MY 3 BIGGEST PASTORAL PARADIGM-SHIFTS, PART 3

CHANGING PARADIGMS 

(Apologies for the length of this article, and the big words used.)

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
First Corinthians 10:11

As I reflect on my recent pastoral anniversary I've had cause to reflect on three of my most significant pastoral paradigm shifts. I think I was about 17 years of age when I approached my then pastor, Joseph Bowes, to talk about the growing sense of God's call on my life to pastor. I had assumed that all young men about that age felt a similar call. Pastor Bowes informed me that this was not the case. It was around this time in the 1980s that I first met Pastor Trevor Chandler who had become an annual visitor to our Geelong church (as he came down from Queensland to Victoria for INTERMIN). But this time (the 1980s) was a bizarre time for Bible Prophecy pundits. It was Trevor Chandler who first sowed the seeds into my soul to investigate rather than blindly accept Dispensational Futurism (which was the predominant view in most Evangelical and Pentecostal churches at the time). And I did.

My investigation has been shaped by a commitment to the four classic principles of hermeneutics and my interactions with a family member involved in a cult. It was these two factors which led me to write two books about Bible Prophecy (the first one published in 2004 and now has sold over 20,000 copies) and hundreds of articles published on my website which have so far received over 1.13 million views. My conclusions about eschatology is the third of my pastoral paradigm-shifts and has greatly enhanced my pastoring. Here's how.

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 
Hebrews 1:2

I undertook a College course in Eschatology (from the Greek word, eschaton meaning 'last things') in 1991. Even though the course was delivered by a 'Futurist' College, the course coordinator exposed his students to various views about Bible prophecy. Futurism (refer to the graphic below for a description of these terms) did not fair well under rigorous scrutiny in this course. We were required to read Options In Eschatology by Prof. Millard J. Erickson, and The Revelation of Jesus Christby Dr. John F. Walvoord. The first book dismantled 'Pre-Millennial Futurism' and showed why it lacked Biblical credibility. The second book was about Pre-Millennial Futurism, including a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. The course coordinator showed the irreparable problems with Dispensational Pre-Millennial Futurism, but the College required that Dr. Walvoord's book be read and understood as the position we were required to accept. 

After completing this formal study in Eschatology, I had a clearer view of what I didn't believe than what I did. My doctoral research was largely in Church History. This exposed me to the progress of Christian thought down through the centuries. It became increasingly obvious that what most Christians held to today regarding Bible prophecy, the ancient Christians had never heard of!

And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,  and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
Revelation 20:2-3

Dispensationalism is a way of looking at the Bible. It divides the Bible in a series of dispensations of time and attributes a different means of salvation within each dispensation. Under the Dispensation of Law, a person was saved by keeping the Law. Under the Dispensation of Grace, a person is saved by faith in the finished work of Christ. The idea of Dispensationalism at first sounds reasonable. But as I became increasingly familiar with Church History and the art and science of Hermeneutics (how we interpret the Bible), I found Dispensationalism (which most Pentecostals hold to) untennable. On both counts, I found that Dispensationalism appealed to Church History by reinterpretting it. For example, Jerome (347-420) used a Latin word that sounds like 'rapture' in English, and this was used to justify the Rapture doctrine. Biblically Ezekiel refers to a people which in Hebrew sounds like 'Rosh' which Dispensationalists claim refers to modern day 'Russia'.

When I began to dig a little deeper I found that even the verses used to support the idea of a 'rapture' were generally about either the Roman bombardment of Jerusalem where random people would be killed (and the Jewish Historian, Josephus, describes) or the final resurrection. But the most disturbing aspect of Dispensationalism was its dependence on its new ways of interpretting the Bible. For its interpretation to work, it had to invent some new 'laws' of interpretation including, The Law of Double Reference also called, The Rule of Dual Fulfilment. One proof-text is offered in support of this: Isaiah 7:14 "Behold the virgin shall conceive". It is claimed that this was first fulfilled with Isaiah the Prophet's wife, then again with the Virgin Mary. But there are some serious problems with this idea. Firstly, there is no hint in Scripture that Isaiah's wife was the intended fulfilment of this prophecy (and I strongly doubt that she was a virgin!) and there is a plain statement in Matthew 1:21 that Mary of Nazareth was the (not "a") fulfilment of the Isaiah prophecy. But this novel rule/law of Bible interpretation is the foundational principle for the belief that God has merely suspended His Old Covenant with Israel and temporarily instigated a New Covenant with the Church. Dispensationalism claims that God has two existing covenants with two groups of people- (i) Israel, and (ii) The Church. 

