Revelation 18:1-10 “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. . . . Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” What a terrible proclamation, what misery and judgment! I’m glad that this part of Revelation has nothing to do with me! (Yeah, right!) Even though I... Read more
Revelation 15 I love music! I can’t think of a single person I know who doesn’t. Even my daughter Gloria, when she was only one year old, loved to sing, and sung loudly and passionately and well (for a one-year old.) She liked the Gloria at the end of the Holy Communion service, as well as “Gloria” by Them and the Shadows of Night. One of her favorites was the Agnus Dei. Frequently, she reminds me of Psalm 8: “Out... Read more
Revelation 14 We could spend the rest of the morning trying to tease out the esoteric meanings of Revelation 14, comparing the symbolism of the Old Testament with that in this chapter, and feeling pretty good about ourselves because we had spent some serious time in the Word. But I find that too many Bible “studies” are more like a convention for the makers of questions for Bible Trivia games. We pull out our own personal favorite facts, or randomly... Read more
Revelation 13 Be honest. What are your first thoughts and feelings when reading Revelation 13? Are they to walk away dazed and confused, as if just accidentally exposed to some powerful narcotic? Are they to shift into Encyclopedia Brown or Sherlock Holmes gear and fancy yourself ______________ (your name), Apocalyptic Detective! While it’s true that the book of Revelation is a cryptographic masterpiece, I hope it inspires more than frustration, hallucinations, or cheap science fiction stories in your soul. We... Read more
Revelation 12 Who is this Woman, and who is this Child? And who is the Dragon who wars against them both? As always, we should start with what’s certain, and that’s the Child, or the Son, and the Dragon. The Child is a male Child, and therefore a Son, who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2). This Son is obviously Jesus Christ: it can be no one else. So far, so good. Already we’ve... Read more
Revelation 11 In Revelation 11, St. John continues his theme of the destruction of the Old Covenant and the birth of the New Covenant. The Mystery of God has been accomplished (or revealed), as the gospel is preached (Revelation 10:7). What is this Mystery? It is the revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to St. Paul, it is the tearing down of the dividing wall between God and man and between Jew and Gentile, and it is God... Read more
Revelation 10 Revelation 10 is a fascinating passage in Revelation – so are they all fascinating passages. But I find Revelation 10 to be of great interest because in it, Jesus Christ is revealed to be the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament, that is, Old Covenant. If one has read the Old Testament well, then Revelation 10 comes alive, and if not, then you will be trapped inside it like one of Ezekiel’s wheels, running around in futility like... Read more
Revelation 7 Revelation 7 is the Christian Exodus. I don’t mean that Revelation 7 is teaching us about the Rapture of 144,000 saints at the end of the world: I mean that the meaning of Revelation 7 for every Christian, regardless of when they live, is the Exodus. In other words, I believe it’s possible to read the book of Revelation and encounter Jesus Christ in our lives today, regardless of our eschatology. If not, then maybe we shouldn’t read... Read more
Revelation 6 Sitting here in Fort Worth, Texas in 2009 when I was originally writing this, upstairs in my study, looking out my window and seeing the nice new houses on my block, Revelation seems almost like a work of fantasy or science fiction. If I believe it’s related to Christ’s opening the seals of the New Covenant, which violently judged Israel and destroyed the Old Covenant, the figurative language jars me. But what jars me more is I haven’t... Read more
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Monday of the Third Sunday in Advent – Revelation 18:11-24
Revelation 18:11-24 God’s judgment is just and true and knows no partiality. For this, we are to sing with heaven! It might not seem as if Revelation 18 gives us much to sing about – but it does, because it reveals a just and holy God and therefore one who can also be trusted and who is also merciful. Because God is holy and just, even the nation chosen of the Lord, Israel, was not exempt from the Lord’s judgments... Read more