Clarity

1 John 5:6

          Not everything is life is of equal clarity. There are things that seem fuzzy, unclear in the moment. If everything was equally clear, we would have all purchased Microsoft stock when it was only a few dollars a share. We operate in a world with so much information and yet so little information that we actually need right now to make decision. We are always operating on less than 100% information.

          We read emails and texts and have to guess about the meaning. And then we get upset when someone misunderstands what we wrote! The passing of information is an imperfect art. And even when we do it perfectly, the other person might be missing key information to the full context and back story so that they understand exactly what we were trying to convey. Their mood in the moment, their reaction to unseen factors can shift how they hear our perfectly clear communication. Or like I did just yesterday, send the message to the wrong person!

          Even some parts of Scripture are not a clear to us today as they might have been to the first recipients. Some of the cultural and religious context of that day has been lost. All the personal conversations are gone. There is no email archive or voice recording vault with those for easy access. We can’t even get emails of current history to help fill in the blanks. Hard drives get removed and destroyed. Servers get wiped of evidence. Multiple email addresses go largely unnoticed. But I digress.

          Even today we don’t have access to complete communication. So as we look back at some parts of Scripture and have questions, it should be expected. So much of Scripture is pretty clear in meaning. We might kick against the Truth being presented, dismissing it because of some preconceived idea about our own superior grasp of the universe, but what the text says is crystal clear.

          But there are times when the fog of time seems to take over. I think our text for today is just such a passage. I have looked and read people’s interpretation of what this text says for the last three decades. I am no surer of exactly what is meant now than when I started. I still sit in the fog. And when I read some who write with such absolute certainty of the meaning, I have to restrain myself. The fog must be thicker where they are than from my vantage point.

          Water and blood are both symbols of something important. Water could be physical birth. Blood could be sacrificial death. I’m not sure. I don’t think they are connected to baptism, but I could be wrong. I do know that John must have known that his readers would have gotten exactly what he meant when they first read these words. They would have understood the testimony John was talking about that put Jesus at the center of authentic Christianity.

          John tells us that these two, the water and the blood, are joined by the Spirit in bringing the Truth he has brought and they have believed to light. This is in contrast to what the false teachers were teaching. Something about the water and the blood, what it meant and they understood at that time, was missing from what the false teachers were teaching. And this missing element was essential to being a Jesus-follower.

          I think a possible meaning of the water is Jesus physical birth. He was fully human, something some of the early false understandings of Jesus taught. They said Jesus’ life was not really human life, but some illusion of reality. So for John to tell us that Jesus came by water, had a real physical birth, a real mother, a real passage through a birth canal engulfed in amniotic fluid, would be a reinforcement of and validation of the reality of Jesus’ humanity.

          For me the blood and its meaning in this verse is even foggier than the water. The blood could be blood during physical birth. It could be connected to His physical blood connecting Him to humanity. It might be His physical blood that was actually shed for our sins. It could be the meaning of the blood spilled, the sacrificial nature of His life and death on our behalf. I am just not sure.

          I know that the water, the blood and the Spirit all tell us something about the fact that Jesus is essential to salvation. Without Jesus, fully man, fully God, we don’t have salvation. Our sins are not forgiven. We are still stuck in our sin and sin’s consequences. We haven’t passed from death to life. We are still in life.

          I wish the breeze would blow and clear everything up. One day He will! When our faith becomes sight, everything that can be clear will be clear. We won’t understand everything: only God can do that. But everything that we need to understand will be understood with absolute clarity.

Day 244

Eternal city and words

Revelation 22

Key Verses: 2, 3, 7, 13, 16,

For a people from a desert climate to be promised a continuously flowing river was heaven on earth, literally. Seasonal rains, cisterns and hand-dug wells were the norm. In heaven there is never a need to look for or carry water. It is right at hand, always available. And on top of that there are trees that bear fruit all year. Nothing quite like fresh fruit. And the plant's leaves bring healing. This is the Garden of Eden restored. The curse of sin is removed, along with all the negative consequences.

