnant. Always.

Prayer

Lord, sometimes it can be daunting to contemplate the extent of what you are willing to call your people to do, and to be. But then the recognition comes through that none of the people you call is ever alone. They all have you. They all have your son. And you set them together in the body of your son, through the Spirit, to accept your strength and to support each other. You do not wish to put us in situations beyond what we can handle, so one of the first things we need to do is reject despair as among the chief lies of the chief of lies. You are prepared to provide the strength necessary for any task you desire us to do. Please help us to properly prepare ourselves for serving you in whatever way comes next, with prayer, with confession, with fasting, with worship, with study and with generosity. Provide us the wisdom, the insight, to take whichever of those steps, or more besides, that we need to take. Because you are worthy of praise. And you are worthy of our best service, unencumbered by anything that would hold us back.

Thank you, Lord

Amen

Reflection Questions

  1. Jesus once spent forty days in the wilderness with the beasts, fasting, and exposing himself to temptation by the devil (Mark 1:13). Do you think he was afraid there? Do you think he was more sure of himself when he was finished there?
  2. When you seem to be in danger of giving in to fear, what keeps you from falling into it (or allows you to get out again)? What can be done collectively, in worship or otherwise, to guard against fear?
  3. Have you ever gone out of your way to help someone else address their own fear or doubts? Did it bring you joy to do so? Was it difficult for you not to get caught up in their fears?

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Doomsday Preppers

Isaiah 23-24

Psalm 113

Revelation 12

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            There are a lot of cross reference prophecies in today’s readings between Isaiah and Revelations, and it’s generally of the type of thing that most of us would very optimistically describe as “concerning”.  The devotions leading up to this one from a few days earlier remind us of a few things that I’d urge everyone to keep in mind as we read today’s scripture: Firstly, God loves His creation, even when “bad things happen” it’s usually an opportunity for correction and restoration.  Secondly, God loves us so much that He’s told us in advance what’s going to happen, so we don’t get too scared or discouraged.  It’s just that sometimes demolition has to take place before reconstruction.  Keep that thought foremost today.

            “1Behold, Yahweh empties the earth to destruction, eviscerates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.2And the people will be like the priest, the male slave like his master, the female slave like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.3The earth will be completely emptied to destruction and completely plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word.4The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the exalted of the people of the earth languish. 5The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they trespassed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who inhabit it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men remain. ” Isaiah 24:1-6, LSB.  Well, that doesn’t seem to leave a lot of room for interpretation, does it?  In my Bible I’ve got a note written: “See 2 Peter 3:7” right next to verse 6 above.

            The rest of Isaiah 24 goes on to prophesy a few more things, particularly comparisons to making man scarce upon the earth, in verses 7-13, and in verse 13 in particular it compares the remainder of man to “the shaking of an olive tree” (olive trees were harvested by shaking them vigorously and picking up the ones that fell, but usually a few would be left) and “the gleanings when the grape harvest is over”.  This is going to be, in other words, a pretty climactic event for humanity.  If you haven’t read any of the earlier devotions leading up to this one, at the very least I’d urge you strongly to go back to the September 10th devotion and slowly read “Point 2” there, about 2/3 of the way down.  Seriously, it helps a lot with perspective.

            Why will all of this happen though?  Well, there’s no mystery here, moving on down to Isa 24:20, it tells us the earth is being punished because “…its transgression is heavy upon it...” LSB. There is an interesting verse down below this as well, “21So it will be in that day, That Yahweh will punish the host of heights on high, And the kings of the earth on earth.” LSB.  I’ve got a note written beside that verse in my Bible that says “Angels? The Rich?“, and I’m honestly not sure, but if we flip over to our Revelation reading today it does mention a war in heaven, and that the dragon and his angels were not strong enough, and cast down (Rev 12:7-9).  I have my own opinions on the interpretation of this, but I will tremble and not blaspheme against glorious ones with my own fallible and human speculations (2 Peter 2: 4-11).  I’m just a human.

            Another VERY interesting thing to note here and ponder upon in your heart is the number “1260”.  This pops up in our reading today in Rev 12:6.  Quick eyes will skim right past it, but a discerning eye will recall that it also appeared in yesterday’s reading, in Rev 11:3.  In fact, the number 1,260 appears in the Bible nine times across the books of Daniel and Revelation.  Specifically, it is mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Daniel 7:25 and 12:7) and seven times in the New Testament (Revelation 11:2, 11:3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5, and two additional references in Revelation 11:9 and 13:5 depending on textual grouping.  This period is consistently equated to 42 months or three and a half years (using a 30-day prophetic month, also written as “a time, times, and half a time”).

