Who Do You Follow?

(Preached on June 11, 2017 - Week 4 of a Five Part Sermon Series on the Revelation of John)

Revelation 13:11-18 & Revelation 18:1-10

I learned something new as I was doing some studying on the Book of Revelation. I learned about herding sheep, which is knowledge that I will probably never physically use, but it does often apply to metaphors in the bible. From what I’ve seen on screen, sheep are bought from one place to another by people with sticks and dogs, chasing them and gathering them. In the Middle East though, the shepherd goes ahead and the sheep follow. They know the shepherd’s voice, and they know they can trust the shepherd to lead them to green pasture, water, and safety. No sticks or dogs required.

Certain passages in the bible now make a lot more sense to me as I envision Jesus as my shepherd, not chasing me with a stick and a dog, but leading me to green pastures and cool, clear waters and to safety from the hungry wolves. It also makes more sense to me when I think about our choice to follow. We are not being forced, manipulated, or coerced into following Jesus. We are being asked to trust in his voice and in his promises of safety and salvation.

I’ve also learned that sheep are social creatures and that they depend one another. They follow the strongest leaders, even to their destruction, and they don’t like to go where they cannot see. It’s no wonder we’re compared to sheep so often in the bible. We are social creatures, we tend to follow strong leaders, and we don’t like to go where we cannot see, literally and figuratively. With Jesus as our shepherd though, following isn’t always easy. Sometimes, we’d rather someone took a stick and drove us where we need to go, and sometimes, where we need to go is a place we cannot see. Unlike shepherds, Jesus will sometimes bring us to places of danger and will sometimes take us from the comfort of home and family.

Today is the fourth sermon of a five part sermon series on the Book of Revelation and today we’re going to talk about monsters, and the choice of whether we follow the monsters or if we follow Jesus. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Why would we follow monsters? But the monsters are seductive. They are awe-inspiring. They perform light shows, they show us the way to riches, to lives of comfort, and how to be well-liked and accepted. Following Jesus brings its challenges. It might mean giving away our riches, struggling against injustices, and being scorned or persecuted. Following Jesus brings its own kind of reward, but can be uncomfortable and difficult.

The Book of Revelation was written around the turn of the first century, when followers of Christ were being persecuted and martyred, while others were being tempted by the culture around them to assimilate, to follow local customs, to collude with Rome and worship its emperor. This is the world in which the author, John of Patmos, lived. John was a traveller, who spread the word about Jesus to different communities. While he was on the island of Patmos, he had a vision, a vision that he then wrote down and shared with these communities. This vision is filled with symbols. It is filled with poetry and hymns. It is filled with metaphorical language and many references to the Jewish bible and Jewish tradition. Last week, we looked at some of the symbols and the plot of the first half of John’s vision. This week we look at the second half, except for the final chapters, which we’ll save for next week.

We left off with the seven seals on the scrolls being broken, the seven trumpets blasted, and the two witnesses, killed by the beast, but alive again by the breath of God. This week we look at the beast, the one who killed the two witnesses. Who or what is this beast?

Some images of the beast are quite amusing.

People have attempted to create pictures from the description that John gives, and I went through many of them on google, but it’s really quite impossible to depict without it looking ridiculous. So, let’s try to use our own imaginations as I read to you John’s description:

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have received a death-blow, but its mortal wound had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast. They worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Revelation 13: 1-4)

Who indeed?

Then there is a second beast that makes the earth follow the first beast. It performs signs and deceives people. This is the beast people have named the Anti-Christ. We are told that the “whole earth” followed these beasts, stood in awe and worshipped them. Why? Why would they follow these horrific beasts, who brought death and suffering to the world? The many followers of these beasts were marked with the number, 666, which is a symbolic number that people have been trying to interpret for ages. Here is a fun fact to impress your friends. Hebrew characters use letters as numbers. This is similar to Roman numbers where the letters V, I, I, represent the number 7. The name, NERO CEASAR, when written in Hebrew characters, adds up to the number 666. Nero persecuted and killed many followers of Jesus. It was under Nero that the beloved temple of the Jewish people was ultimately destroyed.

