A Final Post

 Good morning.

We did it! The entire New Testament in a year. that is quite a feat!

Thank you all for your dedication and work. It wasn't easy. Thanks for the comments and thoughts that made more do more research and work and that made me, at times, look at things from a different perspective! 

This platform was ok for Bible study, but it would have been great to have some of these discussions in person! I have no idea what the immediate future brings, but I am planning on some in-person Bible study times. Please pay attention to email.

A quick outline:

January- new member classes and orientation

February- maybe one of the minor prophets? Micah? Malachi? Haggai? Habakkuk?

March- Lent- maybe a book study?

May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas. Cherish the family you can be with. May Christ be with you all.

Peace+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 22

Good morning...our last one together! Can you believe it!?

Yesterday was such a beautiful day! Wonderful sunshine and pleasant temperatures outside. I did lots of church work (finish Blue Christmas, finish Christmas eve, start Sunday after Christmas). I am tired of thinking theology!

The beginning of this chapter is a description of the inside of the New Jerusalem followed by a closing from John in his epilogue.

The first thing John is shown by the angel is the River of Life that flows through the city. Water has always been associated with life and power and redemption. It flows directly from the throne of God- so it has to be good and pure and holy.

The Bible begins with the Tree of Life and it returns here at the end. A huge, beautiful tree that spans the river producing a different fruit each month- so time is measured in heaven. 12 fruits- 12 tribes- 12 apostles. 

The leaves will be used for healing of the nations- but God took away all pain and bad. Another translation for the original Greek "therapein" is health giving- so good health. The English word therapeutic is derived from it. 

And what joy- there will be no cure- no tension between people, no hate, no pain. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like! We will get to see God- face to face. The Jewish faith believes that a person will die immediately if they see God; that is why God is always hidden in a cloud or fire or behind a veil. Until now- then we will all see God. What does God look like?? Like Satan claimed his people with the mark of "666" on their foreheads, God's people will be recognized and claimed by God as God's name will be on their forehead.

These last closing lines are words from several different "people" (angels, John, etc) so it is hard to distinguish exactly who is saying what. John begins with an admonition from the angel that all this is true- and then Jesus comes in with "I am coming soon!"

Like before. John falls to the ground and begins worshipping the angel but is quickly chastised (again) by the angel! No created being is to be worshipped- only God. We are fellow servants with the angels!

It sounds as if the angel is saying to leaves these words open for people to read. Jesus is coming quickly, so there will be no time to change. Evil people will still do evil, good will still do good.

Again- Jesus with " I am coming quickly" There is quite a sense of urgency! Then the words, "repay according to everyone's works." Not this controversy again! I think the concept is that our faith will guide us to do works- the works don't save us, the faith does. But that faith is evidenced in the works we do??

The "dogs" will remain outside the city. Dogs in the New Testament was a reference by Jews to Gentiles, but (I am hoping) this means dogs as in people who do not believe, the morally impure.

Jesus then echos what the angel says and authenticates the words that John wrote. To the churches. To the people. To all. These words should not be hidden or covered up. Jesus offers words of comfort to come to the water, to drink, to be satisfied. 

Warning if you tamper with the words in Revelation! Not sure if these words are from Jesus or from the angel. In most red-letter editions, these words are on black type, indicating that they are not from Jesus. However, some do have them in red!

John closes with "Amen, come!" The Aramaic word "maranatha" means "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" That is what John is saying here! Grace...grace for all!

What a great year this has been. What a great experience!  I have really enjoyed our discussions and our challenges. I know I have learned so much from doing the research and from reading your comments. I have had my eyes opened some and have solidified my faith. Thank you!

More later!

Shalom+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 21

Yikes! Was it cold yesterday! Winter comes back and we are all so used to the weather we have been having that when we get "normal" temperatures- it seems cold! Nice morning now though!

Yesterday was a good day- Bible study, some church work, and then cookies and candy making with Sherri. And some outside time with Finn.

