Larry Mudd, delivers our Sunday morning message.

Walter Edwards, newly ordained Elder, delivers our Sunday morning message.

Visions moving toward Consummation

John writes to Christians in small communities under pressure of persecution and compromise, living within the all-encompassing culture of Roman imperial culture and claims of greatness.

John saw vivid visions of evil, corruption, and powers of Death in the Serpent-dragon/Accuser, Wild beast, False prophet, Great Harlot. Not people but embodiments of Death, deception, violence, empire, wealth, etc. He saw the fall of the Harlot, Rome’s empire, now powerful.

His final visions show him the outcome. The Harlot, one empire. The Beast, all empires. The Dragon, all forces of deception and Death. The last enemy Death itself. Opposite God’s Life.

John knows scripture! In his vision he sees reflections of Ezekiel’s visions, now through the lens of the Slain Lamb/Jesus whose Life-Blood freely given overturns the fear/power of Death. The consummation is the end of Death and a vision of Life and healing of God’s creation.

The Death-throes of Death - A Thousand Years

God truly loves his human creatures, but they’re vulnerable to deception, delusion about power, wealth, death from the Dragon, Beast, the forces of Death. These have no power in relation to God. They deceive humans into fighting God. Birds already invited! But the Beast is destroyed. The Dragon is imprisoned. Martyrs reign, but humans are still delusional. When Satan is loosed, he leads them astray. A Lake of Fire destroys all united with death.

Only when humans are set right in judgment by the book of Life defined by the Slain Lamb [21:27] is Death itself destroyed and the delusion finally broken. "All things New" begins!

The City-Garden - Healing Creation and Nations

The Bride! The City! New Jerusalem. Like no city I could imagine. Gold, Cubical, Holy of Holies. Union of heaven (God’s realm) and earth (God’s creation): "On earth as in Heaven." It interprets the whole Bible-12 Tribes, gates; 12 Apostles, foundations-through the human/ divine Lamb, who destroys death by suffering it on the cross and creating resurrection Life.

It is cosmopolitan Eden, a lively place, open gates, all of humanity. All exile ends. Everything good is healed: Water and Tree of Life. Jesus invites that process to start now in us!

The Passion and the Wrath of God

John’s visions lead us through cycles of 7 looking at the world in different ways, unfolding images of its deceptive appearance and deep, corrupt reality. Seeing the Gospel as Counter-Reality.

We see a door to God’s throne, the slain Lamb. Seals reveal human destructive forces, earth’s response and what it means. Trumpets show the failure of a destructive vengeance and the pattern of following the Lamb. What does God want? His passion is to save his creation from destruction, to give life! The other side of that is to stop/destroy the destroyers of the earth.

John sees this in the vision of the Serpent-Dragon/Satan, the Wild Beast, the Second Beast (false prophet). The dragon defeated from heaven, rages on earth. The Beast, forces of empire. The Second Beast deceives the world: Power, wealth, violence are the only reality. The mark.

Babylon - Imperial City, Great Harlot, Riding the Beast

God’s judgment is first seen in 7 bowls of plagues like Exodus. But no repentance, learning. Plagues 5-7 point toward a new vision: Beast’s throne, Euphrates, Babylon the Great.

John sees the judgment in different form: Great Harlot (porné), scarlet Beast (all empires, Dan). Power over peoples, wealth and luxury, trade, corrupting the world. Blood of witnesses. John yields to amazement. No need. This is Rome, on 7 hills, emperors, kings, dominance.

Rome is rising to greater power in John’s time, but his vision pronounces her fall, like Babylon. Rome’s empire embodies the deception of power and wealth. It will not last. Collapse! Believers are urged to anticipate the collapse of the deception, see reality that lasts.

Tears for Babylon’s Fall - So much wealth! And Shouts of Joy

We see John’s vivid vision of reactions to Babylon’s (Rome’s) fall. Kings, Merchants, Shippers, all cry Woe! But stand far off. No real friends. End of so much power. So quickly!

Especially the Merchants and Traders grieve for their lost sales of wares. The empire had a super-wealthy luxury class that supported expensive trade. We hear the list of commodities that ends with "bodies"=slaves, now seen as "souls of humans." Rome’s military power was the basis of great wealth. God judges the deception. It does not last. It falls in a moment.

In contrast, life and faithfulness abounds for those who have suffered imperial injustice and violence. Celebration for the marriage of the Lamb and Bride - the union of God and humanity - the creation of true lasting life, the hope that runs through all prophecy - Jesus!