Another character we encounter in the second half of this story needs some unpacking. The city of Rome in this story is personified as a female character. In some translations, she is a prostitute. In others, she is called a whore. She is one of three major female figures in this story. One is a mother representing the faithful people of Israel. Another, which I’ve just mentioned, is a highly priced prostitute, representing the debauched city of Rome and it’s people, and the last is a Bride, who we will encounter in the final chapters. The portrayal of women in this story is problematic so I am going to take a moment to quote Susan R. Garrett, who addresses this:

Each of these symbols reflects the male-centered culture of the first century: women are caricatured as virgins, whores, or mothers...The stereotyped feminine images in the book do not represent the full spectrum of authentic womanhood, either in John’s day or in our own. The images grow out of the patriarchal culture of the first century, which valued the control or management of women’s sexuality by men. In such a culture, the virgin (who remains subject to male control) and the whore (who does not) can come to represent diametrically opposite realities: purity and obedience versus corruption and evil. Exploring the cultural roots of John’s metaphoric language about women will enable us to understand what he was trying to say at those points, but the dehumanizing way in which he phrased his messages will remain deeply troubling.”1

This is why I have used a version of the bible called the Inclusive Bible, which describes itself as the first egalitarian bible. This figure representing the debauched city of Rome is titled “The Idolater.” The point is that sometimes it’s helpful to translate scripture as close as possible to the original, but other times, we need to remember that we live in a different time and we have learned much since scripture was first written, so we need to adapt the language to keep it from being hurtful or oppressive.

So we have these beasts, and we have this Idolater, who are represented in very malevolent ways and yet, we have all these people who are following them. For those being oppressed and persecuted by these beasts it’s easy to turn from them and label them as wicked and evil, but for others, it’s not that simple. The people following the beast are probably benefitting in many ways. We have some examples in our bible, like the tax collectors who became rich by taking more than they needed, the temple priests, who were in collusion with the Romans in order to keep the peace or to hold onto their power, the rich man who wanted to follow Jesus but couldn’t because it meant giving up those riches. Following the beast, for some of us, is sometimes easier than following Jesus.

In our own context, how might it look to follow the beast? I went to a conference in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. It was on reimagining children’s and youth ministry. I heard a variety of amazing speakers. One was a young adult, of 19 or 20 years, who had decided on her own one day to connect to activists in Syria through her laptop. She is Syrian-American and felt she needed to do something. She talked about how it is her mission to make sure that Americans know what is really happening on the ground in Syria. She visited once to bring supplies and talked about how she had to walk through a mine field in order to cross the border.

Another speaker was an American Indian from Washington state. His message was to tell white people to stop doing mission, but if they do continue, to remember three things: 1) Be invited, 2) go to serve, not save, and 3) go to listen.

Another man, from California talked about neighbours in his community being shot by local authorities because of the colour of their skin. He is a white man of privilege and wasn’t sure what he could do. What he decided to do was walk with others in their vigils as they mourned and stood with them on the steps of the courthouse as they fought back.

This conference, to reimagine children’s and youth ministry, was asking the question, “How do we prepare our children and youth to live in this world?” Beyond pizza, games, and lazer tag, are we preparing them for what it really means to follow Jesus. Brian McClaren, our opening night speaker talked about how Christianity has become a lullaby. A lullaby makes us feel good and lulls us to sleep. Is this what Christianity is about? I think not. We need to wake up. Maybe we’re following the beast without even knowing we’re following the beast. We have been lulled to sleep.

We live in a complicated world, where everything we do is woven into the fabric of world politics, world economics, and world justice and peace. It’s hard not to be a follower of the beast while living in Rome.

So we choose a side and we do our best to live into it. I have chosen to be a follower of Jesus. I have chosen to follow his voice and to heed his call. I am constantly learning how to do that. I live in Rome and I need to wake up. I am one of the privileged, and how I use that privilege is up to me. Do I ignore the injustices around me? Do I choose to close my eyes to the atrocities of the past from which I’ve gained? Do I decide to do nothing when I have the power to do and say something? This is where it gets hard. If I ignore, close my eyes, and do nothing, I’m following the beast. What do you choose? Who do you follow? The beast or Jesus?