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:28-29

While I was grappling with all this, my father inlaw died suddenly. I was asked to take the funeral. I had had many conversations with my Hungarian father-inlaw about spiritual things and had met with deep resistance. After the funeral, my mother-inlaw, who I deeply appreciate, expressed her hope that my father-inlaw would be given a second chance to turn to Christ in the Millennial Kingdom on Earth. She had long been persuaded by the teachings of Charles Taze Russell (the founder of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society). This led to me trying to have a genial written conversation with her about this aspect of Eschatology. Every time I tried to discuss the applicable Scriptures with her, I met with a novel way of interpreting the Scriptures which seemed to take the plain meaning of the text and twist it into an entirely different meaning. This led me to appeal to the classic principles of Bible interpretation.

It was at this point in the ongoing discussions with the my mother-inlaw as we were discussing the finer aspects of Matthew 24, that I realised I was doing the very thing that I was accusing my mother-inlaw of doing: I was reading into the text of Scripture rather than listening to what the text was intending to give out. 

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.Matthew 24:34

It was Matthew 24:34 which drove this error home to me. I had been taught to read this verse as if it was saying "that" generation, rather than what it actually says - "this" generation. The ramifications of this straight-forward reading are immense and were not lost on the most vocal atheist of the twentieth century, Bertrand Russell, when he was debating C.S. Lewis about Christianity. It was this verse which he used to describe Jesus as either a mere mortal who was deluded, or as a manipulative con-artist who was deceptive. This led C.S. Lewis to essentially concede the debate and later comment about this verse-

I find this the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.
C.S. Lewis

I spent a lot of time researching this verse and trying to reconcile how Jesus could be God in the flesh yet so wrong in His prophecy recorded in this verse. Coincidentally I also began my series on the Book of Revelation (around 2002). I was determined to only take out of these Scriptures what God had intended to be taken out. I would use the first four principles of hermeneutics and try keep my preconceived ideas out of the text. And while I was working through this huge problem with Matthew 24:34 I was discovering a whole set of new problems with the Book of Revelation if we merely apply the principles of sound hermeneutics to it. 

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3

Exactly the same "problem" occurs in reading the Book of Revelation as occurs in Matthew 24. I had been taught that when Revelation used language like, "soon", "near", "at hand", "now", "this hour", it actually didn't mean it. In fact, what it actually meant was exactly the opposite to these words mean! The only reason plausible for doing this was that a plain reading of the text didn't fit the Dispensational (Futurist) paradigm! I was resolute to research Biblical eschatology exegetically (taking out of the text only what was originally put into it) rather than eisegetically(reading things into the text). Here's what I discovered, and why it became my biggest pradigm-shift. 

MATTHEW 24

Matthew 24 was a conversation between Jesus and His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Hence, it is referred to as The Olivet Discourse. The discples point out the Temple to Jesus and how impressive it was. But Jesus dismisses this and declares that it will be dismantled stone by stone. In utter dismay, the disciples ask three questions: (i) When will this happen? (ii) What will be the sign of Your 'coming' (Greek word, parousia)? (iii) When will this age (Greek word, aionos) end? Understanding these three questions is essential to understanding this chapter. Jesus proceeds to answer to each question. Consider that. He answered, in detail, each of the three questions. If I was preaching this point right now, I would labour it! And the reason I would do so is because there are some who suggest that after Jesus has answered their questions He then declared that He didn't really know the answers because He was speaking out of His humanity, not His divinity! I find this opinion of Christ in Matthew 24 nearly blasphemous. (I explain why in this YouTube video.) I would also point out what the disciples asked, not what we think the disciples asked.

¶ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"Matthew 24:3

1.When will these things be? Jesus gives detailed descriptions of what was about to happen and then plainly stated the answer to this question: this generation shall not pass away until all these things take place (Matt. 24:34). A Biblical 'generation' is 40 years. If we consider that Jesus spoke these words in 30AD, He has just plainly stated all these things would be fulfilled by 70AD.

