Old Sandals

Revelation 19:6-8
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The righteous acts of the saints. Christianity is an incarnational religion. As such, it is often the case that seemingly opposite statements are, in fact, complimentary, but in a way beyond our finite ability to understand.

In the Holy Eucharist, we partake of wine (or juice) and bread. The bread is indeed bread, but it isn’t just bread. It is truly the resurrected body of our Lord. And the wine is indeed wine, but it isn’t just wine. It is truly the blood of the resurrected Lord of Glory!

Revelation 18:21-24
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

Babylon is a metaphor for all in this world that exalts itself above the Lord Almighty, and against His Christ.  That “Babylon” will be forever destroyed is certain, based on revealed truth.  When “Babylon” will be destroyed, and the glorious kingdom of Christ finally ushered in, has not been revealed.  God knows.

Revelation 17:9-10
Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.

What does all this mean? It seems impossible to understand. The big takeaway for me is that God is sovereign; He knows the end from the beginning; His judgement is just.

Revelation 16:1
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”

It is really hard to square the wrath of God with His mercy. God is Holy. God is Just. God is Love. God is full of mercy.

God help me.

Revelation 15:1
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

The God of the universe is a Father, having eternally begotten a Son, the same Word of God who became flesh. He is a kind and loving Father who is not willing that any should perish.

And yet we read here, as in many places in Scripture, of the wrath of God, at least once referred to as “the wrath of the Lamb”.

How is it that a loving Father who sent His own Son into the world to save it—the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world—should here be described as One about to pour out His wrath on the very ones for whose sins His Son, the Lamb, was sacrificed?

God’s love is a jealous love. The wrath of God is Love’s response to recalcitrant sinners who, refusing to repent, bring this wrath upon themselves.

Revelation 14:10-11
The wrath of God…is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. [They] shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.

This wouldn’t have to be!  God does not will it so; He has provided for the salvation of all, as the following verses testify:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

[God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:4

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 2:2

Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died, and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again….God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
II Corinthians 5:14-15, 19

By Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 1:20

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son…to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9

Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
I Timothy 2:6

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:1

Revelation 13:10
He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Violence begets violence. The strong man cannot remain strong indefinitely. The sword is not  almighty.

The LORD of hosts is Almighty. When He reigns as King over all the earth (O God, speed the day), there will be no more war.

Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

How very frightening! Who is able to stand against such a hateful foe?  If the Lord were not on our side. But He is on our side! A wonderful 19th century hymn written by Swiss pastor Edmond Budry expresses it well:

Thine is the glory
Risen, conquering Son.
Endless is the victory
Thou on earth has won.

The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.  Revelation 11:18

How encouraging to know that all of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation are comprehended in this verse, though we, to our discredit, may have accomplished very little for the kingdom of God.  Both the great and the small are here mentioned!

So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”  Revelation 10:9

The little book.  Take it.  Take and eat it.  Hide its words in your heart.  As good medicine, it may make your stomach bitter, but its healing effects are everlasting.