Revelation 7: The Lamb is the Shepherd

Today’s reading is Revelation 7.

In John 1:29, John the Baptizer saw Jesus after His baptism and declared:

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (ESV)

In John 4:14, Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well:

Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. That water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (ESV).

In John 6:27, Jesus told the crowds coming to be fed:

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal (ESV).

And then again in John 6:35, 47-51a:

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. I anyone eats this bread, he will live forever (ESV).

And finally, in John 10:11-16:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd (ESV).

Now, in victory, we see the flock of Jesus Christ and the elder’s description of these who have staid faithful even unto death in Revelation 7:15-17:

Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (ESV).

Jesus promised. And Jesus provides.

Tribulation and persecution may come in the interim. War, famine, death, and hades may seem to hold sway in the interim. The conquering King may appear to be losing in the interim. But Jesus always wins and Jesus always provides what He promised if we will let Him shepherd us, if we will simply listen to His voice no matter what else is going on around us.

He is the Lamb. He is the Lion. He is the King. He is the Shepherd. He is the Savior. Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Revelation 8.

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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Revelation 7: God Responds to the Martyrs

Today’s reading is Revelation 7.

John saw multitudes standing before the Lamb dressed in white robes. One of the elders around God’s throne asked John, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” John is like us, he wasn’t sure. So he responded, “Sir, you know.” The elder declared, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13-14, ESV).

Wait a minute? Didn’t we see folks in the great tribulation whose robes were white? Yup. In Revelation 6:9-11, John saw the souls of those slain for the word of God and the witness they had borne. When the fifth seal was broken, they cried out with a loud voice:

O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? (ESV)

Hear their pain. Hear their suffering. Hear their lament. Weren’t you a bit disappointed when God simply told them to wait? Didn’t you want God to respond differently? I did. But they took their white robes and waited.

Then Jesus opened the sixth seal. Please, recognize the sixth seal goes into Revelation 7. God judged the people on the earth who had shed the blood of the martyrs. God responded to the martyrs. He did avenge their blood on those who dwell on the earth.

Now we see those same martyrs in their white robes and hear them as they again cry out with a loud voice:

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! (Revelation 7:10, ESV)

Their praise caused the angels, elders, and living creatures to worship, declaring:

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen (Revelation 7:12, ESV)

Please, understand, this is not a picture of final judgment on the world. This is the victory when Jesus brought judgment on the enemies of God’s people during the tribulation John and the brethren were experiencing. However, we need to be aware this message is given so we can have hope when we face enemies as well. Every enemy that raises its head against the kingdom of Jesus will be judged in God’s time. He’s judged His enemies before. He will do it again. And He will do it ultimately. Hang on to Jesus even if it kills you. He always wins.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 7.

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Revelation 7: Who Can Stand Before the Lord?

Today’s reading is Revelation 7.

When the Lamb broke the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17, the kings, great ones, generals, rich, powerful, slave, free begged the mountains and rocks to cover them from the gaze of the Father on the throne and the Lamb at His right hand. Catch their last declaration:

…for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (ESV).

Then John looked, and behold…

…a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands… (Revelation 7:9, ESV).

Did you catch it? What are these multitudes doing? Standing before the Lamb. The nations, the enemies, the persecutors can’t imagine anyone standing before the Lamb. But those who sought salvation from God on the throne and the Lamb do exactly that. Praise the Lord!

Recall where the apocalypse began:

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:5b-6, ESV).

These did not stand because they were just so good at standing. They stood because they had been set free from sin by the blood of Jesus shed at the cross.

When disciples face persecution, we are often knocked down. Our legs kicked out from under us. Our heads beaten to the ground. Our bodies forced to the earth. Honestly, sometimes it feels like this just by facing life without being specifically persecuted because of our faith. Sometimes life just beats us to the ground. Never think it is merely life. It is the enemy using life and the way the world has been distorted and twisted by sin. The enemy takes joy in inflicting pain, suffering, and torment on us. But the day is coming when we will stand when no one else can. We will stand by the strength of Jesus and by His blood. Hang on to Jesus, He always wins.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

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Revelation 7: Disciples of All Nations

Today’s reading is Revelation 7.

