Regular readers will know I am particular about correcting false understandings of Scripture by seeking to explain the Hebrew viewpoint. We miss so very much spiritual treasure because we keep chasing after shiny rocks.
How we read Daniel affects our understanding of a lot of other Scripture, most especially John's Revelation. However, the entire mess of Dispensationalist heresy comes from a false reading of Daniel. I'll give you a hint: Daniel knew of Jeremiah's prophecy regarding 70 years in exile for the nation. No one who understands Hebrew culture would expect a precise 70 years to the day. Further, it's silly to demand it would come closer than 5 years either way. When Daniel mentions his 490 years (seventy sevens), we so easily forget the warning God made how His judgment would escalate seven times any promised punishment if that punishment did not bring the desired repentance. In many ways, the nation did not repent. The connection is obvious to anyone operating under ancient Hebrew culture, but it seems we Westerners miss it so easily.
It is this project which was waiting until I resolved all my computer issues. I note in passing I should be engaging this project with renewed fervor because I simply gave up messing with stuff which will probably never work and reinstalled XP. My bruised and battered soul needs a break, and healing. Few things restore me like a good Bible study.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
God Is Your Employer
I look back over the years of my life, and like most people I know, see some major mistakes. At least a portion of those mistakes came in the form of decisions made on the wrong basis. Specifically, I sought employment in fields which, while God used it to bless me, I was in the wrong place.
1. Going on a strong feeling: You need to find out where the feeling comes from, because by itself that's not enough. If you haven't prayed through, and you aren't in the habit of discerning the difference between strong convictions and strong feelings, you are in for a rough ride. Feelings come and go, and wear off after time. Convictions build regardless of feelings.
2. It seems logical: That's safer, at least, but I still won't trust my own logic. It's just to easy to talk yourself into something. Most of us are not in the habit of brutal honesty, especially in introspection. Don't trust this for more than a small indicator.
3. Rules and teaching: Most of this shows up as an exclusion to opportunities. You've believed for quite some time certain things just aren't open to you because God won't bless it. That's the saftest thing by far, but still could be wrong. Too often we don't realize those beliefs just might be wrong, or at least inconsistent with your calling.
The problem we run into immediately is realizing employment itself may or may not be of major importance in God's calling. That is, how you earn your living and pay the bills, while hardly inconsequential, may still not be the main point. Sure, we know you can't possibly serve in the sexual services industry and still please God. Some things are just too obvious. However, there a host of possibilities where you can't take someone else's word for it. Learning to hear God in your convictions can open up possibilities you never had before.
Thus, when you come to the place you can read your convictions, all decisions become an adventure in obedience. You may find one job is as good as the next if your calling has little to do with how you earn your keep. Or, it may be the single most important factor in your existence. God alone decides.
1. Going on a strong feeling: You need to find out where the feeling comes from, because by itself that's not enough. If you haven't prayed through, and you aren't in the habit of discerning the difference between strong convictions and strong feelings, you are in for a rough ride. Feelings come and go, and wear off after time. Convictions build regardless of feelings.
2. It seems logical: That's safer, at least, but I still won't trust my own logic. It's just to easy to talk yourself into something. Most of us are not in the habit of brutal honesty, especially in introspection. Don't trust this for more than a small indicator.
3. Rules and teaching: Most of this shows up as an exclusion to opportunities. You've believed for quite some time certain things just aren't open to you because God won't bless it. That's the saftest thing by far, but still could be wrong. Too often we don't realize those beliefs just might be wrong, or at least inconsistent with your calling.
The problem we run into immediately is realizing employment itself may or may not be of major importance in God's calling. That is, how you earn your living and pay the bills, while hardly inconsequential, may still not be the main point. Sure, we know you can't possibly serve in the sexual services industry and still please God. Some things are just too obvious. However, there a host of possibilities where you can't take someone else's word for it. Learning to hear God in your convictions can open up possibilities you never had before.
Thus, when you come to the place you can read your convictions, all decisions become an adventure in obedience. You may find one job is as good as the next if your calling has little to do with how you earn your keep. Or, it may be the single most important factor in your existence. God alone decides.
Monday, October 29, 2007
A Little Clean Up: Computer Media
I've been forced to switch from FreeBSD to CentOS (Linux). I wasn't getting any work done, because too many things on the laptop didn't work. This is not a slam against FreeBSD; it's just reality. I still recommend it for desktops and such. But I mention that in passing to share a moral lesson about computing in general.
Under FreeBSD it was just barely possible to run Internet multi-media. Under CentOS, a clone of the industrial-grade RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), it requires a bit more work. It requires adding third party package sources, and these don't always work out well. There are a trio of big projects which include packages to bring portions of the system up to date with later software. You can get the latest KDE interface -- CentOS 4 comes with KDE 3.3.1, and KDE-RedHat offers 3.5.7. However, that upgrade comes with the price of mismatching configurations, and has been known to break compatibility within the system. Similar things can be said of the AT Rpms and RPM Forge and their packages. I learned this by having used them in the past. These offer a fairly complete range of multimedia players and integration, but at the risk of breaking the system.
Because I am called to minister the Word, and this laptop was provided by God specifically for that purpose, I can't afford to treat it as a toy. This is neither the time nor place for experimentation any longer. That's behind me, now. The only thing I'm willing to struggle with now is on the order of learning how to script the suspend and hibernate modes on this system. Sleep mode is working, now -- I can close the lid and the system will sit quietly, and recovers nicely when I open the lid again. Suspend (to RAM) and hibernate (suspend to disk) are a bit more involved.
Aside from that, I don't need any more distractions. Frankly, I honestly believe anything which projects moving images -- TV, videos, etc. -- are low-level threats to the Christian soul. These are known to bypass the mental guards against deception by putting the brakes on brain activity. This means we absorb without filter whatever is presented by the media. This is not only a matter of hypnosis suspending logic, but seems to interfere with the Holy Spirit's work in the subconscious. His hand on our values and assumptions is weakened by such inputs, because multimedia adds to the pile of junk He has to remove in making us more like Christ.
A principle of Spiritual Warfare is doing what you know you should to keep the hedge of protection closed. By leaving small gaps -- "It's just a harmless kids show" -- we invite trouble which often appears much later, and seems to have no connection. I'm not counseling the brand of paranoia so popular with Charismatics, using anecdotes they've heard from God-only-knows where, but the sort of proven teaching you get from Bereans who check things out for themselves.
Yes, God cares about how you use your computer, because if you are His, your stuff is His.
Update: I discovered I made a major mistake during the installation of CentOS, and it required re-installing to fix. At the invitation of a friend, I decided to give Ubuntu another try -- in the guise of Kubuntu, with the KDE interface. While it was not a cakewalk, I did get it installed and working. It seems it was worth it. While fancy multimedia is much easier, I won't be adding those things, of course.
Under FreeBSD it was just barely possible to run Internet multi-media. Under CentOS, a clone of the industrial-grade RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), it requires a bit more work. It requires adding third party package sources, and these don't always work out well. There are a trio of big projects which include packages to bring portions of the system up to date with later software. You can get the latest KDE interface -- CentOS 4 comes with KDE 3.3.1, and KDE-RedHat offers 3.5.7. However, that upgrade comes with the price of mismatching configurations, and has been known to break compatibility within the system. Similar things can be said of the AT Rpms and RPM Forge and their packages. I learned this by having used them in the past. These offer a fairly complete range of multimedia players and integration, but at the risk of breaking the system.
Because I am called to minister the Word, and this laptop was provided by God specifically for that purpose, I can't afford to treat it as a toy. This is neither the time nor place for experimentation any longer. That's behind me, now. The only thing I'm willing to struggle with now is on the order of learning how to script the suspend and hibernate modes on this system. Sleep mode is working, now -- I can close the lid and the system will sit quietly, and recovers nicely when I open the lid again. Suspend (to RAM) and hibernate (suspend to disk) are a bit more involved.
Aside from that, I don't need any more distractions. Frankly, I honestly believe anything which projects moving images -- TV, videos, etc. -- are low-level threats to the Christian soul. These are known to bypass the mental guards against deception by putting the brakes on brain activity. This means we absorb without filter whatever is presented by the media. This is not only a matter of hypnosis suspending logic, but seems to interfere with the Holy Spirit's work in the subconscious. His hand on our values and assumptions is weakened by such inputs, because multimedia adds to the pile of junk He has to remove in making us more like Christ.
A principle of Spiritual Warfare is doing what you know you should to keep the hedge of protection closed. By leaving small gaps -- "It's just a harmless kids show" -- we invite trouble which often appears much later, and seems to have no connection. I'm not counseling the brand of paranoia so popular with Charismatics, using anecdotes they've heard from God-only-knows where, but the sort of proven teaching you get from Bereans who check things out for themselves.
Yes, God cares about how you use your computer, because if you are His, your stuff is His.
Update: I discovered I made a major mistake during the installation of CentOS, and it required re-installing to fix. At the invitation of a friend, I decided to give Ubuntu another try -- in the guise of Kubuntu, with the KDE interface. While it was not a cakewalk, I did get it installed and working. It seems it was worth it. While fancy multimedia is much easier, I won't be adding those things, of course.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Life of Christ: Matthew 15
Faith is a mystical, supernatural gift. It can be described as a commitment to God's revelation, His provision for bringing that revelation to life in His people. It does not yield easily to examination from our Western perspective, and modern teaching often mistakes the manifestations of faith as the thing itself. This is hardly new, for Jesus faced it often in His ministry.
The Covenant of the Law was never intended to save souls, but to exemplify faith as manifested within the circumstances of the Nation of Israel as they prepared to conquer and occupy the land God had promised through Abraham. Reading between the lines of Moses' books, we see a call to the soul to embrace God, a call for faith which transcends the mere rote provisions of ritual observance (1 Samuel 15:22-23). However, it was obvious to anyone most of Israel never got it. Thus, immediately after publishing the Covenant, Moses had to sit as judge over the endless disputes between Israelites. Very little of it required a word from God to zero in on the heart of the matter, and those few were recorded in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The rest was a matter of keeping the peace according to the basic principles of Creation so the nation could survive as a means to revelation.
Of course, the wrangling did not end with Moses. It would be natural in the Semitic races to maintain an oral record of decisions based on the Law. Jewish tradition alleges a specific lineage of passing this oral body down through named individuals, including the likes of Joshua, Jeremiah, Ezra, Hillel, Gamaliel, and so forth until it was finally committed to writing after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. So in Jesus' day it was still mostly oral, and it's obvious He had been exposed to some of this material. Perhaps a portion of it really was the genuine tradition of the ancients, but very little of it seems to actually derive from faith. Most of it reflects a very worldly viewpoint, though perhaps nonetheless wise at times. In Jesus' day, this "tradition of the elders" had been elevated to reverence above the actual Law of Moses.
This was blasphemy, of course. When the Pharisees and Scribes raise the issue with Jesus regarding His disciples, that the men didn't observe the traditional ritual rinsing of hands before meals, it was no small thing in their eyes. So anxious were these men sent from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem to compel obedience to this human tradition, they threatened transgressors with excommunication, giving them the status of heathens. Jesus responded in kind, showing how the same traditions were evil, a violation of faith and obedience to the plain meaning of the Law. The rabbin had developed a legal exception to the normal expectation adult children would provide support and comfort to their aging parents. It was a simple matter of declaring their property dedicated to God, via the Temple, as a trust. That is, a man could live comfortably on his wealth during his lifetime, but upon death it all passed to the Temple. This became an excuse to withhold support from family members, so as to preserve the maximum value of the estate, never mind the man might live high in the meantime. God would not accept on His altar the proceeds of crime, and this was criminal neglect. Jesus pointedly hammered His questioners as hypocrites, quoting from Isaiah about empty lip-service to the Law as a direct prophesy of the Pharisees and Scribes.
To punctuate His point, Jesus called the crowd to pay attention to an important lesson. He spoke in an epigram, a short pithy saying easy to remember. The point was hands which had not been blessed by this man-made ritual did not so defile the food as to defile the spirit of a man when he stands before God. This infuriated the examiners from Jerusalem. Jesus used an obvious parable to answer: God did not sponsor pious extensions of the Law of Moses, since that Law in itself was a poor shadow of God's true Law. Blind as the Pharisees were to God's revelation, their opinions didn't matter. Indeed, they did more harm than good. Yet, even this simple epigram, plain enough to anger the Pharisees, puzzled His disciples. Jesus clarified the matter by showing how evil was a matter of fallen human will -- Hebrew tradition referred to the heart as the seat of the will. They had it backwards, largely because of Talmudic teaching. God didn't care about dust on the hands, but judged filth in the heart.
However, it was wise to take a break and depart from the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin and take a vacation in the Roman district of Tyre and Sidon. While thus occupied, Jesus and His disciples were confronted by a Canaanite woman residing in that district whose daughter was demonized. Unlike the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes, this woman was well aware of her dire need and to Whom she could go for salvation. At first Jesus gave her time to express her faith, no doubt as a means to teaching His disciples. When they complained of her noisome behavior, He turned and reminded her His mission was to "the lost sheep of Israel," not the lost sheep of other nations. She responded by falling at His feet and blocking further travel. His answer was a gentle parable about tossing the children's food to puppies. Jews had long used the term "dog" to describe just about anyone from a nation they despised, particularly the Canaanites they were supposed to have slaughtered or driven out of the land under Joshua.
Rather than bridle at the implied insult, her faith absorbed the parable and turned it around: Children were messy eaters. Were there not a few crumbs on the floor? She understood the rejection Jesus faced from His own people. She didn't want what was theirs, only what they rejected. Here we see faith in action, for only by faith can parables be understood and applied. It was a lesson the disciples. Jesus rejoiced at the courage her faith engendered, and granted her request. In another place, Jesus tells a parable of faithful persistence which sounds very much like this scene. She would not have dared carry things this far had not she been empowered by the Lord.
To press the teaching further, Jesus set up another test of faith. Finding a suitable place to hold another teaching and healing session, Jesus waited as the normal crowd gathered. They carried those in need of healing, and all were amazed at the problems Jesus could remedy. It was in part a response to their faith in bringing cases otherwise regarded as hopeless. Faith exercised cannot help but bring glory to our Lord.