I can't believe we are almost done! It has been a long year but a good one!

And in this chapter- some good news....Finally- all things will be made new!

John sees and talks about a new heaven and a new earth-- a theme that has been the focus of many Hebrew prophets and mentioned quite often in the New Testament. In the original Greek, the word "kaine" is used and translated to "new"; kaine means fresh or new in character rather than new in chronology. It isn't just the next heaven and earth- it is better, it is fresh, it is exciting! Is this a spiritual/ religious newness or it is physically a new creation? Did God create a new earth, or did God refresh the one we are currently on? There are many discussions and controversies about this question! The sea is gone; in Judaic theology, the seas represent evil and is a separation from God- so it would make sense (to the Jewish congregations) that the sea is gone- evil is gone.  

A new Jerusalem comes down from the heavens; the old Jerusalem fell to the Romans, so there "needed" to be a new city. This one is fresh and beautiful; John uses the imagery of a beautiful bride getting ready for her wedding. The most beautiful thing anyone will see is their life partner coming to them down the aisle at their wedding. 

The home of God (the tabernacle in some translations) is now with people. There is no separation between God and people; God and people reside in the same place. God's purpose and goal has come to fruition- God and people dwelling together. The new Jerusalem is distinguished by what it does not have- tears, pain, mourning, death. 

God, the One sitting on the throne, then makes a declarative and authoritative statement, "I am making all things new!" John must have been so excited or astonished or in awe that he wasn't writing as God reminds him- "write this down!"

Completion. A to Z (alpha to omega), beginning to end- everything is now complete. We all know the life qualities of water; we all know the need for water. God states that the water of life is available to those that want. Do some people not want? I guess, because the lake that burns with fire and sulfur is also "offered" to people!

An angel from the plagues comes and takes John to "see the Lamb's wife". The Lamb's wife is Jerusalem- the new Jerusalem. John describes the beauty of the new Jerusalem- shining with the glory of God; the twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel- so all Jews are included. The foundations had the names of the twelve apostles- the foundation of the Christian church is the apostles- so all Christians are included.

One artist's image of the New Jerusalem

If we follow the dimensions of the city (it is the shape of a square): 1500 miles (it is about 1100 miles between Binghamton and Orlando FL- FYI). If we calculated the square footage- it would approximate the size of the moon! A cubit is the distance from longest fingertip to your elbow (about 18 inches); the wall was 144 cubits (which would equal about 216 feet tall)! Made of jasper, gold, sapphire...all precious stones- showing glory and holiness.

New Jerusalem
(Ryan Jeremy Leaver)

Shockingly, there is no temple! The temple is where God lived, and if God is present and resides with the people- then there doesn't need to be a temple! Another way to look at it- the entire city is the temple of God- since that is where God is now presently living! And if God is present, there doesn't need to be moon or sun since God's glory and brightness with shine enough! The people that remain on earth will be present with God and there will no longer be any evil or hate or fear. Only goodness!

This is good news my friends! Very good news!

The beautiful imagery continues tomorrow- our final chapter of the New Testament!

Have a great rest of the day. Tonight at 7PM Blue Christmas time at Little Meadows.

Shalom+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 20

 Good morning. I hope you all had a good weekend. What a strange weather weekend it was....so much rain (again) on Saturday followed by so much wind and cold on Sunday! I guess winter is here for a while!

We are close to the end of Revelation. There has been so much destruction and death and disaster. We have seen some glimpses of the triumph of good. And there is more to come. This morning we read about Satan being bound for 1000 years and his doom...good will win,

The angel that comes from heaven is not named, so we are unsure of who it is, but their task is to condemn Satan to a pit for 1000 years. Satan may be restrained- but what about his armies/ angels? Can we assume they are restrained too? Satan is chained in a bottomless pit. For a thousand years. Then what? Has the thousand years come? Where is Satan now? There are many commentaries about this "millennium", but we are still unsure exactly what John meant and where Satan is. What is the message for us? Is the thousand years literal or not? John says after the 1000 years, "he must be let out for a little while." Is that now?