The Lord is there and we will be His. His majesty will light the whole place. No more gremlins to haunt the night. We have electricity, so light is just a switch away. But for a culture that used oil lamps that fit in the palm of your hand, the availability of light was a great promise.

But we are talking more than food and physical comfort here. Every need that we have is met in Christ in this place. Just as water and fruit spoke of abundance and provision, so light speaks of God's presence and truth. This is a place of unspeakable perfection, and we will be perfectly at home there. And we will be. For you see, this is what we were designed to experience, but we denied in the Fall. We weren't designed to struggle like we do with making the right choices. The struggle of life is a result of Adam and Eve's choices. In this new realm all the consequences of sin are undone. We get what Adam and Eve had before their choices.

Jesus reminds them that He is coming soon. In our timetable, we might dispute the “soon-ness” of that coming, but it is soon. And John's reaction to all that he saw and heard was to fall on his face. This is the normal thing that people do when they are in the presence of angelic beings. It will be our reaction as well, but God is the only object of worship. Remember that. It might come in handy.

Jesus fully identifies Himself in the concluding verses of this book. Each name has significance and could be unpacked and studied. I want to encourage you to take one and do just that. There are so many good Internet resources out there. I like BibleGateway.com. It might not be the best, but it will get you started.

There is a blessing for those who read and protect what is written in this book. Be very careful of those who want to add OR subtract from the Scriptures. The blessing is specifically for the Revelation, but it could be applied to all of Scripture. There are many today who work to dismiss the Scriptures, often by glibly saying they have been proven wrong. But in almost every case, those who make those claims have never even studied the Scriptures. They are just quoting someone else as an excuse for their own rebellion.

Jesus is coming soon. Three times it is stated. He must be coming soon.

Day 243

Revelation of New Jerusalem  

Revelation 21

Key Verses: 1, 3, 4, 5, 11, 15, 22-27

This is what we are all waiting for, heaven. The deepest longings of the human heart reach out for intimacy with God, and now we see it restored. What was lost in the Fall is regained. God starts afresh in His dwelling with us. The results of the Fall are erased. No more tears or death. Sorrow and pain are done away with. These are a result of sin in the world. God takes away all the sin, and all the results of sin.

There won't be any tears! Since returning from Iraq, my life has had many more tears. I touch the lives of those who carry the burdens of war with them. And I carry a few myself. I know spouses who carry the burden of an empty seat at the holiday table. Emptiness can be a hard thing to describe and understand by those who have not experienced this kind of loss at war.

But someday, no matter the earthly circumstance, all Jesus-followers will live without the results of sin. No painful sorrow. Joy will become the order of the day. God makes everything new. John is told to write it down. Everything new. Every need is met.

We get a glimpse of the brilliance and beauty of heaven as seen through John's eyes. I wish we had video of this moment. But even video could not capture the moment. I am sure John would have just dropped the camera, and we would have footage of some rock.

The new place we will spend eternity is more beautiful than we can imagine. It is a physical place, since John is able to measure it. We are not just spirit-beings floating around in an undefined space. We have bodies and a physical place to inhabit with God.

One thing to note: all the earthly authorities will submit to God. They all bring the little reflections of God's glory into God's presence. John says this twice. All glory and honor is brought into the brilliance of God's presence. And we can have a place there.

John mentions the book of life again. Is your name there? Have you submitted your life to Jesus and then begun to walk that out in obedience? If you love Him, you will keep His commands. Faith and obedience always go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other.

God's presence, and entrance into His presence, is not confined to one particular place, like an earthly temple. His presence permeates the entire realm of this new heaven and earth. Sin has not blocked our view of His glory. In fact, nothing gets in the way of full access to God.

Day 242

Ultimate resurrection and judgment  

Revelation 20

Key Verses: 2, 4, 7-8, 10, 12, 15

Remember, I am not going to solve all the questions that exist about the timing of end-time events. I leave that to others. So what can we learn from this passage other than Satan activities get stopped for a period of time? I think the greatest truth we can see is that Satan is totally under the authority of God. He can't do anything without God's permission. At the bidding of an angel, Satan is completely controlled.

