The Joy of Revelation: The Beatitudes 7

7.     22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates.

We come now to the last of the seven ‘Blesseds,’ Beatitudes of Revelation. There are three parts to it: (i) “those who wash their robes,” (ii) “they can have access to the three of life,” and (iii) “enter into the city by the gates.” 

      i.         With respect to the first part, I have dealt with the subject of the robes and the meaning of their being washed previously (see Beatitude number three above). 

Robes in Revelation are ultimately white because they are ‘washed,’ signifying the purity of the wearer. The real importance of this is that these are those who have reached heaven because of their remaining steadfast in their faith and having overcome the evil in the world.  Christ’s death, his shed blood, is what washes us clean. We enter into this pure state if, having heard the gospel, we believe and are washed by Jesus blood and symbolically cleansed by being baptized with water.  

This is a controversial point for many, but this could include many who have never heard the gospel as we know it. However, they have tried their best, with whatever revelation or knowledge they have, to live in the image of God, such as they understand him. I believe Jesus’ death covers their sins as well as those who know the gospel and make an informed decision to repent and follow Jesus. This is how we can say there is only one way into heaven. However, it could be true that there are two ways at least in which Jesus sacrifice can be applied. Recall that when Jesus spoke of the final judgment day to his disciples, he listed good deeds necessary to have been done to gain entry to heaven. He did not say it is because we believed in him or were ‘born again.’ We also know that The Bible speaks of many who believed in and served the God they knew, long before Jesus lived and died, long before ‘born again’ language was known. Really, for example, one could say this covers everyone in the Old Testament. Thus, those with white robes cold be all those who, at the final judgment, are ushered into their eternal reward by Jesus for what they have done while on earth, as well as what they believed. 

     ii.         Then we read that these individuals will have access to the ‘tree of life.’ What is the significance of this? Where else does the Bible speak of a tree of life’? In Genesis, of course: 

2:8 “The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed. 

2:9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and 
good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of 
the orchard.)”  A few verses later we read, 2:16 “Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may 
freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard…” We know also that there was another tree named as 
‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil’ that man was told not to eat of. This same injunction is not 
given against eating from the tree of life though. Thus, at this point in that narrative, it seems it would 
have been alright to eat from the tree of life. After all, death had not yet entered the picture, so eating 
from it would not have changed anything in that regard. Life at that point seemed to be eternal.

We likely know the rest of this story. Man ate of the tree they were not supposed to, and that introduced death and a whole lot of other negative things into God’s good world. As a consequence, man could no longer live in God’s perfect garden. He could no longer be in the same space God had made for them to be completely together in. The intimate fellowship of God and man that life began with, that relationship, was spoiled. Of course, we know, as we have already been talking of here, God came back in Genesis three with the beginnings of a plan to make things right again. God was not going to let his good world, creation, including man, be lost. He loved what was created too much for that. It was too good to let it go forever.

At the same time, when a wrong choice is made, as eating from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil was, there will be consequences. One of these, we know, was that man was expelled from the garden. And what did God say at the time was a reason for that?  Genesis again, 3:22 “And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Death had entered creation and needed to be dealt with properly. To eat of the tree of life without their disobedience being dealt with, would have been too easy of a way for man to get around the consequence of their ill-informed choice.

So, according to this verse, there is still a tree of life… somewhere. Of course, it is described here as being in ‘heaven’ (Rev. 22:1-3a). Indeed, now we see there are actually twelve such trees. Twelve is another of those significant numbers in The Bible. Think twelve tribes of Israel and twelve Apostles. Now those with the white robes, whom we also know refers to those already in heaven, having made a choice to accept Jesus corrective action on the cross, or at least been covered by his blood for their good deeds, as we discussed above, can once again eat of the tree of life. Indeed, it is referred to as having ‘leaves for the healing of the nations (22:2b).” Thanks be to God, we will have access to God’s good garden once again. How wonderful will that be! How blessed to be there indeed!

   iii.         But there is one more component to this beatitude. We who wear the white robes can enter the city by the gates. The garden we have just been describing is seen in Revelation as being inside a city. What 

would John have been thinking about when he wrote this? Note what the city is named: Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem…” Jerusalem was the place God had chosen to place his temple on earth. It was the centre point of God’s presence on earth. It was to this city the faithful Jews came every year for the various feasts that they celebrated here in the presence of God. Here they came to worship God. Especially for special occasions like the Passover, they came by the multitudes. And where did they go? Through the gates into the city. 