Casting Satan to the Bottomless Pit
A World without Satan: What Will It Be Like? — Revelation 20:2-3 | Prayer A to Z (studyingprayer.com)

John then sees thrones- are these the same thrones of the 24 elders he has seen several times? These saints will reign for the same 1000 years that Satan is in prison. John also sees those that were martyred for Jesus. They survived- even if they didn't survive in earthly life. Christ is faithful to those that stood up for Christ...even to the end. They were resurrected, just as Christ was. 

I am troubled by the next verse. These martyrs are blessed in this first resurrection, but the "rest of the dead" did not come to life until later and were not blessed (vv 5-6). Why are not all the dead blessed?

After the 1000 years of Satan being in chains, he is released! Will there be another rebellion against God? Sounds like there may be some more battles to come?! Gog and Magog are enemies of Israel in Ezekial (38-39). This may be a symbolic reference to more troubles. Happily (?) fire reigns down from heaven and they are defeated- there is no real fight as it seems to be over before it has begun. Satan looses and is thrown into the fiery pits of hell. This is the last we see of Satan...thankfully!

John then sees a white throne with Jesus seated upon it; people are trying to escape this final judgement...but there is no escaping. "The books" are opened; the Book of Life was opened. The dead were judged by their works- what? I though it was more than works?! Didn't Paul preach/ teach about faith? Is it really works that we are judged on? Or is it more of looking at our relationship with God?

Death and Hades give up the dead. Death- the result of sin; Hades- the result of death is gone and those that were there are judged by the book. If they "pass" they are given salvation; if they fail- they are condemned to the second death- eternal life with Satan. 

This is a tough chapter. There are some disturbing images and thoughts. Where are we? Where am I? Where are the people I love? There are still so many questions. But, as I have said many times, we cannot over analyze Revelation or we lose the meaning of the story.  

Two more chapters- and they are both full of goodness and newness. 

Have a great rest of the day.

Shalom+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 19

 Wow! What a beautiful day we had yesterday?! I cannot believe the warmth and sunshine! Sherri had the day off so after I got some church work done, we harvested the tree. We took the top 8 feet of a 20-foot tree in our back field. It will be going up Saturday. Christmas is coming! Sherri and I are planning a day in Corning today- but will (hopefully) be back in time for the Christmas Party at Little Meadows!!

Finally, we get some good visions from John! Babylon, both the spiritual and commercial cities are destroyed. John hears a great multitude praising God. In Revelation 7:9-14 we saved a great multitude from the Tribulation; maybe these are the same "great multitude"?

"Hallelujah" is sung several times in this chapter. It is the Hebrew word for "Praise the Lord!" Remember, this was shouted to Jesus on his entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In the last chapter, the "friends" of Babylon mourned her fall; now God's people are praising God and celebrating the fall of Babylon. The great multitude focuses on the great works of judgement God has done for them. 

The multitude continues with the 24 elders and the 4 creatures join in. Loud, enthusiastic, heart-felt, emotional worship from these saved. If only our worship could mimic that?! Just imagine these words and the feeling of relief and love they feel and represent! The excitement! The power!

The "marriage of the Lamb" has come. Jesus has always been with humanity, but this new relationship will be more close- like a marriage between two loving and caring people. In Hebrew scriptures, the bride is represented by Israel; in New Testament scriptures, the church is represented as the bride. In biblical times, the marriage consisted of two events. The betrothal was the first event (think long-term committed engagement) and then finally the wedding- with a big multiday feast (v 9). The wedding is about to happen (so have the last 2000 years been the "engagement" period?). Are we ready for the wedding? How do we make ourselves ready? It is God's work in us that dresses us in the "fine linen, bright and pure" (v 8). We get assurances from the angel (v 9) that these are true words. 

