Saturday 19 April 2008
- Bible Book:
- Revelation
"They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." (v.16-17)
Background
The book of Revelation is one of the strangest in the Bible.Many people find the imagery hard to cope with. It is apocalypticlanguage - speaking of amazing events which will happen in thefuture.
Revelation was written to those Christians experiencing persecutionat the time and it was intended to encourage them in theirsuffering so that they would remain faithful.
The writer, John, is pictured as being there in God's presence andsurrounded by a vast group of white-robed people. John is asked whothey are and one of the elders replies that they are the ones whohave come through the great ordeal. They have overcome thesuffering thrown at them.
The vision of the Lamb there at the centre, and in whose blood theyhave been washed clean, stands as a great symbol of the sufferingof Jesus, whose death and resurrection we celebrated just a fewweeks ago. There is a lovely mixed metaphor in which the Lamb isactually the shepherd (verse 17).
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep. He is also theLamb who died for all and who is reigning and giving hope to allwho turn to him.
To Ponder
How does it make you feel knowing that we can bewashed clean in Jesus' blood?
How else would you picture the hope that thegospel proclaims - the hope that all will be well in God'stime?