Archive for the ‘Revelation 21’ Tag
Above: The Tabernacle
Image in the Public Domain
Precious to God
NOT OBSERVED IN 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 147:13-21 (LBW) or Psalm 147:12-20 (LW)
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
John 1:1-18
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Almighty God, you have filled us with the
new light of the Word who became flesh and lived among us.
Let the light of our faith shine in all that we do;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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O God, our Maker and Redeemer,
who wonderfully created and in the incarnation of your Son
yet more wondrously restored our human nature,
grant that we may ever be alive in him who made himself to be like us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 19
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The people of God are precious to God. All people are precious to God, of course. I focus on the people of God in this post because that is the axis of the through line in the assigned readings.
The readings from Isaiah and the Psalms, in the context of the Babylonian Exile, speak of the vindication of the Jewish exiles. Reading the first portion of Psalm 147 augments this theme.
Ephesians 1:5 refers to God having predestined certain people through Jesus Christ “for adoption toward him.” Adopted children of God receive an inheritance. The audience in the Epistle to the Ephesians was Gentile Christians.
John 1:14, in the Greek text (not necessarily in most English translations) speaks of the Word (Logos) of God–Jesus–pitching a tent in humankind. This tent is the Tent of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9). John 1:14 contains echoes of Joel 3:7; Zechariah 2:10; Ezekiel 43:7; Sirach 24:8; and other passages.
When the Prologue proclaims that the Word made his dwelling among men, we are being told that the flesh of Jesus Christ is the new localization of the ancient Tabernacle. The Gospel will present Jesus as the replacement of the Temple (ii.19-22), which is a variation of the same theme.
—Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII (1966), 33
The verb meaning “to pitch a tent” or “to dwell” occurs also in Revelation 7:15 (to refer to God’s presence in Heaven) and in Revelation 21:3:
He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.
God is present among us. Do we notice? God may seem thoroughly camouflaged, given the way the world is. Yet God, who has long been present, will not depart. People are precious to God. Do we notice? Do we consider others precious to God? Do we think of ourselves as precious to God?
How we think of ourselves and others dictates how we treat others. This underpins the Golden Rule. This also underpins mutuality, a Biblical virtue.
So, how do we think of ourselves and others?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 16, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERTO DE NOBOLI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BERARD AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS IN MOROCCO, 1220
THE FEAST OF EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS, U.S. UNITARIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BUNNETT, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUANA MARIA CONDESA LLUCH, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PROTECTRESS OF WORKERS
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY RICHARD MATTHEWS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, ORGANIST, AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: New Jerusalem
Image in the Public Domain
Interim Times
JANUARY 1, 2024
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Koheleth advises us to eat, drink, and find happiness in work, for doing all of the above is a divine gift. And what is that work? Regardless of the particulars of vocations and avocations, that work, when it is what it should be, entails meeting the needs of people, to whom God has granted inherent dignity. The divine commandment of hospitality, as in Matthew 25:31-46, is part of Judeo-Christian ethics. Only God can save the world, but we can–and must–leave it better than we found it.
The end of Revelation (no “s” at the end of that word, despite Biblically illiterate additions of that letter) describes the aftermath of God’s creative destruction. By this point in the Apocalypse of John God has destroyed the old, corrupt, violent, and exploitative world order built on ego, might, and artificial scarcity. Then John sees a new heaven and a new earth. Then the Kingdom of Heaven described in the Gospel of Matthew becomes reality.
That event remains in the future tense. Until then we have work to do, for the glory of God and the benefit of our fellow human beings. May we go about it faithfully and find happiness in it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time,
and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love.
Grant that in the new year we may know your presence,
see your love at work,
and live in the light of the event that gives us joy forever
–the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 63
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Psalm 8
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/interim-times/
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Above: Massacre of the Innocents, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Image in the Public Domain
The Unfortunate Cheapness of Human Life
DECEMBER 28, 2023
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Jeremiah 31:15-17
Psalm 124
Revelation 2:13-18
Matthew 2:13-18
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Christmas is supposed to be a happy season, right? Yet darkness exists within it. Consider, O reader, the sequence of three great feasts: St. Stephen (December 26), St. John the Evangelist (December 27), and the Holy Innocents (December 28).
The kingdom of the Earth has yet to become the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Thus we read of exiles in Jeremiah 31. Then we read the plausible story of the Holy Innocents in Matthew 2. Herod the Great, we know from both Biblical and extra-Biblical sources, was a disturbed and violent man who had members of his family killed. One need not stretch credibility to imagine him ordering the murder of strangers, even young children. Reading the story from Matthew 2 then turning to Psalm 124 creates a sense of jarring irony; one is correct to wonder why God did not spare the Holy Innocents also.
On another note, the account of the Holy Innocents provides evidence for the Magi arriving when Jesus was about two years old. According to the Western calendar, as it has come down to us, Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E., placing the birth of Jesus circa 6 B.C.E. I prefer to use the term “Before the Common Era” for the simple reason that speaking and writing of the birth of Jesus as having occurred “Before Christ”–six years, perhaps–strikes me as being ridiculous.