It doesn't take much to keep Satan in check! We just need to resist him and he flees. There is not epic struggle between two equal forces, good and evil, with the outcome in question. This is not Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader of Star Wars fame. The results are never in question. Jesus wins now and forever. Satan loses. Period.

At the same time Satan is locked up Jesus is reigning as Ruler of this earth. And with Him are those who have had their heads cut off because they were Jesus-followers. Up until a few years ago I thought this would never happen in our modern world. And then I learned about Islam's current practice of beheading infidels and this scripture made perfect sense. I can see Islam's victims reigning with Jesus. It makes sense.

So why does God give Satan one more chance to deceive people after he was locked up for that extended period of time? The only reason I can imagine is this: people pretended to follow Jesus, but in their hearts they continued in rebellion. So Jesus uses Satan's release to make their rebellion evident to all. They were already destined for hell; Jesus makes what is on the inside plain by giving them the opportunity to show it on the outside. And again, this really isn't a battle. They gather, but before the attack, God judges them with what John describes as fire from heaven.

The are some who doubt Hell's permanence. This text, and many others, state that hell is for ever and ever. I believe the Scriptures.

If there is one place I want my name recorded it is not in the government's central registry. I could care less about the no-fly list, or the Social Security roles. I want my name in the Book of Life. I am not going to argue about whether it is a literal book or not. I won't waste my time. I know God knows all things, so I know He doesn't need a book. But John needs something to see that he understands so that he can convey the truth. And that truth is that God keeps a record and we will all stand or fall on that record.

The good news is that our record has been expunged and rewritten. We get credit for Jesus' obedience rather than our disobedience. Our names are there, not because we deserve it, but because God loves us. We responded positively to that love and our names have been written there. That is good news!

Day 241

Triumphant feast of the Lamb  

Revelation 19

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.

Day 240

Utter desolation of Babylon  

Revelation 18

Key Verses: 4, 20,

Contrast the weeping and mourning of those involved in commerce and the people of God rejoicing. The first nineteen verses outline the destruction of this city that was the center of commerce, a city that fell from power in one hour.

It would be tempting to look at these events through the lens of 9/11. The world economy took a nose-dive following the attack. We have still not recovered. Our world was changed in an hour. The delusion that peace was in human hands was confronted. We in the West are still trying to solve this problem with human solutions, and thus we fail. I could probably write a book or two starting with this as the premise and it would probably sell. But I won't, because I think it would be wrong. The city was not destroyed, only a few buildings.

The solution is not in human hands. Solving economic disparities will not solve our problems. Our problem is not an economic one, despite the pronouncements from Washington. Our problem is a spiritual one. We are not willing to repent, as individuals and as a nation. We aren't willing to yield to Jesus. We want to be in charge. We want to think that we can solve any problem that we face. We think we are smart enough to “fix” humanity and the world.

God's people are called out of this city. We will be given some time to evacuate. We won't be part of the coming judgment of this place. The worldview of this city must be avoided in our lives today. We must confront those areas where we have adopted the worldview of this city.

Other nations will watch and understand that what is happening to this city is a judgment from God. Their lives will also take an inevitable turn for the worse as a result of what happens in one day. Economic ruin will result. Music will and the finer things in life will stop. Trade will stop. Daily activities will stop. Weddings will stop.

I think this city is more than just a physical city. The last verse of this chapter says that the city holds the blood of all believers who have been martyred down through history. No one city has that distinction. It might be easy to label Jerusalem as the city, it would fit with the theology of that time. But even then, some died outside Jerusalem. But I will have to, like you, find out exactly what John saw and what Jesus meant on another day.

Day 239

Future destruction of harlot  

Revelation 17

Key Verses: 2, 6, 9, 13, 14, 18

I wish I knew what the seven heads and ten horns refers to, because it appears again. I am glad that John had difficulty understanding, so that it was explained to him. I am now sure what was in the cup in her hand, but it must have stunk. Symbolically the cup represents all the evil things she did to God's people. She martyred many because they named the name of Jesus. They followed Jesus to their death.