            So is 1260 important, as a prophetic number?  I’m going to offer a resounding “Yes” to that, based on the frequency with which it comes up in books of known and proven prophecy.  Do I know what it means?  Like Mary, I will ponder these things in my heart, but I will tremble and be silent.  Again, these are matters that are above my station, since I’m just a human.  Please note though: since it’s something that God has revealed to us in scripture, I do think it’s important, and very healthy and wise to research these things and come to our own conclusions.

            I’m a simple guy, and I work with the littles in school, so I’m really good at kindergarten math and confident in my assertion that 1+1+1=3 (and not =1), no matter which way you slice it but beyond that I have a very healthy understanding about my lack of understanding in complex mathematical equations.  Even if God had revealed what the frequency of 1260 occuring repeatedly in prophecy meant to me (He hasn’t), I probably wouldn’t share it unless I was told to at the time.  There is just too much margin for human error when calculating these things, too much uncertainty.

            What I am certain of is that God never lies.  These things have been told to us in advance for a reason, so that we can attempt to refine and purify ourselves, and live in a manner that is pleasing to our God.  God loves us so much that He wants us to be aware that these things are coming, so that we can prepare for them.

            My wife and I love to watch the show about people who go to great lengths (sometimes a little overboard) to prepare for apocolyptic times, aptly named “Doomsday Preppers” (an American reality tv series).  If you’ve never seen it, you should give it a watch sometime.  In it, folks typically go to extreme lengths to “get ready”, using various and occasionally insane techniques and methodology to “prep” for an apocolyptic event of one type or another.  Instead of a series of reflection questions, today lets provide a helpful list of how to actually prepare yourself for some of these things.  Reflect on these, and it may save your life:

PREPPERS LIST

  1. Love God.  Acknowledge Him as your creator and give Him full authority in your life.  It’s the most important commandment: LOVE GOD.  It’s hard to be mad at someone who’s loving up on you.
  2. Love Your Neighbor, as much as you do yourself.  When you honor God’s creation, you honor God.  It’s the second most important commandment, and a way to show God we’re listening to what He says.
  3. Seek First the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.  What you go after shows what your focus is, if that’s anything besides being a citizen of the kingdom of God, I humbly suggest you redirect.
  4. Purify yourself.  God will not hear the prayers of the unrighteous, commit yourself to being obedient to Him and living a life that is holy, humble, and free from sin.
  5. Do Good Deeds.  Help the widows, help the orphans, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those imprisoned, offer a ride, bless others in the same manner that God has blessed you.  Do you want God to save you, to grant you mercy, to protect you from a bad situation even though you may not deserve it?  You can start by doing the same for others, what you do for the least of these, you do for our king.  Listen!  This is important.  Not because it will make you righteous (it won’t), but because it will show your obedience.

PRAYER

Father God, our guardian and our creator, we bless Your holy name.  Please forgive us when we stumble, teach us to be servants who please you, and lead us into Your kingdom.  Your will be done, Father.  Thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.

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From the Rising of the Sun…

*Isaiah 21-22

*Psalm 113

*Revelation 11

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Here in America where I am from, most of us have been so richly blessed and for so long that we have come to view a position of comfort as an expectation, like a child who has grown up never wanting for anything, and like that child unfortunately the mentality often becomes one of entitlement and self promotion. Additionally, most humans tend to think “regionally” (look up the theory of the Monkeysphere for an interesting theory on the limitations of human empathy).  We also tend to think in terms of “us” and “them”, which is a mistake when you consider that there is only “us” (God made all mankind), and we are told to love our neighbor as ourselves.

            I love the reading of Psalms today, as it not only highlights a very important (and sometimes forgotten) fact about God, but also has one of my favorite songs in it (From the Rising of the Sun).  The song goes like this “From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord shall be praised” and then repeats and goes into a chorus of “So praise ye the Lord!”.  Beautiful, beautiful stuff.  In my LSB translation of the Bible Ps 113:1-4 reads (more accurately, but perhaps slightly more difficult to sing) :  “1Praise Yah! Praise, O slaves of Yahweh,Praise the name of Yahweh. 2May the name of Yahweh be blessed From now until forever. 3From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of Yahweh is to be praised. 4Yahweh is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.”