May you open your eyes to injustice. May you wake up to your privilege and power. May you open your heart to Jesus and trust in his voice as you learn to follow. May it be so. Amen.

1 Women’s Bible Commentary. Ed. Newsom, Carol A. and Ringe, Sharon H. 1998. Westminster John Knox Press. Pg 469.

Signs: Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

(Sermon preached on June 4, 2017 - Week 3 of a Five Part Sermon Series on the Revelation of John)

The following is a quote on the book of Revelation by Kathleen Norris, a poet and writer.
“John’s images do seem to pulse, the work of a visionary in prison on a windswept island, who has to struggle to say in words what those incessant winds have revealed to him. This is a poet’s book, which is probably the best argument for reclaiming it from fundamentalists. It doesn’t tell, it shows, over and over again, its images unfolding, pushing hard against the limits of language and metaphor, engaging the listener in a tale that has the satisfying yet unsettling logic of a dream.”1

The Book of Revelation. The Revelation of John. Or the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Whatever we call it, it is the last book in our Christian Bible. It is called an apocalypse, a Greek word which means revelation, an unveiling. It is a book filled with symbolism, metaphor, and poetry. These kinds of writings were familiar to the Jewish people of 2000 years ago. These kinds of writings revealed the injustices of their environment and offered a glimpse of God’s new creation. Today’s sermon is part three of a five week sermon series, but it is also part one of two sermons on symbolism and on the plot in the Book of Revelation.
I am a Netflix user and I love to sit down and watch a series with a really good story. I was told that “The Walking Dead” was such a series. I watched the first few episodes and couldn’t watch anymore. I’ve been told how wonderful it is and how I just need to watch a few more episodes, and I’ll be hooked, but I couldn’t. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I love suspense and mystery and epic adventure, but graphic violence makes me squirm and cringe. I find it all so unnecessary. It’s probably one of the reasons I’ve avoided John’s revelation for so long, or as someone called it, John’s bad dream.


The book of Revelation is graphic. It contains images of destruction, plagues, horrific beasts, and lots of death. We hear about rivers of blood and about the suffering and deaths of thousands upon thousands of people. The words in this book express the violence of the world in which it was written, just as some of our video games and television programs express the violent world in which we live. Have you seen “Game of Thrones” yet? The Revelation of John though also expresses hope that this violence will someday turn to peace. Again, a quote from Kathleen Norris:

“Cruelty is not a distinguishing feature of the book itself; rather, it describes in stark terms the world we have made and boldly asserts that our cruelties and injustices will not have the last word.”2

Although this book is filled with violence, the message at its core is non-violence. It promotes justice and peace, love of enemies, and dying for the sins of others; in other words, it encourages followers to be like Jesus, to follow in The Way.

Today we’ll look at the first half of the story and see if we can make sense of some of the words and images. This will only be a taste of what’s there, but I can recommend a couple of books if you want to explore further.

Jewish apocalyptic literature is expressed through symbols and numbers. It is not a secret code that predicts the events of the end of the world. John of Patmos, the author, wrote this as a letter to communities of people for whom he cared. He expected that his readers would mostly know the meaning of his message based on their knowledge of the Hebrew bible and Jewish customs.

One number we hear numerous times is the number seven. It is a sacred number that represents wholeness or perfection. This number is woven throughout the book. We hear about seven letters to churches, seven spirits, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns and eyes, seven angels with seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven plagues, seven bowls and more.
Another number we encounter is 12. Our story begins with John being invited to walk through an open door and into heaven. There he sees God upon a throne. There are 24 other thrones with 24 elders, 24 representing the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples of Jesus.

John sees, in the right hand of God, a scroll with seven seals. Now, as was just read for us, only one who is worthy can break the seals. John is told there is only one who is worthy: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. For the Jewish people, this metaphor represented the coming Messiah, who was thought to be a King who would bring God’s kingdom about through military conquest, like King David, an epic hero from history. This is what John hears with his ears, but what he sees with his eyes is something quite different. What he sees is “a lamb standing, a lamb that had been slain.”