2. What will be the sign of Your coming? Note that the disciples did not ask- When will You return? The Greek word ὑποστρέφω (hupostrepho) is the word they would have used if they had asked When will You return? But instead, they asked When will You 'parousia'? This word means, reveal, appear, come, but specifically in this context it means, to come in judgment. The disciples had good reason to ask When will You come to judge?because the destruction of the Temple was the pinnacle of God's judgment on Israel in the Old Testament. This is the climax of the Book of Jeremiah.

3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?Despite the King James Version translating this word as "world", the disciples did not ask Jesus When will the end of the world be? Jesus has just said that the Temple would be destroyed and the immediate question from the disciples was, When will this (Temple) age end? 

A part of Christ's answer was that the sun would be darkened, the moon will not give forth its light, and the stars would fall from the sky (Matt. 24:29). Using the hermeneutical principles of Scripture interpretting Scripture we note that in Genesis 37:9 Joseph dreamed a dream about the sun, moon and stars bowing down to him and this was immediately interpretted as the Israel and his family. Later the prophet Isaiah in describing Israel's rebellion would say that the sun, moon, and stars no longer shine their light (Isaiah 13:10), and Ezekiel would describe rebellious Israel as having their light "blotted out" so God says - 

"I will cover the heavens
and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon shall not give its light."Ezekiel 32:7

And Joel says-

The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
Joel 3:15

What many may not realise is that when Jesus says, Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the Heavens (Matt. 24:30), that He was referring to Daniel 7:13, where it foretells of the Son of Man coming "up" on the clouds of Heaven (not "down"). The expression "the Lord is coming", often associated with His glory depicted as "clouds" was used throughout the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah 19:1-

¶ An oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Thus, Jesus was not talking about His return to resurrect and judge the world (described in Matthew 25), but was describing His judgment on Jerusalem and the abolishing of the Old Covenant (the Temple, the Priesthood, and the sacrifices), which were indeed done away with in 70AD when the Romans destroyed Temple stone by stone just as Jesus had said. If you're interesting in learning more about this, I wrote a book about it! It's available either as an eBook, or as a paperback.

READING THE BIBLE LITERALLY

One of the most obvious problems with Dispensational Futurism is that its predictions based on its interpretations have consistently been wrong. This undermines the credibility of the Bible in the minds of some. As a pastor, I want those whom God has charged me to shepherd to have good reasons to have confidence in the Bible so that when life's storms and difficulties come, they will find the comfort and peace of God in the words of Scripture. To achieve this I need to help my congregation to understand how to read the Bible. The goal is to read the Bible literally. But there are two types of literal reading. The first is  wooden literal where no allowance is made for metaphors, synedoches, idioms, allegories, parables, poetry, apocalyptic symbolism, perspectives, hyperboles, or narratives. The other type of literal is intended literal. This is where allowance is made for these types of literature and the goal is to discover what the author intended - not what the words the author used could mean.

A few years after my Understanding The Book of Revelation had been released, one interested reader in it (The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible) flew from Brisbane to Launceston to discuss it with me. For him, its contents were not merely theoretical. As I explained in The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible what the future holds for the believer according to the Book of Revelation, especially in the life to come, he shared with just why this was so important to him. He was dying! He had drawn great comfort from discovering that everything in the first 19 chapters of Revelation had been fulfilled whichgave him confidence that the remaining chapters would similarly be fulfilled. But, as this book had been out for a few years, he wanted to personally check if I still stood by its contents. I did and I do. This illustrates the immediate pastoral application of sound eschatology grounded in equally sound hermeneutics. This view is known as Preterism (as distinct from Full-Preterism which regards all prophecy as being fulfilled).

But this paradigm-shift came at a price. I was no longer able to hold ordination with the denomination I was serving in due to their emphatic Futurist Eschatological stance. However, it has been more than compensated for with untold dividends as many people have come to see why we have good reasons to believe what the God of the Bible has said in His Word. As I reflect on each of my three biggest pastoral paradigm-shifts, they have each arisen from a deep desire to faithfully serve God and His people by being faithful to His Word. 

¶ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Second Timothy 4:1-4

Ps. Andrew

Are We In The End Times?