However, they were in a remote place, and after three days of this it was time to consider other types of physical needs. Jesus explained the crowd needed food, because if He sent them away now, they would not be strong enough to make it home. A lot of good it does to heal people, then leave them to starve. He placed this quandary in their hands. Again they failed, for they were still looking at it from a worldly perspective, discussing food supply so far from farms or markets. Had they forgotten already, after the previous miraculous mass feeding? Jesus asked what they had on hand. What made a small snack for the group was enough, as before. Also as before, several thousand were fed, and there was enough left over the feed the disciples for a few days.
The highest law of the Kingdom of Heaven is faith. While Jesus and the Apostles taught it was best to obey the laws and customs when you could, by no means could they be equated with God's Law. As used by the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, the Talmudic teachings were blasphemy, imparting spiritual blindness. It raised human traditions above God's Word. Faith trumped that tradition. Further, even the Law of Moses was merely an example, for the Canaanite woman's faith trumped that, as well. It was the Old Testament which required Jesus to restrict His earthly ministry to Israel, but which also permitted Him to respond to her faith. That faith trumped the very laws of nature, too. By faith were people healed of the most devastating conditions, and thousands were fed full from a snack. By faith in the hearts of people God shows He rises above human logic, and cannot be constrained by human understanding.
The Covenant of the Law was never intended to save souls, but to exemplify faith as manifested within the circumstances of the Nation of Israel as they prepared to conquer and occupy the land God had promised through Abraham. Reading between the lines of Moses' books, we see a call to the soul to embrace God, a call for faith which transcends the mere rote provisions of ritual observance (1 Samuel 15:22-23). However, it was obvious to anyone most of Israel never got it. Thus, immediately after publishing the Covenant, Moses had to sit as judge over the endless disputes between Israelites. Very little of it required a word from God to zero in on the heart of the matter, and those few were recorded in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The rest was a matter of keeping the peace according to the basic principles of Creation so the nation could survive as a means to revelation.
Of course, the wrangling did not end with Moses. It would be natural in the Semitic races to maintain an oral record of decisions based on the Law. Jewish tradition alleges a specific lineage of passing this oral body down through named individuals, including the likes of Joshua, Jeremiah, Ezra, Hillel, Gamaliel, and so forth until it was finally committed to writing after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. So in Jesus' day it was still mostly oral, and it's obvious He had been exposed to some of this material. Perhaps a portion of it really was the genuine tradition of the ancients, but very little of it seems to actually derive from faith. Most of it reflects a very worldly viewpoint, though perhaps nonetheless wise at times. In Jesus' day, this "tradition of the elders" had been elevated to reverence above the actual Law of Moses.
This was blasphemy, of course. When the Pharisees and Scribes raise the issue with Jesus regarding His disciples, that the men didn't observe the traditional ritual rinsing of hands before meals, it was no small thing in their eyes. So anxious were these men sent from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem to compel obedience to this human tradition, they threatened transgressors with excommunication, giving them the status of heathens. Jesus responded in kind, showing how the same traditions were evil, a violation of faith and obedience to the plain meaning of the Law. The rabbin had developed a legal exception to the normal expectation adult children would provide support and comfort to their aging parents. It was a simple matter of declaring their property dedicated to God, via the Temple, as a trust. That is, a man could live comfortably on his wealth during his lifetime, but upon death it all passed to the Temple. This became an excuse to withhold support from family members, so as to preserve the maximum value of the estate, never mind the man might live high in the meantime. God would not accept on His altar the proceeds of crime, and this was criminal neglect. Jesus pointedly hammered His questioners as hypocrites, quoting from Isaiah about empty lip-service to the Law as a direct prophesy of the Pharisees and Scribes.
To punctuate His point, Jesus called the crowd to pay attention to an important lesson. He spoke in an epigram, a short pithy saying easy to remember. The point was hands which had not been blessed by this man-made ritual did not so defile the food as to defile the spirit of a man when he stands before God. This infuriated the examiners from Jerusalem. Jesus used an obvious parable to answer: God did not sponsor pious extensions of the Law of Moses, since that Law in itself was a poor shadow of God's true Law. Blind as the Pharisees were to God's revelation, their opinions didn't matter. Indeed, they did more harm than good. Yet, even this simple epigram, plain enough to anger the Pharisees, puzzled His disciples. Jesus clarified the matter by showing how evil was a matter of fallen human will -- Hebrew tradition referred to the heart as the seat of the will. They had it backwards, largely because of Talmudic teaching. God didn't care about dust on the hands, but judged filth in the heart.
However, it was wise to take a break and depart from the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin and take a vacation in the Roman district of Tyre and Sidon. While thus occupied, Jesus and His disciples were confronted by a Canaanite woman residing in that district whose daughter was demonized. Unlike the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes, this woman was well aware of her dire need and to Whom she could go for salvation. At first Jesus gave her time to express her faith, no doubt as a means to teaching His disciples. When they complained of her noisome behavior, He turned and reminded her His mission was to "the lost sheep of Israel," not the lost sheep of other nations. She responded by falling at His feet and blocking further travel. His answer was a gentle parable about tossing the children's food to puppies. Jews had long used the term "dog" to describe just about anyone from a nation they despised, particularly the Canaanites they were supposed to have slaughtered or driven out of the land under Joshua.
Rather than bridle at the implied insult, her faith absorbed the parable and turned it around: Children were messy eaters. Were there not a few crumbs on the floor? She understood the rejection Jesus faced from His own people. She didn't want what was theirs, only what they rejected. Here we see faith in action, for only by faith can parables be understood and applied. It was a lesson the disciples. Jesus rejoiced at the courage her faith engendered, and granted her request. In another place, Jesus tells a parable of faithful persistence which sounds very much like this scene. She would not have dared carry things this far had not she been empowered by the Lord.
To press the teaching further, Jesus set up another test of faith. Finding a suitable place to hold another teaching and healing session, Jesus waited as the normal crowd gathered. They carried those in need of healing, and all were amazed at the problems Jesus could remedy. It was in part a response to their faith in bringing cases otherwise regarded as hopeless. Faith exercised cannot help but bring glory to our Lord.
However, they were in a remote place, and after three days of this it was time to consider other types of physical needs. Jesus explained the crowd needed food, because if He sent them away now, they would not be strong enough to make it home. A lot of good it does to heal people, then leave them to starve. He placed this quandary in their hands. Again they failed, for they were still looking at it from a worldly perspective, discussing food supply so far from farms or markets. Had they forgotten already, after the previous miraculous mass feeding? Jesus asked what they had on hand. What made a small snack for the group was enough, as before. Also as before, several thousand were fed, and there was enough left over the feed the disciples for a few days.
The highest law of the Kingdom of Heaven is faith. While Jesus and the Apostles taught it was best to obey the laws and customs when you could, by no means could they be equated with God's Law. As used by the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, the Talmudic teachings were blasphemy, imparting spiritual blindness. It raised human traditions above God's Word. Faith trumped that tradition. Further, even the Law of Moses was merely an example, for the Canaanite woman's faith trumped that, as well. It was the Old Testament which required Jesus to restrict His earthly ministry to Israel, but which also permitted Him to respond to her faith. That faith trumped the very laws of nature, too. By faith were people healed of the most devastating conditions, and thousands were fed full from a snack. By faith in the hearts of people God shows He rises above human logic, and cannot be constrained by human understanding.
Friday, October 26, 2007
All Truth Is God's Truth
Evangelist Claims Bible was Never Removed from America's Public Schools. I agree.
To say Christians, especially in the US, aren't guilty of propaganda, spin and public relations deception -- AKA lying -- is a lie in itself. Some would call it "pious deception," but that's just a pretty paint job over evil. The phrase, "taking God out of the schools" might have been O'Hare's wish, but she knew better than to believe it would happen. She simply pushed for what she could have, which was stopping government-sponsored, government-written prayers and such. Frankly, I consider that doing us a favor. I don't want my government leading prayer. I don't mind Christians in government service praying and such, but government by nature has the wrong interest. Government cannot possibly want what Christ wants for His people. The effect of that court decision was not to take God out of schools, nor even the Bible, but to take government out of religion.
In my limited experience working in public education in Central Oklahoma and Southeastern Texas, I assure you faith was not dead. When subbing in a class, kids knew I was a Christian and said so. They knew the rules, and knew I could answer any question they dared to ask, but couldn't require the whole class to listen to such discussion. Further, not once did anyone say, or imply, reading a Bible in class would get me in trouble. I might get in trouble for being inattentive, but the Bible was never the issue. Some of my best ministry efforts took place in the public school classrooms.
All lies are Satan's lies. You can't use the enemy's weapons and expect to beat him. This is completely different from the "don't throw your pearls before swine." There are times when silence is the right answer (Jesus before Pilate). That is hardly deception. Nor is it deception when we follow Jesus in accepting responsibility for the sins of others. Deception is in the intention of the heart, and the Word judges that (Hebrews 4:12).
The greater mistake is believing we have any business messing with government schools in the first place. Our faith cannot ever be made a public policy issue. The righteousness of God cannot be legislated; our best hope is that righteousness will not be hindered by law. Having randomly selected school personnel lead children in mandated religious exercises is not a good thing, unless your religion is a façade.
To say Christians, especially in the US, aren't guilty of propaganda, spin and public relations deception -- AKA lying -- is a lie in itself. Some would call it "pious deception," but that's just a pretty paint job over evil. The phrase, "taking God out of the schools" might have been O'Hare's wish, but she knew better than to believe it would happen. She simply pushed for what she could have, which was stopping government-sponsored, government-written prayers and such. Frankly, I consider that doing us a favor. I don't want my government leading prayer. I don't mind Christians in government service praying and such, but government by nature has the wrong interest. Government cannot possibly want what Christ wants for His people. The effect of that court decision was not to take God out of schools, nor even the Bible, but to take government out of religion.
In my limited experience working in public education in Central Oklahoma and Southeastern Texas, I assure you faith was not dead. When subbing in a class, kids knew I was a Christian and said so. They knew the rules, and knew I could answer any question they dared to ask, but couldn't require the whole class to listen to such discussion. Further, not once did anyone say, or imply, reading a Bible in class would get me in trouble. I might get in trouble for being inattentive, but the Bible was never the issue. Some of my best ministry efforts took place in the public school classrooms.
All lies are Satan's lies. You can't use the enemy's weapons and expect to beat him. This is completely different from the "don't throw your pearls before swine." There are times when silence is the right answer (Jesus before Pilate). That is hardly deception. Nor is it deception when we follow Jesus in accepting responsibility for the sins of others. Deception is in the intention of the heart, and the Word judges that (Hebrews 4:12).
The greater mistake is believing we have any business messing with government schools in the first place. Our faith cannot ever be made a public policy issue. The righteousness of God cannot be legislated; our best hope is that righteousness will not be hindered by law. Having randomly selected school personnel lead children in mandated religious exercises is not a good thing, unless your religion is a façade.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The God of the Familiar
This is God's computer I'm using to post this. It's a stewardship, a trust I hold from Him. It's just a piece of property, but it's granted for His purposes. I can't afford to let folks access it who don't serve Him.
You may be aware that using Windows means to surrender a lot of control. If you really don't know much about computers, I suppose that's not too bad. However, I do know a good bit about them. I am held to a higher standard for that reason. I have no excuse for allowing MicroSoft of control what happens. So things like forced/stealth updates, updates which overwrite good drivers (nVidia) with broken ones from MS, updates which force you to accept services you don't want, and a host of similar arrogant tricks are simply not acceptable. This is God's computer, not owned by MicroSoft.
After much praying, discussion with others, research and consideration, I have returned to FreeBSD. Yes, that means for now a couple of things don't work without some digging and patching -- the built-in wireless and the ACPI suspend modes. I happen to know these issues can be fixed, because others have done it. I simply have to find someone with coding expertise, plus the time and inclination to deal with it. Meanwhile, I am investigating other options for wireless use. I am convinced this is the proper path for me, and committed to making it happen one way or another.
I won't pretend to sell the idea to my readers as a cover to convince myself. There are distinct advantages: security from online threats, stability, less power required to run, etc. More importantly, it works pretty much the way my mind does. That's partly a matter of what I'm used to, but also a matter of finding my own groove.
After the Resurrection of Christ, Peter and the other disciples needed something to do which felt comfortable, which restored their sanity. They chose something they all knew well enough: fishing in the Sea of Galilee. It wouldn't have mattered they caught no fish; the miracle from the Risen Lord was not to meet a financial need so much as establish in their minds the same Jesus was still alive, still as powerful, still involved in their lives. Fishing and miracles were both home to them at that point.
In my case, the primary issue is: I must write, and I must study. It's my primary mission. The most effective way to do these two things in my life right now is with this laptop. Not only do I not need a bunch of stuff which comes with Windows, but I need to avoid some of it. The nature of FreeBSD eliminates security concerns, and most distracting multimedia won't work. While I recommend it to anyone whose needs are similar, this won't become a FreeBSD blog. I'll post useful items here, but that's just a sideline. This is still a matter of preparing for the coming tribulation. Need I mention how useful this might be when things get tough for Christians in a police state? Security from viruses, spyware, corporate controls of MS, all add up to security from government snooping, too.
You may be aware that using Windows means to surrender a lot of control. If you really don't know much about computers, I suppose that's not too bad. However, I do know a good bit about them. I am held to a higher standard for that reason. I have no excuse for allowing MicroSoft of control what happens. So things like forced/stealth updates, updates which overwrite good drivers (nVidia) with broken ones from MS, updates which force you to accept services you don't want, and a host of similar arrogant tricks are simply not acceptable. This is God's computer, not owned by MicroSoft.
After much praying, discussion with others, research and consideration, I have returned to FreeBSD. Yes, that means for now a couple of things don't work without some digging and patching -- the built-in wireless and the ACPI suspend modes. I happen to know these issues can be fixed, because others have done it. I simply have to find someone with coding expertise, plus the time and inclination to deal with it. Meanwhile, I am investigating other options for wireless use. I am convinced this is the proper path for me, and committed to making it happen one way or another.