            All servants of the Lord, praise His name.  From now until forever, from the rising of the sun, every day, the name of Yahweh is to be praised.  It doesn’t matter where you’re at regionally, or what your circumstances are:  because our God is high above all the nations, and bigger than any of your circumstances.  Why is that important?  The next few verses tell us:  “5Who is like Yahweh our God, The One who sits on high, 6The One who brings Himself low to see The things in heaven and on the earth? 7Who raises the poor from the dust And lifts high the needy from the ash heap, 8To make them sit with nobles, With the nobles of His people. 9He makes the barren woman of the house sit As a glad mother of children.  Praise Yah!” Ps 113: 5-9, LSB.  Our God is watching what we do (see verse 6*), and He’s paying attention to His creation.  He is actively helping and blessing us.

            There’s a theory called “Deism” that states that while God did create the world, He is no longer involved in it, and just letting it wind down on it’s own to see what happens (this is also called the “Clockmaker Theory”).  I disagree with that theory pretty strongly.  Ps 113 seems to contradict that theory, because not only is God observing, but He is taking action.  Additionally, we know that in the last days God will pour out His spirit upon mankind, and I believe I’ve personally experienced some of that.

            While we tend to equivolate blessings with divine accolade and approval (particularly here in America where I’m writing from), it is very clear in our Isaiah reading today that there are times when we should eschew some of the finer things, and humble ourselves before our God.  Isaiah 22:14-16 says: “12Therefore in that day Lord Yahweh of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. 13Instead, behold, there is joy and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” 14But Yahweh of hosts revealed Himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity shall not be atoned for you Until you die,” says Lord Yahweh of hosts. “ (LSB).

            Today in our Revelation reading, we see the fascinating and intriguing story of the 2 witnesses who will come, just before the last trumpet is sounded.  This is right near the end of the reign of nations, just before the kingdom of God is established on the earth** (as it is written in scripture).  I’ve always been fascinated by these guys.  First and foremost to keep in mind, these are witnesses of God.  They will come and judge the earth, speaking a witness to God’s word and having authority to inflict massive damage in various methods upon the earth for it’s transgressions.  We know from previous studies that God (who is love) generally inflicts punitive action in order to change behavior (see yesterday’s devotion) for our benefit.

            Most people now don’t like to be corrected though.  The people of the earth are so caught up in living the good life in these final days that they see this effort from God as an intrusion more than the attempt at restoration that it is.  That’s why it says (in Rev 11: 10) about the witnesses after they are killed: “10And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.”  LSB.  This should worry us all, because it seems like these are the times that we are living in.

            I remember as a very young lad, when my life had no worries in it except for if I would get to go play by the river that day,  running from my father once to avoid a spanking.  It did not work out well for me, and my actions increased my punishment exponentially.  Had I been wiser, I would have humbled myself before my father, admitted my shortcomings, and begged for his mercy.  Do you see what could be a simple correlation for the modern day believer?  May I suggest that even when your life is overflowing with rich blessings and goodness; take the time occasionally to humble yourself before God, admit your shortcomings, and beg Him for mercy.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you ever take time to fast and pray? How often?
  2. Do you ever pay forward the blessings that God has given you, to His glory (and not your own)?
  3. How else can we diminish ourselves and grow God in our life?

PRAYER

Father God, Abba, I’m sorry for my many shortcomings.  Please forgive me.  Correct me gently, and restore me.  Help me to grant you ultimate authority over all aspects of my life, and guide me in the best way to honor and glorify You.  Have mercy upon me, a sinner.  In Jesus name, Amen.

* In the interests of non-biased and complete transparency, I am going to throw some of my more traditional, “orthodox” brothers who like to claim “sola scriptura” (scripture alone) as the basis for their doctrine a very small bone here.  Ps 113:6 says “brings Himself low”, which is the closest thing I’ve been able to find in scriptures that could even possibly be construed as “God became a man”.   It’s pretty slim, admittedly,  and it’s not really enough in my opinion to base an entire Christology on, but since there is literally no scripture that says “God became a man” this is the closest you’re going to get using only the Bible as a validation for this later developed theory of the nature of the Christ.  I’d still recommend reading  1-all of the prophecies regarding the requirements of the coming messiah (Gen 3:15, Deut 18:18, 2 Sam 7, Ps 89,  etc, etc), 2-who the disciples thought Jesus was (Acts 2:22, Romans 5:15, and 1 Tim 2:5 etc, etc), 3-who Jesus thought he was (a “son of man” @80 times, ie a human, also see John 8:40, and John 20:17) , and finally 4-reading closely again through the stories of the birth of Jesus (in Matthew and Luke).  Then compare all of that to the things that God actually does reveal about himself through scriptures and see if that matches up with what’s been taught .  A much clearer scriptural understanding is that Jesus was an Israelite man born of the line of David who was empowered by the holy spirit of God to perform miracles due to his overwhelming obedience to God, but feel free to use the above as a proof text if you couldn’t find one that scripturally backed the (admittedly slim) traditional stance.  You’re welcome!-J

