THE MEGA POST! that no one will read.....

I'm back! Well I didn't really go away, just busy movin. Which I must say, it is way nice to be back, to have a clean apartment, to not have three desks in the living room (I'm trying to get rid of mine). Also I'm in the thick of VBS planning. Honestly the Berean kids are great joy but also one of my biggest burdens. I'm a bit relieved to not have to give any more lessons until October, but I am leading praise for the rest of Sept after retreat. Goodness. I am super excited about retreat! I'm super excited about collegians coming back! I'm super excited to hang out with my (ex)small group!

I've been trying to organize my life so that I can be efficient with my time and money (since those are the two things adults seem to handle the most). I've been trying to make my time with people and by myself intentional and profitable. I think thats a reason why I'm glad to be back at rancho. I didn't feel at home at turtle rock because I knew I wasn't going to stay long. But now I feel like I have more stability and consistency in my life, which I hope lends itself to a more stable and consistent(ly growing) relationship with God.

Anyway, thats my quick update since I haven't been posting since posting (or not) my Rev study. But ya, back to that, I have a lot to cover.

Rev14:6 - 16:21

Okay first Rev 14:6-13

This is a really cool section of Revelation because this is the build up to the end. Its really cool too because it illustrates how awesome God is. When I walk into a room there is no song, or marked followers, angels announcing anything, or really anything to precede the awesomeness of my entrance. Ya.... I'm not awesome haha.

There are three angels with three messages to give before God busts onto the scene. The first proclaims an "eternal gospel" demanding the nations to fear, give glory, and worship God. The second angel announces that Babylon is fallen, a major enemy to Israel. The last angel announces that all who worship the beast will suffer eternal torment. Last the passage ends with an exhortation for the saints to persevere.

Short analysis and reflection (because I'm doing like 4 passages...). The first angel is explaining the person of God that the world had rejected. I suppose, if you do not have a relationship with God like a Christian does, then you can not know who he is or how to respond to Him. So here it is; fear Him, give Him glory, and worship Him! The second angel lets us know that enemies to Israel are enemies to God, even if He used them in His sovereign plan. There will be justice and God will be righteous. Those who don't accept the grace bought with Christs blood will be held accountable for all their evil. Also noteworthy is that Babylon was not a power at the time this book was written (actually the Roman Empire was in power) which could mean all enemies of Israel or of God, or perhaps Babylon or a form of it will rise to power again, perhaps under the rule of the beast. I guess considering the third message, Babylon might likely be a particular nation because the third message includes all who follow the beast, THAT would be all the enemies of God. And here, the angel reitterates that their punishment for their sins and rebellion will be eternal. Verse 11, "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night...." But there is a concession that following God requires endurance (especially in the midst of persecution). Yet that endurace is rewarded with rest! Cool huh!

mmkay next... aish....

Rev 14:14-20 The Harvest of the Earth

So one like the son of man appeared on a cloud with a sickle to which an angel affirmed that the earth was ripe! So He reaped the earth. That would be Christians. The word for ripe here actually reffers to grain, which is different from the ripeness of a grape. This son of man is very obviously Christ, who first came to sow, and will return again to reap. But there is a second reaper. This reaper is identified as an angel, having power over fire. This angel will reap the ripe grapes (again different from the ripe grain) and put them in the winepress where they will be crushed. Now it doesn't take much imagination to see that Christians are the grain and non-christians are the grapes, and in being either, I'd rather not be crushed. The grapes will be crushed in the winepress until blood runs from it as high as a horses bridle.

Quick reflection. Christ will come, be assured of it, and he will gather to himself those that belong to Him. To be honest, being reaped does not sound like fun, but being with Christ? Now thats worth getting sickled. At least I'm not being crushed after being reaped. And honestly, not like it matters, but they don't even get reaped by Christ, but by an angel. Simply being the grain is awesome, being grapes sucks. Grapes get crushed till blood flows as high as a horses bridle. I don't think many people know this, but I used to have a horse (name wimpy, she had one eye). Anyway, if you've ever ridden a horse you realise that the bridle is pretty stinkin high, like 5ft high or more.

Rev 15 The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

Looking down on earth, as if on a ceiling of glass, are those in heaven who had conquered the beast. And they sang and played harps, singing the song of Moses. vs 3-4

"Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almight!

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Then the angels came out of the sanctuary, clothed with golden sashes, and from the four living creatures, they received the bowls of God's wrath. The sanctuary was filled with God's glory and none could enter.

Reflection: Um I don't know what to say about this one. Those who sing the song of Moses are thought to be th 144,000 mentioned earlier. I tend to think that this is actually all those who are redeemed and they will be spared from the wrath of God. I don't think this is in reference to the tribulation because I think these bowls of wrath will be the end of world.

Rev 16 Seven Bowls of God's Wrath (vs 1-16) The Seventh Bowl (vs 17-21)

Goodness this is long and I'm really tired so...... I'm combining all of Chapter 16 which is the unleashing of the 7 bowls of wrath. The first bowl was a plague of sores on those who worshipped the beast. The second bowl turned the sea into blood so that everything died in it. The third bowl turned the springs and rivers into blood. Similar to the second. The fourth bowl was poured on the sun so that it was intensified. The fifth bowl placed the beasts throne into darkness. The sixth bowl dried up the river Euphrates. And the seventh bowl was a great earthquake that basically destroys the earth. Also, hail came down.

Reflection: At the end of the tribulation, during God's partial judgement, only a third was destroyed but these bowls of wrath will be all consuming. Everything that we know here on earth will be destroyed. A special note about the sixth bowl should be made because the river Euphrates was a border for Israel and kept enemies at bay. The drying up of the river would let provoke war and conflict. In such a sense, the river was something of a peace keeper that God will take away at the end of time. The last plague is just the end of it all. I don't tell anyone because I'm way too macho, but I was pretty dang scared during the northridge earthquake in 94. I guess earthquakes don't phase me much anymore but I was freakin scared back then. But this last one will split cities and swallow nations, totally destroying everything. And as if that wasn't enough, hail 100 lbs will fall on the earth.

Sorry that was not blogged well. I have much more to write about but it's past my bedtime and my post would be like 3 times longer if i wrote everything. Oh well, I'll be more consistent.

Tomorrow Rev 17:1 the Great Prostitute and the Beast