I won't pretend to sell the idea to my readers as a cover to convince myself. There are distinct advantages: security from online threats, stability, less power required to run, etc. More importantly, it works pretty much the way my mind does. That's partly a matter of what I'm used to, but also a matter of finding my own groove.
After the Resurrection of Christ, Peter and the other disciples needed something to do which felt comfortable, which restored their sanity. They chose something they all knew well enough: fishing in the Sea of Galilee. It wouldn't have mattered they caught no fish; the miracle from the Risen Lord was not to meet a financial need so much as establish in their minds the same Jesus was still alive, still as powerful, still involved in their lives. Fishing and miracles were both home to them at that point.
In my case, the primary issue is: I must write, and I must study. It's my primary mission. The most effective way to do these two things in my life right now is with this laptop. Not only do I not need a bunch of stuff which comes with Windows, but I need to avoid some of it. The nature of FreeBSD eliminates security concerns, and most distracting multimedia won't work. While I recommend it to anyone whose needs are similar, this won't become a FreeBSD blog. I'll post useful items here, but that's just a sideline. This is still a matter of preparing for the coming tribulation. Need I mention how useful this might be when things get tough for Christians in a police state? Security from viruses, spyware, corporate controls of MS, all add up to security from government snooping, too.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Revelation 22
As long as I can remember, I have always loved hiking and strolling along the banks of water courses. The gurgling brooks, washing creeks, and roaring rivers; no less beautiful might be the shaded streams flowing across flat meadows. Around the world, people apparently share a similar attraction, for they make paths follow the water routes. The comfort of water flowing nearby is highly valued. John opens this final chapter with a vision of the Water of Life flowing in abundance from the Throne of God. Who could resist?
Indeed, the main street of the City runs on either side of this River of Life. This is shaded by a galleria of Trees of Life. What was closed to humanity by the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, is now openly accessible to all who enter the City. The Garden now grows as a park in the Eternal City. Whatever need we might have, imagined or unimagined, is provided there. John reminds us there the curse of the Fall is broken completely. All we lost there is restored, and more beside. The language of Genesis is loudly echoed here, but the story goes in reverse.
The final section opens with God's declaration His Word is true. While that may seem obvious, John includes it here because there is no higher authority to affirm the Word than the Creator of all things. We find the Word of God is self-affirming. That is, upon hearing it in any form, the soul whom God touches will be quick to obey. That is our primary evidence for deciding to treat someone as a fellow servant of God -- they are anxious to know what He requires. Any other response justifies dealing with that person as lost. John makes the audacious claim his Apocalypse is the Word of God, on a par with the prophecies of old. He writes it knowing this will close the canon. Very shortly afterward, the need for this book will become immense, as various parts of it become present reality.
Then he quotes a warning from Jesus about His Return -- the word is best understood as "suddenly." There will be no prior notice, no advance warning. The implication is a command to get started right away doing what the teaching of this book calls for, to take these eternal truths and apply them to our lives as actions. This means immediately pull away from the Harlot, loose our grip on this world, and turn to face New Jerusalem, the other-worldly understanding of life in this world. All this is just an opportunity to live out the truth of His Word until He calls us home.
Just to be sure we understand the lesson, John repeats the scene of falling down at the feet of the angel who has been escorting him through all these visions. Again, we are reminded the angels, powerful and knowing they may be, are merely servants of God, applying their powers on our behalf. We are the purpose, the focus, of all this effort to reveal God. Thus, unlike Daniel, John is commanded not to seal up these visions, but to publish them. Not in the sense of trying to make men change their behavior by any human means, but to reveal the Word by living it ourselves. It is not for us to compel men to obey, but to obey ourselves, lest we interfere with someone else who is obeying. Let the Covenant of Noah do its work until all things are fulfilled.
That fulfillment will be when all things are ended. Jesus states it bluntly again: His appearance will be sudden, and it will be too late to curry His favor then. He already knows the story, from beginning to end -- indeed, He is the story Himself, beginning to end. We who embrace that story will enjoy the City of Life. Indeed, our citizenship is already secure; everyone else is doomed. We dare not adopt any of their habits. Jesus speaks to identify Himself one last time as the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of every promise in the Old Testament, the fulfillment of all Israel was meant to be. Now He rules the New Israel, the Church.
Unlike the Covenant of Noah, which is enforced against the will of fallen men, the Covenant of Christ is an offer which can scarcely be described for richness and joy. "Come" says He, and so say we. Whomever is moved by a desire to participate will not be disappointed. John then closes with a warning not to take this book lightly. It's not like some work of man, subject to editing and modifications. It stands on that eternal truth, the revelation of God. Change it, and the message of invitation is harmed, and so will your life be harmed.
The final seal on the book is the Word of Christ: "Surely I come suddenly." Don't rest in this world. Grace calls us to a higher plane.
Indeed, the main street of the City runs on either side of this River of Life. This is shaded by a galleria of Trees of Life. What was closed to humanity by the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, is now openly accessible to all who enter the City. The Garden now grows as a park in the Eternal City. Whatever need we might have, imagined or unimagined, is provided there. John reminds us there the curse of the Fall is broken completely. All we lost there is restored, and more beside. The language of Genesis is loudly echoed here, but the story goes in reverse.
The final section opens with God's declaration His Word is true. While that may seem obvious, John includes it here because there is no higher authority to affirm the Word than the Creator of all things. We find the Word of God is self-affirming. That is, upon hearing it in any form, the soul whom God touches will be quick to obey. That is our primary evidence for deciding to treat someone as a fellow servant of God -- they are anxious to know what He requires. Any other response justifies dealing with that person as lost. John makes the audacious claim his Apocalypse is the Word of God, on a par with the prophecies of old. He writes it knowing this will close the canon. Very shortly afterward, the need for this book will become immense, as various parts of it become present reality.
Then he quotes a warning from Jesus about His Return -- the word is best understood as "suddenly." There will be no prior notice, no advance warning. The implication is a command to get started right away doing what the teaching of this book calls for, to take these eternal truths and apply them to our lives as actions. This means immediately pull away from the Harlot, loose our grip on this world, and turn to face New Jerusalem, the other-worldly understanding of life in this world. All this is just an opportunity to live out the truth of His Word until He calls us home.
Just to be sure we understand the lesson, John repeats the scene of falling down at the feet of the angel who has been escorting him through all these visions. Again, we are reminded the angels, powerful and knowing they may be, are merely servants of God, applying their powers on our behalf. We are the purpose, the focus, of all this effort to reveal God. Thus, unlike Daniel, John is commanded not to seal up these visions, but to publish them. Not in the sense of trying to make men change their behavior by any human means, but to reveal the Word by living it ourselves. It is not for us to compel men to obey, but to obey ourselves, lest we interfere with someone else who is obeying. Let the Covenant of Noah do its work until all things are fulfilled.
That fulfillment will be when all things are ended. Jesus states it bluntly again: His appearance will be sudden, and it will be too late to curry His favor then. He already knows the story, from beginning to end -- indeed, He is the story Himself, beginning to end. We who embrace that story will enjoy the City of Life. Indeed, our citizenship is already secure; everyone else is doomed. We dare not adopt any of their habits. Jesus speaks to identify Himself one last time as the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of every promise in the Old Testament, the fulfillment of all Israel was meant to be. Now He rules the New Israel, the Church.
Unlike the Covenant of Noah, which is enforced against the will of fallen men, the Covenant of Christ is an offer which can scarcely be described for richness and joy. "Come" says He, and so say we. Whomever is moved by a desire to participate will not be disappointed. John then closes with a warning not to take this book lightly. It's not like some work of man, subject to editing and modifications. It stands on that eternal truth, the revelation of God. Change it, and the message of invitation is harmed, and so will your life be harmed.
The final seal on the book is the Word of Christ: "Surely I come suddenly." Don't rest in this world. Grace calls us to a higher plane.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Revelation 21
How easily we lose our way, if we become distracted by efforts to make sense of these things from a human viewpoint! This chapter is filled with images from Old Testament promises, freshened and clarified by New Testament teachings of other writers. As it is throughout this Apocalypse, logical consistency as we think of it is hardly a consideration. Rather, let us lose ourselves in a vision of God's promise, a promise which can only be hinted at, not fully told.
John begins with a new Heaven and Earth in the sense of "fresh" -- as opposed to something just now created. Since mankind could remember, the original, regardless how beloved, always somehow fell short of God's glory. These are not something hitherto unseen, but restored to their original perfection as God had intended from the start. All traces of the Fall have been wiped away. This had been promised by the prophets (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22-23), and somewhat literally described by Peter (2 Peter 3:10-13).
The vision includes a fresh Holy City, Jerusalem of God. The meaning of this was clearly established by Paul (Galatians 4:26) and more fully developed by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:10, 16, 12:22, 13:14). The morality of living in the wilderness was a reaction to knowing no city built by man would ever be clean and righteous. Only the city built by God could fulfill the hopes men have ever had when building cities. Outside of Christ, living in the city simply exchanges one set of threats, one set of predators, etc., for another. In the New Jerusalem, people won't need to lock their doors.
In ancient Eastern kingdoms, a city was regarded as wed to her king. While reality may vary, there was an assumption of affection, and the ruler was to be warm and visible, not aloof. He would protect them, be able to heal their woes, would renew and repair broken infrastructure, making them boast proudly of him to foreigners. John indicates all this was ever supposed to mean finds its ultimate manifestation in our God. Indeed, John quotes Him directly, speaking from His throne to give it full force of Law: "Behold! I make all things fresh." Our God will be known for a renovation of all Creation. Then, to insure it was recognized as a fundamental element of understanding Him, God commanded John to be sure this was recorded.
God spoke further, but the word is impossible to translate simply. "It is done" falls short. This is a single word in Greek, based on the verb translated "to generate" -- in this context, pointing to the source (God) and the state of completion by His command. It takes into account this is a vision of things to come, yet the final end of the matter decreed in Eternity. He refers to Himself as in 1:8, and as the source of the Water of Life. Anyone who prevails over the powers of this world by His power will stand before Him in Christ, as a natural born heir. We then are given a representative list of exclusions: timid, rejecting faith, disgusting, murderous, gigolo, sorcery, pagan idolaters, and deceivers. These are people whose souls are unredeemed, destined for the Lake of Fire.
The same angel of the Seven Bowls who showed John the Harlot city (17:1) in the wilderness will, by contrast, take him up a high mountain to see how God does it: The Bride of the Lamb. This was hardly built up over time by human effort, but descends complete from Heaven. It's beauty beyond description, John lapses into images of symmetry, precious stones, transparent materials, and light. This place will be more secure than any city ever was on earth, with angels for guards. Each gate will be named for a Tribe of Israel, yet built on the priceless foundation of the Twelve Apostles.
The size of the city is not a matter of physical distance, but of symbolic numbers already well known: multiples of 12 as the Trinity combined with the number of mankind (3x4) to represent God's Kingdom among men, and multiples of 10 to represent the full range or totality of things. The transparency of materials signifies purity beyond imagination. The stones are not precisely recognized, but appear similar to those in Exodus 28:17-21, used on the High Priest's breastplate to bring the names of the Tribes before God. As they are here the foundation, they remain present eternally. The mention of pearls may be a reference to Jesus' warning (Matthew 7:6) about entrusting the Truth of God to fools; the pearly gates represent the Word as the means to enter the City.
There will be nothing resembling a temple, because God and His people will be of one household, united in a fellowship which transcends human understanding. Unlike the withdrawal of God from the Nation in the Wilderness, we have the promise of God's literal presence. In Exodus 33 we see the Lord requiring Moses to move the tent of meeting outside the camp, because the Lord knew His holiness would destroy the nation if His presence remained in the camp. In the New Jerusalem, we will participate in that holiness directly. Built of light itself, and filled with the Presence of Eternal Light, no one will lack understanding -- it will be the nature of our new existence to grasp it all intuitively. There will be no glory separate from, as a mere reflection of, that Eternal Light. All who are left alive will have free access. Nothing out of place will ever come near the City, because the only ones living will be those listed in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Thus, we come to the realization no language exists to describe something infinitely better than the best we have here. For example, how would we describe an existence not marked by the passage of time, nor even the awareness of time? We cannot, yet we are told it will be so. John offers his flock a vision so vastly other than their current precarious existence, it demands a different outlook on things.
John begins with a new Heaven and Earth in the sense of "fresh" -- as opposed to something just now created. Since mankind could remember, the original, regardless how beloved, always somehow fell short of God's glory. These are not something hitherto unseen, but restored to their original perfection as God had intended from the start. All traces of the Fall have been wiped away. This had been promised by the prophets (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22-23), and somewhat literally described by Peter (2 Peter 3:10-13).
The vision includes a fresh Holy City, Jerusalem of God. The meaning of this was clearly established by Paul (Galatians 4:26) and more fully developed by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:10, 16, 12:22, 13:14). The morality of living in the wilderness was a reaction to knowing no city built by man would ever be clean and righteous. Only the city built by God could fulfill the hopes men have ever had when building cities. Outside of Christ, living in the city simply exchanges one set of threats, one set of predators, etc., for another. In the New Jerusalem, people won't need to lock their doors.
In ancient Eastern kingdoms, a city was regarded as wed to her king. While reality may vary, there was an assumption of affection, and the ruler was to be warm and visible, not aloof. He would protect them, be able to heal their woes, would renew and repair broken infrastructure, making them boast proudly of him to foreigners. John indicates all this was ever supposed to mean finds its ultimate manifestation in our God. Indeed, John quotes Him directly, speaking from His throne to give it full force of Law: "Behold! I make all things fresh." Our God will be known for a renovation of all Creation. Then, to insure it was recognized as a fundamental element of understanding Him, God commanded John to be sure this was recorded.
God spoke further, but the word is impossible to translate simply. "It is done" falls short. This is a single word in Greek, based on the verb translated "to generate" -- in this context, pointing to the source (God) and the state of completion by His command. It takes into account this is a vision of things to come, yet the final end of the matter decreed in Eternity. He refers to Himself as in 1:8, and as the source of the Water of Life. Anyone who prevails over the powers of this world by His power will stand before Him in Christ, as a natural born heir. We then are given a representative list of exclusions: timid, rejecting faith, disgusting, murderous, gigolo, sorcery, pagan idolaters, and deceivers. These are people whose souls are unredeemed, destined for the Lake of Fire.