Written by Dr Andrew Corbett, President of ICI Theological College Australia, and author of the popular commentary on the Book of Revelation- The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible, April 26th 2013

Wars, earthquakes, floods, and famines have long been considered the traits of what many believe to be the Biblical description of the "end times". Added to this is what many understand to be the predictions of increased apostasy, the rise in persecution, the deterioration of society's morals, and the increased compromise and lukewarmness of the Church. And surely, if these are the characteristics of what the Bible describes as the last days, we must be in the last days, right? But are we? And if we are, so what? And if we aren't, then what? But are we in what the Bible describes as the 'end times'?

¶ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty."
Second Timothy 3:1

WHAT ARE THE "END TIMES"?

The expression "end times" is used by Christians to describe a brief period immediately preceding the return of Christ to earth. The expression, however, does not actually occur in the Bible. Rather, expressions such as "the last days", "end of the age" are regarded as synonyms for "end times". The Bible presents a picture of our world as being subject to God's redemptive plan which climaxed in the coming to earth of the eternal Son of God as one of us and will culminate one day when He returns to judge the living and the dead (Rev. 20:12).

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
Second Peter 3:3

SIGNS OF THE "END TIMES"

[Read the Full Article]

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 26

Day 26

Revelation 19:1-9

[Rev. 19:1] ¶ After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, [Rev. 19:2] because his judgments are true and just. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and has avenged the blood of his servants poured out by her own hands!”[Rev. 19:3] ¶ Then a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever. [Rev. 19:4] The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”   

[Rev. 19:5] ¶ Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God all you his servants, and all you who fear Him, both the small and the great!” [Rev. 19:6] ¶ Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-powerful, reigns! [Rev. 19:7] Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. [Rev. 19:8] She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).[Rev. 19:9] ¶ Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

“Hallelujah!”

What is the primary purpose of the Church? Some claim it is evangelism. Certainly this is important, but it is not primary. Consider how much time the New Testament takes to call the Church to evangelise. Compared with everything else it says, evangelism (as important as it it undoubtedly is) is not considered the primary purpose of the Church.

In fact, it can easily be shown that evangelism is actually the result not the cause of the Church fulfilling it’s primary mission. 

The Church’s primary purpose is gloriously revealed in this passage and it is a timely reminder for us today who live a world too busy and too demanding to return to: worship God. 

Worship is not limited to, or merely the act of, singing a song in church. Worship is the expression of sincere surrender to God and acknowledgment of His supremacy in all things. Evangelism is a subset of worship because it calls people to surrender to God and thus turn from worshipping idols to worshipping the True.

One day we will stand in the presence of God and feel utter worship around us as we join the throng who roar and thunder their sheer devotion to Lamb seated on the throne. But today we can join with all heaven and be part of the privilege of worshiping God right where we are.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 25

Day 25

Revelation 18:1-24

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”
Revelation 18:20

The age old question, “Where is God when it hurts?” is answered here. In the midst of all the evil and suffering that these first century believers were assaulted with, their inevitable sense of divine abandonment must have been palpable. We are no less subject to this as well. Things go bad for us. When assumed that since we had given our lives to God that He would - He must - assure that things go well for us! But then life happens. We are subject to such futile things as opposition, strained relationships, sickness, loss, tragedy (Romans 8:20). But God never lets such futility go too far or for too long. Such things are designed to prepare His children for their glorious eternal destinies and through their persevering faith in God in the midst of these trials they are to reveal to the world the glory of God. 

The rejoicing charged here is not over the demise of their persecutors but over their vindication for declaring with their lives and testimonies that Jesus Christ was Lord. The instrument of demons had paraded as the holy instrument of God and saw their war against Christ’s apostles and prophets as doing God’s will, but God Himself would have the last word!

