Thursday 09 August 2012

Background

The ten plagues of Egypt in the book of Exodus(chapters 7-12) were seen as part of the processof releasing the people of God from the systems and powers thatoppressed them. The series of plagues associated with trumpet callsin Revelation 8 and 9 are modelled on them. Here we have thepromise of seven more such plagues. These will be described in Revelation 15:5 - 16:21. They are the finalworking out of the "wrath of God" (v. 1). Throughout the NewTestament this phrase does not mean that God can be irrationallyand violently angry. God is gracious, but even a gracious Godultimately has to allow those who have not acknowledged God andGod's ways to experience the effects and the consequences of theirsin - in the hope that this will bring them to turn to acknowledgeGod and repent!

The "sea of glass mixed with fire" (v. 2) is akaleidoscopic image. The seas in Genesis are the waters of chaosover which the Spirit of God moves to bring order out of chaos, andlife out of death. In the Exodus (Exodus14) the people of God are miraculously brought to safetythrough the Red Sea and then through the Jordan. In Solomon'stemple this was represented by a sea of bronze (which would reflectlight to look like fire) and some basins for ritual washing (2Chronicles 4:1-6). The early Christians thought of Baptism aspassing through the Red Sea and sharing Christ's death (1Corinthians 10:1-2; Romans6:3-4; Colossians 2:12).

Today's passage shows the people of God fromall nations and cultures worshipping. They are singing a new songfor a new exodus. The original "songs of Moses" (Exodus15:1-18; Deuteronomy 32:1-43) were bloodthirstycelebrations of vengeance. That is noticeably absent here. Theimages are being re-minted. What we see is not a bloodthirstylion-king, but a lamb.

To ponder

• What would it mean for you to face the effects and theconsequences of your sinfulness?

• How might your worship help you to experience being brought tosafety and to sing the new song of the Lamb?

• What difference does it make to you that the Lord is a Lamb?Why?