The same angel of the Seven Bowls who showed John the Harlot city (17:1) in the wilderness will, by contrast, take him up a high mountain to see how God does it: The Bride of the Lamb. This was hardly built up over time by human effort, but descends complete from Heaven. It's beauty beyond description, John lapses into images of symmetry, precious stones, transparent materials, and light. This place will be more secure than any city ever was on earth, with angels for guards. Each gate will be named for a Tribe of Israel, yet built on the priceless foundation of the Twelve Apostles.
The size of the city is not a matter of physical distance, but of symbolic numbers already well known: multiples of 12 as the Trinity combined with the number of mankind (3x4) to represent God's Kingdom among men, and multiples of 10 to represent the full range or totality of things. The transparency of materials signifies purity beyond imagination. The stones are not precisely recognized, but appear similar to those in Exodus 28:17-21, used on the High Priest's breastplate to bring the names of the Tribes before God. As they are here the foundation, they remain present eternally. The mention of pearls may be a reference to Jesus' warning (Matthew 7:6) about entrusting the Truth of God to fools; the pearly gates represent the Word as the means to enter the City.
There will be nothing resembling a temple, because God and His people will be of one household, united in a fellowship which transcends human understanding. Unlike the withdrawal of God from the Nation in the Wilderness, we have the promise of God's literal presence. In Exodus 33 we see the Lord requiring Moses to move the tent of meeting outside the camp, because the Lord knew His holiness would destroy the nation if His presence remained in the camp. In the New Jerusalem, we will participate in that holiness directly. Built of light itself, and filled with the Presence of Eternal Light, no one will lack understanding -- it will be the nature of our new existence to grasp it all intuitively. There will be no glory separate from, as a mere reflection of, that Eternal Light. All who are left alive will have free access. Nothing out of place will ever come near the City, because the only ones living will be those listed in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Thus, we come to the realization no language exists to describe something infinitely better than the best we have here. For example, how would we describe an existence not marked by the passage of time, nor even the awareness of time? We cannot, yet we are told it will be so. John offers his flock a vision so vastly other than their current precarious existence, it demands a different outlook on things.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Unity versus Uniformity
In out Western minds, we often mistake uniformity for unity. When, for example in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he calls for one Body of Christ, with one Lord, one baptism, one Spirit, etc., he is hardly suggesting they must have all that much in common.
Of course, I'll have to chase a tangent here to clarify that any group, in order to have any identity at all, must have boundaries of exclusion. That is, in order to have anything in common means lots of people outside the group who don't have that thing which the group shares. No exclusions means you have no identity, aside from random geographical and chronological association -- in the same place at the same time. Why would people bother to notice each others as people instead of scenery or machinery? It's not as if we are struggling for the survival of the species in a frontier land.
That's the whole point, though: Just what exactly must we have in common for agape to work? What is necessary for fellowship in the Spirit, an openness which is not meaningless? What is it Paul is holding forth as the demand from Christ in order to exercise the implications of "the whole body fitly joined together by the proper working of each part"?
The answer requires stepping out of our raft of unspoken assumptions and stepping into those of Paul, Jesus, and ultimately Our Father. Any answer which approaches uniformity is simply worldly, fleshly nonsense. Nor do we simply drop everything and have a gooey hug fest because our Western sentimentality covers a multitude of sins. These two extremes fire away at each other, but they aren't even on the right battlefield.
What is that makes a Christian? We know, as Paul spends three chapters of Ephesians telling us, it's faith as a gift from God. Okay, but I can't look into the Lamb's Book of Life and check for your name, so what do I have? I have the tendency of love for people in Christ whom I'd not otherwise even notice if it were up to my flesh. If all we do is cluster in church classrooms fellowshipping with people of like age and interests, we are hardly above the level of flesh. It's when I cluster in odd corners of the world with tribal African men bearing ceremonial facial scars, with a flat-faced Innuit teenage girl whose name I can't pronounce, a CEO in a three-piece suit, standing next to the ancient bag lady who leaves dirty prints on everything she touches. Do we gather just to show we can? That, too, is flesh.
No, we are held together by a consistently demonstrated response to the teaching of the Word. That is, when the Scripture is shared, and from day-to-day we see changes directly related to that sharing, then we who are held by the Holy Spirit can't help but feel a strong bond. Sure, we expect Christians to act somewhat friendly and nice; but after awhile, you just can't fake the overpowering presence of the Lord prodding you to respond to His commands. Even if you really don't understand it that well, the teaching of the Word will change His people. Unchanging people are not His people.
Furthermore, those changes will draw us away from fleshly and worldly concerns into spiritual and other-worldly concerns. Sure, we exclude people -- people who refuse to let go of this life and it's trappings. Say what you will about theory, but for each of us, and for each person we deal with in the faith group setting, there may well come a point when we are no longer burdened over someone who resists that change. Hey, it could be the whole group; time to move on to some other work. Or maybe it's time because it's time, not because anybody has or hasn't changed. The real world expression of Christian spirit has so many facets and possibilities you can't box it up neatly and expect everyone to think the same about it.
No, not uniformity. Spiritual unity is something miraculous, something which cannot be explained by the very best understanding of human psychology. The very root meaning of "mystery" in Scripture is "something which makes no sense on a human level." A spiritual unity will possess an element that defies explanation. It will express itself in love which rises far above mere sentiment, and reflects a miracle of commitment to the welfare of another because they are clearly a part of Christ.
No, the CEO won't demand the bag lady take a bath and dress "respectably" according to his tastes. In Christ he would hold his cultural background as a human construct, always suspicious of it's bad effects on his understanding of the Kingdom. She might be the perfect reflecting pool in which to look and question his assumptions, and vice versa. Or maybe we all look just alike, sound alike, act alike, because it just happens that's what is around to gather into a faith celebration. That makes the organizing easier, but the faith issues harder to teach, because no one will question the assumptions about God's commands. We take what God provides, and we struggle according to His calling.
At this point, we realize just anyone can walk in the door and claim Christ. We take it at face value until something makes it obvious they are fooling themselves, most often because the inevitable differences aren't handled spiritually. Or, we let them move on because we simply can't work together. Done right, the newcomer stays until the calling demands a departure. They will go to another work, not run from yours. You might not get emotionally close to them, but you'll know they were Christian by the shared commitment to the Kingdom.
Of course, I'll have to chase a tangent here to clarify that any group, in order to have any identity at all, must have boundaries of exclusion. That is, in order to have anything in common means lots of people outside the group who don't have that thing which the group shares. No exclusions means you have no identity, aside from random geographical and chronological association -- in the same place at the same time. Why would people bother to notice each others as people instead of scenery or machinery? It's not as if we are struggling for the survival of the species in a frontier land.
That's the whole point, though: Just what exactly must we have in common for agape to work? What is necessary for fellowship in the Spirit, an openness which is not meaningless? What is it Paul is holding forth as the demand from Christ in order to exercise the implications of "the whole body fitly joined together by the proper working of each part"?
The answer requires stepping out of our raft of unspoken assumptions and stepping into those of Paul, Jesus, and ultimately Our Father. Any answer which approaches uniformity is simply worldly, fleshly nonsense. Nor do we simply drop everything and have a gooey hug fest because our Western sentimentality covers a multitude of sins. These two extremes fire away at each other, but they aren't even on the right battlefield.
What is that makes a Christian? We know, as Paul spends three chapters of Ephesians telling us, it's faith as a gift from God. Okay, but I can't look into the Lamb's Book of Life and check for your name, so what do I have? I have the tendency of love for people in Christ whom I'd not otherwise even notice if it were up to my flesh. If all we do is cluster in church classrooms fellowshipping with people of like age and interests, we are hardly above the level of flesh. It's when I cluster in odd corners of the world with tribal African men bearing ceremonial facial scars, with a flat-faced Innuit teenage girl whose name I can't pronounce, a CEO in a three-piece suit, standing next to the ancient bag lady who leaves dirty prints on everything she touches. Do we gather just to show we can? That, too, is flesh.
No, we are held together by a consistently demonstrated response to the teaching of the Word. That is, when the Scripture is shared, and from day-to-day we see changes directly related to that sharing, then we who are held by the Holy Spirit can't help but feel a strong bond. Sure, we expect Christians to act somewhat friendly and nice; but after awhile, you just can't fake the overpowering presence of the Lord prodding you to respond to His commands. Even if you really don't understand it that well, the teaching of the Word will change His people. Unchanging people are not His people.
Furthermore, those changes will draw us away from fleshly and worldly concerns into spiritual and other-worldly concerns. Sure, we exclude people -- people who refuse to let go of this life and it's trappings. Say what you will about theory, but for each of us, and for each person we deal with in the faith group setting, there may well come a point when we are no longer burdened over someone who resists that change. Hey, it could be the whole group; time to move on to some other work. Or maybe it's time because it's time, not because anybody has or hasn't changed. The real world expression of Christian spirit has so many facets and possibilities you can't box it up neatly and expect everyone to think the same about it.
No, not uniformity. Spiritual unity is something miraculous, something which cannot be explained by the very best understanding of human psychology. The very root meaning of "mystery" in Scripture is "something which makes no sense on a human level." A spiritual unity will possess an element that defies explanation. It will express itself in love which rises far above mere sentiment, and reflects a miracle of commitment to the welfare of another because they are clearly a part of Christ.
No, the CEO won't demand the bag lady take a bath and dress "respectably" according to his tastes. In Christ he would hold his cultural background as a human construct, always suspicious of it's bad effects on his understanding of the Kingdom. She might be the perfect reflecting pool in which to look and question his assumptions, and vice versa. Or maybe we all look just alike, sound alike, act alike, because it just happens that's what is around to gather into a faith celebration. That makes the organizing easier, but the faith issues harder to teach, because no one will question the assumptions about God's commands. We take what God provides, and we struggle according to His calling.
At this point, we realize just anyone can walk in the door and claim Christ. We take it at face value until something makes it obvious they are fooling themselves, most often because the inevitable differences aren't handled spiritually. Or, we let them move on because we simply can't work together. Done right, the newcomer stays until the calling demands a departure. They will go to another work, not run from yours. You might not get emotionally close to them, but you'll know they were Christian by the shared commitment to the Kingdom.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Life of Christ: Matthew 14
Leaving Nazareth, Jesus returned to Capernaum. For quite some time, Herod Antipas had held John the Baptist in prison. This Herod was the son of Herod the Great by a Samaritan wife, thus making Antipas Gentile by birth. He inherited a portion of his father's domain: Galilee and Perea. The former was a large district spreading west from the Sea of Galilee to Phoenicia. The latter was the east bank of the Jordan starting about one-third of the way down from Galilee and stretching down to the mouth of the River Arnon where it emptied into the Dead Sea, some half-way down the eastern shore. There in the highlands of what had been ancient Moab, Herod the Great had built up the ancient fortress at Machaerus, and this was his son's primary residence. It was not far from where John the Baptist ministered on the Lower Jordan River, and was where John languished in prison.
This younger Herod made some pretense of conversion to Judaism, as his grandfather had done, to legitimate his claim to rule over the Jews in his domain. He had infuriated his subjects by putting aside his first wife, an Arab princess, and replacing her with Herodias. This woman was his niece, but also formerly married to his half-brother, from whom he wooed her. This was both incest and adultery, and it would be typical of John the Baptist to criticize this in his call for repentance. He was loathe to execute John, both because his subjects would resent it, but also because he, too, was taken with John's charisma.
It was common among kings of the East to imitate ancient customs from legendary empires before them, and Herod Antipas was no different. In a pretense to high Persian culture, he made a vow to accept without reservation any petition offered him during the entertainment portion of his birthday celebration. The entertainment was his step-daughter, no doubt offering a seductive dance recital. This was probably well planned by her mother, Herodias, who clearly resented John's influence over her husband. At his offer of any gift, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist. Herod was aghast, but was not man enough to rescind his offer, and ordered John executed right away. With the prize of his head delivered in a large serving dish, the girl's departure left him alone with his guilt.
Indicting him further, it could only be his lack of direct involvement in affairs in his domain which allowed him to believe this miracle-working rabbi unknown to him was John raised from the dead. The disciples of John had retrieved his body for proper burial, then traveled north to Capernaum to inform his cousin, Jesus. Perhaps some came to join as disciples. While we can see the human wisdom of Jesus moving away from the public eye for awhile in case Herodias added Him to her list of targets, there were other reasons for taking a break. His disciples needed more time and teaching, and the disciples of John needed to mourn in proper company. Jesus needed to mourn the loss of His cousin and forerunner, but also needed time with His Father. We don't know where this wilderness place was, only that He and the group traveled by boat to get there.
Their departure was not as private as Jesus had wished. The Apostle John (John 6:1-4) tells us this event takes place in the run-up to the Passover. Given the ritual and social importance of this event, many Jews would have begun winding down their work in preparation. Many more than usual would be free to pursue the entertainment of Jesus' teaching and miracles. All the more so as they approached a time of year many believed would see the Messiah announce Himself with miracles. They followed Him along the shore, and were on hand to welcome Him when the boat landed. As always, Jesus saw in this crowd the scattered sheep neglected by their shepherds. He began healing them.
As the day wore on toward evening, it occurred to His disciples these people needed to seek food and shelter, and this was hardly the place. Jesus suggested they feed the multitude. The men stuttered they could only come up with food for one: five disks of pita bread and two small fish. Jesus directed the food be brought to Him and crowds to sit on the grassy slope. In typical Jewish fashion, Jesus recited a blessing on the God Who provided all things, then began breaking the break and distributing the food via His disciples. Matthew notes some 5000 men and their families were fed.
Because it was such a common thing, it is not mentioned each of the Disciples probably carried their own basket. Jews felt compelled to avoid eating non-kosher food in Gentile areas. However, the baskets often contained other items, much as one today might travel with a day-pack. Thus, they would have had each of their baskets filled with leftovers from the miracle feeding, thoughtfully providing for the next day or so.
