Triumphant feast of the Lamb
Key Verses: 1, 4, 6, 11,
15, 18,
Heaven can be a noisy place! I wonder
if some people will be comfortable there, since they are not comfortable with a
noisy worship service here! God does not mind loud worship. The inhabitants of
heaven join the representatives of earth in a waves of praise. We are used to
loud, enthusiastic shouting and cheers when we are at sporting events. We do
the “wave” and have a blast. We chant and stomp our feet. But then some of us
are afraid of anything above a whisper when we come to church. We hardly open
our mouths or join our voices to the worship being offered. We stand like
statues carved out of stone.
Perhaps we don't recognize what God
has done and will do on our behalf. Maybe our knowledge of God is all head and
no heart. I pray that you knowledge drops twelve inches.
Each group in heaven rejoices for
something a little different. The first group focuses on Satan's defeat. The
second are almost speechless before God's throne. The third rejoices in the
fulfillment of all God's promises and the consummation of all things.
They are in different places as they
praise. First inhabiting heaven at large, then the throne room in particular,
and then the great multitude chimes in from an unspecified location. This third
group celebrates the completion of God's plan of salvation with images of a
wedding. They are gathered and pure for their wedding day. They are clothed in
the good deeds that have flowed out of their faith relationship with God. They
are ready.
Jesus arrives as the conquering king,
only He is fully just in what He does. There is no arbitrary action here. He
carries out just punishment. God's final judgment is about to happen. The
imagery might shock you a bit. An angels call the birds of the air to feast on
the flesh of the defeated enemies of God. Not the prettiest of sights! But in
the ancient world defeated enemies did not deserve a burial. They were getting
their just punishment. Defeat comes swiftly.
Some might say that this isn't fair.
Shouldn't they get one more chance to repent?
A professor told me a story that goes
something like this. A man in a rowboat started rowing toward a waterfall. The
boat was held in place by a man at the shore holding a rope attached to the
stern of the boat. The man on shore kept shouting of the danger if the man
didn't stop rowing and let himself be pulled to safety. The man in the boat
only became more and more belligerent in his refusal to stop rowing. “I know
what I am doing; leave me alone.” After repeated attempts and repeated
refusals, the man on shore finally let go of the rope. The man rowed right over
the waterfall to his death.
God has given these folks repeated
opportunity to repent, as we have read in the previous chapters. Each time they
have refused to repent. Now God lets go of the rope that could have saved them.
They perish. God gives plenty of opportunity for us to change. One day He will
let us get the consequences of our rebellion.