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissioned the apostles, saying:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (ESV).

As the seals were broken, Jesus went out conquering and to conquer, but was followed by war, famine, death, and hades. Some in Jesus’s army were executed such that they lamented beneath the altar, “How long?” They were told to wait until all the executions took place.

But now we learn something else was going on this whole time. Jesus actually was conquering. He was not conquering in the sense of slaughtering enemies. Rather, He was conquering in the hearts of men and women among “every tribe of the sons of Israel.” However, not only there, but also “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9, ESV). His kingdom was defeating the enemy within the hearts of multitudes from all nations.

In this picture we learn why when Jesus went out conquering and to conquer, He didn’t immediately crush the Romans or any other nations. He could have. The Jews expected it. But He had a better plan. He will crush the enemies. However, before that He wanted and wants to give everyone the option and the means by which they can avoid the judgment and instead enjoy His kingdom.

Understand this. That has allowed us to be in the kingdom. Perhaps now we can see why the martyrs behind the fifth seal were under the altar. Like our Savior, they were killed that we might be in the kingdom. No, their deaths were not sacrifices for our sins. Only Jesus’s death pays that debt. But the world continued, beset by sin and full of sinners, and these suffered because of it. In a sense, we are saved through their patient suffering. When we face hardship, persecution, even death, keep in mind others are being brought into the kingdom. God’s patient endurance of our suffering is the salvation of others, just like it was for us. If we too end up on the altar, think of those being saved because we patiently endure while God works out His full plan. Be faithful unto death not simply because we overcome through such faithfulness, but because such faithfulness gives time and motivation for others to bow their knee to and confess the name of Jesus.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 7

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Revelation 7: The Lord Knows Those Who are His

Today’s reading is Revelation 7.

When the Lord sent plagues on Egypt, to judge Pharaoh, his nation, and his gods, during the fourth plague of flies, God “set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people” (Exodus 8:22-23, ESV). Pharaoh would not let Israel go worship the Lord. The Lord sent the flies, but made a distinction. The Lord knew His people.

Now, here’s the question. Did the Lord not know His people until the fourth plague? Of course, the Lord knew His people the entire time. This is an important point in Revelation. When Jesus broke the fifth seal in last week’s chapter, we witnessed disciples dying as horsemen from the previous seals rode forth from the scroll. Did God not know those who were His? Did He accidentally let them die?

No. The Lord knew those who were His during the events of the apocalypse just as He did during the events of the exodus. In fact, in this apocalyptic vision, God wants us to know full well He knows those who are His. However, He doesn’t just say it like Paul did in 2 Timothy 2:19:

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his”… (ESV)

Rather, in the breaking of the sixth seal, when judgment comes on the earth, on the rich and the powerful, the slave and the free, God sends out angels to place a seal on the forehead of His people. We discover in Revelation 14:1 the seal was the name of the Father and the Lamb. Learning that, of course, reminds us of the word of the Lord to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:12.

Please, don’t get bogged down in the 12,000 from each tribe. The point is certainly not that only 144,000 people are actually disciples of the Lord anymore than the point is Dan didn’t have any faithful disciples. To think every tribe would have exactly 12,000 faithful to the Lord is beyond reasonable. Clearly, the message is not about the numbers, but about the knowledge. God knows the ones who are His. He knows fully and completely. We who are His may experience hardship, persecution, and even execution during times of tribulation, but He knows everyone of us. He knows every servant cut down by the tribulations. And when God’s judgment comes, setting it all right, He knows who we are.

So, war, famine, pestilence, death, persecution may all be happening. These may even be sending the souls of some of our faithful friends to below the altar. But hang on to Jesus, He always wins and He always knows who is on His team.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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Revelation 6: The Wrath of the Lamb

Today’s reading is Revelation 6.

When the Lamb broke the first seal, He went forth as the rider on the white horse conquering and to conquer. However, instead of instantaneous world conquest, the Lamb broke seals two, three, and four allowing War, Famine, Death, and Hades to have authority. The Lamb broke the sixth seal and demonstrated disciples were even caught up in the death the three horsemen dealt. They cried, “How long?” and God told them to wait for a little while.