Let God have the last word in your life. Remember, many of the first century apostles and prophets laid down their lives in their attempts to reach out to the persecutors. They were honoring their Lord’s injunction to do so. So should we today. If we took this more seriously, we might find that increasingly our message about culturally sensitive matters may well be increasingly vindicated as well.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net/e-books

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 24

Day 24

Revelation 17:1-18

[Rev. 17:1] ¶ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, [Rev. 17:2] with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” [Rev. 17:3] So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.  [Rev. 17:4] Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality.[Rev. 17:5] On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”  [Rev. 17:6] I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her. [Rev. 17:7] But the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. [Rev. 17:8] The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come. [Rev. 17:9] (This requires a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: [Rev. 17:10] five have fallen; one is, and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. [Rev. 17:11] The beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. [Rev. 17:12] The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority as kings with the beast for one hour. [Rev. 17:13] These kings have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. [Rev. 17:14] They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.” [Rev. 17:15] ¶ Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. [Rev. 17:16] The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. [Rev. 17:17] For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. [Rev. 17:18] As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

What is the worst sin? Outright rejection of God? Apparently not. Apparently it is unfaithfulness - that is, when those who have entered into a covenant with God are unfaithful to God by worshiping idols. When Covenant-People pretend to be faithful while committing idolatry, they were charged with “prostitution” (Isaiah 1:21; Jer. 2:20). Because marriage is a divine picture of being in covenant with God, marital unfaithfulness is considered the worst sexual sin. If you are married, treasure your spouse and do not take them for granted.

Scholars have noted that the Prostitute of Revelation 17 is dressed in the garb of High Priest with some notable differences. Where the Old Testament High Priest had “Holy unto the Lord” (Exo. 28:36-38) across the band of his turban, this character has “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”

John reveals that this character was committing (spiritual) prostitution with surrounding nations and in particular the nation that ruled the world whose kings were ruling them. And while the Great Prostitute had been waging a war against the Lamb and His servants, this foreign king would soon join in fighting against the Lamb and His Church. He would be the sixth in a line of kings. He would only carry out his war for 42 months which is half of 7 years. Perhaps, there is a message here for John’s original audience. Seven speaks of complete. Three and half, whether stated in days or months, or even as “a time, times and half a time”, may well indicate incomplete. If so, then John is revealing that the persecution they were facing their political masters would not wipe them out - it would be incomplete. 

This is why Revelation 17:14 must have been far more than a quaint wall plaque for these mid-first century believers! While the beleaguered Church would have to endure a relatively short time of persecution and tribulation from two fronts, one religious and one political, John reveals that these enemies would suddenly become enemies of each other with the political persecutor brutally winning out. But the consoling revelation in this passage is that the Lamb will ultimately win out. It should still console Christ-followers today.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Identifying The 8th King In Revelation from leganamedia on GodTube.

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 23

Day 23

Revelation 15:1-8

[Rev. 15:1] ¶ Then I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed). [Rev. 15:2] ¶ Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. [Rev. 15:3] They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations![Rev. 15:4] Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name, because you alone are holy? All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous acts have been revealed.” [Rev. 15:5] ¶ After these things I looked, and the temple (the tent of the testimony) was opened in heaven, [Rev. 15:6] and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean bright linen, wearing wide golden belts around their chests. [Rev. 15:7] Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, [Rev. 15:8] and the temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and from his power. Thus no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues from the seven angels were completed.

Probably all of John’s original readers had a connection to a believer who died for their testimony of Christ. The tent of heaven is opened up before John and he sees these martyrs. They are not “lost”! They are utterly found! They enjoy a peace beyond comprehension (who can fathom how a sea could be as still as glass?) While they worship (which seems to an involuntary reflex response by those who enter God’s presence) seven plagues are about to be poured out. 

The first readers must have been vividly reminded of the last time seven plagues were poured out. It was Egypt. The Hebrews were oppressed. God's wrath against His people’s oppressors was being poured out to bring both vindication and redemption. John deliberately conjures this Biblical imagery to tell his readers something that soon happen. Those already in heaven are already rejoicing. They sing the song of Moses - the song of deliverance from oppression. Soon, these believers would also be rejoicing at their vindication. And the fact that we are discussing these matters at least two millennia later proves that they were.

May we pray that their song will indeed be realized that “all nations will come and worship” God. And may their song be at least partly fulfilled by our willingness to regularly worship together.