In shock and awe (?), John falls to worship the angel and the angel responds with, "Hey, I am just like you!" Shouldn't John have known worshipping an angel was not the right thing to do? Or did he have a moment of over-excitement? It seems as the angel chastises John (v 10) as a result of this "blunder".

Jesus returns riding a white horse. Horses were modes of transportation for the kings; the white denotes power, purity, and victory. How appropriate that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a horse, and he rides into the new earth on a horse! 

The fire in Jesus' eyes represent that Jesus can see us through and through- there is nothing hidden from Jesus. The many (ten) crowns show that Jesus is King of all kings and nations. Usually a king wears just one, so when the King wears many, He is in control of many! One of the last times we saw Jesus, he had a crown of thorns. His robe is dipped or sprinkled with blood, maybe His from the crucifixion, maybe the blood of his enemies? The "sword in his mouth" is symbolic of the power of God's words; Christ conquers by the power of his words.

"The Return of Jesus"
(Todd Thomas)

Another angel "invites" John and the birds of the air to gather for the "great supper". This will be the final battle. he final battle between Satan and Jesus. Jesus, riding in on a white horse, will certainly defeat Satan (all the flesh that the birds will consume). 

This is the final battle of Armageddon. The final battle seems almost anticlimactic! The beast and his armies gathered together to wage war against Jesus, only to be thrown into the lake of fire (the beast) or be killed by the sword (the armies). The lake of fire is also a name for Hell. But I guess what did we expect?!

In the next chapter, an angel comes and binds Satan to hell- but only for 1000 years?!

On that note- have a good weekend! Possible snow tomorrow. It may begin to look like Christmas!

Shalom+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 18

 Good day yesterday. A few small errands, lectionary, and lunch at McCoys. The food was great, and I highly recommend their lunch menu! Good conversation and lots of chatter outweighed the dark gray rainy day we had!

This chapter announces the fall of Babylon. Is it the same Babylon as in chapter 17- some people say yes, some people say no. Some people say that the chapter 17 Babylon is a "religious" center, some say that the chapter 18 Babylon is a "commercial" center. I don't think it matters and maybe the two are somehow connected. This is a long chapter, but not much to comment on since it all seems quite logical!

The angel coming down is filled with the glory of God as seen in the shining of the angel and the angel announces (twice) that Babylon has fallen. The angel then briefly announces the faults of Babylon (idolatry, pride, greed, drunkenness to name a few!). The second angel comes and calls for the good people to depart from the ruins (see also the story of Lot in Genesis 19).  There are several stories that call people away from unrighteous cities.

One artist's rendition of the Fall

God will give to Babylon exactly what Babylon has given to God (vv 6+). The Hebrew texts frequently reference double paybacks- so God will double the vengeance to Babylon. The angel brings up Babylon's self-indulgence, pride, and avoidance of suffering. The end of Babylon will be quick and powerful because of all the evil there. 

Neighboring kingdoms will see evidence of the destruction (and they are probably just as guilty!). The fire will be so great that neighboring kingdoms will feel the heat. There are a few accounts of the fall of Rome (by fire), that the fire was so intense that it could be felt a few miles away. The merchants (of unnecessary and overly luxurious items) will mourn at the loss of their income. The people that would buy these items are all burned a destroyed anyway!. The ships that used to harbor at Babylon are all mourning at the loss of their port (but they also participated in the lusts of the city).

Rejoice says the angel (v 20). Should we rejoice at the judgement of others that is happening?

The angel then picks up a big millstone (see Matthew 18:6), announcing that this commercial, luxurious, sinful city will fall as quickly as the millstone did to the ocean bottom, There will be desolation- no music, no people, no power structures- nothing. 

Throwing the millstone in the seas
(Thomas Griffin)

The angel ends with an even more "real" reason for the fall of Babylon- the city aided in the shedding of blood of the prophets and martyrs. God is personally offended when God's people are harmed. 