Woman Bringing Life, Dragon Inflicting Death - Two Kinds of Struggle

John has led us through a Vision of Jesus; Letters to 7 strong/weak, struggling, persecuted churches; Vision of door opening on God’s throne, creatures, elders, scroll, hero/slain lamb; Seals: human evils, earth’s response, cowering power, great multitude; Trumpets: failure of avenging, path of faithful witness, death, resurrection like Jesus, triumph of God’s kingdom.

Now the most vivid vision runs through second half of Rev. Conflict between God, creator of physical world and life, and all forces of death, deception, "destroyers of the earth" (11:18).

Problem: We know only wars of armies, death against death: Patton. How do you describe a conflict in which one side is familiar: passion for conquest, propaganda, violence, death. The other side’s weapons are passion for creating life, grace, self-giving love, witness to truth. Bloodshed is the Lamb giving his life. Yes, death ends up destroyed, but by life, by being removed. A battle so strange that it’s hard to express it in normal words. Reversed.

Woman (God’s ideal people) giving birth/life. Serpent-dragon ready to inflict death. Son: male of Exod., Lamb, Jesus’ death, res., But this is the story of God’s people in the wilderness, nourished and threatened. War in Heaven: Accuser/Satan thrown down by Michael. This is victory by the blood of the lamb and message and taking up cross. Setting tent in Heaven. Dragon defeated, raging on earth-river, earth-pursues all who hold the testimony of Jesus.

Beast 1 and Beast 2 - Counterfeit Power and the Big Lie

Beast from the sea echoes Daniel’s vision of empires. They come and go but all are destructive beasts: the Dragon’s work, defeated but powerful over all of us who settle for earth. Power, mammon, control, pleasure, violence: global, national, professional, race, job, family, etc.

Second beast, puts on the velvet glove. Lamb-Dragon. Big Lie. Emperor cult. Fake life. The power and ways of this world are the only option. Take your place/mark, get along. Parody of God’s identity, Spirit. Roman empire, any human empire is passing. 666 - brokenness.

God’s Grace so New that We don’t have Words for it.

John sees God’s people now as perfect, purified throng, with Jesus/Lamb’s name with God as identity and New Song of Lamb. First-fruit of harvest. Then angels with good news: The creator is setting things right: Babylon (destructive empire) fell, corrupter of the nations.

Joyful harvest of wheat and grapes. But it comes by the passionate suffering of Jesus and his people (winepress outside city). He takes on death to conquer it and give spreading life. No ‘Grapes of wrath’ but blood of life that we share. Great, amazing, holy, glorious, righteous.

The Power of Visions - Sevens and Cycles

John is given visions to recount. We hear and see through his words. His visions stress Sevens: churches, seals, trumpets, visions of conflict, bowls. Are the 7s a sequence predictions- our past or our future? Deciphering a code. Neither would mean much in Ephesus, even today. Revelation isn’t a divination book to foretell events. It is vision to see again things we know.

The Seals and Trumpets suggest that the 7-visions are different ways of looking at the same great story. The Gospel is already there in the Throne vision in the Lion-hero who is a slain Lamb. The Seals and Trumpets build expectations, but the interludes redirect our understanding.

One power of extended visions is to look at the drama of God’s story from different points of view and to play out differing possibilities. The visions challenge what John’s readers want and expect - including us. They push us to see the Gospel’s distinct truth amidst conflict.

Seven Seals: Four Horsemen - Who do you believe?

The Lamb begins to open the seals. Four horses and riders are called into view: Conquest, War, Impoverishment and famine, Violence-death-hopeless Hades. Then persecution, injustice. The victim souls cry out: "How long" before they are avenged? We watch the whole world convulsed (verbal special effects). What is happening. The power structure of conquest see it as "the wrath of the Lamb." Unfair battle, they can’t get away. Is it vengeance? No angelic voice says this is God’s wrath. Rather the whole creation reacts to human evil.

The seals pause. Step back. Sun shines. John hears that a perfect number of Israel as servants of God must be sealed. He looks: The precise number is now an innumerable multitude of people. Their verdict is different: Salvation not destruction belongs to God and Lamb. They’ve learned this truth by going through suffering, washing robes in the Lamb’s blood.

John describes them in words he’ll repeat at the end of the book. Water of life. Every tear. We’ve seen the whole story from one point of view: Who do you believe?