Andrew Corbett

http://www.andrewcorbett.net/home.html

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 22

Day 22

Revelation 14:6-20

[Rev. 14:6] ¶ Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, and he had an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. [Rev. 14:7] He declared in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!” [Rev. 14:8] ¶ A second angel followed the first, declaring: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city! She made all the nations drink of the wine of her immoral passion.” [Rev. 14:9] ¶ A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, [Rev. 14:10] that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. [Rev. 14:11] And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.” [Rev. 14:12] This requires the steadfast endurance of the saints—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to their faith in Jesus.[Rev. 14:13] ¶ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: ‘Blessed are the dead, those who die in the Lord from this moment on!’” ¶ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their hard work, because their deeds will follow them.”[Rev. 14:14] ¶ Then I looked, and a white cloud appeared, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man! He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. [Rev. 14:15] Then another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and start to reap, because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!” [Rev. 14:16] So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. [Rev. 14:17] ¶ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. [Rev. 14:18] Another angel, who was in charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes off the vine of the earth, because its grapes are now ripe.” [Rev. 14:19] So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the earth and tossed them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [Rev. 14:20] Then the winepress was stomped outside the city, and blood poured out of the winepress up to the height of horses’ bridles for a distance of almost two hundred miles.

Sometimes things have to get worse so they can better. In the midst of the eternal Gospel being proclaimed, a city described metaphorically as ‘Babylon’ has its true spiritual condition exposed. It prided itself as a ‘holy’ city (note how this great city is referred to Revelation 11:8). It was a city where much worship was transacted. But it is wrong worship for it focuses on the Beast introduced in Revelation 13:1. To participate in this idolatry, worshipers had to initially fool themselves that were actually worshiping the God of Abraham. They would wear the prescribed mark on their hands or between the “frontlets of their eyes” to look like they were worshiping the actual God of their ancestors.

John urged his original readers to endure and ‘keep’ the commandments of Christ (vs 12). Today, we need believers who can similarly endure. Following Christ is rarely a sprint and nearly always more akin to a marathon. It’s not the appearance of worship which constitutes worship - but the expression of actual surrender and devotion to God.

After the Old Covenant and its elements were done away with, those who died as faithful servants of God no longer went to the holding place of the dead but could now enjoy the blessing of entering fully into the Lord’s presence. Not only will those who die in the Lord enter in their rest, they will enter their eternal reward. Endurance in this life has eternal dividends! And who was more qualified to urge for Christian endurance than John? Today there seems to be too few who are qualified to urge fellow believers to endure. Perhaps one day you might be one? The journey to endurance starts where John started this section: Fear God, give Him glory!

Andrew Corbett

http://andrewcorbett.net/the-most-embarrassing-verse-in-the-bible/index.html

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 21

Day 21

Revelation 14:1-5 

[Rev. 14:1] ¶ Then I looked, and here was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. [Rev. 14:2] I also heard a sound coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, [Rev. 14:3] and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. [Rev. 14:4] ¶ These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, [Rev. 14:5] and no lie was found on their lips; they are blameless.

Throughout history no one has inspired more music, art or literature than Jesus Christ. And of those who have been creatively inspired by Christ none have been so inspired or so creative than those who have been redeemed by Christ! The 144,000 is a number that represents the redeemed. They are granted access to the presence of the One seated on the Throne of the Universe. The sound emanating from the Throne was a symphony of sublimely glorious music. Deep bass sounds so pure they sounded like loud thunder. High frequency tones which sounded like harps. And singing so heart-felt, that their deep gratitude to the One who had redeemed them was profoundly obvious. The lives of devotion, chastity and sacrifice which seemed so costly during their sojourn on earth, now seemed an infinitely small price to have paid compared to the wondrous ecstasy and consummate joy they were now basking in. As you draw closer to Christ don’t be surprised if you become increasingly creative and new songs arise in your soul. Proximity to the presence of God is the source of all true genuine artistic creativity.

Those who had died for Christ had not died in vain. They had followed the Lamb even to their deaths. Their deaths were avoidable - if they had only denied Christ, but “no lie was found in their mouth.” I once asked the General Manager of one of Australia’s largest companies why he was so successful at recruiting quality staff. He said that he hired on the basis of character first and competency third. In the interviews he would ask prospective employees a question: “Tell me about a time you paid a high price for doing the right thing.” As I pondered this question I realised that every Christian would be able to answer this question many times over because following Christ comes at a high price in a world devoid of character that more often than not rewards compromise and ridicules those who do right.