But there is a big difference between that scenario and what is pictured here. Sure, the Jews knew that God was not confined to Jerusalem, to the temple.  At the same time, they did not see God there. In fact, the place where God was said to dwell, between the cherubim on top of the Ark of the Covenant, was behind a veil in The Holy of Holies. Only the high priest could go there, and that only once a year.

Now, when we enter the gates of ‘the new heaven,’ we will see God. We will experience his presence in a way the Jews of old in the earthly Jerusalem never did. We will be ‘back’ to God’s good garden, to be with him the way we were created to be. We really cannot imagine what that will be like. But just think of it. If the first readers or Revelation were listening to this being read, what hope and joy will have filled their souls – “You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy…” the Apostle Peter writes in 1:8, then, 1:9 “because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.”  This was what those early Christians understood was waiting for them beyond the trials they were going through in the Roman Empire. Indeed, whenever and wherever we live, this hope is also for us. This is the enduring message of Revelation. We will ‘return’ to the garden. 

The Joy of Revelation VI. The Beatitudes - 5

Posted 2020 

1.     20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Before we get into the positive blessing aspect of this beatitude we need to say something about the first resurrection and second death. What is the first resurrection? Are we resurrected twice? No, the first resurrection is Christ’s! Those who believe and are baptized are said to take part in Christ’s death and resurrection by virtue of their joining him through their faith and his atoning and reconciling work accomplished with his death and resurrection. The Apostle Paul talks much of this in his letters. Baptism is often described as dying with Christ as we are symbolically washed with the water and then rising with him as the Holy Spirit fills us.

However, we all know we still die. But we also know that we will be resurrected. Indeed, scripture teaches that all will be resurrected for the final judgment day. Those of us who are resurrected in Christ will go on to eternal life with him. Those who have rejected him will go on to the second death. However, this death is not really an end either. But it is the death of all that is good.  It appears to be some kind of eternally godless existence. We can only imagine what it must be like to exist forever separated from the God who created us and put his spirit in us. Everything positive and good in life will be denied these unfortunate souls. Some might ask, how can your supposed Christian God of love do this. My response is that it was not his will that this happen. Jesus himself said so when he was teaching his disciples. It happened because we have free will and some of us make that awful choice of turning our backs on or Creator. Those who reject God often don’t see the difference their choice makes in this life. This is deceiving. Because the spirit of God is still on this earth, especially in us believers who are the preserving salt – and light – of the world, life can be pretty good for these God-deniers. However, when the Spirit of God is removed, and with it all love and any other good quality we recognize as humans, the afterlife will be awful.  

We can see now why it is said here that the second death has no power over us who believe, who are members of The Church Christ and his angels were addressing in Revelation. We rise again but once, and after that we live in the new earth, the new heaven, forever.

We are also described here as priests. This is also language used earlier in scripture, especially in the New Testament. When God established his order on earth in the process referred to as creation, the ultimate act was to create humans in his image. This is how we are priests of God. God lives in us. However, we also know this capacity suffered immense damage when our ancestors took things in their own hands and made unwise choices that were not in keeping with God’s purposes in creating them. We lost that priesthood, that special relationship with our Creator.