However, as we read, they don’t have to wait very long at all. The Lamb broke the sixth seal and judgment came on “the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone slave and free…” (Revelation 6:15, ESV). These would rather the rocks and mountains fall on them than face the One seated on the throne and the Lamb.

Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:16-17, ESV)

In the vision, John saw the earth quake, the sun go dark, the moon turn to blood, stars fall from the sky. We immediately equate such things with the end of the world. However, we must keep in mind this is an apocalyptic vision. It is not a prophecy of the end of the world. This is how judgment is described in apocalyptic literature even when talking about nations.

In Isaiah 13:1, 10, 13, we see the judgment on Babylon which came on the day of the Lord described as “the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light…I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts” (ESV).

When describing the coming judgment on Edom, God said, “All the hosts of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4, ESV).

In Ezekiel 32:1, 7-8, God describes judgment on Egypt, “When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land” (ESV).

Examples multiply. This is apocalyptic language of God’s judgment whether on people, nations, or the whole world. The point is precisely what we read at the end of Revelation 6:17. No one can stand when God finally brings judgment.

Yes, there is a time when War, Famine, Death, and Hades have authority. Yes, there is a time when it looks like Jesus isn’t conquering at all. But, like the martyrs under the altar, we need to hang on, Jesus always wins. The wrath of the Lamb will come on God’s enemies.

Hang on! Jesus always wins!

Next week’s reading is Revelation 7.

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What do you want to share with others from Revelation 6?

Revelation 6: Rest a Little Longer

Today’s reading is Revelation 6.

Jesus went forth conquering and to conquer, but instead of instantaneous, worldwide victory with peace on earth, War, Famine, Death, and Hades followed in the wake of Jesus’s victory. What would you be thinking if you were a disciple in the middle of this?

Would it be something along the lines of, “Wait a minute! It’s not supposed to be like this. Why is this happening? How long is this going to happen?” You are in good company.

When Jesus broke the fifth seal, John saw under the altar (yes, even though it hasn’t been mentioned before, there is an altar in this heavenly tent) the “souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne” (Revelation 6:9, ESV). This is precisely the same reason John was exiled on Patmos (Revelation 1:9). They had been slain just as the Lamb who had ransomed them had been slain.

We must grasp the picture. The term translated “soul” can also be translated “life.” In fact, in the Septuagint (LXX), we find this term in passages like Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of all flesh is its blood, and I myself have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for its blood will make atonement for the soul” (LES2). The same Greek term for “soul” in Revelation 6:9 is found for both “life” and “soul” in Leviticus 17:11. Life is in the blood. Do you recall when Cain killed Abel, God said to him, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10, ESV). That is precisely what John is seeing. The souls, the life, the blood of the martyrs cry out from under the altar. While that may seem ghoulish to us with our modern sensitivities, there is a certain amount of comfort in this heavenly picture. The death of these martyrs was not in vain. They didn’t just die. From the heavenly perspective, those who die in persecution as martyrs, were sacrifices. They walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Their blood, their life, their souls pooled under the altar. They weren’t just swallowed up by the ground. These who were called to be living sacrifices and take up their cross daily, became the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus.

“How long?!” they cry. Jesus has gone forth conquering and to conquer, how long will War, Famine, Death, and Hades get to continue in their trades? How long will disciples of Jesus fall prey to their authority? How long until the conquering King will take vengeance for the blood of the saints pooling under the altar?

The response is not what we expect. They are given white robes and told to rest or wait a little longer. Why did they need to wait? Because there were more martyrs to be had. I know this is shocking. However, the issue here is one of free will. Persecutors will be judged. But God is not going to judge them for what they might do some time later, He will wait until they do it, and then bring judgment. In Matthew 23:29-36, Jesus warned the “scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” that he was going to send “prophets and wise men and scribes” and the Jewish leaders would persecute and kill them. This would happen so God could bring upon these enemies of His people the blood of all the martyrs from Abel to Zechariah. God would not bring the blood of martyrs on the heads of these folks because of His foreknowledge of their actions. He would only bring it when they actually worked these abominations. God was not waiting for more disciples to be executed out of sadism, but out of love. Love even for His enemies. He wanted to give the enemies every opportunity to abandon their sin, repent, choose not to kill. But in order to give that opportunity, God’s people are left vulnerable to those who will not abandon sin and repent of the persecution.