John's account tells us the crowd made ready to crown Jesus their king by force. Jesus ordered a hasty retreat for His disciples, while He sent the crowd away and climbed up onto a mountain alone. He was praying there all night, and toward morning a storm had blown down onto the sea. The disciples in the boat had made little progress against the wind, and Jesus went out walking on the raging waves. Already fearing for their safety, they panicked when they saw the figure striding on the sea swells. They had fallen back into superstition, fearing they were seeing a ghost come to welcome them into death. Jesus called to them to relax, for it was He.
There is no Old Testament tradition of having four watches in the night, since they divided it into four-hour segments. More likely everyone had by this time already adapted to the Roman system of three-hour watches, and the fourth would have been between 3AM and 6AM. Peter, impetuous as ever, in relief asked Jesus command him out on the water. He had no faith to do this on his own, but was sure enough of Jesus to believe His Master could make it happen. Jesus saw no reason to reject Peter's request. As Peter got close, he suddenly regained an awareness of the circumstances, and began to sink. Jesus grabbed him using His hands. He chose a more human method of rescue, since Peter was no longer operating by faith. They climbed aboard the boat, and storm ceased.
On the one hand, His disciples already believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Yet they struggled with what exactly this meant, still confused by a lifetime of false teachings. They had seen the countless people healed, delivered, and now fed from almost nothing. Here He showed utter calm and power over the very elements of weather, something they knew God alone could manipulate. So their belief in Him rose to a new level, as they worshiped Him as God.
In a short time, with the storm gone, they arrived a few miles from home in the city of Gennesaret. This would be roughly four miles (6km) farther west and a bit south from Capernaum, but still on the northwest shore of the sea. In a short time, word had spread of Jesus' presence, and crowds of sick people were brought into town. They begged Jesus the privilege of merely touching the fringe on His outer cloak as He walked by, a blue fringe which distinguished rabbis. As many as touched it were healed.
It is the nature of people lacking faith to fear, and even panic. We see it in Herod Antipas hearing about Jesus, in Herodias who tricked him into executing John the Baptist. The disciples panicked at the idea of feeding the multitude. They feared for their lives in the storm in spite of the knowledge Jesus had commanded they be there. They panicked at the sight of Him walking on the water, and Peter feared the storm again when he joined Jesus. We can guess they probably dreaded the lack of rest upon landing at Gennesaret and seeing the crowds gather. The contrast in each case is the total aplomb of Jesus. Matthew teaches us: Regardless how traumatic the situation may be, we will not find Our Lord anxiously wringing His hands. As Master of all creation, His peace is available to those who serve Him.
This younger Herod made some pretense of conversion to Judaism, as his grandfather had done, to legitimate his claim to rule over the Jews in his domain. He had infuriated his subjects by putting aside his first wife, an Arab princess, and replacing her with Herodias. This woman was his niece, but also formerly married to his half-brother, from whom he wooed her. This was both incest and adultery, and it would be typical of John the Baptist to criticize this in his call for repentance. He was loathe to execute John, both because his subjects would resent it, but also because he, too, was taken with John's charisma.
It was common among kings of the East to imitate ancient customs from legendary empires before them, and Herod Antipas was no different. In a pretense to high Persian culture, he made a vow to accept without reservation any petition offered him during the entertainment portion of his birthday celebration. The entertainment was his step-daughter, no doubt offering a seductive dance recital. This was probably well planned by her mother, Herodias, who clearly resented John's influence over her husband. At his offer of any gift, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist. Herod was aghast, but was not man enough to rescind his offer, and ordered John executed right away. With the prize of his head delivered in a large serving dish, the girl's departure left him alone with his guilt.
Indicting him further, it could only be his lack of direct involvement in affairs in his domain which allowed him to believe this miracle-working rabbi unknown to him was John raised from the dead. The disciples of John had retrieved his body for proper burial, then traveled north to Capernaum to inform his cousin, Jesus. Perhaps some came to join as disciples. While we can see the human wisdom of Jesus moving away from the public eye for awhile in case Herodias added Him to her list of targets, there were other reasons for taking a break. His disciples needed more time and teaching, and the disciples of John needed to mourn in proper company. Jesus needed to mourn the loss of His cousin and forerunner, but also needed time with His Father. We don't know where this wilderness place was, only that He and the group traveled by boat to get there.
Their departure was not as private as Jesus had wished. The Apostle John (John 6:1-4) tells us this event takes place in the run-up to the Passover. Given the ritual and social importance of this event, many Jews would have begun winding down their work in preparation. Many more than usual would be free to pursue the entertainment of Jesus' teaching and miracles. All the more so as they approached a time of year many believed would see the Messiah announce Himself with miracles. They followed Him along the shore, and were on hand to welcome Him when the boat landed. As always, Jesus saw in this crowd the scattered sheep neglected by their shepherds. He began healing them.
As the day wore on toward evening, it occurred to His disciples these people needed to seek food and shelter, and this was hardly the place. Jesus suggested they feed the multitude. The men stuttered they could only come up with food for one: five disks of pita bread and two small fish. Jesus directed the food be brought to Him and crowds to sit on the grassy slope. In typical Jewish fashion, Jesus recited a blessing on the God Who provided all things, then began breaking the break and distributing the food via His disciples. Matthew notes some 5000 men and their families were fed.
Because it was such a common thing, it is not mentioned each of the Disciples probably carried their own basket. Jews felt compelled to avoid eating non-kosher food in Gentile areas. However, the baskets often contained other items, much as one today might travel with a day-pack. Thus, they would have had each of their baskets filled with leftovers from the miracle feeding, thoughtfully providing for the next day or so.
John's account tells us the crowd made ready to crown Jesus their king by force. Jesus ordered a hasty retreat for His disciples, while He sent the crowd away and climbed up onto a mountain alone. He was praying there all night, and toward morning a storm had blown down onto the sea. The disciples in the boat had made little progress against the wind, and Jesus went out walking on the raging waves. Already fearing for their safety, they panicked when they saw the figure striding on the sea swells. They had fallen back into superstition, fearing they were seeing a ghost come to welcome them into death. Jesus called to them to relax, for it was He.
There is no Old Testament tradition of having four watches in the night, since they divided it into four-hour segments. More likely everyone had by this time already adapted to the Roman system of three-hour watches, and the fourth would have been between 3AM and 6AM. Peter, impetuous as ever, in relief asked Jesus command him out on the water. He had no faith to do this on his own, but was sure enough of Jesus to believe His Master could make it happen. Jesus saw no reason to reject Peter's request. As Peter got close, he suddenly regained an awareness of the circumstances, and began to sink. Jesus grabbed him using His hands. He chose a more human method of rescue, since Peter was no longer operating by faith. They climbed aboard the boat, and storm ceased.
On the one hand, His disciples already believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Yet they struggled with what exactly this meant, still confused by a lifetime of false teachings. They had seen the countless people healed, delivered, and now fed from almost nothing. Here He showed utter calm and power over the very elements of weather, something they knew God alone could manipulate. So their belief in Him rose to a new level, as they worshiped Him as God.
In a short time, with the storm gone, they arrived a few miles from home in the city of Gennesaret. This would be roughly four miles (6km) farther west and a bit south from Capernaum, but still on the northwest shore of the sea. In a short time, word had spread of Jesus' presence, and crowds of sick people were brought into town. They begged Jesus the privilege of merely touching the fringe on His outer cloak as He walked by, a blue fringe which distinguished rabbis. As many as touched it were healed.
It is the nature of people lacking faith to fear, and even panic. We see it in Herod Antipas hearing about Jesus, in Herodias who tricked him into executing John the Baptist. The disciples panicked at the idea of feeding the multitude. They feared for their lives in the storm in spite of the knowledge Jesus had commanded they be there. They panicked at the sight of Him walking on the water, and Peter feared the storm again when he joined Jesus. We can guess they probably dreaded the lack of rest upon landing at Gennesaret and seeing the crowds gather. The contrast in each case is the total aplomb of Jesus. Matthew teaches us: Regardless how traumatic the situation may be, we will not find Our Lord anxiously wringing His hands. As Master of all creation, His peace is available to those who serve Him.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Revelation 20
All that matters takes place in the spirit realm. Paul made it so clear in Ephesians 6:12:
Our greatest struggle in grasping the message of John to the churches in his care was to understand it from his viewpoint, a viewpoint given completely to spiritual realities impossible to describe in normal human language. Thus, as with Jesus, John used parables. The Apocalypse is a collection of parables, formed into one long parable. Those with spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear will receive the message (Matthew 13). Everyone else will see and hear the ravings of a madman. It had nothing to do with secretive mutterings to exclude outsiders. Outsiders excluded themselves. John didn't choose this literary method out of some abject fear of Roman power, for he was ready to die at any moment for his faith. Rather, he chose this method simply as a return to the teachings of Jesus, Who figures so prominently in the narrative.
Israel had failed utterly in her calling. While the Covenant of Moses was for her alone, it's underlying assumptions were a message meant for the whole world. We need only see the Book of Jonah to understand this. Ninevah did not convert to Judaism, but embraced Jehovah as Lord and repented of their sins, and that was enough. We find precious little evidence the message went forth in that fashion very often. Instead, the nation under Talmudic leadership withdrew further unto itself, leaving the whole world in darkness. It's no surprise Jesus had so very many to heal and especially to deliver from demons. This was correcting Israel's failure. Satan had held the world enthralled to his lies, so that even God's People had deserted the true Old Testament faith. Things had very nearly returned to the spiritual nadir which occasioned Noah's ministry.
Thus, at the beginning of this chapter, we step back a bit and review the history of Satan. We begin after the Cross, when an angel bearing the warrant for Satan's arrest chains and confines him in the Abyss. This is hardly a literal place, but symbolic of divine judgment for eternal beings in an eternal place the human mind cannot conceive. Prior to Calvary, Satan ran free among men, and deceived all through various forms of pagan worship and idolatry. This power was broken, in that wherever the gospel message went, souls went free. While we can hardly grasp it, we understand somehow the Spirit of God did not indwell men before Christ, at least not in the same sense. The Day of Pentecost ushered in a new spiritual reality. John does his best to offer a parable of what this meant in terms of Satan being restrained from a previous power of deception.
It would be silly in the midst of a parabolic revelation to suddenly proclaim a literal meaning for the millennium (2 Peter 3:8). With insufficient space here to recount the entire debate, we note the idea of a literal millennium came into Talmudic Judaism from the Zoroastrian faith of Persia. That it was then embraced by Christian heretics not long after John is hardly a surprise. As the last living Apostle to die, John foresaw a great falling away via heresies, rather like a dark cloud on the horizon. The symbolic meaning of a thousand years is well established in the Old Testament, as well as in previous chapters of this book -- it stands for the entire period between Christ's Ascension and His Return, these Last Days.
The meaning of "the first resurrection" is well established, as well, in the New Testament. It refers to spiritual rebirth, the death of the old self and new life in Christ (Galatians 2:20; John 11:26; Ephesians 2:1; etc.). Typical of spiritual logic, we gain this in preparation for a more literal manifestation at The End, a "second resurrection" (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). The principle of spiritual reality preceding fleshly reality is too obviously a fundamental concept in Christian teaching. Thus, John does not refer strictly to literal martyrs in the sense of Roman execution, but all "martyrs" who have died in Christ and become a living witness while still in the flesh. Having gained the first resurrection, they live forever, sharing His royal authority over all creation. A more literal rendition would mean none of us goes to Heaven until Christ returns. John intends his flock to celebrate their status as those living in Christ whether here or there.
However, somewhere near the end of these Last Days, Satan will be loosed once again as before Christ. This is what precipitates the visions in previous chapters of the Beast, the Prophet, the Harlot, and the Final Battle. As before, spiritual logic dictates we understand these as current reality spiritually, with numerous manifestations throughout time, until the final manifestation at The End. Just as the revelation of God came in bits and pieces, and reached its climax in the Son (Hebrew 1:1-4), so we expect the nature of Satan to reach its zenith at some point.
Rather than subtle workings through various agents in humanity, Satan will finally tip his hand and appear in person, as it were. Note Gog and Magog come "from the four quarters of the earth" as symbolic of the whole human race, as we saw in chapter 16. Also as before, their gathering as a single army is symbolic of fallen man's unity against the Truth. It refers to one final effort to stamp out Christianity and Christians. In this image, John describes the fire of God's cleansing holiness devouring the whole of sinful mankind. That holy fire takes on an eternal form as the Lake of Fire, where Satan follows his two greatest servants.
In a related vision, John sees what happens to all mankind who missed the first resurrection. The White Throne of God as Judge of all Creation calls all sinners irresistibly; there is no place else to go. Every human stands before Him. In Heaven is recorded all the moments of each human life. However, all that really matters is the one record, the Lamb's Book of Life. This Book was known at least as far back as Moses, though not by that name (Exodus 32:30-34). By now we know it is not a literal scroll, nor a tome of pages and ink. Still, it is clear the Lord knows the names of all who are His (Luke 10:20). Because these last are not found in the Book of Life, they must be judged by what is found in the books of their sinful lives. Without the Blood of the Lamb, all human action is sinful. No one escapes this second resurrection, neither at the bottom of the sea, nor even in death and Hell. All of them find the "second death" in the Lake of Fire. Those who are listed in the Lamb's Book die only once.
Yet again, it becomes obvious John calls his flock to understand the pain, misery and suffering of this life is natural to the fallen human condition. For so long as God leaves us here, we rejoice in His use of us. We remain stretched between Heaven and this awful place, and long for release to be with Him face to face. If we in any way cling to this world, or the things of this world, we show we do not understand Christ's teachings, nor the Book of Revelation.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Our greatest struggle in grasping the message of John to the churches in his care was to understand it from his viewpoint, a viewpoint given completely to spiritual realities impossible to describe in normal human language. Thus, as with Jesus, John used parables. The Apocalypse is a collection of parables, formed into one long parable. Those with spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear will receive the message (Matthew 13). Everyone else will see and hear the ravings of a madman. It had nothing to do with secretive mutterings to exclude outsiders. Outsiders excluded themselves. John didn't choose this literary method out of some abject fear of Roman power, for he was ready to die at any moment for his faith. Rather, he chose this method simply as a return to the teachings of Jesus, Who figures so prominently in the narrative.
