All Empires will come to an end. Rome is no exception. We come to the place where the Roman empire collapses. This collapse of the old way of arranging the world gives room for the rise of a new way of arranging the world. Something has to end for something new to begin.

This week we get all the way into the depths of the weird, gory, and violent wrath of God as John portrays it through the seven bowls of judgement. Is Armageddon coming? Is Jesus coming back on a white horse to kill all those who rejected him? Let's get into it.

How about another week on the second beast? This week, we will explore a brief history of the church as it relates to the merging of empire + religion. We look at Constantine and his use of Christianity in (306-337). What can we learn from our history and how John understood the repercussions of the Jesus movement intertwining with the empire?

This week we look at the second beast, or the beast of the land. John describes this beast as one that has the appearance of a lamb but the actions of the dragon. From the first century world to our American world, we will examine the rise of Christian Nationalism to see if there are any parallels.

Is The Anti-Christ coming? Is he already here? Is the mark of the beast coming? Is it already here? These questions have been speculated for thousands of years. Today, we look at Revelation 13, the primary source for much of these speculations. How would the first audience have understood this story?

Hail, fire, blood, scorched earth, scorpions, locusts with lions teeth, two-hundred million troops, plagues, serpents, falling stars, bottomless pit, mountains thrown into sea, Wormwood, eagles, fire breathing horses like lions, China, Russia, and India. We are into the thick of Revelation and it is NOT a prediction about what is to come.

As John breaks the seven seals, what He uncovers might surprise you. The empire is not as secure and stable as it might appear. John is intentionally shaking the foundation of our security. He is not trying to induce anxiety but he is inviting us to trust in the salvation of something greater.

The creative artist John sets up the reader with an expectation of a fierce, violent, and ferocious lion coming to save the day. Just when you think the warrior is arriving, John surprises us with an image of a slaughtered lamb coming to save the day. This is about deconstructing notions of power.

Let's talk about the rapture. A word or concept found nowhere in the Bible. Yet, many believe and wait for the moment when all christians will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus and leave behind all non-Christians. Which leads us to some questions, where did the concept come from? Does Revelation even hint at it? And who cares if people believe in a rapture? Why does it even matter?

This week we visit the spiritual collective @ Laodicea. You know the one? They are lukewarm and getting spewed out of God's mouth. Does that ring a bell? It is a strong image. But what is behind it? Turns out John is serious about those who have gotten too comfortable inside the empire. John calls them to open their blind eyes to the reality of the empire.