Saturday 21 June 2014

Background

The Revelation of John is concerned with the kingdom of theworld becoming the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. It deals withthemes of worship and power. It is full of amazing and astonishingimagery which grabs the imagination, the spirit and ouremotions.

The Book of Revelation is clear that we must let God be God. God isholy and our response to that holiness should be awe and wonder. Soit follows that God's reign on earth promises that we can encounterthe holy God around us on the earth. We must be prepared to besurprised to meet the holy one in all kinds of places - a stable atBethlehem, on a cross on a town dump outside Jerusalem, in thefaces of the people we love and those who are different fromus.

The faithful ones in this passage know two things about God andhuman beings. The faithful know that God is holy and that allnations will come and worship God.

This godis for all, in all,and all will worship this god. In comingto worship God, one nation will meet another, not in difference butin common purpose. The faithful people this passage mentions praiseGod for what God has done and for God's justice to all.

Faith in God has often separated people through division anddisagreement. But in John's vision, God unites people and nationsas they worship, filled with awe and wonder. Part of their unitycomes from their profound awareness that this god whom they havemet is not like them. God's ways are not their ways, God's thoughtsare not their thoughts and God's strength is not their strength.Their response to realising the gulf between themselves and theirlives and the greatness of God is to worship.

The faithful have known plenty of kings and rulers who are not justand true, but God is known and trusted. They have been saved byGod's power and they offer their thanks and praise in worship.

To Ponder

• What does it mean to be holy?

• Do you know a person you would describe as holy? Why would yousay that about them?

• If you are a Christian, when did you last worship God? Wherewas it?