Faith

Victory belongs to the lamb – Saturday, 33rd week in ordinary time – Revelation 11:4-12 ( we will study this from verse 1)

If you have been studying this book with me you will recall that we are between the sixth (9:13) and the seventh ‘trumpet blast’(11:15). Between these trumpet blasts was an interlude with two narratives. Yesterday’s text spoke of the first part of that interlude which spoke of the scroll that was given to John. John was then asked to eat the scroll; a bitter-sweet scroll.

Today’s text is part of the second part of the interlude and describes the ‘two witnesses.’ John was given a measuring rod and was asked to measure the temple of God and the altar, which symbolizes the new Israel but he was to also measure those who worshipped there, namely the Christians. The measuring of the temple, an act similarly seen in the prophet Ezekiel (cf. Ez 40:3–42:20; 47:1–12; Zechariah 2:5–6) suggests that God will preserve the faithful remnant (cf. Is 4:2–3) who will remain true to Christ (Rev 14:1–5).

John was not to measure the court outside the temple or the court of the gentiles for that was ‘given to the nations to trample which they will trample for forty two months. The duration of forty two months is the duration of the vicious persecution of the Jews by the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel 7:25; 12:7). This persecution of three and a half years (half of seven years and counted as 1260 days in Rev 11:3; 12:6) became the prototype of periods of trial for God’s people (see Luke 4:25 or James 5:170). The reference in our text is not to the Jews being persecuted by the Greeks but to God’s people being persecuted by the Romans.

To this effect, God will grant two witnesses, the authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days while wearing sack cloth. The two witnesses, wearing sackcloth symbolizing lamentation and repentance and cannot readily be identified. Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets, or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church, especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness. The choice of two witnesses seems to match a Gospel requirement as in Mark 6:7 where the Lord sent them out in tow’s or as in John 8:17 where the testimony of two witnesses was valid.

Along with the two witnesses there is mention of two olive trees and two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth. These are the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord. The imagery is taken from Zechariah 4:8–14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua. They are ‘protected’ from those who wish to harm them. The protective tools they have, like being able to open their mouth and consume their foes or to be able to shut the sky so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, or the ability to turn water to blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire; these details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Ex 7:17–20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (1 Kgs 18:36–40; 2 Kgs 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kgs 17:1; cf. 18:1).

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A bitter-sweet pill – Friday, 33rd Week in ordinary time – Revelation 10: 8-11

Yesterday we were in chapter five and today we jump to chapter ten. What links the two texts is the scroll which was worthy to be opened by the lamb of God who was slain for us.

To bring you up to speed and to hold our text comprehensively, I want to give you an overview of what has happened between Revelation chapter 5 to Revelation chapter 6. From chapter six, verse one, up to chapter eight, verse one, we read about a series of seven disasters as each seal is broken. This is followed by a similar series as seven trumpets are sounded (Rev 8:2–11:19) and as seven angels pour bowls on the earth causing plagues (Rev 15:1–16:21). These gloomy sequences are interrupted by longer or shorter scenes suggesting the triumph of God and his witnesses (e.g., Rev 7: 10; 11: 12; 13:14).

The scroll with the seven seals (chapter 5) was worthy to be opened by the Christ, ‘the lamb that was slain.’ The seals are broken one by one and we are given a ‘symbolic description’ of the contents of the sealed scroll. The breaking of the first four seals reveals four riders. The first rider (of a white horse) is a conquering power. The second (red horse) a symbol of bloody war. The third (black horse) a symbol of famine and the fourth (pale green horse) a symbol of Death himself. The breaking of the fifth seal reveals Christian martyrs in an attitude of sacrifice as blood poured out at the foot of an altar begging God for vindication. The breaking of the sixth seal reveals typical apocalyptic signs in the sky and the sheer terror of all people at the imminent divine judgment (Rev 6:12–17).The breaking off the seventh seal produces at first silence and then seven symbolic disasters.

These symbolic disaster bring us to the next part of a rather gloomy sequence of events, each announced by a trumpet blast. The first four trumpet blasts herald catastrophes modelled on the plagues of Egypt. The fifth trumpet blast heralds a woe containing elements from the eighth and ninth plagues of Egypt (Ex 10:12–15, 21–23) but specifically reminiscent off the invasion of locusts seen in the prophet Joel. In chapter nine, the sixth of the seven trumpets is blown ushering the end of all things.

Now, instead of the seventh trumpet blast we have another interlude until Revelation 11:15 of which our text is part of. There was a similar interlude after the opening of the sixth scroll. That interlude was in chapter 7 and then chapter 8:1 dealt with the last of the seals being opened. These interludes serve a dramatic purpose, but also show mercy in allowing more opportunity for repentance. It is as if God brought things to the brink, then pulled back a little to grant mankind more time to repent.

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The Lion and the Lamb – Thursday, 33rd Week in ordinary time – Revelation 5:1-10

Chapter 4 introduced us to heavenly worship around the throne of God. The focus shifts from the throne and the one who sits on the throne, to the scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne, in chapter 5.

The one on the throne holds a seven-sealed scroll with writing on both sides (Rev 5:1). No one in all of creation can be found worthy to open the scroll except the “Lamb that was slain” (5:2-5). This scroll is an important symbol in this chapter, but also for chapters 6-7 since a series of things occur as the seals on the scroll are opened. How did John intend for us to understand this scroll?