Who is this lamb? What does it represent? To understand it, you have to go back to the beginning, not Genesis and the creation story, but the Exodus story. This is the central story for the Jewish people. Connections with this story are made throughout the Book of Revelation. It is a story of slavery in Egypt and a story of salvation, a story of oppression and freedom. In this story, God, through Moses, uses plagues to convince Pharaoh to free the Jewish slaves but Pharaoh constantly refuses, only relenting with the last plague when the angel of death visits the oldest child in each household, one of them being Pharaoh’s son. The Hebrew slaves though were protected because they had sacrificed a lamb and put it’s blood on their doors. The angel of death passed over their homes. This lamb gave its life to save the Jewish people in Egypt.

Now, in the Revelation of John, this Passover lamb is Jesus, who gave his life to save his people. He was not the King or Messiah who would conquer through military conquest. His love for his neighbour and his enemy, and his compassion and mercy for the oppressed and excluded are what help him to achieve victory. He was the Messiah whose own death brought salvation. So he is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, but, unexpectedly, he is also the sacrificed Passover Lamb. This weak and vulnerable image of a slain lamb is the strong protector and saviour that will open the scroll.

When you read the Revelation of John, you will learn what happens as each seal is opened, as each trumpet is blasted, and as each bowl is poured. You will encounter the four horsemen, earthquakes and windstorms, and plagues like those in the time of Egypt, which, like with Pharaoh, wlll not bring about a change of heart. You might wonder at the violence brought about when this slain lamb opens the seals on the scroll, but theologian Wes Howard Brooks explains it this way:

“the seals are not the scroll. Jesus the Lamb is not ‘causing’ the violence described by the seals but rather is unveiling it. The seals are precisely the powers of empire to keep the scroll - the word of God - sealed up and hidden from view.”3 So again, these words of death and destruction are describing the world in which they live, the violence that keep the current emperor in power, with little critique or rebellion.

One more symbolic number we hear in the first part of this story is 144,000. We heard it in the second reading read for us. Just after the 6th seal on the scroll is opened, John hears that there are 144,000 people who are marked with a seal of protection. This is a symbolic number which represents 12,000 people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Again, this is what John hears with his ears. What he sees is a crowd without number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language. People from all walks of life are witnessing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. People from all nations are being persecuted for their testimony so they are all marked with the seal of God and are protected. God will shelter them and guide them to the water of life and wipe away every tear from their eyes. Like the slain lamb that John sees as the fulfillment of the lion of the tribe of Judah, this crowd without number is the fulfillment of the twelve tribes of Israel.

After the seals have been broken, after the people without number are marked, and just after the trumpets are blown, lastly, we look at two witnesses. They are described in this way:

“the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in this manner. They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.” (11:4-6)

Some have referred to these witnesses as the return of Moses and Elijah, but they are another symbol, pointing elsewhere. In the beginning of this book, lampstands is a term used for the communities of faith or churches. These two witnesses are described as lampstands, representing communities of faith, who must share the gospel, testify, and act on behalf of God.

As in my last sermon, when we talked about a two edged sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus, we have the witnesses consuming their foes with fire from their mouths. The sword for Jesus was God’ s Word. For the witnesses, this fire that consumes their foes is their witness to God’s Word. Like Moses, they have authority from God to turn water to blood, to send all kinds of plagues. These two witnesses, after they testify, are killed by “the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit (11:7). (We’ll talk more about the beast next week.) Their bodies lie in the street for three and a half days (half of seven), and then God breathes life back into them. Although “the beast” kills them, they rise again. This is a message of hope to those communities who are being persecuted for their proclamations about Jesus, the Christ.

All of this action is leading somewhere, and we’ll get more into that in the next couple of weeks but for now, I want you to go away with the following lessons for when you eventually sit down to read this remarkable story. 

