Preached on June 18, 2017 - Week 5 of a 5-Week Sermon Series on the Revelation of John
Revelation 21:1-5 & Revelation 21:22-22:5
Revelation 21:1-5 & Revelation 21:22-22:5
When a group of people are bombarded over and over again by hate, oppression, warfare,
and neglect, they sometimes begin to imagine how they might be rescued from all the pain and
suffering. They live in such a world of violence and instability that nothing makes sense so they
try and make sense of it. Sometimes that means imagining a world where God intervenes to end
the pain and suffering. Some cry out and wonder where is God while others have visions and
write apocalyptic letters.
When the Jewish temple was destroyed the first time, almost six hundred years before Jesus, and the Israelite people exiled from their home to live in Babylon, there were apocalyptic writings promising God’s vengeance and salvation. In the time of Jesus, there were several more of these types of writings. The Jewish people were subjugated and under the thumb of the Roman empire. Violent rebellions were fought against the Romans in which thousands of people were killed horrifically, many of them crucified. About 30 years after Jesus death, in 66CE, their temple in Jerusalem was again destroyed, this time by Roman soldiers and this time beyond repair. This temple was not just a well-loved architectural landmark. Many truly believed that this was where their God resided.
The Book of Revelation is just one example of these writings and the one preserved for all
time in our Bible, there to be debated and interpreted, or misinterpreted. Today is the last sermon
in a five-week sermon series on the Book of Revelation.
During Roman times, there were many shrines and temples created to worship several different gods, for example, temples to Aphrodite, the god of love, or temples to Jupiter, the father of the gods, and temples to Mars, the god of war. People went to these temples to burn sacrifices and entreat the gods to intercede for them by granting them riches or healing or protecting their city. For the Jewish people, who had only one god, Yahweh, this temple in Jerusalem was it for them. This is where they took their sacrifices and worshiped their god and pleaded with their god. Now it was gone. It had been demolished. All that’s left today is the Western Wall or what is sometimes called The Wailing Wall.
John of Patmos, whose vision is what is recorded in the book of Revelation, was written after the temple in Jerusalem had been completely destroyed. For the Jewish people, this temple was the place of God’s presence. In fact, it is written that when the temple was first built by Solomon, almost one thousand years before Christ, fire and cloud descended from the heavens and filled the temple. So without this temple, how might the people on earth be close to their God?
When the Jewish temple was destroyed the first time, almost six hundred years before Jesus, and the Israelite people exiled from their home to live in Babylon, there were apocalyptic writings promising God’s vengeance and salvation. In the time of Jesus, there were several more of these types of writings. The Jewish people were subjugated and under the thumb of the Roman empire. Violent rebellions were fought against the Romans in which thousands of people were killed horrifically, many of them crucified. About 30 years after Jesus death, in 66CE, their temple in Jerusalem was again destroyed, this time by Roman soldiers and this time beyond repair. This temple was not just a well-loved architectural landmark. Many truly believed that this was where their God resided.
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During Roman times, there were many shrines and temples created to worship several different gods, for example, temples to Aphrodite, the god of love, or temples to Jupiter, the father of the gods, and temples to Mars, the god of war. People went to these temples to burn sacrifices and entreat the gods to intercede for them by granting them riches or healing or protecting their city. For the Jewish people, who had only one god, Yahweh, this temple in Jerusalem was it for them. This is where they took their sacrifices and worshiped their god and pleaded with their god. Now it was gone. It had been demolished. All that’s left today is the Western Wall or what is sometimes called The Wailing Wall.
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| Western Wall - All that is left |
John of Patmos, whose vision is what is recorded in the book of Revelation, was written after the temple in Jerusalem had been completely destroyed. For the Jewish people, this temple was the place of God’s presence. In fact, it is written that when the temple was first built by Solomon, almost one thousand years before Christ, fire and cloud descended from the heavens and filled the temple. So without this temple, how might the people on earth be close to their God?
People imagined that the end was upon them, but the end of what? The end of the world?
