Wednesday 26 November 2008

Background

When we open the book of Revelation we expect to be confrontedwith bewildering mystery. Today's passage certainly deliversmystery in bulk. There's a great deal to draw our attention, butwe'll have to limit ourselves a bit.

John (the traditional writer of Revelation) is trying to describeheaven - a tall order for anyone. He employs a strategy that isquite common in the Bible: drawing upon a well-established OldTestament story to provide a framework. In this instance it is thestory of the Exodus, when the Israelites were released from slaveryin Egypt. There are plagues and a sea, and a people set free. Thesea is a biblical symbol for the chaos and disorder of rampantevil, and the description of it as "of glass" reflects God'svictory over those forces, through the fire of God'sholiness.

John talks of the wrath of God being accomplished through the sevenplagues. (Notice that these plagues are "the last"; chaos anddisorder and their consequences - God's wrath - are not for ever.)We may find this thought of wrath disturbing. How can a loving Godbe depicted as wrathful? Given the total sovereignty of 'one God',bad things can't be said to just happen.

Our ancient forebears had to say something about their feelings offear, anxiety, shame and dread. These were signs of God's wrath.Remember however, that the chaos and disorder represent somethingprofoundly wrong within the world order, and God does not standcomplacently by when there is so much anarchy.

But we may argue there is no evidence that Godis not complacent about the messiness ofhuman affairs. The heart-rending catalogue of human (and other)suffering leaves no room for the idea that God actuallycares.

That denial however, provides in itself a clue as to the answer.John sets the wrath of God against the backdrop of the end of time,and alongside truth and justice. This is therefore a statementabout ultimate values, the things that really matter. The sign thatGod cares is to be heard in the fact that people care. We - you andI - are attuned to the ideas of order and chaos and respond by theway we ourselves do not stand complacently by, but try to repairthe damage and restrain human wrongdoing.

To Ponder

Does God care?

How do you picture heaven?