1) Try not to read it literally, remembering that this book is filled with metaphor and symbols that would have been easily understand by people of the time. 
2) The violence of the story reflects the violence of the time. 
3) Vulnerability is strength: The slain lamb is the triumphant saviour, the persecuted followers of Jesus are strong in their faith and example, the two witnesses are vanquished by the beast only to rise again.

This story is telling us something, as a community and as individuals. Are we the persecuted Christians looking for hope and salvation? Are we the Christians assimilating with empire, going along with unjust practices, afraid to speak up and share the good news? Are we the downtrodden, grief-stricken, despair-filled multitude who need to be protected by God and offered the waters of life, comfort and love? Keep listening. The end is near. Or is the end only the beginning? May it be so. Amen. 

1 “Revelation: the Pocket Canon Series.” Introduction by Kathleen Norris. 1999. Grove Press, New York, NY. pg ix.

2 “Revelation: the Pocket Canon Series.” Introduction by Kathleen Norris. pg ix and x.
3 Howard-Brooks, Wes. “Revelation: Claiming the Victory Jesus Won Over Empire.” The New Testament - Introducing the Way of Discipleship, edited by Howard-Brooks, Wes and Ringe, Sharon H., Orbis Books, 2002, pg 198.

Letter of Assurance and Challenge

(Sermon preached on May 14, 2017 based on scripture readings: Revelation 2:1-7 & Revelation 3:1-6 - The Second of a five part Sermon Series)

Have you ever sat and written a long, leisurely letter? Not by email. I’m talking about taking some writing paper and a pen, settling down at a desk and writing a long letter that takes days to write. These kinds of letters are becoming more rare. I actually don’t remember the last time I wrote a letter by hand, except for a short thank you letter. In the days before computers and even before cars, when mail didn’t go out everyday, when you waited months for correspondence to arrive, people took their time with letters. They might sit down one day to write and then come back day after day to add to it. It might be like a journal describing daily activities, or it might be more like a long story.

In the time of Jesus, correspondence would have been limited to those who could read and write, usually people with some privilege. Most would have been illiterate. Paul, who wrote some of the letters in our Christian bible, would have written letters that were meant to be read to communities. All but one of these letters were written to communities he had previously visited and had preached the good news of Jesus Christ. The letters he sent contained words of encouragement, words of support, and sometimes words of correction and challenge.

The Revelation of John, the final book of the Christian bible, is a letter. We talked last week about how it is part of a genre called apocalyptic literature, but it takes on a dual role as a letter, a letter written to seven different communities, and a letter meant to be read aloud. It would have taken time to read and would have taken lots of time to write, not only for its length but for its complexity. I saw a man on YouTube recently, with a deep booming voice, who had memorized the almost 12,000 words, sharing the letter with an audience. The reading took about 70 minutes. (Watch it on YouTube, start at 33:40.) Remember that this is a time before television and before movies with special effects. People would have sat for hours listening to stories and using their imaginations. Imaginations would have been on overload as they heard the imagery expressed in the Revelation of John. We know it was written to a Jewish audience as it is filled with references to the Hebrew Bible. The letter is written in such a way to provide nuance, multiple meaning, repeated words and phrases, symbols that only insiders would understand, and the use of poetry and hymns for rhythm and ease in it’s reading. This letter was written by a very clever person.

John is the writer. Some think it was the same John who wrote the gospel of John, but the writing is very different, so most now believe it was a different John. It was written late in the first century on the island of Patmos, so the author is usually referred to as John of Patmos. John writes that he was on this island “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (1:9) Some have come to the conclusion that he was exiled to Patmos, as this island was a penal colony.1 If so, he was probably a person of privilege, as only the elite were exiled, while those of lower-rank were taken care of, like Jesus, through crucifixion. It’s also possible though that John was doing mission work on the island and had been travelling to different communities, similar to the Apostle Paul.

This particular letter was written to seven named churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The letter would have circulated from community to community, and, as with most of the letters in our Bible, we are very lucky to have it as there would have been only one copy, until someone with the skills would have thought to write a second copy. Each of the seven churches is named and given specific instructions. We heard two of the shorter ones this morning.

