God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. … My sermon is based on our second reading (Revelation
1:4-18). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now
that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we
listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply
as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
In 1983, I spent
six weeks studying Polish language and culture in Lublin, Poland. We travelled
at the beginning of the program and on the weekends, but most of our time was spent
in Lublin learning the language, history and culture of Poland. After four
weeks, a few of us decided to go see a movie. The movie we chose? Escape
from New York. As we waited in line to purchase tickets, a young Polish man
asked us, “Are you here to learn English?” I answered, “No. This is the only
movie that’s playing.” Of course, Snake Plissken did not speak Polish; the
movie was dubbed with subtitles.
I mention Escape
from New York because it is on lists of the best apocalyptic movies along
with the Mad Max, Matrix and Planet of the Apes series. This
genre of movies does not so much match the primary definition of the word
apocalypse – something viewed as a prophetic revelation – but does skirt on the
latter definitions – a large, disastrous fire or a great disaster.
The origin of
apocalypse comes to us from the Greek apokalyptein meaning to uncover,
disclose or reveal. Apo means off or away from, and kalyptein means
to cover or conceal. Apocalypticism is the belief in an imminent end of the
present world (from 1858). Apocalypse is also the title we give to Revelation.
Today, I would
like to spend some time on the difference between public and private
revelation, and John’s letter to Christians of the first century. Since we will
be reading through it during the Easter Season, I will address various themes
and topics along with examining the passage for the day.
Revelation is
communication of some truth by God to humans through means which are beyond the
ordinary course of nature.[1] God speaks to His
creatures through angels or prophets – Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Malachi – or even
a dream. The essence of revelation is that it is the direct speech of God to
man. What God reveals may be a mystery that we fail to understand based solely
on human reason, but revelation is not restricted to this. God may use
supernatural means to affirm truths about natural laws, the mysteries of our
faith or how to worship God (as opposed to worship through natural religions).
There are public
revelations, which are contained in the Bible and transmitted by the Church.
These ended with the preaching of the Apostles. There are also particular or
private revelations which constantly occur among Christians. For example, last
weekend, Cindy and I saw the movie, Father Stu. There are a couple of
private revelation scenes that he experienced. Private revelations mean
something for the recipient, and hopefully, are not misinterpreted, but none of
them are binding for other Christians. A private revelation and my strong
calling to be a pastor is not yours. A word that an individual receives to be a
missionary is not for anyone else.
Now, what about the
Book of Revelation? It is the last book in the Bible, but it is a letter and
not a book. By letter, I don’t mean a private letter that you may receive from
a loved one or your attorney. Those are meant for your eyes only and should not
be read in the same vein as Revelation.
This letter was
written to the churches of Asia. In verse three, we read, “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.” It was read
aloud in the gathered community of faith who offered praise and prayers to God.
Imagining this letter being read to a congregation might be like a group of
people who gathered to listen to the original radio broadcast of Orson Welles
on October 30, 1938. A public reading of Revelation evokes feelings comparable
to those evoked by the public reading of War of the Worlds.
Like most letters,
this one has an author and a particular group of readers. Now, without debating
the identity of the author (most agree it is John who wrote the Gospel and
three Letters), why did John depart from his earlier style and write
apocalyptically? Why not address the churches as Paul did to the Philippians or
Corinthians? To answer that, let’s briefly examine the audiences.
The letter is
addressed to seven churches in modern Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. These churches were established by
Paul and his co-workers during the fifties of the first century. Pauline
Christianity was well established by the time this letter was written, and
Ephesus was the center of Paul’s work.[2] Colossians 4:16 instructs Christians
to read his letter in the church of the Laodiceans. Like others, these two were
established congregations following Paul’s teaching.
What happened that
John found it necessary to address these congregations forty years later? A
lot. First, Rome suppressed an uprising in Jerusalem between 66-70 A.D. People
were displaced. Jews and Jewish-Christians migrated to Turkey and settled among
these cities. Because the Temple and religious authorities were then destroyed,
Jews began to question their identity and ask what it meant to be a Jew.
Christians got caught up in these conflicts.
Jews and
Christians began referring to Rome as Babylon since Rome besieged and destroyed
Jerusalem just as the Babylonians did centuries before.[3] We find this in the
closing of First Peter, “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen,
sends you greetings.”[4]
The people of the
Roman Empire lived through other wars. The Romans were defeated by the
Parthians (62). They fought rebels in Gaul (68) and Germania (69). If the
people were not impacted by wars, they were by several famines. And in 79,
Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii and other neighboring towns creating a
cloud of darkness throughout the Mediterranean.
Pagans came to
terms with this by turning to philosophy, their own religions and superstition.
Christians pondered what it meant in such a cataclysmic world to claim that God
was sovereign and that Jesus was his anointed king.[5]
Another problem
Christians faced was suspicion. They were considered adherents to a sect that
appealed primarily to lower classes, a sect that had no history or glorious
institutions. Instead of public buildings, Christians met in private homes on
days that were not a public holiday and were suspected to be unpatriotic. When
they spoke of eating and drinking Christ’s Body and Blood, people thought they
were cannibals. Their practice of love was grossly misunderstood. Their leader was
crucified by the government as a rebel and an enemy of the state. Because they
attracted so many slaves, Christians as a group held no political power. Unlike
the pagans, they worshipped no “gods,” and were thus seen as atheists. Suspiciously
viewed as outsiders, Christians soon considered themselves outsiders.