While we may not find this very comforting, once again, we see God is working by His plan. He is not taken by surprise. He isn’t losing. We aren’t losing. And even those who die at the hands of War, Famine, Death, and Hades still win.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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How does Revelation 6 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Revelation 6: Where’s the Conquering?

Today’s reading is Revelation 6.

Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed of God, incarnate deity, the Son of God, has gone forth conquering and to conquer. What do you expect to happen next? I expect instantaneous, immediate victory on all battlefronts. I expect Psalm 2:8-9 to happen immediately. Jesus has gone forth to conquer, I expect the conquering to be evident. I expect kings and rulers to fall in behind Jesus or He’ll condemn and punish them immediately. I expect Psalm 110:5-7 to happen immediately. The nations will surrender to the new cosmic King or judgment will fall on them right away. For all who surrender, I expect peace and harmony; for all who rebel and resist, I expect shattering, defeat, destruction, and judgment.

However, we already know that isn’t what was happening. The Christians in the first century were facing incredible persecution. John started this apocalypse saying he was a fellow participant in tribulation. The letters to the seven churches talked about testing and trial coming on the whole earth and on the churches. Jesus had come, He had conquered death, the grave, sin, and Satan. He rose again. He ascended to the right hand of God. But Rome was still in power. The Jewish nation was opposed to Christianity. Christians were being, targeted, belittled, persecuted, imprisoned, executed. When famines occurred, the Christians weren’t excepted, they went through it as well. If plague hit, the Christians weren’t protected, they died also. The apostles had been or were being systematically executed. John himself was exiled on Patmos because of the gospel. This is what the Christians were experiencing on the ground.

Jesus went forth conquering and to conquer, but where’s all the conquering?

As the Lamb breaks the next three seals on the scroll, we find the apocalyptic vision of these experiences. With each successive seal a new horseman follows in the wake of Jesus. Only one of the horsemen is named by John, but we often give the other two names as well: War, Famine, Death. Death does not ride alone. He brings Hades, the realm of the dead behind him.

This last one is shocking. Jesus came to bring life and to bring it abundantly. However, the horsemen that follow Him out of the scroll bring death, death, and more death. In fact, Death and Hades are given authority over a fourth of the earth. I thought all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).

Delineating these seals and the riders does not provide much comfort. However, it does explain nothing was going against God’s plan. God was not surprised. These things were written on His scroll. He knew they would happen. He planned for them to happen. John was writing about the experiences of those early Christians. However, we may go through similar times whether individually and personally or congregationally and communally. It is not precisely comforting to hear that between the time Jesus goes forth to conquer and when He actually conquers War, Famine, Death, and Hades will very often hold sway. But it is comforting to know it only happens with God’s foreknowledge and planning. He is prepared for all of it. He is not taken by surprise and He is not overthrown by it. We can trust Him.

More will be said about this with the coming seals. But for now, when we live in a time of these seals, let us simply trust God. He knows what is coming. He knows how to deal with it. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 6.

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Revelation 6: Conquering and to Conquer

Today’s reading is Revelation 6.

As we learned yesterday, the apocalyptic story began in earnest when the Lamb broke the first seal on the scroll. When He did, one of the four living creatures cried out “Come!” A rider on a white horse with a bow and a crown came forth conquering and to conquer.

Different preachers, authors, commentators say different things about this rider on the white horse. Regrettably, the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” have become such an icon that popular renderings of them provide more background for many modern opinions than the Bible actually does. I, obviously, could be very wrong about who this rider on the white horse represents, but I can only point you to what I think the vision is really about.

Here’s the key. Do you recall what the elder to said to John in Revelation 5:5?

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals (ESV).

Jesus is a conquering King. Because He is the conquering King, He breaks the seals. He breaks them not only as the Lamb breaks the clay seals on the scroll in the vision. But He breaks them as the conquering King bursting forth from the scroll setting the entire story in motion.

