Wednesday 08 August 2012
- Bible Book:
- Revelation
"The hour to reap has come" (v. 15)
Background
One of the best ways to approach apocalypticwritings like the book of Revelation is to let its images become aset of moving pictures in your mind, like a fantasy film. You haveto let the pictures stimulate you. Sometimes they only make senselater in the story. Sometimes they remind you of earlierscenes.
In chapter 7 of Revelation the writer heard,through the symbols found in the Scriptures, that 144,000 peoplewould be saved as the people of God (Israel). He then saw that inreality this meant a countless multitude; and not just Jews butpeople from every race and culture. At the start of chapter 14 hesees the Lamb of God standing in the heavenly temple with thesymbolic 144,000, who have been redeemed from the earth and arejoining in the heavenly worship (
In our passage the image of the Lamb of God haschanged (or morphed) into one of 'one like a Son of Man' (v. 14).In Revelation 1:13-16 this image from the book ofDaniel (Daniel 7:13) had been identified with Christ.Jesus had said that only God the Father knew the time of judgement(Matthew 24:36). When the message comes from thetemple through one of the three angels mentioned earlier, the onelike a Son of Man gathers the grain harvest in to safety. But thereis also a note of judgement. The angels gather in the grapes whichare to be trodden in the wine press outside the city from whichwill flow blood (Revelation 14:19-20). Those who ignore oroppose God and collude in the killing of Christ and the martyrsoutside the city may find that that recoils on them! (For more, seechapter 19!)
To ponder
- What happens when you let these images run like a film in yourmind?
- What difference does it make that the 'one like a Son of Man'who harvests the earth is also the Lamb of God?
- How may our worship help us to avoid compromise and remainpure?