Unlike the letters from Paul, this one was based on a revelation. It’s author would probably say that the words he wrote were not his own. The letter starts with,

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.” (1:1-3)

John has a vision of Jesus as a man clothed in a long robe with white hair and eyes like fire. John writes, “In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.” (1:16)

Theologian N.T. Wright writes, “the Jesus who [John] sees is indeed The Voice, the living Word of the father, the one through whom God spoke and still speaks. And the words which Jesus himself speaks turn into a visible sword coming out of his mouth, echoing Isaiah’s prophecy both about the coming king (11:4) and about the suffering servant (49:2). A great deal of this book is about ideas-made-visible, on the one hand, and scripture-made-real on the other. It is, in fact, the sort of thing someone soaked in scripture might see in a dream, after pondering and praying for may days.”2 These symbols and imagery are woven throughout the Revelation of John, and without being “soaked in scripture” they are nigh on impossible to understand, but that is a topic for another sermon.

This letter has seven named churches. The letters are offered as both encouragement and challenge. In each letter there is an acknowledgement of their circumstances: That they are enduring patiently, some are being slandered and will be imprisoned, others are living where Satan’s throne is, and others have kept the word of Christ and have not denied him. Some of the communities are doing well at staying strong in the midst of those who try to lead them astray and try to get them to go along with local deity worship and customs or worship of the emperor. Some are being accused and persecuted by the local synagogue for their “wickedness.” This letter encourages these new Christ followers to keep up their good work, to stay strong, to persevere.

All but two of the churches though are also offered warnings to repent and change their behaviours. Some are told they are dead and need to wake up. Some are told they are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, maybe too comfortable in their circumstances. Another is told that they are eating food sacrificed to idols and are holding to incorrect teachings or following false prophets. One community is told they have abandoned the love they had at first.

The point though is that all these communities will receive this one letter with this revelation from John. They will all hear the encouragements. They will all hear the admonishments. After each letter, it is written: “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Anyone. The seven named churches and all others who will have this letter read to them, and today, to all those who are still listening, who still have an ear to listen to what the Spirit is saying. We are also being told to repent, to stay strong, to hold fast to our faith, to welcome the stranger, to turn away false prophets, to wake up.

And they are encouraged to be conquerors. We hear phrases like, “To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.” (2:28b) “If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes,” (3:5a)“If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God,” (3:12a) “To the one who conquers I will give you a place with me on the throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (4:21a) What does it mean to be a conqueror and to be a conqueror like Jesus?

How did Jesus conquer? The people were expecting a Messiah that would lead them into battle against their Roman oppressors, who would be a warrior. What the people received was God incarnate, a person who was the expression of the Divine in their midst. What we read in the gospels is that in order to conquer, this man had to give up his life. He suffered and died on a cross but then rose again three days later to show that this ending was only the beginning. Love wins. Love conquers.

In the Revelation of John, we read about Jesus with a two edged sword coming from his mouth. A literal sword or a metaphor for the sharpness of the Word? We later read about Jesus on a white horse going into battle, but again, he does not carry a sword in his hand. We read this “His name is called The Word of God...From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.” Jesus does not conquer through violence, but through the Word, through example, through encouragement and admonishment and through his death and resurrection. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Love wins. Love conquers.

Here are some words of encouragement and challenge from me to you. May you be conquerors. May you share the word and the love of Christ and follow in the way of Christ. May you give of your life to bring peace and justice to this world. May you be strong in your faith. Let no one persuade you to worship idols. May you persevere in a world of greed, hate, consumption, materialism, and violence. May you continue to pray, to welcome the stranger, to love your enemy, and to praise God, the Holy One, who was and is and is to come. May love always win. May it be so. Amen. 

1 Howard-Brooks, Wes. “Revelation: Claiming the Victory Jesus Won Over Empire.” The New Testament - Introducing the Way of Discipleship, edited by Howard-Brooks, Wes and Ringe, Sharon H., Orbis Books, 2002, pg 193.
2 Wright, Nicholas Thomas. Revelation: For Everyone. 2011. Westminster John Knox Press. pg 7-8.