Were martyrs a sign of the Church’s doom? These original martyrs became the reason the Church survived! Tertullian wrote, “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” John describes them as “firstfruits”. Today we are the beneficiaries of their faithfulness. Hopefully in centuries to come future generations will be the beneficiaries of ours.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 20

Day 20

Revelation 13:1-14

[Rev. 13:1] ¶ Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. [Rev. 13:2] Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. [Rev. 13:3] One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; [Rev. 13:4] they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” [Rev. 13:5] The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. [Rev. 13:6] So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God—to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. [Rev. 13:7] The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, [Rev. 13:8] and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. [Rev. 13:9] If anyone has an ear, he had better listen! [Rev. 13:10] If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, then by the sword he must be killed. ¶ This requires steadfast endurance and faith from the saints. [Rev. 13:11] ¶ Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon. [Rev. 13:12] He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. [Rev. 13:13] He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people [Rev. 13:14] and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived.

This is perhaps the most contentious chapter in this Revelation. More speculation has been generated over the identity of this mysterious character known as “the beast” than any other mysterious figure in human history. With so much attention, it strikes me as odd that several obvious things are overlooked. Firstly, there are two beasts identified in this chapter. A ‘beast’ was an Old Testament expression for a godless ruler. The prophet Daniel establishes this. ‘From across the sea’ signifies that this particular godless ruler will not be from the (Promised) ‘Land’ (Israel). One of these two beasts is from across the sea. But the other beast is from the Land (Greek word, “ge”). Secondly, John states that with “wisdom” his readers could identify who the first beast is using the common practice of gematria (where letters have numerical value). It’s difficult to see how anyone in the first century, even with infinite wisdom, could know of any identity in the 21st Century! 

This makes me wonder about how people can overlook relatively obvious things, such as these two points I have just made. But perhaps this is how some people generally read the Bible - straining at minutiae details while missing the large and obvious. To read the Book of Revelation as if it were a prognosticator’s tea-cup filled with mysterious tea-leaves predictions about our future is perhaps to miss the grandest point that this Book is making: Jesus Christ is Lord. Beasts may rant and oppose, but Christ will be vindicated!

Those who oppose Christ, do so at their peril. Fighting against God has a certain inevitability about it. Fighting against His children has a certain and sure consequence to it! The original readers benefited from this truth. Modern readers can as well.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 19

Day 19

Revelation 12:1-17

[Rev. 12:1] ¶ Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. [Rev. 12:2] She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. [Rev. 12:3] Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. [Rev. 12:4] Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. [Rev. 12:5] So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, [Rev. 12:6] and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.
[Rev. 12:7] ¶ Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. [Rev. 12:8] But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. [Rev. 12:9] So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.
[Rev. 12:10] Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
the one who accuses them day and night before our God,
has been thrown down.
[Rev. 12:11] But they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
[Rev. 12:12] Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
[Rev. 12:13] ¶ Now when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. [Rev. 12:14] But the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time. [Rev. 12:15] Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood,  [Rev. 12:16] but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.  [Rev. 12:17] So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.

The expression “sun, moon and stars” is established with Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37. He saw the Sun, Moon and Stars bowing down to him and we are told that this represented his father Jacob (Israel), his mother, and his brothers - the earliest beginnings of Israel. Here after, when the prophets charged Israel with turning their backs on God they pick up this language and depict Israel with expressions like, “the sun no longer gives forth its light, the moon has been turned to dark, and the stars have fallen from the sky” (or parts of this expression, such as Isaiah 13:10; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:31). 

John presents us with picture of the birth of Jesus and the establishment of the church. After Christ ascended, the Devil unleashed hell (so to speak) against the Church to destroy it. But John shows that God had ordained to not only preserve His Church, but to nourish His Church. Trial and persecution may appear to be the time when God has abandoned His Church, but this revelation sees it quite the opposite! It’s during difficult times that God’s presence, protection, and preservation are most enlisted. It is in these times that God’s servants are actually most nourished (vs. 14). 

She was just a lowly girl. Yet she caught the attention of Heaven. She had no standing in the world of politics or government. Yet against her was mustered the entire hordes of Hell to destroy her and her Son. From obscurity to greatness. This was the story of Mary, Christ, and the Church. And yet the often untold story is the interaction of Heaven in ensuring that this story would actually be told the way it was scripted. And this could be your two-sided story as well.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net