An Appropriate Proverb

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
Proverbs 21:30

Thursday, December 27, 2012

December 28

NT -- Revelation 19:1-21
A very strange and imagery filled passage.
I have had to break it down into 3 parts:
vs. 1-8, vs 9-16, and vs 17-21

The first set of verses required that I go back to yesterday's readings to figure out what was happening. This was the destruction of Babylon aka Rome with the enormous millstones due to their gross excesses of materialism. With the destruction of Babylon, the 24 elders (the 12 sons of Jacob, the 12 steadfast disciples of Jesus) erupt in a chorus of hallelujahs, shouts of delight and songs of praises. That is what the poems are for. Thrilled would be too tame an adjective for the crowd.

The second set, verses 9-16, are another vision. And angel commanded John to write down what he sees and not to worship the angel but God. What John sees is an incredible horse leading a heavenly army. Gorgeous but immensely powerful and charged with destroying the evil kings, men, horses and their riders who do not follow God.

The Third set, vs 17-21 is the aftermath of that destruction. An angel, standing in the sun, calls out to the vultures and buzzards to come eat the flesh of those killed in the epic battle of above. The beast was killed, along with the false prophet who had proclaimed him. Those two went into the lake of firey brimstone but the rest, who had followed them, had their flesh stripped from their bones by the birds. Stinking, gruesome sight.

Because these three little episodes happen so rapidly, it is hard for my mind to grasp. I needed to break the scripture down into more manageable imagery for me to handle. I hope this was helpful to you as well.

3 more days and we will be done!

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