Israel had failed utterly in her calling. While the Covenant of Moses was for her alone, it's underlying assumptions were a message meant for the whole world. We need only see the Book of Jonah to understand this. Ninevah did not convert to Judaism, but embraced Jehovah as Lord and repented of their sins, and that was enough. We find precious little evidence the message went forth in that fashion very often. Instead, the nation under Talmudic leadership withdrew further unto itself, leaving the whole world in darkness. It's no surprise Jesus had so very many to heal and especially to deliver from demons. This was correcting Israel's failure. Satan had held the world enthralled to his lies, so that even God's People had deserted the true Old Testament faith. Things had very nearly returned to the spiritual nadir which occasioned Noah's ministry.
Thus, at the beginning of this chapter, we step back a bit and review the history of Satan. We begin after the Cross, when an angel bearing the warrant for Satan's arrest chains and confines him in the Abyss. This is hardly a literal place, but symbolic of divine judgment for eternal beings in an eternal place the human mind cannot conceive. Prior to Calvary, Satan ran free among men, and deceived all through various forms of pagan worship and idolatry. This power was broken, in that wherever the gospel message went, souls went free. While we can hardly grasp it, we understand somehow the Spirit of God did not indwell men before Christ, at least not in the same sense. The Day of Pentecost ushered in a new spiritual reality. John does his best to offer a parable of what this meant in terms of Satan being restrained from a previous power of deception.
It would be silly in the midst of a parabolic revelation to suddenly proclaim a literal meaning for the millennium (2 Peter 3:8). With insufficient space here to recount the entire debate, we note the idea of a literal millennium came into Talmudic Judaism from the Zoroastrian faith of Persia. That it was then embraced by Christian heretics not long after John is hardly a surprise. As the last living Apostle to die, John foresaw a great falling away via heresies, rather like a dark cloud on the horizon. The symbolic meaning of a thousand years is well established in the Old Testament, as well as in previous chapters of this book -- it stands for the entire period between Christ's Ascension and His Return, these Last Days.
The meaning of "the first resurrection" is well established, as well, in the New Testament. It refers to spiritual rebirth, the death of the old self and new life in Christ (Galatians 2:20; John 11:26; Ephesians 2:1; etc.). Typical of spiritual logic, we gain this in preparation for a more literal manifestation at The End, a "second resurrection" (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). The principle of spiritual reality preceding fleshly reality is too obviously a fundamental concept in Christian teaching. Thus, John does not refer strictly to literal martyrs in the sense of Roman execution, but all "martyrs" who have died in Christ and become a living witness while still in the flesh. Having gained the first resurrection, they live forever, sharing His royal authority over all creation. A more literal rendition would mean none of us goes to Heaven until Christ returns. John intends his flock to celebrate their status as those living in Christ whether here or there.
However, somewhere near the end of these Last Days, Satan will be loosed once again as before Christ. This is what precipitates the visions in previous chapters of the Beast, the Prophet, the Harlot, and the Final Battle. As before, spiritual logic dictates we understand these as current reality spiritually, with numerous manifestations throughout time, until the final manifestation at The End. Just as the revelation of God came in bits and pieces, and reached its climax in the Son (Hebrew 1:1-4), so we expect the nature of Satan to reach its zenith at some point.
Rather than subtle workings through various agents in humanity, Satan will finally tip his hand and appear in person, as it were. Note Gog and Magog come "from the four quarters of the earth" as symbolic of the whole human race, as we saw in chapter 16. Also as before, their gathering as a single army is symbolic of fallen man's unity against the Truth. It refers to one final effort to stamp out Christianity and Christians. In this image, John describes the fire of God's cleansing holiness devouring the whole of sinful mankind. That holy fire takes on an eternal form as the Lake of Fire, where Satan follows his two greatest servants.
In a related vision, John sees what happens to all mankind who missed the first resurrection. The White Throne of God as Judge of all Creation calls all sinners irresistibly; there is no place else to go. Every human stands before Him. In Heaven is recorded all the moments of each human life. However, all that really matters is the one record, the Lamb's Book of Life. This Book was known at least as far back as Moses, though not by that name (Exodus 32:30-34). By now we know it is not a literal scroll, nor a tome of pages and ink. Still, it is clear the Lord knows the names of all who are His (Luke 10:20). Because these last are not found in the Book of Life, they must be judged by what is found in the books of their sinful lives. Without the Blood of the Lamb, all human action is sinful. No one escapes this second resurrection, neither at the bottom of the sea, nor even in death and Hell. All of them find the "second death" in the Lake of Fire. Those who are listed in the Lamb's Book die only once.
Yet again, it becomes obvious John calls his flock to understand the pain, misery and suffering of this life is natural to the fallen human condition. For so long as God leaves us here, we rejoice in His use of us. We remain stretched between Heaven and this awful place, and long for release to be with Him face to face. If we in any way cling to this world, or the things of this world, we show we do not understand Christ's teachings, nor the Book of Revelation.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Revelation 19
The judgments have been declared, described from three different angles in Seals, Trumpets and Bowls. There is a logical order to what follows. First, the mechanism for calling men to sin, the Siren Song of the Harlot, Babylon, has been silenced. How could we not rejoice in knowing it will come?
The camera angle shifts again to Heaven. We see and hear a innumerable multitude rejoicing at the end of the Harlot. The constant refrain goes back at least as far as Moses: "Just and true are Your ways, O Lord!" From their heavenly perspective, they see the smoke of her immolation drifting upward endlessly. Who could refrain from adding their own rejoicing? This is the point at which all in Heaven and on earth confess He is Lord.
In so doing, the Eternal Wedding Feast begins. There is nothing left for the Bride to get ready. In contrast to the Harlot's flashy, pornographic appeal to lust, the Bride is utterly pure, beauty personified. She is fully clothed in the righteousness God has granted His saints. The angel from Bowls reminds John to note the ultimate blessing, the most praiseworthy aspect of salvation is partaking in that feast. Further, the angel notes there is nothing more important God could say. Recall Jesus Himself warned His disciples not to get wrapped up in the powers of His Kingdom, but to rejoice more they belong to Heaven (Luke 10:17-20). For far too long we have had teaching and preaching making much of what God does for us here and now, and noticing we get to see Heaven becomes an afterthought. The greatest miracle of Heaven is not healing, deliverance from demons, nor even raising the dead; it is God including us in His redemption. The angel pointedly emphasizes this other-worldly viewpoint as from God. He does it again in his response to John's effort to worship him; he disclaims any superiority in rank.
Whereas the first of the Four Horsemen was just an ordinary conqueror, a normally ambitious ruler of men, Jesus comes as the ultimate Ruler of All. In ancient times, the power to appoint a new legal name was reserved for rulers. Secondly, they would often give their servants a secret name, which served as a sort of password for sending urgent commands by some messenger; to hear a command addressed to that secret name proves it could come only from his Lord. Since their is no higher authority than Christ, He gave Himself a secret name. No war, famine and death follow in His wake, but the uncounted multitude of reborn souls sharing in His conquest, riding white mounts all, clad in the righteousness only God could grant.
To further confirm His identity, we are told He has the Sword of Truth in His mouth (Hebrews 4:11-13), same as in the first chapter. To rule with iron was an unbreakable rule, as He is the final Executioner of God's wrath on sin. He destroyed sin on the Cross, and will in the End destroy all who cling to sin. The final symbol is the emblazoned titles on His clothing: "King of Kings, Lord of Lords."
Standing where he could not be ignored, an angel calls the carrion eaters to a feast about to begin, the flesh of all those who rejected Christ. With the Harlot removed, the signal for man's last thrust at Heaven is given. At their finest moment, when all the forces of humanity are gathered, fearsomely united in one great army against God, it ends. It's almost anti-climactic to note the Beast and the Prophet are simply taken captive. No drama, no heart-wrenching scenes of unspeakable human effort. It's over. The two are tossed unceremoniously into the Lake of Fire.
All the rest of human rebellion dies simply by the Truth. The same Word which brought all things into being simply dismisses life from their bodies, and they fall. There is more than enough for every bird to be full. This, too, is part of the Wedding Feast. From the viewpoint of Heaven, all this is simply footnotes. The greatest combined effort of all humanity is hardly worthy of notice before the Lord. Indeed, it results in death and destruction.
Addendum: Just as Babylon represents an abstract concept, so the final battle at the Mountain of Assembly (Har Mgeddon) is symbolic. There may well be some final assemblage of humanity against some perceived base of Christian operations in this world, but it's more important to realize fallen mankind has always been united in one thing only: Opposition to the convicting power of God's Word. You and I know from experience sinners remain sensitive to the truth about their sin. For those of us who fully embrace the spirit realm by faith, and renew our minds to focus on spiritual concerns, the Beast is already de-fanged. Upon this earth there will certainly come a day when that spiritual reality will be manifested in some final way. What that will be no man can envision.
The camera angle shifts again to Heaven. We see and hear a innumerable multitude rejoicing at the end of the Harlot. The constant refrain goes back at least as far as Moses: "Just and true are Your ways, O Lord!" From their heavenly perspective, they see the smoke of her immolation drifting upward endlessly. Who could refrain from adding their own rejoicing? This is the point at which all in Heaven and on earth confess He is Lord.
In so doing, the Eternal Wedding Feast begins. There is nothing left for the Bride to get ready. In contrast to the Harlot's flashy, pornographic appeal to lust, the Bride is utterly pure, beauty personified. She is fully clothed in the righteousness God has granted His saints. The angel from Bowls reminds John to note the ultimate blessing, the most praiseworthy aspect of salvation is partaking in that feast. Further, the angel notes there is nothing more important God could say. Recall Jesus Himself warned His disciples not to get wrapped up in the powers of His Kingdom, but to rejoice more they belong to Heaven (Luke 10:17-20). For far too long we have had teaching and preaching making much of what God does for us here and now, and noticing we get to see Heaven becomes an afterthought. The greatest miracle of Heaven is not healing, deliverance from demons, nor even raising the dead; it is God including us in His redemption. The angel pointedly emphasizes this other-worldly viewpoint as from God. He does it again in his response to John's effort to worship him; he disclaims any superiority in rank.
Whereas the first of the Four Horsemen was just an ordinary conqueror, a normally ambitious ruler of men, Jesus comes as the ultimate Ruler of All. In ancient times, the power to appoint a new legal name was reserved for rulers. Secondly, they would often give their servants a secret name, which served as a sort of password for sending urgent commands by some messenger; to hear a command addressed to that secret name proves it could come only from his Lord. Since their is no higher authority than Christ, He gave Himself a secret name. No war, famine and death follow in His wake, but the uncounted multitude of reborn souls sharing in His conquest, riding white mounts all, clad in the righteousness only God could grant.
To further confirm His identity, we are told He has the Sword of Truth in His mouth (Hebrews 4:11-13), same as in the first chapter. To rule with iron was an unbreakable rule, as He is the final Executioner of God's wrath on sin. He destroyed sin on the Cross, and will in the End destroy all who cling to sin. The final symbol is the emblazoned titles on His clothing: "King of Kings, Lord of Lords."
Standing where he could not be ignored, an angel calls the carrion eaters to a feast about to begin, the flesh of all those who rejected Christ. With the Harlot removed, the signal for man's last thrust at Heaven is given. At their finest moment, when all the forces of humanity are gathered, fearsomely united in one great army against God, it ends. It's almost anti-climactic to note the Beast and the Prophet are simply taken captive. No drama, no heart-wrenching scenes of unspeakable human effort. It's over. The two are tossed unceremoniously into the Lake of Fire.
All the rest of human rebellion dies simply by the Truth. The same Word which brought all things into being simply dismisses life from their bodies, and they fall. There is more than enough for every bird to be full. This, too, is part of the Wedding Feast. From the viewpoint of Heaven, all this is simply footnotes. The greatest combined effort of all humanity is hardly worthy of notice before the Lord. Indeed, it results in death and destruction.
Addendum: Just as Babylon represents an abstract concept, so the final battle at the Mountain of Assembly (Har Mgeddon) is symbolic. There may well be some final assemblage of humanity against some perceived base of Christian operations in this world, but it's more important to realize fallen mankind has always been united in one thing only: Opposition to the convicting power of God's Word. You and I know from experience sinners remain sensitive to the truth about their sin. For those of us who fully embrace the spirit realm by faith, and renew our minds to focus on spiritual concerns, the Beast is already de-fanged. Upon this earth there will certainly come a day when that spiritual reality will be manifested in some final way. What that will be no man can envision.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Armored Up
Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Ephesians 6:16)
Experiences in Kingdom service can bring new meaning to long-memorized Bible verses.
As far back as my first college attendance in the 1970s, I had friends tell me I gave the appearance of being unruffled by difficulties. It was an appearance I cultivated, for I had long experience hiding my pain. I knew people despised sensitivity, and I had far more than my share of it.
I heard a similar comment from an Army buddy fifteen years ago. He said my motto was "Never let `em see you sweat." I told him I actually didn't sweat. I lied, but I believed it at the time. The fiery darts of criticism often stuck, but since I had no good answer to them, I didn't answer at all. I hid my wounds and kept walking.
It turned out most of the time I was right to forge ahead, because I was acting on my convictions, my best understanding. Yes, from time to time, I did go back and take the heat for something which turned out wrong. So perhaps I was half-mature. Sadly, that put me miles ahead of many associates and co-workers, so I had a good reputation. It kept me functioning when I might otherwise have easily fallen apart.
During the darkest times for me five years ago, I clung to the only rock I could find in the storm. The result was to embrace Reformed theology with boldness. The signal elements you probably know already:
- Never forget you are a sinner, saved by grace.
- Never trust in yourself, nor forget you will most certainly fall again in some way in the next few minutes, because your fallen nature can't be completely erased in this life.
- Never fail to trust in grace, because there is nothing else.
- Never forget God will make of your desire for Him blessings you could never imagine.
- Never be overwhelmed by disappointment when He does not do so, because that's still better than you deserve.
- Never be surprised when others, especially sinners, sin.