Back to our main point, while admitting the existence of morally ambiguous and difficult scenarios with only bad choices, and in which doing our best cannot help but lead to unfortunate results….
Human life is frequently cheap. From abortions to wars, from gangland violence to accidental shootings and crimes of passion, from genocidal governments to merely misguided policies, human life is frequently cheap. The innocent and the vulnerable suffer. People who are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time suffer. May God have mercy on us all, for each of us is partially responsible, for merely being part of the social, economic, and political systems that facilitate such suffering.
The kingdom of the Earth has yet to become the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Only God can make that happen. We mere mortals can and must, however, leave the world better than we found it. We can and must do this, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod.
Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims;
and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and
establish your rule of justice, love, and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Jeremiah 31:15-17
Psalm 124
Revelation 21:1-7
Matthew 2:13-18
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), page 143
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https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/feast-of-the-holy-innocents-december-28/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/the-unfortunate-cheapness-of-human-life/
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Above: The Fiery Furnace
Image in the Public Domain
Proclaiming God Among the Peoples
DECEMBER 10, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Daniel 3:19-30
Psalm 57:8-11
Revelation 11:15-19
Luke 1:5-20, 57-66
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Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp;
I myself will waken the dawn.
I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD;
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
–Psalm 57:8-11, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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In Revelation 11 we read the announcement that
Sovereignty over the world has passed to our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever.
–Verse 15b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Nevertheless, we must wait until Chapter 21 for that sovereignty to become apparent.
The sovereignty of God is indeed a challenging concept. In the Gospels the Kingdom of God is already partially present. The Roman Empire and its agents, one of whom goes on to order the execution of St. John the Baptist, born in Luke 1, is fully present.
Truly bad people who wield authority always seem to present somewhere. Nebuchadnezzar II, hardly a nice man, is a figure of ridicule in the Book of Daniel. He is fickle and seems unaware of the extent of his authority at times. He is willing to send people to die for refusing to serve the gods, so how nice can he be? He, as monarch, can change the law, too. Later in the Book of Daniel (Chapter 4) he goes insane. Also troubled and in one of the readings (sort of) is King Saul, a disturbed and mentally unwell man. The not attached to Psalm 57 contextualizes the text in 1 Samuel 22-24 and 26, with David leading a group of outlaws while on the run from Saul. In the story David saves the life of the man trying to kill him. (Aside: Chapters 24 and 26 seem to be variations on the same story. The Sources Hypothesis explains the duplication of material.)
One might detect a certain thread common to three of the readings: The lives of the faithful are at risk. That theme is implicit in Luke 1. God will not always deliver the faithful, hence the martyrs in Revelation 14. The sovereignty of God will not always be obvious. But we who claim to follow Christ can do so, by grace, and proclaim God among the peoples in a variety of circumstances.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 29, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS BOSA OF YORK, JOHN OF BEVERLEY, WILFRID THE YOUNGER, AND ACCA OF HEXHAM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY REES, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF LLANDAFF
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/04/29/proclaiming-god-among-the-peoples/
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Above: The New Jerusalem
Image in the Public Domain
The Kingdom of God
DECEMBER 28, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son
to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.
By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 54:1-13
Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-7
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Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,
old and young together.
Let them praise the Name of the LORD,
for his splendor is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants,
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Hallelujah!
–Psalm 148, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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God will dwell among mortals, we read in Revelation 21:3. The context of that statement is a prediction of the fully realized Kingdom of God. The partially evident Kingdom of God has been present on the planet since at least the time of Jesus, who was God dwelling among mortals. That is one of many reasons to praise the LORD.
The existence and love of God do not indicate the absence of suffering and judgment. In the pericope from Isaiah 54, for example, divine grace follows divine judgment. Sometimes we mere mortals must suffer the temporal consequences of our sins. God still loves us, though. Do we learn from our errors and love God?
As one thinks, so one is. Only God can usher in the fully realized Kingdom of God, but we can, by grace, love God fully and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We can, by grace, make (more) evident the partially realized Kingdom of God in our midst. And we can, with regard to our communities, societies, nation-states, and planet, by grace, pass the “leave it better than you found it” test.
December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. They because King Herod the Great was mean, afraid, and paranoid, and because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, the planet has never lacked murderous tyrants during all of recorded history. The existence of such bad people points to the partial realization of the Kingdom of God. We do, however, have a realistic hope of the fully realized Kingdom of God in the future. Will we cling to that hope?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 23, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 16: THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN COPELAND, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/the-kingdom-of-god-3/
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Above: New Year’s Eve, Sydney, Australia
Calendars are of human origin, and therefore artificial. Yet they are useful in marking time and providing temporal milestones. December 31 and January 1 are two of the more useful temporal milestones, for they mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, respectively. These are excellent times to reflect on what has past and what might follow.
My hope and prayer for everyone is that the year that follows will be better than the one that has expired. My standard for “better” is God: What does God want for you? May you have that. May you come nearer to where you ought to be (in every way) than where you are now.
KRT
Written on September 7, 2010
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From Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events in our lives you bless us with your love. Grant that in the new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live in the light of the event that gives us joy forever–the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Psalm 8
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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