However, as we also know, all was not lost. God had a plan to make things right again. If we freely choose to go with his plan, which some describe as being saved, among other terms, we set foot on a path of restoring that relationship. On earth, it will still not be the same as it was in the beginning. However, with our new life, once more ‘in the Spirit,’ we will have a foretaste of what it will be like after the first death. And part of that renewed life is that our priesthood status is returned.

What or who are priests? They are those who mediate and pray to God on behalf of the rest of the world. We know that from what the roles the priests were assigned in the Old Testament. They also received sacrifices and offered them on peoples’ behalf to make atonement for sin. However, that is one role we no longer need to carry out. In this new age, post Christ (on earth), he has offered his life once for all as a sacrifice for us. The priest also burned, offered up, incense, which we see here in Revelation being compared with the offering up of the prayers of the saints, the priests. Another very important role that priests had, but which they rarely fulfilled in the Old Testament, pre-Christ era, was to teach the people how to live as those created in his image. This way of living no longer comes naturally to humanity. However, when we are again filled with the Spirit, we can learn, be enlightened, gain wisdom and help teach one another how to live. Importantly, we should do this by example as much as, or more so than, by word.

This verse also says we will reign with Christ. For many of us, this conjures up images of us as rulers as how we see them on this earth. No, that is not what God has in mind. Remember, even in his being tempted as a human, Christ rejected the political route to success. He did not come as a king as humans understood kings. This is not rule over one another. 

This is an aspect of God’s creation we have never learned or understood well; that we were created to rule with God over the earth he created. That was another facet of being created in his image. We have done a bad job of this though. We have understood it in materialistic and economic terms, even political as I already alluded to.  We have turned that into dominating and exploiting this wonderful earth. We have not looked after it in a God-like way at all, the way God intended, for the most part. In our time’s concern over climate change, voices are helping us see these things again, see how we have not done well and how we can do better. Indeed, some would say we must do better if we want to see this God-given earth continue in some semblance to how it was created. 

Finally, it is said we will do this for 1000 years. Is this to be taken literally? Indeed, many interpreters of scripture, especially beginning in the 19^th century, took it this way. However, in scripture, numbers are often used symbolically, representationally. I think we can accept this description as a finite way of describing something we cannot grasp, the concept of forever, of eternity. More of us now live beyond the once almost unbelievable age of 100. To live a thousand years is beyond our grasp though, just as much as eternity is.

So, I think I have painted already a picture that shows many aspects of the blessedness of being among those who take part in the first resurrection, as I described. Those who are included in that number will:

1.     Live forever with God and Jesus in a new heaven and earth, where all that is negative will be removed, so we can relate to one another and our Creator as originally planned.

2.     Will all share with one another the wonderful ability to be perfect and full mediators for one another with God. We know we don’t really need that when we live with him, but it will be in our nature to be that in how we live in the new order.

3.     Will once again ‘rule’ the earth as God intended. Then we will really see what this earth and all in it created good, as we are told it was, can really be like. We will really get to enjoy all that the earth was meant to offer us with its beauty and complexity of which we still learn new every day.

Blessed indeed! What we have to look forward to!

The Joy of Revelation VI. The Beatitudes - 6

6.     22:7 (Look! I am coming soon!

Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.)

Here we have another parenthetical insertion which again appears to come, not from the angels that continue to guide John through his visions, but Jesus Christ himself. Again, it seems as if Jesus can’t keep himself from trying to get the main point(s) across. We dealt with a previous one in the discussion of Beatitude #2, from Rev. 16:15. 

NOTE: Not all translations put these particular phrases in parentheses, e.g. the NRSV.

First of all, what are we to make of the first 2 phrases, over 1900 years after this was written? Some have dismissed outright the idea of Christ’s return. They are similar to the Jews who have given up on the idea that the Messiah is coming. Some of both of these groups would still claim they believe in God and that God has a role to play in the world, that there are still ways in which we can gain from the study of scripture. However, most Christians, and I am in that camp, do believe that there will be a time when Christ will return. What exactly that will look like we have some suggestions in the Bible, some of which we have dealt with in this chapter. One imagines there is much more we do not know. 