- The only thing you can operate from is the certainty of your convictions, because they are the direct reflection of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Once you get used to that, it's progressively easier to let go of this world and its concerns. Six years ago I still took as personal attacks things not even aimed at me. I might not complain, but I was burning from the fiery darts behind my mask. I envisioned many people on the Net with vivid colors of emotion, most of which were totally unjustified. A couple of years ago, I still cringed, faced with some sense of dread, the flames from articles which got published. I doubt anyone knew how much it bothered me. I wouldn't admit it to myself.
This past week, I realized it really did not bother me. Flames I got on my final installment of FreeBSD guides just didn't affect me. Prodding and arguments I've gotten on my recent work in the John's Revelation don't evoke any discomfort any more.
The latest comment went unpublished, because it was too much like a sales pitch, including links to book sales and so forth. In fairness, I wrote back at the email address provided, explaining my decision. I won't name names unless the fellow presses the issue. I haven't read his book, but I've read his comments posted on other blogs regarding similar material, plus reviews of his book. He's totally opposite from me on most of my fundamental assumptions, all of which have been fully disclosed long ago.
It used to make me uncomfortable. While I seldom held doubts about my teaching, I had very large doubts I could face criticism, never mind answer it. That's gone, now. I first noticed it when I realized it didn't matter how logical and informed any opposition I faced; I knew what God had placed in my spirit. I need not answer, need not engage in debate, need not concern myself with how it might affect my testimony. At the same time, I realized I did have an answer to just about everything thrown at me.
Let me counsel my fellow believers: Drive to a clarity of your convictions. When you are certain of those things you cannot change, everything else gets pretty quiet. I once wrote:
I remember it as if it had happened just yesterday. In the crashing waves of conflicting emotions, I could think of nothing to say to God. I remember thinking I would give anything and everything for relief. Though it seemed like hours, I know it took only a few seconds. That presence behind and beside me at every altar call was suddenly inside me! No words, no conscious thoughts, just a presence. The emotional storm was still raging, but I wasn't facing it alone anymore....
Since that day, I can't recall a time when the waves weren't washing, and the storms weren't blowing, at least somewhere nearby my soul.
Let me now testify the spiritual weather report is pretty calm.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Revelation 18
We saw in the last chapter how Babylon is identified with human lusts as expressed through the market place. It is identified with the urban setting, cultural sophistication, and highly specialized labor and goods. This Harlot builds commerce through the marketing of every human desire, regardless how abominable.
There is so much of this in our world today, it is hard to know where to begin. Even selecting the more egregious moral degradations leaves us with a very wide selection. The sex trade, from every angle, is an obvious element. The related pornography business is equally obvious, especially the various perversions which are so popular. Gaming, chemical substances, acts of violence, and just about everything we call "entertainment" today falls under this heading. But we could say the same for the brisk trade in loans, speculations, most forms of stock and other securities, all of which lend themselves to a form of slavery. In every case, the action itself is degrading enough. However, John points out the underlying theme is spiritual adultery, AKA idolatry. For each of these vices, and many more commercial activities which typically avoid that label with some squeaky clean veneer, the underlying error is worshiping something -- anything -- rather than God.
In a thousand ways we all find something so important to us we have to sacrifice some piece of our spirituality, some element of holiness in order to keep that thing. We note adamantly it is less the activity itself and more the cause within our souls. Each of them is an expression of human appetite which can be righteously fulfilled, but mankind insists on flavoring it up by dodging the requirements God put forth so clearly in His Word. Babylon the Harlot feeds on this. As we saw in the previous chapter, the Beast also feeds on this. Frankly, both would be powerless if no one was buying. But there is always a buyer and a seller, and these bear the Mark of the Beast.
So we hear the refrain already echoing across the text since we began this study: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen!" This is true in one sense from the very beginning, for it requires a fallen soul to be trapped by her seductions. Thus, the angel coming aglow from the presence of God Almighty announces yet again Babylon has fallen. By no means are we surprised to see she is the haunt of evil beings, for thus has it ever been. Yet here, the point is made: This is both her life and her doom. In the end, there will be nothing left, for she will consume all her customers. Thus, we note she will crumble not merely under the hand of rapine taxation of her beau, the Beast, as we saw in the previous chapter. She will fall eventually because the market in sin carries the seeds of its own destruction. Sated lust only grows a bigger appetite, and at some point there is nothing left which offers a new thrill. In the end, the market for her flesh will collapse under its own weight.
The believers who carry the Mark of God are called to get away from her. This call echoes down through the ages in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 51, Babylon is the target of prophetic warnings. The prophet repeatedly calls God's people to come out (vv. 6, 9, 45 & 50). It is echoed by Isaiah (48:20; 52:11) and similar sentiments are scattered throughout the prophets. The warning is clear not to give oneself over to such commerce, to become independent of the fallen economy of the world. Not that we should cease all buying and selling, but to cease being enslaved by it. Of all people on this earth, among Christians advertising should utterly fail.
The angel calls for a full cup of vengeance against the Harlot. We note the merchants who depended on her for their livelihood will join the governments of the world, weeping from a safe distance as she is destroyed. At some point, all economic activity will suffer a catastrophic failure. As it reaches the peak of power, it will last but a short time by human standards. All the luxuries of human existence will be forgotten, and bare survival will be the order of the day.
John provides one last stark image to jolt his readers awake: "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those who were slain on the earth" (v. 24). Allowing yourself to become wrapped up in such concerns will kill you, spiritually if not literally. You cannot afford to ever come to the place you regard human commerce as essential to your life. If you can't walk away from your place in it on short notice, you serve the Harlot -- Babylon is your god. Christians must maintain but a light grip on all the things of this world.
There is so much of this in our world today, it is hard to know where to begin. Even selecting the more egregious moral degradations leaves us with a very wide selection. The sex trade, from every angle, is an obvious element. The related pornography business is equally obvious, especially the various perversions which are so popular. Gaming, chemical substances, acts of violence, and just about everything we call "entertainment" today falls under this heading. But we could say the same for the brisk trade in loans, speculations, most forms of stock and other securities, all of which lend themselves to a form of slavery. In every case, the action itself is degrading enough. However, John points out the underlying theme is spiritual adultery, AKA idolatry. For each of these vices, and many more commercial activities which typically avoid that label with some squeaky clean veneer, the underlying error is worshiping something -- anything -- rather than God.
In a thousand ways we all find something so important to us we have to sacrifice some piece of our spirituality, some element of holiness in order to keep that thing. We note adamantly it is less the activity itself and more the cause within our souls. Each of them is an expression of human appetite which can be righteously fulfilled, but mankind insists on flavoring it up by dodging the requirements God put forth so clearly in His Word. Babylon the Harlot feeds on this. As we saw in the previous chapter, the Beast also feeds on this. Frankly, both would be powerless if no one was buying. But there is always a buyer and a seller, and these bear the Mark of the Beast.
So we hear the refrain already echoing across the text since we began this study: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen!" This is true in one sense from the very beginning, for it requires a fallen soul to be trapped by her seductions. Thus, the angel coming aglow from the presence of God Almighty announces yet again Babylon has fallen. By no means are we surprised to see she is the haunt of evil beings, for thus has it ever been. Yet here, the point is made: This is both her life and her doom. In the end, there will be nothing left, for she will consume all her customers. Thus, we note she will crumble not merely under the hand of rapine taxation of her beau, the Beast, as we saw in the previous chapter. She will fall eventually because the market in sin carries the seeds of its own destruction. Sated lust only grows a bigger appetite, and at some point there is nothing left which offers a new thrill. In the end, the market for her flesh will collapse under its own weight.
The believers who carry the Mark of God are called to get away from her. This call echoes down through the ages in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 51, Babylon is the target of prophetic warnings. The prophet repeatedly calls God's people to come out (vv. 6, 9, 45 & 50). It is echoed by Isaiah (48:20; 52:11) and similar sentiments are scattered throughout the prophets. The warning is clear not to give oneself over to such commerce, to become independent of the fallen economy of the world. Not that we should cease all buying and selling, but to cease being enslaved by it. Of all people on this earth, among Christians advertising should utterly fail.
The angel calls for a full cup of vengeance against the Harlot. We note the merchants who depended on her for their livelihood will join the governments of the world, weeping from a safe distance as she is destroyed. At some point, all economic activity will suffer a catastrophic failure. As it reaches the peak of power, it will last but a short time by human standards. All the luxuries of human existence will be forgotten, and bare survival will be the order of the day.
John provides one last stark image to jolt his readers awake: "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those who were slain on the earth" (v. 24). Allowing yourself to become wrapped up in such concerns will kill you, spiritually if not literally. You cannot afford to ever come to the place you regard human commerce as essential to your life. If you can't walk away from your place in it on short notice, you serve the Harlot -- Babylon is your god. Christians must maintain but a light grip on all the things of this world.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Revelation 17
Compare and contrast -- these are the basic watchwords of the rest of this book. Here we are introduced to the Harlot, Babylon. Recall here the name of that ancient city is synonymous with all the attractions of civilized living apart from God. There is an underlying theme in Hebrew culture in which, while admitting living in a city might be safer and is obviously more comfortable, a true Semite will remain in his tents, living simply and trusting God for protection and comfort. The rustic and pastoral existence, with few of the distractions of urban ferment, is the noble, moral ideal. The image of Babylon is the opposite of all that.
John receives an invitation from one of the angels of the Seven Bowls. Keep your eye on this one, for it is he who provides a contrast later in the book. This time, the invitation is to meet the Harlot of Souls. She sits on "many waters." While this conjures the image of old Babylon sitting astride the Euphrates, it also has the usual meaning of all humanity, whom she rules in one sense. The angel confirms this further describing how the rulers and all mankind have used her, and have been used, and how she has intoxicated the whole human race with her luxury. This is not an indictment of commerce, per se, but against the drive to excess of human convenience and self-indulgence, for it is this which rules the mass of humanity.
We note John is carried away into the wilderness, the spiritual wilderness just as Israel wandered after the Exodus for forty years. It was the same wilderness where Jesus faced temptation and, unlike His native nation, won the victory there. Thus, while the Lady New Testament Israel is safely protected there, the Harlot is under doom. That's because she is there astride the Beast, now described as a red dragon. Thus, luxurious commerce seduces governments, drawing them by her fashionable dress and enticing ways. From her cup, she sips the vintage of "Everything has a Price." Proudly she wears on her forehead the unique mark of the Temptress of Souls, who knows no limits. Her special delight is the power to bring persecution upon Christians who dare to point out her sins.
When John showed puzzlement at this image, the angel explained. This Beast has ruled in the past, but at this point is restrained by Christian witness. In due time, when the Lord is preparing to return, the Beast will arise as never before, but will rule only briefly. The sinners of the world will be amazed by the return of the Beast. The angel further explains the current City of Rome represents a manifestation of the Beast -- the City on Seven Hills (see note below). The Harlot of Souls dominated the Roman Empire in John's time. Yet, in another sense, the seven heads are seven symbolic rulers. However we wish to count empires of the ancient past, the angel says there were five. Rome now is, and one final manifestation will come at The End, an end which will come quickly.
The concept of the Beast itself, representing the longing of mankind to dominate each other, is a problem of its own -- "the eighth, and is of the seven." As we saw before, the ten horns and crowns represent the trends of human government across the sweep of human history. As noted before, the Covenant of Noah figures large in this book. However, here they are portrayed as the final global government of the earth, a union of all human political power behind a single ruling entity, the final manifestation of The Beast during his single hour of reign -- symbolizing a very short time in human terms.
The cause of that quick and sudden end will be the irresistible urge to attack Christian faith. As soon as they have finally marshaled themselves for one last death stroke against that faith, it will be eclipsed by the Lord's Return. Before all that, the angel warns: Even as she reaches the pinnacle of her control over humanity, the Harlot be devoured by the governments she seduced. Again, in case the reader is slow of heart and mind, let no one be fooled into worshipping the Free Market as the answer to all human ills. These governments will embrace this as the way to strip it all away in taxation. They will use her enticements as means to enslaving all property.
The chapter ends with the angel's warnings about the tendency of human government to inevitably turn against Christian faith, regardless how it starts. Further, it is the nature of human government to betray everything it embraces and promotes. In the end, every human government surrenders to the service of the Beast. The primary path to slavery is the insatiable human appetite for comfort, luxury, and hedonism. What seems to be such a fundamental human activity so easily drifts from improving survival to sinful desire. It would be easy to confuse this with primitivism, asceticism, and other silly notions, but the difference is not in what one does, but the motive.
John's fascination with the symbiosis of desire and slavery, of Harlot's enticement braided with the Beast's coercion, of the fundamental fatal flaw of human nature after the Fall, is natural. When we first embrace the spiritual viewpoint and draw back from our own humanity to see what God sees, we too are stunned by the infinite sorrow. Only in Christ do we escape.
Note -- It is doubtful Rome was known by that phrase in John's time, and seems to have arisen in literature much later. However, the significance of the phrase is more about a profane imitation of holiness, mimicking the sacredness of the number seven. In this, Rome is a partaker, claiming a divine birth of sorts.
John receives an invitation from one of the angels of the Seven Bowls. Keep your eye on this one, for it is he who provides a contrast later in the book. This time, the invitation is to meet the Harlot of Souls. She sits on "many waters." While this conjures the image of old Babylon sitting astride the Euphrates, it also has the usual meaning of all humanity, whom she rules in one sense. The angel confirms this further describing how the rulers and all mankind have used her, and have been used, and how she has intoxicated the whole human race with her luxury. This is not an indictment of commerce, per se, but against the drive to excess of human convenience and self-indulgence, for it is this which rules the mass of humanity.
We note John is carried away into the wilderness, the spiritual wilderness just as Israel wandered after the Exodus for forty years. It was the same wilderness where Jesus faced temptation and, unlike His native nation, won the victory there. Thus, while the Lady New Testament Israel is safely protected there, the Harlot is under doom. That's because she is there astride the Beast, now described as a red dragon. Thus, luxurious commerce seduces governments, drawing them by her fashionable dress and enticing ways. From her cup, she sips the vintage of "Everything has a Price." Proudly she wears on her forehead the unique mark of the Temptress of Souls, who knows no limits. Her special delight is the power to bring persecution upon Christians who dare to point out her sins.