What is "Apocalyptic" Literature?

(Sermon preached on May 7, 2017 based on two readings from scripture - 

Daniel 7:1-8, 15 Isaiah 35:1-10 - The first of a five part sermon series.)

Think back to those times in your life when you felt despair, when you felt life was against you, when you felt persecuted, or when you felt the future was bleak. Maybe you’re living through that right now. We’ve all had these times, some more than others. There are people in our world facing poverty, abuse, and war who feel this all the time. What brings hope? What helps us to look forward to tomorrow, to have hope in a brighter day and a future with joy?

Words like those in the book of Isaiah are meant for times like these: 

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,

the grass shall become reeds and rushes. (35:5-7)

When I began telling people that I was going to be doing a sermon series on the Book of Revelation, I had one of three reactions. Some thought it was a great idea and said they were looking forward to it; others seemed mystified as to why I would want to do this, and one person asked incredulously, “Why?”

I can understand the different reactions. This final book of the Christian Bible is interpreted in very many ways and these interpretations usually have many different followings. Most people in the United Church tend to avoid the book altogether. It’s usually described as violent, unjust, and as showing the vengeful and wrathful side of God that most of us don’t like to think about. We like to think of God as gentle, peaceful, and even friendly, but this is not the God of the Book of Revelation; it is not the God of apocalyptic literature.

Couldn't resist sharing this.

Most people outside of the church encounter the Book of Revelation in books of fiction or on screen. Usually pieces are pulled out, like the four horsemen, usually named as war, pestilence, famine, and death. Some refer to the Anti-Christ, which is usually a figure of evil or deception. Then we have the number 666 and know that is usually refers to something demonic and then there is the place of the final battle of this world, Armageddon. All of these images come from the Book of Revelation.

For those who haven’t read it, don’t. Not yet anyway, not without any preparation or background. I think most would be shocked to read of the horrific images of monsters, blood, violence, a wrathful God, a slain lamb, Christ the warrior, and most wonder why such a book was put into our bible.

This book in our bible is filled with symbols that are difficult for us to understand. It’s why we need to put in into context. The author, John, was a pastor and a prophet. He shared his revelation with other communities of Christ followers. He wouldn't have sent them a message that was unintelligible or confusing. He would have wanted them to understand what he was trying to share with them, but for us, so removed from this time, almost 2000 years ago, the symbols are strange and indecipherable, almost like they’re in code. We can never be a first century Jesus follower, but through study and investigation of the time, and of the Hebrew bible, we can come closer to understanding what is occurring in this writing.

Before I go further, I want to correct a couple of common mistakes. The last book of the Bible is called, The Revelation of John, no ’s’; it’s not plural. It is a description of one person’s vision. Secondly, the meaning of the word apocalypse has come to mean the end of the world or the final battle or event that will bring about the end of the world. Apocalypse is from a Greek word, which means revelation, an unveiling or unfolding of things previously unknown. It is the lifting of a curtain or a veil. “Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.”1 An apocalypse is a revelation, a vision.

Apocalyptic literature is a revelation but it usually refers to a revelation of a coming time, of God breaking into this world and either creating a new one or just perfecting the old. One of the reasons we have difficulty understanding apocalyptic literature is that we are not an oppressed people. We are not a persecuted people. We are not being martyred for our faith or persecuted and killed by an unjust empire. Most of us don’t know what it’s like to live surrounded by soldiers and an occupying army and a dictator in power. We are privileged to live in Canada and the U.S. Apocalyptic literature is most relevant to nations oppressed and persecuted, but it can also speak to us. We all have our hardships; we all struggle in our own ways. Apocalyptic literature is for those looking for hope in their despair.

