“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
There are two ideas in Jesus’ words here that are absolutely essential to understand if we are going to do life well during our time on earth. The first reminds us that how we live now matters. The second reminds us of our desperate need for grace. We’ll tackle one this morning, and one on Monday morning. Read the rest…
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is really an incredible picture, and a challenging one for the modern church. John hears the sound of the famed 144,000, but when he turns he sees a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language gathered before the throne of God and giving Him praise. What John sees here is a picture of the church universal gathered for worship. Read the rest…
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This verse has long been really encouraging to me during times of loss. We have to be careful crafting doctrines from a single verse, but the picture John paints here seems to suggest pretty clearly (especially when paired with Jesus’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16) that those who have died before us are in some sense aware of what is happening here on earth. They may be dead and gone, but they are still somehow able to see and know what’s going on here. Read the rest…
“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This, as with much of the book, is a somewhat bewildering picture. John describes a scene that is hard to imagine (which probably just means it was equally hard to describe). He describes creatures that would be terrifying to behold. It is a picture of God in His throne room, seated on His throne. It is a picture of Him being worshiped by the heavenly host. It is a picture of continual worship of the God who is on His throne. Read the rest…
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is more of a note of explanation than inspiration. Many interpreters over the years have read this verse and come to the conclusion that Jesus’s point is that it is better to be either on fire for Him or else against Him than it is to be merely half-heartedly committed to Him. This may preach well, but it is almost totally wrong.
The city of Laodicea was located a long way from a source of fresh water. There were two different sources within the region. One was a hot springs and one cold. In order to get the water to the city, it had to be carried there via aqueduct. This got water for the city, but by the time it arrived from either source, it was neither hot nor cold.
Hot water was useful. You could wash with it. You could bathe in it. You could cook with it. The same was true of cold water. You could drink it, wash with it, cook with it. Both hot and cold water were useful. The water, however, arrived lukewarm. Have you ever picked up a cup of water to drink and found it to be stale and at room temperature? It’s gross. It’s worthless. It serves no useful purpose. The only thing you want to do is spit it out.
That’s Jesus’s point here. Hot and cold both symbolize usefulness and passion. Either was good. But, half-hearted commitment benefitted no one anything. Jesus wants all of us, not some of us. Splitting our attention between Him and something else does Him no good. It doesn’t help us any either. Give yourself to Jesus fully and without reserve. He’s worth it.
The Nexus 