Some have identified the seven hills with the seven hills of Rome. I don't know. Could be, but when this path of interpretation is chosen, then it might close off other avenues that could bring clarity. The seven heads and ten horns are said to be kings, along with the beast. The ten were still in the future at the time of John's writing. It is still in the future at the time of my writing this BLOG.

There have been multiple times in history when there was a merging of powerful nations together for a cause. The Soviet empire in the last century was just such a merging. The smaller gave their powers to a single head. They certainly fought against justice and freedom. But does it match with this passage of Scripture? I don't think so. Jesus didn't enter the battle with His followers.

At some point the ten give their power to the beast. And there will be some kind of confrontation between these nations and Jesus. Jesus wins!

John identifies the prostitute as a city that led the world. I could see lots of possibilities for identifying this woman with cities here in the US. Remember, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. New York City could be, because money has become its god. Washington, DC could be, because those in power, including the lobbyist, think they can solve the world's problems on their own. An extension of this delusion is the United Nations, whose Headquarters is in New York City.  Have you noticed how they can't solve the smallest of problems, let alone the big ones. They send troops, but don't have any ability to bring peace.

Down through history humans have tried to bind together to solve problems apart from Jesus, and every time they have failed. But when the body of believers is able to come together in Jesus' name, we can solve most any problem. The only problem with this solution is that people want to take credit, and God won't share the credit line with us. If we are able to give Him all the credit, there is no telling what he will do.

Day 238

Emptying of the bowls  

Revelation 16

Key Verses: 1, 6, 9, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21

The object of God's wrath is human beings. We are the ones who choose rebellion. We are the ones who try to defy the authority of God in our lives. So as you read this chapter, notice that the plagues are poured out on parts of creation that affect our lives. Water is made undrinkable and the fish die so that humans can't drink it. The fish are not the object of God's wrath, we are. Water is of importance only in relationship to our existence. Water is not sacred, we are.

This has implications today. There are some who elevate all of creation to the same status as humans, making all life of equal value. All types of animals get human rights, and can go to court to ensure those rights are preserved. In the process our status is lowered. We are no longer the central beings in the world. We are just an animal, and one of the worst at that. We have exploited the planet at the detriment of all other life. We need to be restrained, perhaps even eliminated. But nothing could be further from the truth.

We are the central figure in all of creation. All of creation exists for God's glory and serve to point us to Him. The earth is a resource over which we have been made stewards, not equal partners or slaves. We are responsible because we are the crowning responsible being at the top of creation.

As the plagues come, people refuse to repent. They become hardened in the defiance of God's authority. They refuse. This is a stubbornness of the will. The need for people to worship something is evident in this passage. The three impure spirits go into the world and people are willing to follow them, even to their deaths, rather than submitting to God. They believe their own propaganda machine, and so do the nations of the world. They perform a few magic tricks and the people follow blindly. Foolishness! Earthly armies are no match to the power of the omnipotent God. Just like a toddler is no match to an Olympic athlete, so these armies don't stand a chance.

Notice verse fifteen. It seems to be dropped right in the middle of this scene. It almost looks out of place, doesn't it. But it is exactly where it should be. It emphasizes the central point of all this drama. We need to be awake, doing what God calls all humans to do. We are to be vigilant in our pursuit of God and in obedience to His will. The inhabitants of the world are not pursuing God. They are in rebellion and try to win an unwinable war.

The earth itself now turns on humans. God shakes the whole earth; cities crumble, mountains collapse, islands disappear. And then a hail storm comes that destroys everything else. And the inhabitants of the world blame God for the plague. They take no responsibility for their actions and rebellion. Their finger-pointing continues. At least they acknowledge God's existence in their cursing of Him. You can't surrender to someone you continue to deny exists. Unfortunately, even with all these attempts to get their attention, they still continue in their vain rebellion. Any God who can shake the whole world bringing destruction, and bring destructive hail certainly can defeat whatever pathetic army the world can muster.

Day 237

Harps played for God  

Revelation 15

Key Verses: 1, 6, 8,

As we have been reading it could seem like God's wrath never ends, that it is never satisfied. But by the time we get to chapter twenty one, it is complete. All sin has been removed from this world. Satan in judged and the peoples of the earth have been given ample opportunity to repent.