** “Heaven” in scripture refers to the area above (outside) of the earth, wherein God and the heavenly host/heavenly court dwell currently, not a vacation residence upon demise.  The “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of Heaven” (as it is alternatively called) will be established here upon the earth, according to scripture, see for reference Zech 14:9, Rev 11:15, Rev 21:12, among myriad other verses).  The Christian hope is that after being resurrected and judged that we may be made citizens of this Kingdom (see for reference Acts 17:31, Matt 25: 31-46).  When we die we don’t “go” anywhere; we just rest in the dirt until these events occur as it is written in scripture  (in direct opposition to some later teachings of the “orthodox” church in the 4th century which have become prevalent in modern day interpretations).

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Bare Necessities

Isaiah 19-20

Psalm 112

Revelation 10

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Before we dig into the juicy bits of the devotional today (which is a fun one), there’s a verse that we should take note of.  In Isaiah 19:22 it states: “And Yahweh will smite Egypt, smiting but healing; so they will return to Yahweh, and He will be moved by their entreaty and will heal them. “ (LSB).  It’s important to note that our God, the creator of the universe, always, always acts in a manner that is for long term benefit.  Yes, there are recorded instances of  punitive action towards individuals or groups, but it seems like almost every time the reason is to bring about a correction in course, a change in direction, a return to the God who made us.

            Consider the exile.  This was a horrific time for the Israelites, who had been struggling with idolatry.  We see the Israelites going back and forth between the Most High God and worshipping the false gods of the local region over and over until God finally has enough and strikes them.  The people are scattered, the temple is destroyed, and the entire nation is taken away in captivity.  The alotted time passes (70 yrs, see Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10, and also Daniel 9:2), and then Israel is returned.  When they return, they never again as a nation have a problem with idolatry as before, even today.  The people have been returned, the temple is rebuilt, never again did idolatry rear it’s head in the nation: problem solved.

            We know through scripture that God disciplines those he loves (Hebrews 12:6), and that he loved the whole world so much that he gave his only son (John 3:16).  We also know that God is love (1 John 4:8), and we can extrapolate from the entirety of scripture that ever since the beginning of creation, when we rebelled against our Father and our creator, God has stood with hands outstretched toward his creation seeking to restore that relationship.  As Christians, we believe that it is through the Christ that God reconciled us to Him, and Him to us.  That concept is also found in Romans 5:12-17.  Like any good parent, our Father disciplines us in order to correct our behavior, in order that we might be healthier and whole children. 

            My point in bringing this up is that this verse (Isaiah 19:22) really highlights and reminds us why sometimes what we in the heat of the moment perceive as “bad things” may be happening, there’s a very good chance that the circumstance is being used for instruction and growth.  I’m not saying every “bad” thing that ever happens happened because God wanted it to, but what I am saying is that “all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord”.  James 1:1-3 really leans into this, saying we should even consider these trials as joy.  In these instances, it’s very helpful to remember 2 important things; that (1) we are not the center of the universe around which all creation revolves but (2) our Father is.

            I think it’s also an interesting side note that in Isaiah 19: 23-25, it seems as if Egypt, Israel, and Assyria appear to be united: one large kingdom.  Since nothing like this has occured yet since the time of Isaiah, this seems to be a prophetic vision.  Had you read that little bit before, and if so, what were your immediate thoughts on it?  Do you agree or disagree with my initial opinion, or what other interpretations did you have?  Just some thought provoking things to consider. 

            So, did you ever want to be a prophet?  It was normally a pretty tough gig.  God often commanded His prophets to do a “visual sign” for the people, sometimes so extreme that the sanity of the prophet was questioned.  Ezekiel was told to lay on his side for 430 days, to bear the iniquity of the nation: after 390 days bearing the iniquity for Israel, he got to roll over (Whew!) and lay on that side for another 40 days (Ez 4:4-6).  Hosea was told to marry a prostitute, and have children with her (Hos 1:2), and to name those children names which probably caused a lot of conflicts at school.  Jeremiah hid his undergarments and retrieved them in a ruined state to show the corruption of Judah (ew).  Keep in mind also, these were just the “on the job” requirements.

            In addition to all of that, while some of the prophets died naturally (or were taken, unnaturally), the majority of recorded deaths of the prophets in biblical tradition involve violence or martyrdom.  The prophets were beheaded, stoned, killed by the sword, and our prophet in today’s reading Isaiah was “sawed in 2 under king Manasseh” (Hebrews 11:37 references this). 