How then can we understand these words? I think John wrote them, quite probably believing that Jesus was coming soon. Much of the New Testament writing on the subject suggests the Early Christians held such a belief. It is not difficult to see how people of the time would have believed that, having just lived with Christ, with the events of his life, death and resurrection still on their minds. Paul writes from that perspective too.

We know John was writing to people who were living in difficult times. There were restrictions placed on their lives. There were prison sentences, there was persecution, mainly from Rome, sometimes from Jews and other religions. We see all this in the New Testament already. To tell the believers Jesus was coming soon and going to set things right, to vindicate them, would have been welcome news, a reassuring message that gave hope. We see this is a message all through Revelation.

This could also be interpreted personally. Those facing death would know Christ was coming for them. When they died, they would join him. That would be a positive message for them too. If Christ was not coming yet as in The Rapture, as it is sometimes spoken of, he was coming for those who remained faithful. He was coming for the persecuted, the martyrs. Some of them knew their death was going to be soon, and that meant Christ was coming for them soon!

Another approach to this time question has been to refer to what some refer to as God’s time. God, of course, is not limited by time. However, God created the system that marks our times. This does not mean time is irrelevant to God though. If he set it in motion, it is obviously important. In other words, what might seem soon in God’s scheme of things could be a long time for us in the human dimension of time. But we know and trust that God, who has demonstrated faithfulness in keeping his promises before, in fulfilling many elements of his plan, is still working it out. Indeed, demonstrating that is a key component of Revelation. 

If we then want to ask, what are these words of prophecy? In the grand scheme of things, they show God’s overall plan for the world, for humanity. As I have already written, prophecy is more than a prediction of the future. It is the word of God for a particular time, a specific situation. It can be a call to repentance. It can be God imploring us to return to faithfulness. It can be a plea to live out behaviour consistent with being a people of God. There is warning and judgment. We see all of these in the writings of the Old Testament prophets, and we see all of these here in Revelation. 

So, what does it then mean to keep these words of prophecy? What else can it mean but to respond in the affirmative to all of these invitations? If we repent and turn to Jesus, if we live justly and in righteousness, obeying the law of love, if we keep the faith steadfastly to the end of our lives – this is keeping the words of this prophecy. This is what the Lamb, who gave himself for us, asks of us. This is what will make us blessed. This is what can give us the joy of knowing we are on the right path, the joy of Revelation, walking with our Lord, headed to the glory described in so many ways in this important book for those who remain faithful.

The Joy of Revelation VI. The Beatitudes - 4 Revised

1.     19:9 Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 

This beatitude follows chapters describing the figures that are the nemesis of the Christians and all that those creatures and false prophets have done. These culminate in ch. 18, following which there is great rejoicing in heaven from all assembled there. Ch. 19:6-8 call for rejoicing because “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” If we are familiar with some of these figures of speech we know that the Lamb of course is none other than Jesus Christ, sacrificed for the sins of the world. None other than Jesus’ relative, John the Baptist, surely inspired by the Holy Spirit and knowledgeable from his study, growing up in the house of his devout priest father Zechariah, called him “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” when Jesus came to John to be baptized (John 1:29). 

The bride as a figure of speech for the people of God is first seen in the Old Testament when God, through the prophet Isaiah, says, “you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” This was spoken to the Children of Israel when they were being warned of judgement coming their way, followed by this as a promise of the future. 

We then see this image numerous times in the preceding books of the New Testament, referring to those whose sins are forgiven, who believe in Jesus and the life-giving power of his death and resurrection. This is The Church, the body of people. John the Baptist already expounded on this when he said “He who has the bride is the bride groom. The friend of the bride groom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled (John 3:29).” Then Jesus himself use this image, including here already a reference to a banquet, when he spoke to his disciples about fasting, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The day will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast (Matthew 9:15).” Of course, Jesus is he referring to himself as the bridegroom.  Here though, Jesus’ followers are referred to as wedding guests and not his bride. The Apostle Paul picked up on this idea when he wrote the Corinthians, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (II Corinthians 11:2).” Paul is referring to Jesus as the husband, and believers, Christians, as the potential bride.

