"..who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4: 14c NIV
Such times we live in. As a child I was fascinated by prophecy and followed it attentively; gleaning the ins and outs of what seemed to be a perfect aligning of the stars (Soviet Union, China, the European Union, Iraq-Iran, Egypt, Syria, Lybia).
As time passed I could no longer see in the Trinity of God a spirit of retribution that had always seemed necessary for the kinds of heavenly judgements that would wipe out a few million here, another 1 billion there. "The grapes of wrath" seemed such a living contradiction to the Shalom of Christ's coming kingdom.
Still, I'm of an age born inside the fears that
tomorrow may bring about the horror of Nagasaki and Hiroshima on a scale that that would make even Japan's citizens wish for the 'good old days.' In the aftermath of my own chaotic deep dive into sexual and addictive sin and the sheer chaos of Israel under siege in the barbarism of Hamas's afttack upon Israel, I am reminded once more that these may just be the 'birthing pangs' of which Paul speaks; "We know" according to Paul "that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently" (Romans 8:22-25 NIV).
The real concern I now experience is theological in nature. The promise inside "the renewal of all things" and restoration theology is so profoundly Biblical. The very idea that a remnant shall only be saved is an empty hope. Honestly, how can I desire to be among the privileged few sitting down to the feast and merriment of a banquet in a heavenly land removed from the violence of this world if the price to be paid is the vast majority of humans are locked into an eternal forever prison with The Father as warden? Self chosen or not, I don't know how heaven can be heaven knowing hell is the end of so many. Such is the Protestant-Calvinist idea; made even more tragic in the failure to see God's expansive heart.
Inside the Biblical narrative of the most significant judgment stories is a hope, sometimes a promise that God is already reconciled with humanity and is actively at work reconciling the world to the Trinity of God. Jobs prologue is an appeal to the Evil One, (or his imagined predecessor): “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil"" (Job 1:8 NIV).
In the midst of Jewish exile, experiencing the loss of everything, Ezekiel re-imagines the ancient judgment against Sodom and Samaria referring to Sodom and Samaria as sisters of Israel, adding; “'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen" (Ezekiel 16:49-50 NIV). This prophet assures Israel, utterly abandoned, with a scandalous assurance: “Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. “ ‘However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines (modern Gaza)—all those around you who despise you. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”” (Ezekiel 16:52-54, 56-57, 60-61, 63 NIV). It is to this prophetic re-imaging of Sodom and Samaria that Jesus often returns in his laments of Israel's inability to believe in his own missional Presence, filled with a kindness so penetrating that repentance is the only appropriate response.
Isaiah's remanent hope as the shoot of a Godly branch1 even now being fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the very place where Jesus reveals himself as the Divine mercy by quoting Isaiah, ““The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor"" (Luke 4:18-19 NIV). Per the gospel writers and to the obvious concern of The Baptist, Jesus always omits the last phrase of the Prophet Isaiah's formulation in also proclaiming "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2 b NIV).
Growing up in the church and with the backdrop of all the b and c rated end times movies bouncing around in my head, not to mention Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All been Ready." 2 I was assured that the "wrath of God" was left off because it was descriptive of his "second coming," not his first. 'Great,' I thought, 'God's either schizophrenic or The Divine's just a great capitalist knowing his marketing strategy.' Worse, you ever tried to enjoy popcorn and Pepsi watching "666"? Anyway, how could I argue with the idea of wrath when the Revelator clearly says "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty" (Revelation 19:11-13, 15 NIV). Case closed, right?
Well, moving right past the "white" horse, privileged Euro-centric prejudice-I know, I know; I'm imposing a 21st century epitaph on the text. As I said, moving past. 😊 Let's unpack the imagery and in the context of 1st century norms and in light of the entire book of Revelation, not to mention the larger redemptive inter-weaving themes of the Old Testament (The Word) and the re-imagined understandings of the ancient text in the Living Word.
Jesus perfectly clean, radiantly white robe is dipped in whose blood? Certainly not the enemies of God. The emergent battle has not yet been enjoined. John, 3 The Apostle or perhaps a student of John vicariously, was at the cross--the only Apostle to have seen, touched and with Mary likely soaked in the precious blood of The Lamb, who we find already slain (Revelation 13:8) and at the heart of The Father's throne in chapter 5 of this letter. Seared into John's memory is the moment "one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water" (John 19: 34). So the bloody spectacle of this rider is his own blood and that of the martyrs who followed in Jesus sacrificial gifting.