            In our reading today of Isaiah 20, there’s a brief little bit that sums up what I can only assume to be a very uncomfortable 3 years for Isaiah under the hot desert sun, “2 at that time Yahweh spoke by the hand of Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot. 3 And Yahweh said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and wonder…” (LSB).  It’s so short you’ll miss it if you blink, but Isaiah went naked and barefoot over 3 years.

            Let’s think about that for a minute.  Can you imagine, as a parent of a young child, having to quickly cover their eyes at the temple at a nice Sabbath morning worship, when Isaiah came in ? Don’t look, Jacob! What about in the market, when the naked prophet came up to buy a loaf of bread?  Where did he pull the money from? Just imagine the awkward discomfort of trying to maintain eye contact if the prophet ever approached you and wanted to have a theological discussion regarding the state of the nation. My eyes are up here!  He wasn’t allowed to go cower in his tent, he was told to do this as a sign, which means he had to interact regularly with his community, but in his birthday suit.  I don’t care how you slice it, or how respected of a prophet you were, that had to make it weird.

            Now, let’s compare and contrast that level of unswerving dedication and obedience to the modern believer.  “Oh, it was really hard to get up and go to church today…”.  Was it, really?  Did you get to wear your clothes? “I know I’m supposed to forgive them but I’m really mad…” Oh, are you, are you really?  Are your clothes on, though? “I just don’t know if I can love (insert name here), they make it so hard…” Oh yea? Is that with or without pants on?  “Oh I know I’m supposed to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, but I’ve really got to prioritize finances right now…”  Ok, so, do we get to wear our clothes when we go to the bank?  That’s all kind of tongue-in-cheek and funny, but think about it seriously for a moment.

            We have become so distracted and disobedient in this evil age that even the bare (no pun intended) necessities, the basic minimum efforts are commonly dramatized and made to appear as hugely heroic actions in our spiritual walk.  We really need to understand and appreciate how much easier we have it currently, and be grateful and even more obedient in the small things that we are given to do.  Just be grateful, and obedient. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
  1. What specific areas in your life could be improved, in terms of obedience to Christ?
  2. How can we be more intentionally grateful in our lives?
  3. Is there anything more that we can do, to ensure that we are being servants who please their master?
PRAYER   

Father God, you have given us so much, and ask for so little in return.  Thank you, for the abundant blessings which you have showered us with.  Help us to be both more grateful for these gifts, and more obedient to You.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Praise Yah!

*Isaiah 17-18

*Psalm 112

*Revelation 9                                                

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today is 9/11, it’s appropriate to remember and reflect.  In today’s Revelation reading we’re continuing on with some of the things from yesterday, so  if you’ve not read through that, go ahead and take a second to get caught up.  Today as we start reading on Revelation 9, the 7th seal has been broken, and 4 of 7 trumpets have sounded, and things are about to get worse for those on the earth.  Even still, during all of this man won’t repent but continues to “worship demons, idols of gold and silver, nor repent of their murders or sorceries or sexual immorality or their theft” (Rev 9:20-21).

            That being said, our primary focus today isn’t going to be the apocalyptic events that are going down, but more a study of “how we got here” to this dark time, and how we might be (possibly) spared from the righteous wrath of God in that day (see Rev 9:4).

            So let’s take a step back and look at things.  We know that God, our creator, owns not only us but the entirety of the earth and everything on it (and the heavens, etc, etc, see Ps 24:1 for reference).  He’s proud of His creation, because He thinks (and I agree) that He did a good job when He made it (see for  reference:  Gen 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:25, and 1:35).  I think any reasonable being looking at the beauty of the creation would agree, particularly if you overlook the glaring ugly things that we’ve done to the planet, the giant tacky roadsigns along the freeway of creation.  God did an amazing job.  The creation, as it was and as it was intended, is beautiful.

            We also know that, as the proud Father of this creation, one of the biggest pet peeves that God has is that His creation gives the praise and glory that is due to Him to something or someone else.  That’s why when God warns the people about idolatry, He let’s them know right off the bat that it’s because he is a (rightfully) jealous God (see Ex 20:5, 34:14).  Imagine for a moment if you spent a long time planning, designing, and then building a beautiful (insert anything you’d like to imagine here).  You finish it, it’s fantastic and beautiful, and absolutely surpasses all expectation.  You nailed it! 