We sometimes read in scripture that the angels marvel at God’s doing, his love for and relationship with the humans he has created. I think one can see this in the words of the angel here. The Bride, The Church, has come through all of its trials and testings and is now ready for full union with Jesus. The Church is entering the next phase of its existence where it will live forever in the manner in which God originally intended man to live. The Kingdom of Heaven, of God, which Jesus spoke so much about, has arrived. The situation is no longer ‘near at hand’ as Jesus sometimes said. It is here. It’s as if the angel can hardly believe it. God’s plans have been fulfilled at last.

So, when the groom and bride are ready, what do you have? You have a wedding feast! We know wedding feasts are by invitation. Here the angel is exulting over how blessed, how privileged, to be invited to “the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb.” As if to emphasize that this is really going to happen, to tell the writer that it will really occur – God’s goals are being met, the angel adds, “These are the true words of God.” This is not open to question. There is no more waiting, the wedding feast is here!

We don’t know what this event will really be like. We have a taste of it in the many parables Jesus told that included banquets (e.g., Matt. 22:1-14, 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24), as well as other references such as Matt. 8:11, where Jesus talks of many coming from the east and the west to feast with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven. Most importantly, as with many aspects of the kingdom, we have instances of life here and now that give us a foretaste of this great feast. Our former pastor, with some of our congregation’s members had the vision to start a meal for our congregation and whoever wanted to join us from the neighbourhood. Our pastor had often spoken on the parables and the teachings where Jesus spoke about weddings and banquets and who was being invited. He simply believed that we, with our abundance, should share freely with those among us and around us, just as God so lavishly pours out his blessings on all of us, saint and sinner alike. This banquet has continued for some five years now and everyone looks forward to its happening. When you enter the room – our church ‘s gym -  on those evenings when this feast has been prepared,  it is abuzz with the excitement of people gathering again, reuniting or meeting new faces, and all waiting to be served the feast. Just imagine the excitement and the feast when this will really be a feast with Jesus present! How blessed to have been invited to that indeed! 

The Joy of Revelation VI. - The Beatitudes - 4 - see next post for a fuller version

  19:9 Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 

This beatitude follows chapters describing the figures that are the nemesis of the Christians and all that those creatures and false prophets have done. These culminate in ch. 18 following which there is great rejoicing in heaven from all assembled there. Ch. 19:6-8 call for rejoicing because “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” If we are familiar with some of these figures of speech we know that the Lamb of course is none other than Jesus Christ, sacrificed for the sins of the world. The bride is a figure of speech we see numerous times in the preceding books of the New Testament referring to those whose sins are forgiven, who believe in Jesus and the life-giving power of his death and resurrection. This is The Church, the body of people.

We sometimes read in scripture that the angels marvel at God’s doing, his love for and relationship with the humans he has created. I think one can see this in the words of the angel here. The Bride, The Church, has come through all of its trials and testings and is now ready for full union with Jesus. The Church is entering the next phase of its existence where it will live forever in the manner in which God originally intended man to live. The Kingdom of Heaven, of God, which Jesus spoke so much about, has arrived. The situation is no longer ‘near at hand’ as Jesus sometimes said. It is here. It’s as if the angel can hardly believe it. God’s plans have been fulfilled at last.

So, when the groom and bride are ready, what do you have? You have a wedding feast! We know wedding feasts are by invitation. Here the angel is exulting over how blessed, how privileged, to be invited to “the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb.” As if to emphasize that this is really going to happen, to tell the writer that it will really occur – God’s goals are being met, the angel adds, “These are the true words of God.” There is no question, no more waiting, it’s here!