As this scene of heaven unfold, we see two contrasting images: a fiery sea and a victorious people. They have been victorious over Satan during this time of fury. The world has not been a pleasant place for these believers. They have not been able to go on with life as usual. Their ability to survive was purely God's grace. They were cutoff from normal commerce. They must have survived on an underground economy.

In contrast to what they endured during their final days on planet earth, they are now in God's presence, rejoicing in God. For some people, heaven will be a boring place, all that singing and worship. But as we read about these people, they seem genuine and fulfilled. Worship will take on an expanded significance in heaven. These initial encounters with heaven's experience yield worship. But I think that as the experience of heaven lingers, our experience of the fullness of heaven will also expand. I think we will be doing much more than stand around singing. I think every experience in heave will be a worship experience. In heaven every experience will be a fulfilling experience.

The Temple in heaven is opened and out of God's presence comes God's wrath. It is interesting to see this. In the Old Testament the innermost part of the earthly temple contained the Ark of the Covenant. And in this sacred box were two tablets which contained the basic rules governing the relationship between the Holy God and His people. It was by those rules that success or failure of the people was judged. If they were obedient they received blessing.  If disobedient, punishment.

We see flowing out of this inner-most part of heaven seven angels who are given seven bowls filled with God's wrath. They flow from the place where God's righteous standards are kept. People who receive these judgments are not unaware of God's standards. Instead, they are fully aware and choose to disobey. We read in Romans 1:20 that these standards have been not only seen, but understood, and this has rendered humankind without excuse. God's existence and His right to demand worship are understood.

When the angels are given the bowls of wrath the temple is closed for business. No one enters to carry on the usual activities that take place in God's presence. While God's wrath is being poured out, God cuts off access to His most intimate presence.

Day 236

Time ripe for harvest  

Revelation 14

Key Verses: 1, 7, 10, 19

144K. The exact identity of this group of people is tied back to chapter seven. They are the representatives of the tribes of Israel who were sealed for protection. Let's talk about their character and witness. They had kept themselves totally dedicated to the Lord, and they represent a much larger group. In the Old Testament when people were serving is special positions, either as priests, or as warriors, they abstained for certain pleasures, including sexual relationships. These 144K remain true to this picture of purity and dedication.

We also know that they are called the firstfruits, which means they are an indication that many more will follow. They are just the first taste of God's redemption. In an agrarian society, when harvest begins it brings great hope. They have averted starvation for one more year. There will be food, unless a disaster happens in the next few days and weeks. But even then, the majority of the grain crop could be salvaged.

So too, these firstfruits are just the beginning of the harvest of souls. Millions will eventually come and join in the celebration that will take place. These are the first to enjoy heaven's full benefits.

The remaining people on earth a given one more chance to repent. But we don't know if anyone responded. Such a sad state of affairs. The world is ending, and people still choose to defy God's authority over their lives. But notice that even in torment, Jesus is present. No matter what is happening in life, Jesus is present. No circumstance can push Him away. He is right here with us.

Notice that verse twelve says that patient endurance is needed for God's people and verse thirteen talks about their dying and the blessing that will follow. It looks as though there will be a period where even God's people will get swept up in the death that is part of the judgment, but their death does not mean that they were judged. They became part of the harvest. Their death was simply a physical death, whereas the other's deaths were the beginning of judgment.

The image of a winepress is a powerful image of God's wrath. All the grapes are placed in a cloth in cylinder with a lid and corkscrew press on top. As the corkscrew is rotated it places ever increasing pressure on the contents of the cylinder. The operator continues to twist the corkscrew until every last drop of liquid has been extracted. Then the pulp is discarded. Often the discard is composted and used as fertilizer for next year's crop.

So it is with the coming judgments. They place increasing pressure on the recipients. God wants repentance. He wants to offer mercy and grace. With each plague and iteration of God's wrath the pressure is increased. And each time people refuse to repent.

Let us not be guilty of refusing to repent. God's wrath is real and coming. Grace and mercy are available today. There is no need to experience God's wrath.