Seventh seal: silence. Incense, prayers of the saints. How long till you avenge us? Fierce!?

Seven Trumpets: Avenging the Victims and God’s New Kingdom

Visions let us see what avenging would be like. What if God directly avenged the injustice done to suffering Christians or all injustice. First 4 Trumpets: Destruction from above. A third of Earth, Sea, Fresh water, Heavenly bodies. With angelic power destruction is easy.

"Woe!" (5) Destruction from below: The abyss. It’s angel points to "the Beast." He releases demonic locusts: Amazing word picture. People harassed/tormented. Death escapes. Then (6) Destruction from earth: Demonic cavalry: the horses destroy with fire.

What results from avenging? People die, but there is no repentance, no change of heart. Nothing for which the Lamb was slain. John is about to write the final thunders but he is stopped. Step back. He’s given a little scroll. He must prophesy something different.

John is to measure God’s true temple and people. He sees two witnesses outside in the trouble. Combines powers from many prophets. The witnesses are persecuted, killed, as Jesus was crucified. But they are called in resurrection. No revenge, triumph over death.

(7) Then all of heaven cries out: this is God’s true rule, the Messiah’s kingdom. God’s power and the only true reward. The martyrs’ cry to be avenged is only in the conquest of death. With the message of Resurrection Life, God destroys the destroyers of the earth.

Stepping into the Realm of God - The Ancient Story

John began with a vision of Jesus glorified (ch 1). Then Jesus’ letters to Seven Churches (ch 2-3). Amazing promise to struggling believers: "Those who conquer, I will grant them to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat with my Father on his throne."(3:21) John is invited to begin to learn what this means. A door opens, Jesus invites, John steps through.

A vision experience of God’s throne like Ezek 1 or Isa 6, but distinct. God is "One seated on the throne" described like gems, rainbow, lightning. Torches of fire - Spirits of God. Crystal Sea.

Vision widens. Twenty-four elders: humans, gold crowns like high priest. 12+12, people of God. Four "living creatures" (animals), eyes all over: like Isaiah’s seraphs, 6 wings; like Ezekiel’s cherubim: lion, ox, human, eagle (later 4 Gospels.) Their worship identifies God’s nature.

1. Four LC, the seraphs of Isaiah. "Holy, Holy, Holy!" Yahweh. The God of Being, God of history, God of Advent, coming. God who creates and engages time, encountering creation.

2. Elders, God of creation, which exists only because of God’s desire. God defines all existence.

Lion and Lamb - God engaged with His Creation

But then something happens. A scroll, full, seven seals! Who is worthy? God is worthy but no one else. John weeps. Humans forever shut out. John hears an Elder: A great human hero: Lion of Judah, Root of David has conquered! John sees: A Lamb slain but standing. Seven horns, eyes = Spirits of God. He takes the scroll of God’s story, purpose, will for creation.

What cannot happen, happens. God is not just being, but story and encounter, coming. 4LC and Elders, with harps for song and bowls of prayer sing a new song (3) to a God who changes. The Lamb is worthy as God is, embodying in his death and new life God’s engagement with his human creation, sharing their brokenness and death, bringing their transformation and elevation as God’s kingdom and true worship. They will share his resurrection life, kingdom.

4. The whole realm of angelic beings recognize the Slain Lamb deserves worship with God.

The God of the Very Full Throne

5. Reality: Everything created worships God and the Slain Lamb. This is conquest. This is the true hero story. The Glory that gives totally, that loves through death. You, Come, Sit with me!

In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and challenges everyone around him to be people who bring their hearts in line with their words of devotion to God. Jesus wants them to be whole persons. In quoting Isaiah Jesus brings to their minds what hollow honor looks like.

In the ancient world, honor was a matter of public recognition, zero-sum transaction, and heavily bound in the face to face nature of society. If one person has honor it has been taken from someone else. And it is incumbent on the recipient of honor to have that honor recognized publicly.

In our world, we live in a "face to space" culture. That is a culture which values individualism and space. Honor is oriented bestowed upon the individual based on the values of a society built on meritocracy. The more successful the person is, according to the values of the culture, the more honor is bestowed upon them.

In speaking to some of the most religiously observant believers of God, Jesus wants to take them to a place of greater authenticity. He wants to bring their hearts, inline with their words, in the service of serving others. Jesus wants his followers to be people who are shaped by their connection and love for God, rather than formed by their adherence to the religious institutions and instructors of the day...