Wes Howard Brooks, a theologian, wrote that there are two aspects to apocalyptic literature, the mystical and the political. For the first aspect, he writes,

“...there is more to life than meets the eye - or the ear. No matter how smart or astute we may be, we cannot on our own look at the world with God’s perspective. But from time to time, certain people have been given the gift of such perspective.”2

Howard Brooks names John as one of those people. Sometimes, we refer to people with godly visions as mystics. You may have heard or read of such people like Hildegard of Bingen or Julian of Norwich. Mystics are popular in some ages and ridiculed and even despised in other times. Joan of Arc, who saw visions, was put to death by the church.

The second aspect, as described by Howard-Brooks, was “the political task of stripping away illusions generated by empire which seduced and threatened God’s people into submission.”3  We like to think that “Empire” was something that happened a long time ago and that the fall of the Roman Empire was the last of the great empires, but this wouldn’t be accurate. Empires have continued throughout the ages and many would say the empire with which we live now is our southern neighbour. The United States has a far-reaching effect with hundreds of military bases and thousands of troops stationed all over the world. It has the ability to punish other nations militarily. It has a world presence through advertising and media, and it also has the ability to use its power to manipulate and coerce policy across the globe. Before we look down our noses at the empire of America, Canada may want to take a good look at it’s own policies and privileges it receives from being a neighbour. Apocalyptic literature is a vision from those who are oppressed by empire, those who are seduced by empire, and those who are complicit in empire.

The Revelation of John is one piece of “Apocalyptic literature,” and it is not the only piece in our bible. We heard two others today, Isaiah, to which I referred earlier and the book of Daniel. Both were written during difficult times in the history of the Hebrew people. The empire of Babylon had conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the beloved temple, which is where they believed their God took residence, and then took the leaders of the city into exile in Babylon. Both the books of Daniel and, another book called Ezekiel, are from the perspective of those who were living in Babylon, far from their home and far from their God, or so they believed.

The similarities between the writings in Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the Revelation of John are many: their reporting of a dream or vision, their symbolic language with monsters and plagues, their triumph over the many monsters and an arrogant king, and the new creation that follows where evil and death are banished and all the nations worship and glorify God. They are expressions of frustration with the current way of life and a way of believing that this is not all there is. There is more. There will be more. Their faith in God’s abundant love, forgiveness, and compassion and their expression of God’s salvation are what bring them through these difficult times.

And this is what makes these stories relevant to us today. When you need to hear that God is on your side, when you need to hear that your enemies will get what they deserve or that evil will be vanquished, when you need to know that a messy life can be transformed into something beautiful, apocalyptic literature might be exactly what you need. You might come across a passage like this one from the 21st chapter of John’s Revelation:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”(21:1-4)

Apocalyptic writings try to lift the veil from our eyes, attempt to uncover what we do not, or cannot, see. Can apocalyptic literature from writings of thousands of years ago help us to unveil what needs to be seen in our lives today, to offer the keys that you need to set you free? As the hymn goes, “Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me; Spirit divine!”4 May it be so. Amen.

1 “Open My Eyes That I May See.” Hymn written by Clara H. Scott in 1895. Verse 1
2 Howard-Brooks, Wes. “Revelation: Claiming the Victory Jesus Won Over Empire.” The New Testament - Introducing the Way of Discipleship, edited by Howard-Brooks, Wes and Ringe, Sharon H., Orbis Books, 2002, pg 189.
3 Howard-Brooks, pg 190.

4 “Open My Eyes That I May See.” Hymn written by Clara H. Scott in 1895. Verse 1 

A New Start

This summer, I had had the opportunity to preach.  I used this time to be creative, to delve into topics I haven't had time for, and to share some of what I have been learning over the past year.  For the next few weeks, I'm going to share some of these sermons.

In January I will be on sabbatical for three months.  One of my goals will be to blog regularly.  I enjoyed the writing process this summer as I was writing sermons and want to be able to continue this practice.  Because I am not currently in a preaching role, I am taking a dear friend's suggestion, and will share my thoughts in this blog.  Stay tuned.

I had always wanted to delve into the Book of Revelation so I began my preaching with a series on this subject.  Is it really as bad as what people say it is?  Does it mean more than what is commonly expressed in the media and in entertainment?  The following five posts will be my five-week sermon series on John's Revelation.