We don’t know what this event will really be like. We have a taste of it in the many parables Jesus told that included banquets (e.g., Matt. 22:1-14, 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24, as well as other references such as Matt. 8:11 where Jesus talks of many coming from the east and the west to feast with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven. Most importantly, as with many aspects of the kingdom, we have instances of life here and now that give us a foretaste of this great feast. Our former pastor with some of our members had the vision to start a meal for our congregation and whoever wanted to join us from the neighbourhood. This has continued for some five years now and everyone looks forward to its happening. When you enter the room – our church ‘s gym - it is abuzz with excitement of people gathering again, reuniting or meeting new faces, and all waiting to be served the feast. Just imagine the excitement and the feast when this will really be a feast with Jesus present! How blessed to have been invited to that indeed!

THE JOY of REVELATION VI.The Beatitudes of Revelation - 3

1.     16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief!

Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.)

The first part of this verse again brings to mind the words of our Lord as recorded in the Gospels when he was warning his disciples about things to come, including what the world would go through before his final return, his Second Coming (e.g., Matt. 24:42-44). 

It scarcely needs to be said, but Christ’s Second Coming, which is what the first part of this verse refers to, is  going to be a major event. As I write this, our world is going through a coronavirus pandemic. For many, this has become the end of the world as we know it.  Indeed, nothing most of us have ever experienced compares to it. For some, or in some ways, it is the end of the world as we have known it. However, Jesus’ return won’t only increase our anxiety, as a pandemic or the unexpected coming of a thief can do. It will be the end of the world as we know it. 

This verse, the warning and the beatitude, is bracketed. One has to wonder why. The most reasonable explanation is that this is the voice of Jesus himself interjecting into the messages John is receiving from angels. The imagery of Jesus’ coming like a thief might seem unusual. Jesus is no thief! Of course, it is a figure of speech to make us think about what Jesus’ coming will be like. At the same time, the content of the preceding and immediately following text, is such that Jesus himself wants to get across to us the gravity of the situation being described

The imagery of Jesus’ coming as occurring like the unexpected intrusion of a thief can be traced back to the gospels where Jesus refers to his Second Coming (Matt. 24:43, Luke 12:39.  The Apostles Paul (I Thess. 5:2) and Peter also then use this imagery (II Pet. 3:10). Indeed, Jesus himself used this expression in his address to the church in Sardis (Rev. 3:3).  

We can say three things about this:

1)    We don’t know when a thief might come. So, what do we do? We might take measures to safeguard our more prized possessions, such as locking them up in a safer place in our home. We might have locking

windows and we might lock our doors, especially if we are home alone or at night when we are sleeping. We leave most of our money in a bank, or even put some of our valuables in a safety deposit box at home or in a bank or similar place we think is more secure. Many of us even alarm our homes and apartments, sometimes with direct communication with a security firm we pay to keep an eye on the alarm system.

But what does that way about most of us. Are we excessively are concerned about our possessions, our ‘earthly goods,’ as we sometimes say? Too many of us in our Western society at least, really have too much, and become too concerned about it. There is a truism about life that the more you have, the more you are concerned about what you have. Indeed, it has been also shown that in too many instances, the more we have, the less we give! Some of us who have more personal contact with the less fortunate, or find ourselves among those society would consider such, know from experience that the poorer tend to share a lot more than the wealthy. What a sad comment on what happens to us when we succumb to the lure of success, wealth and possessions. My father, who spent 25 years working among Canada’s indigenous citizens used to talk about their freely sharing what they had with their neighbours. Indeed, we know – or should - that many of our indigenous neighbours are still among the poorer in our society, thanks to some of our laws and our continued discrimination when it comes to things like giving them a job or a place to live. 

2)    So, perhaps Jesus is saying in a subtle way – for many of us, His coming might be as unwelcome as that of a thief. We are so caught up in the affairs of our daily lives, our world, that we don’t pay attention to what

Jesus might have to say to us about being really prepared for his coming. Have we made preparations for his coming? How do we prepare? 

