December 9

NT -- Revelation 1:1-20
And so we begin the last book of the New Testament. This is the Revelation according to John. Not John the Baptist and probably not John the Apostle. (Too many Johns in the NT).
Having taught Revelation and studied it numerous times, it never ceases to amaze me how terrified people are of the book.
Here are some common complaints:
I don't understand all the beasts.
I don't like being scared.
I don't want to think of the end times.
I don't like all the numbers stuff. I don't believe in all the numbers stuff.
I think John was high when he wrote this. (this may or may not be true. Psilocybin mushrooms did grow on the Island of Patmos.)
I don't want to go to a church that discusses hellfire and brimstone and there is a lot of that in Revelation.
or the most common of all:
I have no idea what John is talking about.

Revelation is so scary that when Presbyterian Women put on this study at Mt Vernon Presbyterian, we offered an alternative to it. And loads of people took us up on it!
They missed out on a fascinating, informative study, however. I, of course, being not scared of much in the Bible, believing if it is that scary then I just won't believe it, thoroughly enjoyed it and my teachers.

So, here is my suggestion if you find yourself in one of the above comments:
Read my commentary, then go read the scripture, then come back and read my commentary again.
You may not agree with me. But that is okay.

And as for the one that raises the most hackles in Presbyterians -- the hellfire and brimstone -- actually, there is a lot of that in Matthew. And we keep reading him, now don't we.

The scripture for today is the opening of a letter that was sent to 7 churches in Asia Minor who had Christian churches established to some degree or another and that John had close ties with. John is no longer able to visit these churches as he has been 'suffering for the Word of the Lord Jesus on the island of Patmos which is basically a rock in the middle of the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece.
John was worshiping on the Lord's Day (Sunday) and he had a vision. He sees 7 golden lamp stands (the 7 churches) and a man (Jesus). We know that he is Jesus because he immediately starts quoting the prophets especially Isaiah (chapter 44 and 48 identify God as the 'first and the last', the 'beginning and the end'.) This is just John's way of establishing that Jesus was God and had the power and mighty of God.
And then our scripture for today ends. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?

OT -- The book of Joel.
A very minor prophet indeed since it is one day long. But it is filled with imagery of an agricultural disaster which war almost always is.
It is hard not to bring up Scarlett O'Hara's turnip eating scene when you read Joel since she wasn't going to be hungry again and surely, when God relented, he wouldn't allow his people to be hungry again. God, himself, would provide the grain and the wine offering.




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Grace, peace and serenity to each of you as we hurtle towards the end of this study.