MISSION AMONG THE POOR International, Inc.
Panta Ta Ethne
All the Peoples
5807 I-10 West
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78201
ph: 210-525-9954
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Crossover
CROSSOVER!
"Above & Beyond for Christ"
Vol. 2 Issue 2 July 2008
Once upon a time there was a poultry farmer. He was selling fouls/chicken just in front of a church, in which he also was a member. Every Sunday, after the service was over, he came out of the church to sell the fouls/chicken to the church community, who were his own co-believers. As usual, one Sunday morning, after the service, he lifted up a hen in his hands and shouted: "Come on brothers and sisters, this hen is very peculiar in the history of all the hens". He shouted again: "This hen has an Old Testament background!" All the people gathered around him were amazed and enquired: "What is the Old Testament background for this hen?" He replied: "The great grandfather of this hen was in the ark of Noah!" He further commented: "this hen has not only an Old Testament background; but also a New Testament background!" People were really curious and they enquired further about the New Testament background.... He replied: "Dear friends, only because of this hen's grandfather Peter was convinced of his sins!" One person from among the gathering came forward and asked: "Does this hen lay eggs?" Before that pertinent question, the poultry farmer didn't have an answer.
Many a time people make rostrums in the air without touching the core realities. We are not supposed to preach sermons or create theologies, that are peripheral, and away from the core realities of human beings. We need sermons and theologies, that are deeply-rooted, Christ-centered, ground-touching, and pertinent in every area of life. By keeping all the above mentioned aspects in our reflections, let us move on to the Book of Revelation.
The Book of Revelation, which is one of my favorite books in the whole of the Bible. This book can be read in a couple of ways like: Historical, Present-oriented, symbolical, and futuristic. For our meditation today, I would like to employ the futuristic elements of Chapter four, coupled with past and present aspects. The book of Revelation is a book that opens up the future of the world. It is a book of 'disclosure'; a book of 'revealing'; and a book of 'uncovering'. What is the destiny of human beings, what is the end of this world, and what is the future of Satan are all vividly described in this book. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ, which was given to Him by God! Jesus handed it over to His servants through an angel, the angel passed it on to the servants of God through the mediation of John the servant of Jesus Christ.
Let us now turn our attention to Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation. In my sermon, I would like to highlight four important points! The first point is a general introduction, especially from Chapter One. The Second, Third, and Fourth are exclusively from Chapter 4.
(1) John the Apostle as a Suffering Servant
To understand Revelation Chapter 4 better, it is important to get a comprehensive idea from Rev. 1-3. Christians in Jerusalem were undergoing severe persecution during the Roman period, especially by the times of Nero and Domition. John, the Apostle was banished or exiled to the Island called Patmos, because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. He was in loneliness, means away from human reach. All the doors were closed just in front of him. He was trapped between a thick forest and a deep sea. He looked in front, and only saw the Aegean sea; looked behind, and was able to see only the thick forest; looked left and right, and found only the stretched sand by the sea-shore; and he looked above, and saw only the ravenous birds flying around to eat him up. Thus, John the servant of God was in a very dangerous, dehumanized, and suffering position.
He was almost in a dying position. He was really trapped, and was not able to move forward, backward, upward, or sideward. Here, John stands as a suffering servant, because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. All the doors were closed just in front of him. But, even in the midst of oppression, persecution, and dehumanization, he was able to see dreams, visions, and raptures. Problems never keep a servant of God away from God's presence. In the midst of problems, John was able to lift up his eyes toward the heavenly hill. The Psalmist says (Psalm 121:1): "I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from".
(2) John is Able to see a Strange Door (4:1-3)
There is a saying: "The whole world is with you and God is not, you cannot do anything; but, the whole world is against you and God is in favor of you, you will definitely be successful". The world was not with John, and all the doors were closed in front of him. In such a very difficult situation, a strange door was opened just in front of him. Rev. 4:1 says: "After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven". According to the record in Chapter 0ne, John heard the voice of God in a very spectacular way. As a continuation, here, he gets an invitation: "Come up here, I will show you...". At once John was in the Spirit! God's spirit enables people to understand mysterious things.
In the vision, a throne appeared in heaven with someone sitting on it! The one who sits there had the appearance of jasper and carnelion. Jasper and Carnelion are two precious stones. Jasper is green in color, and Carnelion is red. Green color, in the Biblical narratives, represents the 'Mercy of God' and red the 'Anger of God'. It is very conspicuous that from the same God, mercy and anger comes up.
Continued...
