The Family of God in A Time of Isolation

The expression, ‘our world changed… forever(?)’ is something of a cliché. It is often spoken in times such as we are going through at the beginning of the 2020s with this global viral pandemic. The very fact that I began this sentence with ‘in times such as we are going through’ admits we are not the first to go through such. A number have already compared our circumstances with a previous similar time - the viral pandemic that affected the world 102 years ago, known variously as ‘swine flu’ or ‘the Spanish flu,’ even though there was nothing uniquely Spanish about it. Some have said it began in a military camp in Kansa, in the USA, and was brought to Europe and the rest of the world when these young men went to join the war effort against the Nazis. 

I have titled the beginning of this piece ‘The family of God.’ To use that expression for all who believe in God is much more inclusive than to say ‘The Church in a time of isolation.’ The latter also carries different connotations than ‘family.’ So, how is being a believer in God, in my case, a Christian, different now.

Let’s bring it down to the generally recognized smallest unit of this great family – the local congregation, or small ‘c’ church. Congregational gathering is not possible if we want to be responsible citizens and do our part to try and limit the spread of this deadly virus. We cannot even meet socially. However, we are blessed to have means of communication that can help keep us bound together that our ancestors never had when they suffered from similar plagues. The telephone we have had for some time. Now, we are not even bound to a wall outlet. We can use our cellphones anywhere. And, we have the internet. This allows for a great deal of creativity in how we attempt to stay connected.

Let me get to the point and share my own experience at this time. Have I learned anything from it? Has it made me feel different about any aspect of our faith life as a congregation? 

I listened to our pastor give us a message on-line, as opposed to in a service of worship in our church building. He also took the effort to prepare some comforting devotionals for us to listen to in this time of crisis, with the hope that for those whose sleep is disturbed by such, the message he sought to convey could help them get that needed rest with the assurance that his is still there for us, but more importantly, as we really do know, but need reminding of, is that the loving Lord who unites us by his Spirit has not left us. It was reassuring to hear the strong voice of our pastor speak to us in this way. Truly a shepherd speaking to his flock.

Our Worship Pastor and others have shared devotional thoughts and reflections as well. Thus, we ‘hear’ from one another, even though not in person. We are reminded that we are all still here, even if (mostly) esconced in our own homes. This was especially helped by an initiative where members of our congregation – individuals and families – joined in a video montage from over 30 homes where they all smiled and waved greetings to all those viewing. To my embarrassment, when I decided to join this, I was too late, but or dear Worship Pastor plunked my mug shot from my video into the next edition of the email newsletter as a photo.

Today, being Good Friday, we had a first total worship service led on-line. Knowing others are watching and listening around our metropolitan area, and possibly beyond, does help us feel united still. The service included communion. Even there, knowing the symbolic nature of it, the meaning is not lost. We know others are sharing the bread and cup, even if not exactly at the same time clockwise, but the same time in the service, whenever it is watched, if people do the communion as suggested. We will have different types of bread. I had a piece of paska – a traditional ‘Easter’ bread from my ancestors. We might even have different types of drink. When the former pastor of our church led his current congregation in communion already on a previous Sunday, he acknowledged he and his wife were drinking pear juice. Indeed, as my wife and I discussed, does it have to be grape juice or wine? Did God send his Son to Israel because they had grapes there, the wine of which could be used by Jesus when he instituted the Lord’s Supper? Of course not.  If Jesus had come to earth in Germany, the cup might have been a stein containing beer. In Russia, it might have been a glass of vodka. Here in North America, it could be apple juice. Am I being sacrilegious? I don’t think so. 

But that is not the point. The objective of this short essay was to discuss our times and how we are keeping connected. Our Creator has blessed his people, made in his image, with some of his creative spirit, and we are all being blessed by our use of this. May our God continue to give us hope and comfort through such means as we make our way through this pandemic time.

THE JOY of REVELATION IX - Hymns of Praise 1

IX.          The Hymns of Praise

When one goes through the book of Revelation one finds a number of what one could call hymns of praise. 