The end of all life? People are constantly imagining what the end of the world might look like.
For us moderns, who are now able to see the earth, the end of the world means a cataclysmic
disaster, like a nuclear holocaust or giant asteroid, that would devastate all life as we know it.
But in what way do these imaginings bring hope? How are they helpful?
For the past few weeks, I have said that we need to understand the Hebrew bible, or the Old Testament, in order to understand the Book of Revelation. So, we’ll start there. John Dominic Crossan writes, “Israel had long believed in an eventual great Divine Cleanup of the World, an Extreme Makeover: World Edition, in which justice and peace would replace injustice and violence.”1 Here are a few examples of that vision of God’s Kingdom, found in the Hebrew bible. I invite you to imagine the world of which it speaks.
From the prophet Amos:
The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,
and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it. Amos 9:13
Three passages from the prophet Isaiah:
For the past few weeks, I have said that we need to understand the Hebrew bible, or the Old Testament, in order to understand the Book of Revelation. So, we’ll start there. John Dominic Crossan writes, “Israel had long believed in an eventual great Divine Cleanup of the World, an Extreme Makeover: World Edition, in which justice and peace would replace injustice and violence.”1 Here are a few examples of that vision of God’s Kingdom, found in the Hebrew bible. I invite you to imagine the world of which it speaks.
From the prophet Amos:
The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,
and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it. Amos 9:13
Three passages from the prophet Isaiah:
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people
he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:6-8
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people
he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:6-8
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
Isaiah 2:2-3a
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
Isaiah 11:6-8
And from the prophet Micah:
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
Micah 4:3-4
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
Isaiah 2:2-3a
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
Isaiah 11:6-8
And from the prophet Micah:
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
Micah 4:3-4
Crossan then writes, “None of these visionary synonyms for the Kingdom of God is about the
earth’s destruction or abandonment; they are about its transformation and transfiguration.”2
Many people imagine an apocalypse as the end of the world and that God will judge every living being and take some to heaven and the rest will be thrown into pits of fire. For some, accepting Jesus in your heart, or “being saved”, is the only way to heaven. It’s a very exclusive way of viewing how God loves humanity. Many of the passages you just heard talk about a peaceful and just future for “all peoples,” “all nations,” “God will wipe away the tears for all faces,” and “they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees.” No where does it mention that all peoples need to accept Jesus or the Hebrew god and abandon their own in order to be included in this vision.
Many people imagine an apocalypse as the end of the world and that God will judge every living being and take some to heaven and the rest will be thrown into pits of fire. For some, accepting Jesus in your heart, or “being saved”, is the only way to heaven. It’s a very exclusive way of viewing how God loves humanity. Many of the passages you just heard talk about a peaceful and just future for “all peoples,” “all nations,” “God will wipe away the tears for all faces,” and “they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees.” No where does it mention that all peoples need to accept Jesus or the Hebrew god and abandon their own in order to be included in this vision.
John’s revelation, his vision, even up to the last chapters, refers to monsters being thrown
into a pit to be tortured for all time, and all the dead rising to stand before God for a final
judgement. Those whose names aren’t written in the book of life, join the monsters in the pit. I
don’t read the bible literally. I read it metaphorically, especially this book containing a man’s
dream. When I read this vision about the separation of people, I interpret it in this way:
In God’s kingdom, there is no wealth. In God’s kingdom, everyone gets an equal share. In God’s kingdom, power is shared and relationship is most important. There are many in our world who could not live with that. All are invited into God’s kingdom, but there are many who reject that invitation, who want to accumulate wealth, sometimes at the expense of others, who like to wield power over others, and who deem themselves to be most important. There is no place for people like this in God’s kingdom and they would not want to live in God’s kingdom. Those who choose God’s kingdom can’t imagine a life outside it, and thus, describe it as hell.
We just heard two scripture readings, favourites that are often used. The first declares a new heaven and a new earth, the making of all things new. The second describes a new way of life, a world with no darkness, a river with the water of life, surrounded by trees that contain all kinds of fruit during all seasons and leaves for the healing of the nations.
