July 8, Numbers 6:22-26 "The Blessing"

The intent of this sermon is to complete the presentations of the parts of worship liturgy that are in almost every service. We conclude our services with a blessing. This practice has its foundation in Numbers chapter 6. What impact does the blessing have on you before you leave a worship service? As many have noticed, when we close a service with the priestly blessing of Numbers 6, I often add a phrase "the Lord treat you as his favourite children." You may have wondered why I add that phrase. The sermon will explain that. Here is the passage. Your reflections are invited.

^22 The LORD said to Moses, ^23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

^24 ““‘The LORD bless you

and keep you;

^25 the LORD make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

^26 the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace.”’

^27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Nu 6:22). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

July 1, Revelation 22 "The Tree of Live in the Middle of the City"

We come to the conclusion of our theme this year - "From the Garden to the City, Trees along the way" and we come to the final chapter of scripture to discover that now the garden and the city have become one for both speak of the presence of God. And the river is here to - the river of the water of life.
In your mind, what do some of the symbols in this vision represent?

The River of Life

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ^2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ^3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ^4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ^5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

^6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

Jesus Is Coming

^7 “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”

^8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. ^9 But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

^10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. ^11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”

^12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. ^13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

^14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ^15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

^16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you ^a this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

^17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

^18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. ^19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

^20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

^21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

^a The Greek is plural.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Re 22:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

June 24 Revelation 21 "The City of God - the Bride made Ready"

Revelation 19 has a key phrase for understanding history, our own history and the culmination of history in the City of God - "the Bride has made herself ready." This statement is followed by visions of beauty - the city of God descends from heaven to be on the earth. Yet its foundation is earthly and its gates have an earthy origin - tribes and apostles. It is a city that is defined by the presence of God in it (compare to Ezekiel 48:35) and as a result, the city will be forever. Here is the passage. Your comments are invited

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

^2 for true and just are his judgments.

He has condemned the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.

He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

^3 And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

^4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

^5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

both small and great!”

^6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

^7 Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

^8 Fine linen, bright and clean,

was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

^9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

^10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ^2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ^3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ^4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

^5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

^6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ^7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ^8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

^9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ^10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. ^11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ^12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. ^13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ^14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

^15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ^16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia ^a in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ^17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits ^b thick, ^c by man’s measurement, which the angel was using. ^18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ^19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ^20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ^{d 21} The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

^22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ^23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ^24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ^25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ^26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ^27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

^a That is, about 1,400 miles (about 2,200 kilometers)

^b That is, about 200 feet (about 65 meters)

^c Or high

^d The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Re 21:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

June 17 Revelation 18, "The City Called Babylon"

The city of Babylon pictured in Revelation 18 - 19:3 is a city that has profound and interesting qualities.

The Fall of Babylon

18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ^2 With a mighty voice he shouted:

“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!

She has become a home for demons

and a haunt for every evil spirit,

a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.

^3 For all the nations have drunk

the maddening wine of her adulteries.

The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,

and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

^4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“Come out of her, my people,

so that you will not share in her sins,

so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

^5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,

and God has remembered her crimes.

^6 Give back to her as she has given;

pay her back double for what she has done.

Mix her a double portion from her own cup.

^7 Give her as much torture and grief

as the glory and luxury she gave herself.

In her heart she boasts,

‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow,

and I will never mourn.’

^8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:

death, mourning and famine.

She will be consumed by fire,

for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

^9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. ^10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

”‘Woe! Woe, O great city,

O Babylon, city of power!

In one hour your doom has come!’

^11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more— ^12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; ^13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

^14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ ^15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn ^16 and cry out:

”‘Woe! Woe, O great city,

dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,

and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!

^17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. ^18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ ^19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

”‘Woe! Woe, O great city,

where all who had ships on the sea

became rich through her wealth!

In one hour she has been brought to ruin!

^20 Rejoice over her, O heaven!

Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!

God has judged her for the way she treated you.’”

^21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

“With such violence

the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,

never to be found again.

^22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,

will never be heard in you again.

No workman of any trade

will ever be found in you again.

The sound of a millstone

will never be heard in you again.

^23 The light of a lamp

will never shine in you again.

The voice of bridegroom and bride

will never be heard in you again.

Your merchants were the world’s great men.

By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.

^24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints,

and of all who have been killed on the earth.”

Hallelujah!

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

^2 for true and just are his judgments.

He has condemned the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.

He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

^3 And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

^4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne.

What qualities does this city have? Does it remind you of some cities we are quite familiar with? This picture of the city is very negative. Can you think of themes or qualities of the city that are worthy of the eternal kingdom? What is the role of the cult or idols or religion in this city? Your input is invited, I will add as I research.

There is solid evidence that the city of Babel (Genesis 10, 11) and Babylon are the same city. The name of both means "the gate of god" (bab + el= Sumarian) and at the same time in Hebrew it means "confusion." What resonances do you notice in the Old Testament story of Babel and the Revelation story of Babylon do you read?