            Then a group of folks come up and admire your (whatever it was), and they are just brimming with praise: “Great job!  Lovely work! Beautiful!” and you are justifiably happy, because you really did a good job and it’s being acknowledged.  Then one of them goes “Yea Bob, great job!” and they all turn, pat one of the folks on the back repeatedly, and walk off talking about what a great job Bob has done.  WAIT A MINUTE! Who’s this Bob guy?  YOU did all the work, Bob wasn’t even nearby.  What the heck?!  Now stop for a moment and think: how do you feel right now?  That’s probably kind of how God feels when we give the praise and glory that is due Him to any other thing, or being.  When we do such things, we may be worshipping demons.

            A very good portion of the Old Testament before the Exile was essentially an object lesson against idolatry.  Here in Isaiah 17:10-11, we see again as a warning: “10For you have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the rock of your strong defense. Therefore you plant delightful plants And set them with vine branches of a strange god. 11In the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in, And in the morning you cause your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap In a day of sickliness and incurable pain.” (LSB).  So, the branches of a “strange god” can seem “delightful”.  We can hedge and fence it in and think it’s pretty, and we can cause these fabrications to flourish, but the harvest of such an abomination will be “sickliness and incurable pain”.

            I believe no man can know the mind of God, or fully understand Him.  That being said, there are things that God reveals about Himself.  He has feelings, He’s offended when we act rebelliously, and He loves us fiercely.  He’s proud of what He made.  There is only one of Him, and He made us and everything we can see.  Through the ages, men have planted delightful plants, and set them with the vine branches of a strange god, fenced them in, and made them look appealing.  God has warned us about this, so it is the absolute height of folly to worship any other God than has been revealed to us in scripture.  That’s why it’s so important to be discerning when reading scripture.

            When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment was, he said “the greatest commandment is this: Listen!  God (YHWH) is the only God, and you should love Him with your heart, mind, and soul.  Second to this, you should love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29 and following).  In his ministry, Jesus gave all glory and credit to God.  Be like Jesus.  Give God the credit He is due, love Him for it, and exhibit that love as an action by loving the other people that God created as much as you do yourself, that’s how to honor God.  We don’t need to add strange stuff to the bible to make the story beautiful, it’s already beautiful.  When we add to what is written, we’re planting “delightful plants with vines of a strange god”.  It’s just not what God told us, He’s actually specifically told us not to do such a thing.  Don’t do that.  The word of God is enough.

            In our Ps 112 reading today we see a number of critical understandings on how to give God the glory (all following from LSB).  Firstly: “1Praise Yah! How blessed is the man who fears Yahweh,“.  Secondly: “4Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. 5It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; Who sustains his works with justice.”.  This would fall under that “love your neighbor as yourself” bit that Jesus quoted just above.  Be compassionate and gracious, righteous and generous to your fellow creation.  This is reiterated, and noted additionally that this type of behavior will be rewarded here: “9 He has given freely to the needy, His righteousness stands forever; His horn will be raised in glory.”  Set yourself up for success, and begin trying to love your fellow creation, radically.  Conversely and by comparison, “10The wicked will see it and be vexed. He will gnash his teeth and melt away…”. 

            So, we need to honor, fear, and love the God who made us.  We see that we can do this by listening to God, honoring God as He has revealed Himself to us (and without adding bits), and by loving the rest of the humans He created as much as we love ourselves.  It’s simple, and it’s important.  Listen now though, and I will tell you a great secret, an opportunity for you to help cover any foolishness and sin that you have done.

            I have 2 dogs, and 1 is named Bo.  Whenever something is destroyed, when something is chewed up or broken, when my bread is gone off the top of the counter, we always know: “it was Bo.”  It’s always Bo.  He is just terrible, he eats our food, he tears up our trash, he chews up things we need.  He is also the most loving dog I’ve ever met.  When I prostrate myself on the ground to pray, Bo will come and lick my head until I get up.  Then he’ll try to wiggle his head under my head and lick my face, and lay down with me, trying to get his head in a position where he can (continue to) lick me all over my face profusely.  My point in bringing this up is: Bo is the bad dog.  Bo is the one who destroys things.  It’s always Bo.  It’s also almost impossible to be mad at Bo when he’s so loving and he’s licking your face repeatedly for about half an hour.  Take the hint.  We need to “be like Bo” in the manner of our affections towards God – also, stop stealing the bread.

REFLECTION QUESTION

What are some practical things we can do to ensure that we aren’t planting strange vines in our garden, and to be more loving toward God?  Try to think of at least 3.

