The
description of God in Revelation gives us the connection to the God we can call
on as Father, as Brother, and as Comforter. Through the imagery of the One who
sits on the throne, the One who stands before the throne, and the Spirit who is
pictured in a variety of ways throughout the opening scenes of this glorious book,
Jesus’ servants are given something that helps our persevering faith in everything
else we have been taught about the New Testament Church.
The
same Savior we see taking children on his lap, putting his hands on them and
blessing them,[1]
is seen as the Lamb who had been slain, standing before the throne of God,
taking the scroll from the Father’s right hand, breaking the seven seals, and
opening the scroll so that all the words of God are fulfilled, just as
promised.[2]
In
other words, the picturesque visions of God in the Revelation do not contradict
the shepherdly, “God with us”[3]
nature of Jesus as revealed in the gospels. Rather, the Revelation gives us all
the more reason to believe that everything we know and love about Jesus Christ
as revealed in the Scriptures can be trusted because, along with him being the
Great Physician, the Gentle Shepherd, the Lover of our Souls, he is the King of
kings and Lord of lords who will never allow any other king or lord to keep him
from being all he is to us, or keep us from experiencing all that he has for us.[4]
If
this were not true, that Jesus’ name is above every other name,[5] and
his throne above every other power, dominion, or authority,[6]
there would be no security that we would always enjoy the shepherdly love-relationship
with Jesus already revealed. To have a Shepherd who takes his lambs in his
arms, and carries them close to his heart,[7]
but could not stop the thief from stealing, killing and destroying his flock,[8]
would leave us constantly terrified of thieves, wolves, and roaring lions
destroying the loving fellowship of our Savior and King.[9]
If
there could always be a greater name than the one given to Jesus, or a greater
King than the One who sits on the throne, or some beast that could come in and
wipe out the church, or some red dragon that could devour the offspring of the
woman,[10]
then the church would never have the security that Jesus could truly shepherd us
through the valley of the shadow of death,[11]
or that he could make us more than conquerors through his conquering love.[12]
There would be no certainty that we were safely held in his hands if it were possible
for someone greater to come and snatch us out of his hands.[13]
So,
while Jesus’ brothers find comfort in such revelations of Jesus Christ as the
Shepherd of Psalm 23, the Savior of Isaiah 53, and the Great High Priest of
Hebrews, the one who is not ashamed to call us his brothers,[14] we
welcome the book of Revelation as God’s assurance that none of these will ever
change. God the Father sits on the throne,[15] Jesus
Christ breaks the seals and opens the scroll so that all God’s plans and purposes
for his people are fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus Christ
who is with us to the end of the age.[16]
No one can stop them from carrying out their plans and purposes for their people,
so the book of Revelation tells us that we can carry on enjoying them the way
they are revealed in the rest of Scripture.
We
are to take the powerful, conquering visions of God in the Revelation to heart
so that we will keep trusting God no matter how bad things look around us. It
does not matter whether the world looks like one big beast, antichrist, or
false prophet. It does not matter whether the world appears to be filled with kazillions
of little red dragons all doing their father’s will. It doesn’t matter whether
we are surrounded by churches that all appear to be captivated by the wiles of
the prostitute. The fact remains that Jesus still knows who are his, and will
not fail to gather us to himself on that great day of his return.[17]
In
a sense, the book of Revelation says to our souls, “See the one who takes the
lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart? He alone has the name
that is above every name. He alone is the one that every other tongue will
confess as Lord. To him alone will every other knee bow in submission, to the
glory of God who sits on the throne.[18] So,
come to him all you who are weary and burdened, and let him give you rest for
your souls.[19]
Come to the one who is ‘God with us’, for, by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit,
he is with you still.
“Come
into the arms of the Shepherd who holds you, who keeps you in his hands, who
writes your name on his scroll,[20] for
no one can take away from you anything that God has given you in his Son. Be
sure that the enemy will try, and will try to convince you he is able to
destroy the work of Christ in you, but let the book of Revelation assure you
that such a thing will never happen. God has told us what he will do for his
children, and the Triune will make it so because they are fully able to what
they have decided.”
From
my heart,
Monte
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1]
Mark 10:13-16
[2]
Beginning in Revelation 5
[3]
Matthew 1:23
[4]
Revelation 17:14; 19:16
[5]
Philippians 2:9
[6]
Ephesians 1:20-23
[7]
Isaiah 40:11
[8]
Cf John 10:10
[9]
I Peter 5:8
[10]
Revelation 12:1-6
[11]
Psalm 23:4
[12]
Romans 8:37
[13]
This, of course, is impossible, as promised in John 10:28-29
[14]
Hebrews 2:11
[15]
Revelation 4
[16]
Matthew 28:20
[17]
Matthew 24:29-31
[18]
Philippians 2:5-11
[19]
Matthew 11:28-30
[20]
Malachi 3:16-18
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