Indeed, it was when I was reading through these in Revelation in The Message last year that I was impressed with the place of these hymns here, their function. They helped me gain a new understanding of this letter to first century Christian churches. It seemed to me they were pointing to the ultimate aim of the writer, which is often lost in the startling pictures of so much of the book. I believe John’s real purpose, indeed, shall we say Christ’s purpose, as he is described as giving this all to John, was to bring some real joy into the hearts of Christians suffering in the dire circumstances of the persecution they were enduring in the Roman Empire at the time. This inspired me to look at give Revelation with fresh eyes, and lead to this writing.

Now, if we go through the book to single out the hymns of praise, I believe one can single out – again - seven of them, found in the following passages (There are three pieces of hymn-like writing in 19:1-3, 5 and 6-8, but these are not described as being sung, rather cried out, although the words are similar to the other hymns and could be sung):

1.     4:8

2.     4:11

3.     5:9-10

4.     5:12-13

5.     7:12

6.     11:17-18

7.     15:3-4

Some of these songs are sung, sometimes with the accompaniment of harps. Others seem to be recitations. It would be fascinating to speculate what those that are described as being sung might have sounded like musically. However, other than some general terms referring to their volume, the nature of the sound, sometimes compared to features of the created world, like rushing waters, we have no idea of this. Our finite minds are curious about this as it could give us another taste of what might be in store in heaven, in the ‘afterlife.’ However, there was probably no system to write down music as we know it, even if John had been musically knowledgeable.  Furthermore, in the grand scheme of things, there is much in Revelation that is beyond description, and the musical elements of these songs are but one portion of that. It is possible that what John heard was original. It could also be that, in attempting to give voice to that which is of the beyond, he resorted, at least in part, to incorporating features from songs he knew from his Jewish or early Christian background. Certainly, some of the lyrics are similar to songs we do find in The Bible. We also know that some of these songs have been incorporated into the Church’s music subsequently. Who has not heard or even participated in singing in George Frederick’s Handel’s Messiah with its “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing,” leading up to the crescendo “forever and ever.” That comes right from Revelation ch. 5:12-13. 

These psalms reflect the triumphant joy of those already in heaven. They are sung by those who have been victorious over all the challenges of life and stayed true till death. Now they are reaping the reward of their faithfulness. Now, in some cases, John is probably even looking into the future and seeing what is going on in eternity, with all the saints in heaven by that time. Regardless, the overflowingly enthusiastic renditions of these praises was meant to encourage and inspire the listeners, the readers, to rest assured. If they stayed true through death, they too would someday joyfully and victoriously participate in these celebrations. Knowing that could bring them joy in the midst of what they were going through in their present situation.  This is the joy Revelation can bring. 

Some of these songs come in combination with others, and so all will not be dealt with as separate entities. I will also refer to some of the hymns we know that are based on some of these hymns from heaven.

1. 4:8

In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside. They never rest day or night, singing:

“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”

This is obviously reflected in the well-known hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” which has the line from the verse (other translations have almighty instead of All-Powerful) as its first line. The last part of the verse is echoed in the end of stanza two of this hymn, “Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.”

One other church hymn that points to this hymn, which comes from the German, is “Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now (Herr Jesu Christ, Dich Zu Uns Wend),” stanza 3: “Till we with saints in glad accord, Sing “holy, holy is the Lord.” 

The four living creatures singing this are thought by some to represent all of nature. The lion represented wild animals with it being thought of as having the most power, the ox, the most powerful among domestic animals. The creature with the human face symbolized humanity and the eagle, often seen as the most majestic of birds, stood for everything that flies. There are passages even in the Old Testament that speak of the never-ending praise given God even by his non-human creation. 

This is the first hymn John hears from his first vision of heaven, so it is fitting that it is nature that is first featured in praising God, as nature was made before man. John describes what he sees in terms of what he knows. What else can one do? We are always limited by our language, by our experience. Prior to such visions, the creatures most often identified with heaven were winged, the angels, so it would not be surprising John sees these beasts in heaven as having wings. But what about the eyes? If these beasts represent all of creation that has a voice, as least as mankind understood things then, their sum vision would be what every living thing sees on the earth. 