And what is this sword, but the very Word of God in both the Person of Jesus whose name is Word and inside the very integrity of truth in which revelation is rooted. Mathew's gospel picks up the imagery in Isaiah the prophet, whenin is described the tender. Kimdly affection of The Eternal Son of The Father, and the Spirit's heart who "will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope" (Matthew 12:19-21 NIV). This is the very One who appears riding the clouds, not in angry revenge, but in the spirit of the martyrs who offered themselves up into the cruelest of Romes lust of power, expressed in its games.
"Okay, Terry. That's arguable," you respond, "but then there's the "grapes of wrath" thing. Civil war and all that!" Civil war? Seriously. Well, Civil War in the limiting sense that Abraham Lincoln—perhaps the clearest thinking President ever from the perspective understanding God's sovereignty as written into the moral fabric of the universe and thus exacting a price for injustices committed or tolerated. As love deeply wounded and offended. Properly understood, there is that.
This phrase, though, to first century Christians would have carried a specific bitter sweet taste whose use captured the very center of Isaiah's suffering servant and in the language inside every cup of excellent wine whose flavors captured the very surrender of grapes to their crushing under the weight of a Gethsemane Stone, pulled by the heavy work of slave or donkey.
So it was, in the memory cells of early Christians, their synapses firing in rapid order. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV). And to what moment is this crushing surrender pointing? To the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus, sweating drops of blood, "fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will "" (Matthew 26: 39).
As the Revelation makes plain, there is clearly an enemy and from the context of the times and season to which John's hearers are invited, an assumed and costly war. The iron scepter harkens back to the rather violent imagery of King David's Psalms, a world conquered and subjected; “You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery"" (Psalms 2:9 NIV). In Psalm 68 David asks for God to "arise" and scatter his enemies. In confidence David sees himself at the head of a forced march of captive's led into Jerusalem as slaves. “The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious— that you, Lord God, might dwell there" (Psalms 68:17-18 ). Yet before the Psalms are a closed book, the writers of liturgical music and poetry envision these very enemies of Israel identifying Jerusalem as their own birthright, not as slaves compelled but as citizens enjoined by Yahweh's love:
“Glorious things are said of you, city of God: “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me— Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush— and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ” Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion"" (Psalms 87:3-6 NIV).
Paul echoes this Psalms fulfillment by turning King David's imagery of compelled slaves in procession on its head. “This is why it says: “When he (Jesus) ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe)” (Ephesians 4:8-10 NIV). The way of Yahweh is sacrificial love; not power politics. It is God becoming human, descending into our upside-down arrogance and making "himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:7-8 NIV.
What is clear from the Biblical narrative is that judgment is never seperated from its redemptive purpose in love. Far from being expressive anger striking out in violent acts, the judgments of Revelation are the multiplying outcomes of a world intent on environmental, social, economic injustice and the collapse of personal ethics, character and spiritual formation. In such a world evil becomes very personal and malevolent.
So with St John of the Revelation we look around at the nations and people groups conspiring in the Middle East, Asia and Europe and ask: Who will save us? How are we to be persons of gracious strength in such a world? "Who is worthy to break the seals" that bind the Word of God that will free us? Who will "open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne" (Revelation 5: 2b-6a).
I do not know any other place to be, but in the lamb, offering up our lives for the cleansing of the earth we look upon, just as the early followers did as they gazed upon Romes might and the multiplied rebellions in the empire (including Jerusalem, having been destroyed) and found solace and the courage of surrender in the Lamb.
Blessings! Terry
1 Reference to Isaiah 11: 1-4. Nazareth literally meant "Shoot Town" and believed themselves to be the village from which the Messiah might come.
2 I Wish We'd All Been Ready by Larry Norman
3 Significant questions has been raised as to who actually authored Revelation. Many believe the apoplectic style and writing simply isn't John and look for another, sometimes referenced as "John the Seer". I personally believe there are underlying themes whose roots are found in the gospel and epistles, the stylistic differences the result of context (prison), the nature of the jaundra to which John's talent is perfectly suited, the intimate knowledge of each city/church all lend themselves to John or one of his students as author or coauthor.
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