You might expect that in this grand vision of a new heaven and a new earth, a new temple might be included. But no. There will be no temple for it is no longer needed. Heaven has come to earth. It is a new place consisting of those who dwelled on earth and in heaven, including the Most High God. God and Jesus will now abide with us.
This beautiful planet earth is not meant to be destroyed. It is our home. Unlike many interpretations of the Book of Revelation, where the earth is destroyed with the second coming of Jesus, and where people don’t care whether the planet will be destroyed because Jesus is going to bring the saved to heaven, it states in the beginning of the 21st chapter of Revelation, that the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will come down out of heaven and that God’s home is among mortals, on this transformed earth, and that God will dwell with people.
And we are meant to collaborate with that transformation. We are not meant to sit back and wait for God to come and do all the work. We are to be a part of that clean up. We are to use our gifts, our bodies, our passions, and our love to work with God in creating a new heaven and a new earth.
Congratulations to all those who made it through all five sermons on the Book of Revelation. Hopefully, this book about one person’s dream of a new world is a little less scary and intimidating, and more hopeful and challenging.
In God’s kingdom, there is no wealth. In God’s kingdom, everyone gets an equal share. In God’s kingdom, power is shared and relationship is most important. There are many in our world who could not live with that. All are invited into God’s kingdom, but there are many who reject that invitation, who want to accumulate wealth, sometimes at the expense of others, who like to wield power over others, and who deem themselves to be most important. There is no place for people like this in God’s kingdom and they would not want to live in God’s kingdom. Those who choose God’s kingdom can’t imagine a life outside it, and thus, describe it as hell.
We just heard two scripture readings, favourites that are often used. The first declares a new heaven and a new earth, the making of all things new. The second describes a new way of life, a world with no darkness, a river with the water of life, surrounded by trees that contain all kinds of fruit during all seasons and leaves for the healing of the nations.
You might expect that in this grand vision of a new heaven and a new earth, a new temple might be included. But no. There will be no temple for it is no longer needed. Heaven has come to earth. It is a new place consisting of those who dwelled on earth and in heaven, including the Most High God. God and Jesus will now abide with us.
This beautiful planet earth is not meant to be destroyed. It is our home. Unlike many interpretations of the Book of Revelation, where the earth is destroyed with the second coming of Jesus, and where people don’t care whether the planet will be destroyed because Jesus is going to bring the saved to heaven, it states in the beginning of the 21st chapter of Revelation, that the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will come down out of heaven and that God’s home is among mortals, on this transformed earth, and that God will dwell with people.
And we are meant to collaborate with that transformation. We are not meant to sit back and wait for God to come and do all the work. We are to be a part of that clean up. We are to use our gifts, our bodies, our passions, and our love to work with God in creating a new heaven and a new earth.
Congratulations to all those who made it through all five sermons on the Book of Revelation. Hopefully, this book about one person’s dream of a new world is a little less scary and intimidating, and more hopeful and challenging.
I’ll finish with a quote from N.T. Wright, which I find to be a hopeful statement that
combines the incarnation of Jesus with this apocalyptic vision: “As heaven and earth were joined
together in Jesus; heaven and earth will one day be joined fully and forever.” May it be so.
Amen.
1 Crossan, John Dominic. “How to Read the Bible & Still Be A Christian.” 2016. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. pg 133.
2 Crossan, John Dominic. “How to Read the Bible & Still Be A Christian.” 2016. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. pg 135.
combines the incarnation of Jesus with this apocalyptic vision: “As heaven and earth were joined
together in Jesus; heaven and earth will one day be joined fully and forever.” May it be so.
Amen.
1 Crossan, John Dominic. “How to Read the Bible & Still Be A Christian.” 2016. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. pg 133.
2 Crossan, John Dominic. “How to Read the Bible & Still Be A Christian.” 2016. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. pg 135.
3 Wright, Nicholas Thomas. Revelation: For Everyone. 2011. Westminster John Knox Press. pg
188
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