The long interlude

Sorry for the delay between times of writing. I wanted to spend time with my family and the nature of the generation of this blog is that it requires some quiet time. Since my wife put down her computer for 10 days which is a good thing, I helped by not having my nose to the screen either.

So, we have this interlude Rev. 7:1-17

The voice of God says, vs. 3 "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have marked the eservants of the our God with a seal on their foreheads."

trees-reminds me of Tolkein's 'Two Towers' wonder if he read this piece and added his environmental part of the story of trees participating in the redemption of Middle earth. (just a stray thought)

"until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."

In Jewish Shema "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord Alone" Deut 6: 4.
Deuteronomy talks about binding these words to one's hands and forehead. The Shema, "Hear O Israel...." is a symbol of faithfulness to law of God in Judaism.

Now in Revelation see the parallel "until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads." Instead of a box tied to one's head, there will be a seal, an indelible seal that cannot be removed. It is a Sharpie, permanent marker, to one's faith position. A brand, so to speak.

Ezekiel 9:4-6 gives the image of Passover of sorts where the one's who are marked, the one's who are tired of the corruption of Jerusalem, are saved while the one's unmarked are killed. John probably had this image in his mind as well.

Now, we will come in the book the infamous mark/number of the beast. John is playing the mark's of faithfulness vs. The mark of evil and corruption against each other. John is very black and white. There are the faithful and those who are not.

Finally, there is the recounting of the roster of the tribes.
First Israel is saved
then vs. 9 "After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne..."

John then sees the salvation of the Gentile world. It is not either/or. God's promises to the Jews is still honored but is expanded under this vision. The image of "no one could count" is a direct reference to Abrahamic promise that Abraham's offspring would be beyond measure, more than the stars or the grains of sands. John comes back to this promise later.

Finally vs. 17 "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd."
The people will be shephered by a Lamb.
That is God turning all the rules of this world upside down. A lamb will lead the people. God's vision of power and authority is strikingly different from ours. Who is it that conquers, not armies or generals, a lamb. A lamb will do it. In America, we have the largest military ever seen in the history of the world and what can conquer that military...one single slain lamb. Who has the power?

It is comedic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail had the killer bunny rabbits that is a good gospel image.

Good to be back and I hope you found this study enlightening. Revelation is easy for me to understand when I remember that John was rooted in the scriptures of his day the Old Testament. Knowing the themes of the Old Testament help one understand the New Testament.

joy,
Guido