The scrolls have unique qualities. The first unique characteristic is its seven seals. This indicated its degree of total inaccessibility to the unauthorized, hence no human could open the scroll. The scroll is fully sealed until the proper time and the proper person to open the scroll. The scroll which was a papyrus roll,  possibly contained a list of afflictions for sinners (cf. Ez 2:9–10) or God’s plan for the world. Some suggest it is his final settlement of the affairs of the universe. This is based on the idea that customarily, under Roman law, wills were sealed with seven seals, each from a witness in order to validate the will. 

We will also notice as we continue our study of Revelation in future lessons, that as each seal is broken (6:1), an event happens on the earth. This imagery will be important to keep in mind as we study through the book. The seventh seal is broken in 8:1.

The other unique aspect of the scroll is that it has writing on both sides. Usually a scroll had writing on only one side. The simple meaning of the image presents itself to us. A scroll with writing on both sides pictures a complete message. The whole scroll has writing, even on both sides. Therefore, God’s complete message is ready to be revealed. The image of a scroll with writing on both sides is not unique to the scriptures. In Ezekiel 2:9-10 we read that in Ezekiel’s vision he is given a scroll that has writing on both sides.

But, John weeps when he realises that no one is found worthy to open and reveal the contents of the scroll, until one of the 24 elders tells him that there is someone who can open the scroll and read it. He is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David”. The Lion of the tribe of Judah comes from Genesis 49:8-10. The “Lion of Judah” is a messianic title found where Judah is referred to as a “lion’s cub” and promised the right to rule “until he comes to whom it belongs”. The “Root of David”, from Isaiah 11:1, 10, points to a future saviour-king descended from King David. Our Lord Jesus, of course, is indicated here.

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Not a Game, but the reality of The throne – Wednesday, 33rd Week in ordinary time – Revelations 4:1-11

Chapter 4 and 5 of the Book of revelation do not make for easy spiritual reading unless you have a mind that can pull out references from the Old Testament in order to makes sense of this vision. Our text of today is eleven verses, the whole of chapter 4 and it essential covers a vision of ‘John.’ After the letters to the seven churches, the rest of Revelation is devoted to a series of prophetic visions expressed in very symbolic language and images.

The symbolisms mentioned in this text can set your head reeling for a while. To understand these and all such apocalyptic texts we need to understand that apocalyptic writings come from a definite era in history of almost exactly 300 years, 165 B.C.-A.D. 135 or what is called the intertestamental period, or the years between the Old and New Testament.

These years extend from the rise of Judas Maccabeus in opposition to the persecutions of the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV, to the final subjugation of the nation of Israel by Rome after the second futile attempt against the oppressor in the days of the emperor Hadrian. For centuries Israel had been subject to one foreign oppressor after another. Dreams of a restoration after the Babylonian captivity had proved disillusioning. The Jews were forced to change from a nation with its own king to a religious community with a priest at its head.

When your read apocalyptic literature you begin to wonder what’s with the symbolisms? One must admit that much confusion has been caused by these terms used in the book. Actually, such books were not written, as has been often assumed, as puzzles for the curious, to afford glimpses of prophecies in the future. Rather, they were intended as sources of strength and confidence for the people living at the time of the author who were in a period of crisis and needed encouragement to stand firm in the testing days immediately at hand. Their message was that despite the machinations of wicked men and nations, shameless in their opposition to God and his chosen people, it is God who will deliver the final blow against the enemies of his faithful; but till then they must stand firm in the faith.

Chapters 4 and 5 consist of visions of God enthroned in heaven, surrounded by his worshiping hosts and angelic attendants, and of God’s giving the book of his will to Christ, the Lamb. These scenes are meant to be an assurance to Christian readers that God and Christ are shortly to intervene in the affairs of this age and to deliver the faithful from the domination of Satan and his demonic powers as experienced in the Roman state.

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The Roman style architecture, gymnasium, and ruins at the ancient and Biblical city of Sardis in Turkey.  

Some faked it, some did not make it – Tuesday, 33rd Week in ordinary time – Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22

The author of the Book or Revelation, attributed as John the apostle, is writing his revelation of what he saw and what he heard (1:10) in his penal Roman colony on the island of Patmos, off the coast of modern-day Turkey. He is writing this revelation at the command of the ‘Son of Man’ (1:12) who is the alpha and omega (1:8); the first and the last (1:17) who was holding in his right hand the seven stars (1:16) which were the seven angels (1:20) of the seven churches (1:20) in Ephesus.

John now addresses the seven Churches mentioned in Rev1:11, one by one. This he does in chapters 2 and 3. Yesterday we studied the introduction to the book https://www.pottypadre.com/what-is-the-message-of-the-book-of-revelation-monday-33rd-week-in-ordinary-time-revelation-11-4-21-5a/ and the message to the first and most important of the seven Churches; Ephesus.

Our lectionary text will skip the messages to the Church in Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira (mentioned in chapter two) and also Philadelphia (in chapter 3). However, in today’s text we will look at the Church of Sardis and Laodicea. It is important to say that when you study the text and message to all seven Churches, no two Churches faced the same situation either in their persecution or their response to the persecution. This is a great approach to dealing with an Archdiocese, parish or community. We need to stop painting everyone with the same brush. Every Church or community is unique, its challenges and situations are unique just as the same can be said for every human being.

However, there are commonalities in the way the Churches are addressed. Each Church is addressed by God through the author. This address reveals a very intimate knowledge that God shares about them. God expresses his first-hand knowledge with the words “I know,” mentioned seven times, once to each Church ( (2:2, 2:9, 2:13, 2:19, 3;1, 3:8, 3:15). It is this intimate knowledge of every Church of his, that permits him to lay out their issues, console them, take them to task, warn them of suffering, assure them of his promises. (Recommend you read chapters 2 and 3 to read this for yourself.)

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