In Genesis 9:14, we see a rainbow as a sign of the covenantal relationship between God and Noah. In Rev. 4, we see a rainbow again, encircled the throne, assuring us that God's covenants are eternal in duration. Presentation of a door, an invitation, and the benefits is a strategy of John even in the Gospel narratives! In the Gospel, John says that Jesus Himself is a door! John's words imply that those who enter into a mystical relationship with Jesus will be receiving the benefits of Eternal Life!
(3) John Visualizes the Heavenly Splendor (4-5)
Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones, 24 elders were sitting on them. It is interpreted that these 24 as the 12 Old Testament patriarchs and 12 New Testament disciples. They are crowned people with higher responsibilities, but inferior to the one who is sitting on the middle throne. These 24 are the worshipers and choir masters. They were dressed in white! White color all through the Book of Revelation represents as a color of victory. Means, these 24 are victorious!
Crowns of gold on their heads, represent their royal nature. From the throne came flashes of lightening, rumblings, and pearls of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven Spirits of God! Seven is a number of perfection, and seven Spirits of God is a dynamic way of presenting the perfect nature of the Holy Spirit. We can also see in Isaiah 11:2, the seven outstanding characteristics of the Spirit of God.
Strange visions are always meaningful! In times of total despair, glorious scenes will give us a new hope for the tomorrow. John's vision was very mysterious, but that led him from despair to a mental condition of New Hope!
(4) John Enjoys the Perfect Worship (4:6-11)
The sea of glass just in front of the throne represents God's Majesty. The Four Living Creatures are safeguarding the central throne! One is like a lion, the second like a bull, third an eagle, and the last a human! Lion is the mightiest of the wild animals, bull the mightiest of the domestic animals, eagle the mightiest of the birds, and human the mightiest of all created beings! Here, God's throne is safeguarded by the mightiest; means, God's throne is omnipotent and unshakable. The Living creatures all have six wings each and covered with eyes all around, means, they are able to see everything. Day and night they never stop worshiping! They say: "Holy, Holy, Holy... Lord Almighty! Who was, is, and is to come". They give glory, honor, and thanks to God! The twenty-four elders fall down before God, and worship Him who lives forever! The elders lay their crowns before the central throne!
The 24 elders say: "we are not worthy to rule, means, we are unable to execute power! They further say: "You are worthy, Lord and God to receive glory, honor and power! You created all things! By your will they were created and have their being!" The One who sits at the center throne is the creator, who is from the beginning, exists now, and will live forever! This imagery shows that God is the only one who is worthy to be worshiped! In a context of emperor worship, the author directs the human acumen toward the authenticity, centrality, the power to create everything, the omnipotent and immutable position of God, the one who is everlasting!
Recapitulation!
In recapitulation, John's suffering was the beginning point of receiving eternal hope! The people of Israel suffered in the slavery land of Egypt; but that was not the end in itself, instead that was the preparatory period for them to enjoy the blessings and favors of many in the Land of Canaan! Similarly, John's suffering at Patmos was the beginning point for receiving eternal hope and fellowship! In the midst of problems, God opens up strange doors for His people. The strange doors that are opened toward us will direct us to protection, hope, and everlasting peace. Then our life will be a life of mystical relationships with the heavenly beings, earthly beings, angelic bodies, cherubims, seraphims, and ultimately with God! In a time of emperor worship, oppression, persecution, and hopelessness, John directs hi readers toward the Majesty of God! God's Majesty is eternal in duration, unshakable in character, omnipresent in perception, omniscient in comprehension, and omnipotent in power. His throne is marvelous, who alone is Holy, and He alone is worthy to be worshiped and adored.
In the postmodern global context, we must focus on the theo-centric, Christo-centric, or Ourano-centric message to take to the extended world! We are not supposed to be mere preachers, hearers, or researchers, but rather doers of the Kingdom message and that must be done akin to the realities of the world. This world is the platform for us all to exercise the Kingdom values and aspects. Let us hope for a New Throne, a New Worship, a New Authority, a New City, a New Jerusalem, a New Heaven, and a New Earth, so that we may be liberate, rescued, and emancipated from present struggles for the Kingdom of God. But, remember, our future is based on our present!
Let us not neglect the present realities, so that we may be uplifted unto a better future! John was ready to suffer because of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Because of the fact that he was ready to tolerate the hardness of the present, he was able to visualize his future well ahead! We must face the present realities, so that we may visualize the future well in advance!
5807 I-10 West
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78201
ph: 210-525-9954
mapint07