We do not prepare by spending hours and time listening to speakers, reading books, going to so-called prophecy conventions about detailed predictions of when Jesus will return. Jesus himself was very clear that this was not to be our focus. Read Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and especially Luke’s record of what Jesus said before he returned to heaven in Act’s 1:6-8. What did Jesus say in these passages. He clearly said ‘the times and the seasons’ of his return were not to be our concern.  What Jesus said in the gospels is that we are to pray that we will have the strength to endure whatever might come in our lives prior to Christ’s return.  Our concern is to stay awake, like a homeowner who really does not want to be caught off guard by a thief.  What he says in Acts is that it is our job to go out and spread the gospel so that others can learn to be prepared for Jesus coming. Those are our tasks in this age.

3)    Fortunately, most of us never experience the unexpected arrival of a thief in our homes, which is what this is really referring to. But what happens if we do? What is it like to experience the arrival of ‘a thief in the

night,’ or any other unexpected time for that matter? If this has happened to you, as it has to us, it can be quite traumatic. Our home was one broken into when we were away at work and the children at school during the day.  Even then, some of us experienced a feeling of disease for some time. There is a feeling that the place you most feel at home and comfortable in, where you thought you were most secure, has been violated. Your life is not the same. Depending on the violence of the situation, where there might have been not just a break-in but an assault or worse, some even go through what we nowadays call post-traumatic stress. For those who are already prone to be anxious, this can tip the scales into a clinical situation (as a retired psychiatrist, I know about these things). In other words, this a majorly intrusive event. 

The good part, the blessing, the beatitude is this. In the first place, we can be better prepared for Jesus’ coming than we can be for the arrival of a thief. I have already mentioned briefly what Jesus said we ought to be occupying ourselves with. Indeed, one could say all of his teachings and all of the rest of the New Testament tell us how to be prepared for Christ’s coming. We prepare in what we believe, in having faith and in how we live. The faith we need is that Christ’s death has removed the barrier to our being able to experience eternal life with Jesus in the new or re-created world to come. It is believing that his resurrection illustrates the power of God to raise us to life after our death too. The how-we-live part is summarized succinctly by Jesus himself when he talks of the questions at the final judgment on our lives being - Did you feed the poor? Did you give a cup of cold water to the thirsty ‘least-of-these’? Did you welcome the stranger? Did you clothe the naked? Did you take care of the sick? Did you visit people in prison?

I have really already dealt somewhat with the second part of this verse in The Joy of Revelation III – Messages to the Churches, which was posted to my blog January 26, 2020. 

Do we know when a thief will come? Not likely. The second part of this verse is really telling us that we should stay alert, but not to the extreme of losing our clothes. Those reading this might well have understood first the symbolic meaning of this phrase.  It refers to losing the white robes always described when the faithful are seen in heaven, before the throne.  The white robe, always the sign of purity, was the mark of the one who had overcome, who was victorious.  There is judgment and punishment for those who outright reject Jesus or who do not live as best they know how with the knowledge they have. This last would have been the case with everyone before Jesus’ own first coming. But the loss and shame will be even greater for those who have known Christ, but then turned their backs on him. Those who denied him under persecution, of which was a risk in the time of John’s writing when Rome was persecuting the Christians to the point of death. They would lose these clothes if they were led astray, if they fell away from following the true gospel, maintaining their allegiance to Christ alone. They would not wear the white robe of the victorious. They would not be seen among the throngs John sees in his visions of heaven.

There can be further meaning here too. We are not to give up everything and just sit around waiting for Christ’s return. We are to keep our clothes on and continue to live as our Master taught. We have work to do while we are on earth. We will also be shamed if we neglect that. We are not to just lounge around undressed, living the life of ease. But what a reward if we stand firm and do the good works God has prepared “beforehand to be the way of life” of us who believe (Ephes. 2:10)!