Some will push back saying Jesus is the Lamb, He can’t also be the rider on the white horse. However, recall in John 10, Jesus is the door of the sheep through which the Shepherd enters the fold (John 10:7) and He is also the Shepherd going through the door (John 10:11).

To be clear, I believe the rider on the white horse is our King, Jesus. As He burst forth from the grave, He bursts forth from the scroll to conquer. We will see this rider on the white horse again in Revelation 19:11ff. In that chapter, He will defeat the beasts and their armies arrayed against God and His people. In that chapter, everyone recognizes the rider on the white horse as Jesus. Here, at the beginning, He is simply going forth to conquer. After all, hasn’t He been given all authority on heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:19-20)? Wasn’t He promised possession of all the nations and victory over all kings who defied Him (Psalm 2)? Don’t we expect the risen and ascended Messiah to conquer the nations? But Revelation 19 is a long way off, isn’t it? In fact, that will be part of this whole story.

This is our King. For just this moment, watch Him in His glorious pomp and fanfare. Cheer for Him as He goes forth conquering. His triumph is our triumph. There will be a lot of things happen between the King going forth conquering and to conquer and when He finally conquers at the end of the story. But the point is quite simply this: Hang on! Our King really does conquer. Don’t let go no matter what it looks like between Him bursting forth and winning the ultimate victory.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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Revelation 6: Apocalyptic Cycles

Today’s reading is Revelation 6.

In Revelation 5:8, the Lamb had taken the sealed scroll from the hand of Him who sat on the throne. Worship ensued. In Revelation 6:1, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals. At this point, the apocalyptic story begins in earnest. It will start with a King on a white horse going forth conquering and to conquer. It will eventually end with a wedding for the King and His Bride, which doubles as the King ruling over an amazing city-state which is actually the paradise of God. If you haven’t done so, please, read the entire book in one sitting. Or listen to it. You can listen to the whole thing in about an hour by clicking here. Most Bible books should be read in one sitting if possible before being studied passage by passage, but Revelation perhaps most of all. We need to witness the entire story before we take the story one piece at a time.

Understand what happens when Jesus breaks the seal on the scroll for John. By breaking the seal, John is getting to learn the message on the scroll. However, John did not read the scroll, the words on the scroll came to life. He witnessed the contents of the scroll as a vision. It would be like watching a movie for us. Or with today’s technology, like putting on a virtual reality headset and being immersed in a story–an overwhelming, fantastic story.

Leading the list of people who frustrate the daylights out of me is the movie talker. You know. The person who can’t sit patiently and let the movie unfold and tell its story, but has to constantly ask, “Who’s that? What did that mean? Why did that happen? What are they going to do about that?” And on and on. Very often, the only answer to give is “Keep watching, you’ll find out.” That is Revelation. We need to “watch” the whole vision, then come back and figure out the parts.

But, we need to understand Revelation tells the story in a unique way. Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that tells almost the whole story from one character’s perspective and then backs up and tells it from another character’s perspective and then backs up and tells it from another perspective and so on. Think of the 2005 animated film “Hoodwinked” or the 2008 action thriller “Vantage Point.” These movies tell the same story multiple times from different perspectives. Each time through the story the audience learns new information and finally gets the whole story by the end.

That is precisely how John’s apocalypse works. Jesus shows John the story through a series of apocalyptic cycles. Each time through the cycle, John sees and conveys different details and different information. Each time he sees the beginning of Christ’s work with sure victory, but then the enemy attacks. It looks like Jesus and His friends can’t possibly win, in fact, they’ve lost. But then God brings judgment. Jesus’s kingdom and friends are vindicated and the enemies defeated. Watch this pattern take place multiple times until we finally see the fullness of Jesus’s victory becoming King of His city-state which doubles as His Bride.

Every step of the way, Jesus provides one message to His church through John: Hang on. I’m coming. I’m going to win.

This story and these cycles all begin as the Lamb breaks this first seal. Get ready. It’s going to be a fantastic vision.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 6.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
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How does Revelation 6 prompt or improve your praise of God?