As for the words of this song, some commentators believe that, to begin with, the triple ‘holy, holy, holy’ is meant to reflect the triune nature of God that was being developed in Christianity at the time. The transcendent holy otherness is the first phrase of praise that comes forth. These creatures then praise God as Lord, as opposed to Caesar and other earthly lords and kings of whatever age. This is emphasized by naming God all-powerful. Finally, they praise our Creator’s eternal nature, again unlike temporal rulers, with the last phrase of the song. God is present in every age – past, present and future. Truly a joyful chorus of earth, heard in heaven!

A Father’s Blessings

Some readers might see this title and think I am writing about our heavenly father, God. No, I am writing about my own biological father. I had thought about calling this piece “A Voice from the Dead,” but I thought that some might consider that somewhat morbid, possibly even spooky, although it is a phrase that is often used to refer to a message that we receive in some way from those who have already passed on.

One of the blessings that we have received from our father is that, shortly before his death, we discovered the trove of diaries and journals that he had written. Most of these were retrieved only 10 days or so before he passed away December 15, 2019. I had not nearly finished reading them all by that time. Indeed, it was only last month that I read through a couple of notebooks that were records of his devotional time, I would surmise. They are lists of copied Bible verses, poems and other such inspirational quotations, along with some of his own reflections on these. They cover the period from October 25, 1946 to May 29, 1947. Actually, the first notebook of 80 pages has only three entries in 18 pages. The second like notebook only has seven pages with five entries.

Now if you know me, you know that my birthday is in October, so it was a pleasant surprise to read what our father wrote on October 25 or in the days following prior to the next date of entry of October 29. At the end of the first set of entries I just referred to, father writes:

 “Asking! Praying – of God    1. To bring back my darling to be healthy and full of joy ready to serve

                                                     him with me (both) fuller, deeper than ever before – until the end.” Then…                                    2. was what really caught my attention: “To let my darling bring along

                                                 OURS (capitals his), who will be an aid to the message of salvation and who someday too shall hear from God, that “well done” because of faithfulness to Christ.” There are six points here but I will only copy one more, 

4. “To give us together (family) a life filled with blessings from on

       high, joys unspeakable, a life with unselfish service for our dear 

       Lord and Savior.” 

The OURS in number 2 refers to me! Mother had gone to her parents in Winkler, MB, to give birth to me. Father and his sister Elsie were in Oxford House, MB, where our parents were pastoring for the United Church and Elsie taught in the United Church Indian day school.

Those of you who know our father know that his life was spent in answering a call to be a missionary, as they were described then, then a pastor, and also a Bible school teacher. Indeed, according to his own autobiography, which is not complete by any means, he writes that he started attending Herbert Bible school in the fall of 1938, when he would have been 17 years old. This was after helping his parents move from Saskatchewan to Manitoba. He joined his older brother Peter and some other relatives and friends in this institution which was located in the small town in Saskatchewan near which he had spent his earlier years growing up. The following year, 1939, he returned home to complete Grade XI in Winkler. The next year, 1940, he went to Saskatchewan in late summer to work with a threshing crew. However, that was not to continue. Through the intervention of an aunt and the support of a cousin and his work crew manager he ended up enrolling in the first of three years at Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta. Those years were not easy – he never went home, and had to work to support himself. Indeed, it adversely affected his health and he ended up with stomach problems which lasted for some time. However, they were very formative spiritually, and at the end, he was also baptized by the school principal.

If one reads father’s 5-year diary from 1940-1945 it is replete with comments related to how he experienced life as a believer. The foundation had been laid for a strong faith which sustained him until he went to join his Maker and Redeemer at the age of 98. It was that faith which led him to compose that prayer for me, just days before I was born. Now it is my prayer that I do not disappoint him, nor, more importantly, the Lord he prayed to.

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.