PRAYER

Father God, You have made me and all things in this place.  All glory belongs to You.  Thank you.  Please forgive me when I fail you, and help me.  I love you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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The 7th Seal

Isaiah 15-16

Ps 111

Revelation 8                   

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)                                    

            “The time has come,” the walrus said, “to talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax— Of cabbages—and kings” – Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and the Carpenter, (Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 4, 1871)

            Forget all that other stuff, today we’ll be be speaking of kings.  There is a famous line from a Mel Brooks movie where Mel repeats numerous times throughout the show, “It’s good to be the king!”  Being the king isn’t always a fun job though, sometimes being the king means doing the hard things that need to be done, sometimes doing the hard things that no one else can do.

            There is a nice little supplemental to the many prophecies of the coming Messiah, when it says in Isaiah 16:5:  “And a throne will be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in truth in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.” (LSB).  This seems to be a nice foreshadowing of our king Yeshua, the Messiah, the Christ.  These little bits are all throughout the Old Testament, just a little nod that one day our king will be coming, and a reminder that he will be from the house of David, and that he will also seek justice and be righteous.

            Here’s the thing though: most of us don’t want justice, we want mercy (and with good reason, if we’re being honest).  In our Revelation reading today we see an ominous revelation (thus, the name of the book) of things to come, and we begin to see some of the harder things that the king must do to fulfill his function. 

            Earlier on in the book (Rev 5) we see that God has in His hand a scroll with 7 seals and that initially no one was found in heaven or on earth or under the earth that was able to open the scroll, and then we see that our king, the lamb of God, the Christ (or Messiah) from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and it’s 7 seals. 

            Revelation 5 is a very clear picture of the hierarchy of heaven.  There is God, all powerful and holy, surrounded by “myriads upon myriads” of angels and the elders, sitting on the throne and holding a scroll of great power that is sealed.  Then coming before the throne is the Lamb who was slain and by his obedience granted authority by the God who rules over all, the man chosen from the house of David to be given authority, by God.  This is a very clear and unambiguous picture of the relationship of the Most High God, and of His chosen king whom He has granted authority: the Lamb of God.

            In Rev 6 we see that the Lamb (whom we understand to be Yeshua/Jesus) takes the scroll from the right hand of God and begins to open the seals.  It’s important to understand that only the ruler whom God granted authority and dominion would be able to do such a thing.  There was no one else found worthy in heaven, earth, or under the earth to do this job.  We see back in Rev 5:9-10 that he is worthy specifically because: “…you were slain and purchased for God with your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom…”. Observe that God is still seated on his throne, the ultimate power, when the Lamb (Yeshua/Jesus) begins to open the seals, to perform one of his first functions as the chosen king.

            We see clearly that the Lamb is the one who is opening the seals in Rev 6:1, under the authority of God.  This is what I referred to earlier as having to do the hard things as king.  It should be noted that all of these seals as they are broken have a calamitious effect upon the earth, getting progressively more horrific.  The first 6 seals that are opened (in Rev 6) sound pretty scary.  When we get to our reading today of Rev 8, it sounds downright terrifying.  When the 7th seal is opened, there is complete silence in heaven for about half an hour (Rev 8:1).  That sounds ominous.  I have a couple points to make here. 

            Point 1 is, we aren’t 100% sure of the timeline of these events.  Like all prophecy, it is somewhat obscured.  Different folks have different beliefs on how much of this we’re going to have to endure.  There are Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, and Post-tribulation theories on when the faithful will be taken, each theory having their own supporting scriptures or interpretations.  I have my own opinions, but I also believe that stating them dogmatically is foolish since I’m just a man.  Here is my suggestion though: hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.  I would also suggest that it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

            Point 2 is: all of the earth, and everything (and everybody) in it belongs to God (See Ps 24:1).  Before we get all “ach, waily waily waily, how could a merciful God…”: stop it.  It’s all God’s, including us, and He can do whatever He wants with His stuff.  Yes, this might be a terrible time, but consider that anytime you are building a new and magnificent structure, the first thing that needs to be done is a demolition of the old rickety structures that were there already.  This is that.  Do you remember that guy who lived in the bamboo hut underneath where the Taj Mahal is located now?  Me neither, because that hut had to go to make room for the new building.  That’s what’s going on here.  All of these things need to happen so that the kingdom of God can be established here on the earth.

            After the 7th seal is broken, the trumpets begin to sound.  The 1st trumpet brings hail and fire mixed with blood and a third of the earth and trees and all of the grass is burned up.  Trumpet 2 brings a great burning thing thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea turns to blood and a third of the living creatures in the sea die and a third of the ships are destroyed.  The 3rd trumpet brings a star falling that causes a third of the waters to become poisoned, or “wormwood”.  The 4th trumpet causes a third of the sun, moon, and stars to be struck so that a third of them would be darkened.  This is literally some apocalyptic stuff going down.