That's it! Babylon is gone. The next chapter begins the praise in heaven and the return of Jesus. We are almost done!

Have a great rest of the day!

Shalom+
Pastor Paul

Revelation 17

 Wow! What another beautiful day we were blessed with yesterday! After a great Bible study, I spent most of the day running some errands and getting some last-minute things done. But I did have some time to get outside and (as my mom used to say) "get the stink blown off me"! Today looks like another good one! It is lectionary day for me and then lunch at McCoys! I have never been there, so I am excited! By the way- the sunrise this morning was beautiful!

This morning's sunrise!

Today's reading focuses on Babylon and the "Great Whore of Babylon". Babylon is mentioned about 300 times in the Bible; it is the second most named city after Jerusalem! Babylon was a real city at one time; it is associated with idol worship, lust, greed, and the persecution of God's people. In John's time, Babylon often referred to Rome.

Some backstory to "help" things?! Babylon was a religious city, but their religion was founded on Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod (great grandson of Noah). She claimed to have given birth to a son (Tammuz) without having intercourse who was called the Messiah. He was reportedly killed by a wild beast and then brought back to life a few days later. Story sound familiar?! Ezekial (8:4) protests worship of Tammuz.

Babylon is an international character, as she sits on many waters (v 1). This "woman" is a false religion that will persuade many nations to come to her idolatry. Remember- Rome at this time was a powerful international force that "persuaded" many people to follow their way. A powerful system (religious or otherwise) can make people "drunk" and they will follow them. This is Babylon- the false idol making people think she is the way to follow. 

The angel that John is with (one of the seven that poured out the plagues) takes him to the wilderness and John sees the whore (Babylon) riding the demon beast we met in 13:1- Satan, the Antichrist. She is associating with the Antichrist! Her riding shows that they are intimately associated- she is in control, yet still relies on the power of the beast. If you have ever ridden a horse- you know that feeling. You are in control yet dependent upon the power of the horse. She wears purple and scarlet- colors of royalty and splendor. Roman prostitutes often wore a headband with their name on it; this whore of Babylon had her name on her forehead! She is the embodiment of Satan's world and revels in the fact that people have spilled their blood (the martyrs).

"The Whore of Babylon"
1523, woodcut, Hans Burgkmair

John is amazed (v 6) at the pseudo-religious aspect of delighting in the blood of the martyrs! The angel goes on to explain who the whore is and who the beast is. The seven heads are related to the seven mountains; Rome and the Catholic papacy is identified here. Rome is known as the city of seven hills (mountains). Some see it as the seven kingdoms identified in 17:10. The majority of theologians see Rome and the Catholic church here. The early Roman Catholic Church wanted complete universal control of the world. The angel talks about the seven heads- each head represents a king or empire. The five kings that have fallen may have been the five Roman emperors that predated John or may have been the empires Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Meso- Persia, and Greece. One refers to Rome during John's time, and the one to come is the revival of the Roman empire (maybe??). The seventh king is the clearly the beast (Satan).

The angel then talks about the horns. There are 10. There is no clear idea who the ten are (some think the nations of the European Economic Community). Whoever these ten are, they will ally with Satan, the Beast and wage war on Jesus (the Lamb). The whore comes back wielding power and influence on all of these nations and kings. 

There is a turn of events though. The Whore has helped the beast, but once the beast gets what "he" wants, the Beast will destroy the whore.  Once Satan gains control, Satan will have no need for Babylon and will destroy Babylon. God will use the ten kings (the horns of the beast) to do God's will and destroy Babylon. Will God use an evil group to further God's goal?

The angel concludes by saying "that woman was the great city". Rome was the great city during John's time. Is this story prophesying the fall of Rome? Rome did fall eventually. Food for thought!

Some confusion here in this chapter, but an interesting read! Tomorrow we read more of the fall of Babylon!

Have a great day! Thanks for the hard work. I cannot believe we are almost done!

Shalom+

Pastor Paul