Christians were
victims of mob plundering and violence. In Hebrews we read, “You had
compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your
property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an
abiding one. … In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding your blood.”[6] In First Peter, we read, “If
you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of
glory and of God rests upon you. … Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let
him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”[7] Peter later exhorted
Christians to resist their opponent, the devil, and to be firm in their faith, “knowing
that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood
throughout the world.”[8] Beset with all these
troubles, isn’t it easy to understand why Christians began to ask, “Who are
we?”
Even though
Christians considered themselves the true Israel of God, since Abraham was the
father of all who believed, this perspective was not shared by the Jews. When
Christians sought the same protection from the Roman Empire that was afforded
to Jews, they were rejected by both Jews and Gentiles. This influenced John’s
prophetic response. But wait, there’s more! Before I move onto today’s passage,
next week I will begin with persecution and emperor worship.
Looking at our
passage, we see that revelation comes from God the Father. By writing “him
who is and who was and who is to come,” a reminder of how God
identified Himself to Moses in Exodus (3:14), he states that God is continually
present now, as he was in the past and always will be in the future.[9] He also emphasized that
the Father is the first among equals. This is a theme that runs throughout
Revelation.
The seven spirits
are a reference to the Holy Spirit. In biblical thought, the number seven
symbolizes God. It is the sum of the number three, which symbolized God, and
the number four, which symbolizes creation. Seven symbolizes the God of
creation. Because God rested on the seventh day, the number is used to refer to
perfection, completion and holiness, especially in reference to God’s
activities and creative works. John wrote of the seven stars, lamps, horns and
eyes. Through these, God is present with his creation through the sevenfold
presence of his Spirit. The seven
churches, then, are under the spirit of God.[10]
Revelation also
comes from Jesus Christ, the conqueror of death and ruler of the kings of the
earth. Jesus was faithful in his messianic mission and went to his death, but
was the first to rise from the dead. John described him as the one who set
people free from their sins and made them a kingdom for God. This kingdom of
priests offers worship through Christ to God the Father by the Spirit.
This explicit
referencing to the Trinity is like an imprimatur on the entire Bible because
there will not be another word spoken until Christ comes at the end. All God’s
people must listen for the time is near – the time of judgment, but more
importantly, the time of blessing in the presence of the exalted Christ.
The overarching
message of Revelation is: “Remain true to your call. Give no ground to the
forces of evil. The challenges and sufferings you face are daunting, but a
share in the Lord’s permanent victory is guaranteed for everyone who
perseveres.”[11]
So, how does
Revelation apply to our lives today? We may not live under the curse of war, as
do Christians in Ukraine. We may not live in the grasp of a regime that overtly
oppresses Christians, as people do in North Korea, China, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Nigeria, Libya or dozens of other countries.
This, however, is
what I see. Recall that I started this sermon by telling a story that happened
nearly 40 years ago, That’s the span of time between Paul’s letters and John’s
revelation. As changes occurred in those seven churches during a period of 40
years, changes have occurred here too. There has been an outright attack to
destroy the family, fatherhood, marriage, biological gender and life itself. Christians
know that we fight against a closed system that ignores, maligns or suppresses competing
data. Corporate America, including Disney, bullies or railroads any opposition.
Power and control are the emphasis, not debate, real science or reason. For
instance, in 2021, worldwide there were 3.5 million deaths attributed to Covid
19, and 43 million abortions.[12] While both are tragic,
abortion is preventable, but sadly it is the choice some make and others
celebrate.
Folks, take heart.
During Lent we considered Christ’s words of encouragement to His disciples. We
read how He comforted them and told them that His death was not His final act
but, His victory over the powers of darkness. All this was done that in Jesus
we might have peace in God's Son who overcame the world for us.
In a world filled
with tension and uncertainties, God steps into our lives. The revelation John
passed along to the seven churches – that Jesus is God's faithful Witness, the
Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of kings on earth – is God's message for us,
too. Jesus will come again—in God's time. This is what the early churches
needed to hear – that the One who “freed us from our sins by His blood
and made us a kingdom” is coming back. When He does, He will take us to
live and be with Him forever.[13]
Friends, as you
live in this world, know that evil takes on many forms today and in the future. The devil is
not limited in his ways to persuade people from heeding God’s message, but he
cannot overcome what Christ did for us, does for us, and will do for us. Do not
live fearfully, but hopefully. As you do, may the peace of God that surpasses
all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the Risen Lord.
Amen. Alleluia!
[2] M.
Eugene Boring, Revelation. Louisville: John Knox Press (1989), pp. 8f. See Acts
19.
[3]
Boring, p. 10. See 2 Kings 25
[9] Louis
A. Brighton, Revelation. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1999), p. 40.
[11]
Joseph A. Mindling, “Reading Revelation: How to read—and not read—the Bible’s
most puzzling book,” The Word Among Us. www.wau.org.
[12]
Carrie Gress, “Second-Wave Feminists Pushed The Sexual Revolution To End
America, And It’s Working,” The Federalist, April 19, 2022.
www.thefederalist.com.
[13]
Paul Schreiber, “From then until Now,” Lutheran Hour Ministries Dail Devotion,
April 20, 2022. www.lhm.org.