            As if that wasn’t enough, the last verse in chapter 8 is the most worrying: “13Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!””  (LSB).  This is going  to be a dark and scary time for any of those left on the earth.  Knowing this, we as Christians should be taking extreme steps to make sure that we’re living a holy life that is pleasing to God, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Are you living in a bamboo hut right now? Well, act right and you might be relocated once the new facility is in place.

            The best advice I can offer is from Zeph 2:3 –

“Seek Yahweh, All you humble of the earth

Who have worked His justice; Seek righteousness, seek humility.  Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of Yahweh’s anger.” (LSB)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS -based on the above verse

  1. Are you humbly seeking Yahweh?
  2. Are you working His Justice here upon the earth?
  3. Are you seeking righteousness and humility?

PRAYER

Father God, blessed be Your name.  You have created the earth, and all that is in it.  You have told us in advance of the things to come.  Please help us to humble ourselves and to be servants who please You.  Help us to work Your justice.  Help us to be a righteous and holy people who do Your will.  Protect us in the coming troubles.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Melted Hearts

Isaiah 13-14

Psalm 111

Revelation 7

-Devotion by Daniel Smead (MN)

Grim language and violence dominate Isaiah 13 and 14. The prophecies it contains mix references to “the day of the Lord” and comments about the conquest of Babylon by the Medes – two tough times. We can see these prophecies as partly about letting suffering people know God is paying attention, and that their situation will change.

The day of the Lord has been described as about judgment for the wicked, and rescue for the oppressed. It is discussed in several Old Testament texts. One way we may easily think of this event is that it comes like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10). We link it with Christ’s return at the end of this age.

Babylon’s defeat is a classic example of ‘the mighty fallen,’ which involves Babylon being treated terribly by its conquerors – much like Babylon treated the peoples it conquered. I need to remind myself that Isaiah’s message for Babylon isn’t

“now this, and this, and this will happen to your people”

But

“now this, and this, and this will happen to your people.”

Or, perhaps more clearly:

“now these things you have done to others will happen to your people.”

As part of this process Babylon also loses the power to keep harming others. However, perceiving this doesn’t remove all the discomfort I get when reading these chapters.

It also is helpful to recall that God saying a thing will happen doesn’t mean God approves of the event / how it happens. In 2 Kings 8:7-15, Elisha informed Hazael that he would become king of Aram, and almost immediately Hazael betrayed and murdered the king. (Which raises the question: did Elisha’s message prompt the murder?) Aram went on to behave in ways similar to those carried out by the Babylonians and Medes. Elisha wept over what was coming; he explained his tears by saying “I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel” (v. 12). For God’s prophet to describe a thing doesn’t demonstrate approval.

“Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore all hands will fall limp,
And every human heart will melt. . . .

I will also put an end to the audacity of the proud
And humiliate the arrogance of the tyrants.

I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold.”

(Isaiah 13:6-7, 11-12a)

The emphasis with the “day” is on the wicked, tyrants, the proud, etc. But multiple texts also say that hardly anyone survives the “day.” (Perhaps the more people are in the world when it starts, the more survivors there can be from it and still give this impression.)

The presence of such tough issues in the chapter, both related to the “day” and to the fall of Babylon, may connect to the oracles acting as warnings. These words were not simply for the benefit of the suffering; they gave sinful people at risk an opportunity to understand their risk and repent. It would be nice to think that some saw the warnings and did repent. In a similar way Deuteronomy 28 warns the Hebrew people of the dangers in abandoning their commitment to God. And among that set of warnings we can see many of the practices Babylon later engaged in against those it conquered – had Deuteronomy been heeded the conflict with Babylon could have been avoided in the first place.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to be cleansed from all that would hold us back from you, so that we can be ready in whatever circumstances arrive, including for your day. Not knowing when that day will be, please aid us in maintaining ourselves, examining the state of our hearts, being honest with ourselves in what we find, and having compassionate openness with another. Amen   

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
  1. Paul tells us that God wants to provide a way out when we are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do you think that statement is directed only to Christians?
  2. God is compassionate, slow to anger, and loving in many other ways, but will not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:6-7). Have you ever thought God was punishing you for unrepented sin? If so, do you still think that was the case?
  3. In a situation of ongoing sin, how would we distinguish God punishing from God allowing us to experience the results of the wrong behavior? Or how would we distinguish it from the Spirit trying to prompt us to confess and be freed from what is harming us? (Recall, God always wants the best for us – and sin is always harmful.)  
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