Jesus sends Letters to Struggling Churches

John’s Revelation begins with the startling vision of Jesus. Jesus turns Apocalypse into Letters, like Paul’s but strange: to angels standing for whole assembly (you, sing.). An Apocalypse different from others, not for later ages but for now, assemblies of people under pressure. Much of Rev. is cosmic, but like ancient prophets, it first names sins of God’s own people.

Seven churches seem to stand for the whole church. Overlapping but distinct problems. Each letter has stylized form, with individualized content. Each starts with who Jesus is and ends with a call to listen to the Spirit. This clarifies vision. They struggle to recognize false guides: fraudulent apostles, prophets, teachers. They’re often deceived about themselves: love abandoned, spiritually rich/wretched. They’re beset by false narratives of power/weakness.

The Disaster of the Loss of Love: Ephesus (Letter 1)

Ephesus, ancient, center of culture, worship (Acts 19). Jesus with stars/lampstands: churches. Jesus knows their struggles. They face continuing challenges like Paul and John. Emissaries who change the Gospel like Paul faced in Galatia or Corinth. Try to be true to message.

Jesus’ warning is not lack of fervor or truth but a failure of love, perhaps in the heat of struggle. Love for each other, love for the outsider, love even for the opponent. They’ve fallen. Jesus calls them to repent/change their thinking. Their identity is at stake. The struggle is for love.

On the Spot Persecution: Pergamum (Letter 3)

North of Ephesus, great temple of Zeus, Asclepius center. Local persecution has struck. After Nero, being a Christian was open to challenge, illegal. The slanderer/accuser/Satan is there.

In a world where every public activity was tied to Greek/Roman gods or emperor worship, how do you survive if you’re Greek/Roman, not Jewish? "Balaam," from Scripture (Num 22-24) stood for the call to place God as one lord among many, so also probably the Nicolaitans. Jesus challenges them with the "sword of my mouth," the message the cross, of God’s love.

Rejected in order to be Healed: Laodicea (Letter 7)

Laodicea is close to Colossae. The letter is famous for the striking image of spitting out a lukewarm liquid, neither hot nor cold. They don’t know themselves. "We are rich!" But in reality wretched. But with hard judgment comes hope. Jesus gives gold, cloths, salve.

Intensely hopeful: Jesus at door: Shared life, eating. Shared throne with Jesus and the Father.

Revelation and the Language of Visions

Revelation is an Uncovering (apokalypsis) of things we don’t ordinarily see. It begins with John’s vision on Patmos of the astonishing appearance of Jesus as Son of Man standing among golden lampstands. The book is a narrative of visions: God’s throne, the Lion/Lamb, Elders and Living Creatures, vast throngs, angels and plagues, stars falling, dragons and beasts, souls under an altar crying "How long?", a heavenly city on earth, tree of life ....

Especially for us moderns, such visions and symbols are challenging because they seem strange and arbitrary, perhaps a strange code, we don’t understand them. It’s important to see that they carried mystery from the start, but were in a long tradition of prophecy.

Vision of the Meeting of God’s Realms of Heaven and Earth

The prophets challenged Israel’s leaders and people to live their covenant connection with God. That fundamental failure, starting from Sinai, gave Yahweh’s prophets their message of judgment and hope. People thought Yahweh distant and dangerous. Other gods malleable.

Visions helped prophets see the meeting of God and people: Isaiah 6, filling Temple, both near and majestic. From that meeting, the events of human life looked different. Isaiah’s call.

Ezekiel (6th cent), as the disaster of exile and destruction of Jerusalem exploded, saw the vision of God’s throne, moving on wheels (not only in Temple), surrounded by living creatures/ cherubim, able to rise and withdraw. The strange creatures unite animal-human-angel.

Daniel in the long reality of exile looking down across centuries, sees the great, powerful, empires as flawed human images destroyed by uncut rock, later as beasts rising from the chaos of the sea, judged and destroyed by God. The truly human one - Son of Man - receives God’s kingdom, and everlasting authority. Radical change of perspective.

All of these and many more provide language that John uses to describe his visions.

Seeing God’s Judgment in Changing Perspectives

The exile and aftermath marked the changing language and understanding of prophets. Early prophets spoke to an "independent" kingdom betraying its covenant relation with Yahweh.

For later prophets, Judah was directly under the thumb of empires - Babylon, Persia, Greece. Attempts at reform didn’t stop that slavery. The visions gave language for seeing that situation of oppression and for envisioning God overcoming those powers, giving new life.