When John showed puzzlement at this image, the angel explained. This Beast has ruled in the past, but at this point is restrained by Christian witness. In due time, when the Lord is preparing to return, the Beast will arise as never before, but will rule only briefly. The sinners of the world will be amazed by the return of the Beast. The angel further explains the current City of Rome represents a manifestation of the Beast -- the City on Seven Hills (see note below). The Harlot of Souls dominated the Roman Empire in John's time. Yet, in another sense, the seven heads are seven symbolic rulers. However we wish to count empires of the ancient past, the angel says there were five. Rome now is, and one final manifestation will come at The End, an end which will come quickly.
The concept of the Beast itself, representing the longing of mankind to dominate each other, is a problem of its own -- "the eighth, and is of the seven." As we saw before, the ten horns and crowns represent the trends of human government across the sweep of human history. As noted before, the Covenant of Noah figures large in this book. However, here they are portrayed as the final global government of the earth, a union of all human political power behind a single ruling entity, the final manifestation of The Beast during his single hour of reign -- symbolizing a very short time in human terms.
The cause of that quick and sudden end will be the irresistible urge to attack Christian faith. As soon as they have finally marshaled themselves for one last death stroke against that faith, it will be eclipsed by the Lord's Return. Before all that, the angel warns: Even as she reaches the pinnacle of her control over humanity, the Harlot be devoured by the governments she seduced. Again, in case the reader is slow of heart and mind, let no one be fooled into worshipping the Free Market as the answer to all human ills. These governments will embrace this as the way to strip it all away in taxation. They will use her enticements as means to enslaving all property.
The chapter ends with the angel's warnings about the tendency of human government to inevitably turn against Christian faith, regardless how it starts. Further, it is the nature of human government to betray everything it embraces and promotes. In the end, every human government surrenders to the service of the Beast. The primary path to slavery is the insatiable human appetite for comfort, luxury, and hedonism. What seems to be such a fundamental human activity so easily drifts from improving survival to sinful desire. It would be easy to confuse this with primitivism, asceticism, and other silly notions, but the difference is not in what one does, but the motive.
John's fascination with the symbiosis of desire and slavery, of Harlot's enticement braided with the Beast's coercion, of the fundamental fatal flaw of human nature after the Fall, is natural. When we first embrace the spiritual viewpoint and draw back from our own humanity to see what God sees, we too are stunned by the infinite sorrow. Only in Christ do we escape.
Note -- It is doubtful Rome was known by that phrase in John's time, and seems to have arisen in literature much later. However, the significance of the phrase is more about a profane imitation of holiness, mimicking the sacredness of the number seven. In this, Rome is a partaker, claiming a divine birth of sorts.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
It's Not the Same
The Lord's laptop (Dell Latitude D505) is running XP right now. It's not the same. I'm not whining, but I don't really like it.
To be fair, there are some things obviously better with Windows. I like the way fonts are handled, especially when I turn off the Clear Type effect. I prefer my fonts a little pixelated and jagged. It works for me. Most hardware works better, of course, because the manufacturers don't have to release their secrets to the people building the OS, as they would with Linux.
So printers work better, but that's in part because the CUPS rendering engine really sucks on some printers -- like my dot-matrix, for example. Even on some better laserjets I've used, the font rendering was different; they letters were fatter and took more ink and toner. It's not as good in Linux/Unix.
Naturally, a big issue is the hibernate fails completely, and my Broadcom wireless chipset is very poorly supported. I never did get it to work under Ubuntu, and I'm hardly a clueless newbie. Yeah, like I said, it's because Broadcom refuses to let Linux driver coders see how the hardware works. They have to work backwards by probing the hardware, and it's pretty complicated. Using that thing called NDISwrapper also fails, and the much-ballyhooed "fwcutter" was a complete failure.
I don't like it. Linux is closer to the way my mind works. I don't trust MS. Maybe in the next few months the Linux folks will make it work. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with XP. Yech.
Update: It's over. I tried all the different Linux distros I am willing to use. All of them choked on the laptop, never giving me so much as a full GUI. My reading indicates the only advice I'll get is to roll back the BIOS update. Now, in my mind, Dell updates the BIOS because it needs it. If Linux can't work with the current BIOS, it's Linux that is broken. I have, however, downgraded the OS to Windows 2000. I'm not looking back.
To be fair, there are some things obviously better with Windows. I like the way fonts are handled, especially when I turn off the Clear Type effect. I prefer my fonts a little pixelated and jagged. It works for me. Most hardware works better, of course, because the manufacturers don't have to release their secrets to the people building the OS, as they would with Linux.
So printers work better, but that's in part because the CUPS rendering engine really sucks on some printers -- like my dot-matrix, for example. Even on some better laserjets I've used, the font rendering was different; they letters were fatter and took more ink and toner. It's not as good in Linux/Unix.
Naturally, a big issue is the hibernate fails completely, and my Broadcom wireless chipset is very poorly supported. I never did get it to work under Ubuntu, and I'm hardly a clueless newbie. Yeah, like I said, it's because Broadcom refuses to let Linux driver coders see how the hardware works. They have to work backwards by probing the hardware, and it's pretty complicated. Using that thing called NDISwrapper also fails, and the much-ballyhooed "fwcutter" was a complete failure.
I don't like it. Linux is closer to the way my mind works. I don't trust MS. Maybe in the next few months the Linux folks will make it work. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with XP. Yech.
Update: It's over. I tried all the different Linux distros I am willing to use. All of them choked on the laptop, never giving me so much as a full GUI. My reading indicates the only advice I'll get is to roll back the BIOS update. Now, in my mind, Dell updates the BIOS because it needs it. If Linux can't work with the current BIOS, it's Linux that is broken. I have, however, downgraded the OS to Windows 2000. I'm not looking back.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Life of Christ: Matthew 13
No one can see God and live. Seeing His face removes you from this fallen existence. God cannot simply reveal Himself to the world as He is, for the world would cease to exist. That Day will come. Until then, His revelation comes in glimmers and glimpses, but never direct knowledge. Man's mind cannot encompass the ultimate reality. If we say the final revelation during this age is in the person of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3), it remains for us to know the full context of His appearance on this earth. Even then, how does one know a person? While I may well describe to another certain observable traits of a person, it says more about me than it does about that other person. Then, when the other finally meets that person I describe, only a part of that person will be found in my comments. The real person will be somewhat more than human language can transmit. It works better if I am like the Person I seek to reveal, and let you get to know me.
So it is with the Father and His Kingdom. Jesus could describe something of the Father by describing His concerns in each situation, but the human mind in a fallen state can only absorb so much of that. It requires a mind opened to truth which cannot be uttered, by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Even then, the means of expressing the revelation of truth will fall short. All the more so today, as our Western languages lend themselves to descriptions of external observable traits, but little of the substance of things. In Jesus' Eastern Hebrew culture and language, it was an old tradition to regard revelation as something which could be related only in parables. The telling of something very important was more about bringing that moment to life for you, not by describing externals, but by vivid sensations to make you feel you were there. The most important parts of the Old Testament are in parabolic language, the language of personal experience.
In this chapter, Jesus draws a crowd as usual, while sitting on the shore near where He stayed (Peter's house) on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was time to teach, and what better way than to sit in the prow of a small boat just a few yards out, facing the crowd on the shore? This way, more of the crowd could hear Him, and see His dramatic gestures, as He communicated in the ways of prophets. The entire session was a series of parables. It was the Hebrew way, the way to reveal the most difficult and demanding truths of the Kingdom. The Parable of the Sower is really a parable about parables. The truth is offered freely, but not immediately usable -- the experience must be savored. Depending on the character of those hearing, the ultimate response varies. While Jesus was willing to explain the parable to His disciples, it was important they realize why parables were the proper means of Kingdom teaching. Those whose spirits were open to the Lord would eventually make sense of it. Those closed to Him would never get it, despite appearances to the contrary. Since Jesus could not winnow the crowds down to those whose hearts were open, it was necessary to teach in parables.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, saying it described the Jewish society of that day. They had the truth, they understood parables, but got stuck on the stories instead of the truth within. Their senses worked, but their spirits were dead. That is, they had rejected the ultimate truth of spiritual wealth, power and security; they demanded the worldly kind, instead. Those who recognized in their hearts Jesus was the Messiah were in a position to hear the truth. They needed a great deal more, so they could serve as He served. As soon as Jesus explained the parabolic language, they realized what He meant by the polarizing effect of truth. When God passes by, it cannot be a neutral event. You must either drop everything else and follow, or you will burrow deeper into worldly concerns and hide from Him. In Jesus came this one last opportunity for Israel to decide once and for all time.
Indeed, the truth itself does all the work. In the Parable of the Tares, Jesus indicates wherever the people of the Kingdom gather, there will always be fakes. It is not possible in this life to make a final distinction between those in, and those not in the Kingdom. Those of us serving the Kingdom here must resign ourselves to having at least one Judas here and there. The act of cleansing the body here below would destroy those who belong, as well. Thus, the Kingdom develops until the Final Day, when God alone will decide which is fruit and which is poisonous weeds.
In the next two parables, Jesus shows how the Kingdom grows. As a Mustard Seed, it begins with almost nothing, but spreads to cover the whole world. In that part of the world, mustard can indeed grow into small trees. As Yeast, the Kingdom changes the nature of all things it touches. The lesson of "give it time" is reinforced. God does not operate on our schedule, nor by our rules of management. Revealed truth requires we focus on the truth and transmitting it. There is no way to measure its effect. If some join us right away, we wisely make room for them, knowing they may fall tomorrow, or some day take our place. Others will hang about, vaguely interested, but never quite sure. They may one day be the central figure of a great ministry, or disappear when the it's no longer entertaining. We cannot know for sure, and it's not our concern.
Matthew quotes Psalm 78:2, a psalm of Asaph. In that long psalm, Asaph warns the truth of God caught cannot be taught, only caught. God had made His truth a simple Law in the Covenant of Moses. He backed it up with numerous miracles, but they never got it. It was proof there was no profit in making truth too simple. Truth only works when the very act of hearing it winnows out the closed hearts. When Jesus dismissed the crowd, the disciples asked for an explanation of the parables. Jesus explains because these men needed a head start on such teaching. The warning is clear to turn while the opportunity lasts. The next two parables are actually one, in which Jesus warns the Kingdom will cost you everything. Whether you stumble across it as a treasure in a field, or you've been seeking it long and hard like a pearl merchant, it will consume your whole life or you won't get it at all.
The last parable, the Dragnet, echoes that of the Tares. Doing the work of the Kingdom will draw every kind. Don't even try to tailor your approach to one or another more desirable target groups. It doesn't work that way. You cast the Lord's net and let Him worry about what it drags in, and take what comes. At the appropriate time, the Lord will separate between good and bad. It's not possible to clear the sea of all the bad fish, so don't waste any effort with that. When the Final Harvest of Souls comes, then all will be revealed. We must wait on Him to separate. We give ourselves to spreading the truth, not what it captures.
Of course the disciples got it. Then Jesus hit them with something unexpected. All this time He had been disputing with and condemning the Pharisees and Scribes. Yet, it's not as if their education and training was the problem. It was their hearts. So if a Scribe were to have a Kingdom heart, his education would be a vast treasure of truth. He would be like a desert sheik, who had in his treasury a host of amazing and wondrous ancient things he had gathered in his nomadic life, mixed in with the most recent technological achievements from far lands. The Scribes and rabbis were not human junk, unless their hearts made them junk, so cast the net of truth among them, too. Meanwhile, study the Word with their level of devotion, so as to have your own treasure to offer.
In stark contrast, Jesus' experience in Nazareth was a net nearly empty. He went back for a visit with His immediate family, now at least a year after moving off to Capernaum. In the synagogue He presented the treasuries of the Word, but they were offended. How did this rather ordinary local fellow become such a famous man? Why all the fuss about great teachings and great miracles? They never saw any when He was growing up. For them, the treasures of God could not come clothed as ordinary men. With attitudes like that, it's no surprise He could do only a few miracles there. As a parting shot, Jesus quoted an old proverb about how prophets of old were never respected in their own household. It was a way of saying He left to do great works elsewhere because they rejected Him in the first place (Luke 4:16-30). He knew it would be so, but Jesus still gave them another chance.
The Kingdom does not discriminate in one sense: The message is offered to all. There is no basis for market research, no basis for excluding even those obviously not receiving the fullness of the truth. Ours is to press the truth to all, and to keep pressing it as long as they will listen. Let the recipients be self-selecting; truth will find its own path.
So it is with the Father and His Kingdom. Jesus could describe something of the Father by describing His concerns in each situation, but the human mind in a fallen state can only absorb so much of that. It requires a mind opened to truth which cannot be uttered, by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Even then, the means of expressing the revelation of truth will fall short. All the more so today, as our Western languages lend themselves to descriptions of external observable traits, but little of the substance of things. In Jesus' Eastern Hebrew culture and language, it was an old tradition to regard revelation as something which could be related only in parables. The telling of something very important was more about bringing that moment to life for you, not by describing externals, but by vivid sensations to make you feel you were there. The most important parts of the Old Testament are in parabolic language, the language of personal experience.
In this chapter, Jesus draws a crowd as usual, while sitting on the shore near where He stayed (Peter's house) on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was time to teach, and what better way than to sit in the prow of a small boat just a few yards out, facing the crowd on the shore? This way, more of the crowd could hear Him, and see His dramatic gestures, as He communicated in the ways of prophets. The entire session was a series of parables. It was the Hebrew way, the way to reveal the most difficult and demanding truths of the Kingdom. The Parable of the Sower is really a parable about parables. The truth is offered freely, but not immediately usable -- the experience must be savored. Depending on the character of those hearing, the ultimate response varies. While Jesus was willing to explain the parable to His disciples, it was important they realize why parables were the proper means of Kingdom teaching. Those whose spirits were open to the Lord would eventually make sense of it. Those closed to Him would never get it, despite appearances to the contrary. Since Jesus could not winnow the crowds down to those whose hearts were open, it was necessary to teach in parables.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, saying it described the Jewish society of that day. They had the truth, they understood parables, but got stuck on the stories instead of the truth within. Their senses worked, but their spirits were dead. That is, they had rejected the ultimate truth of spiritual wealth, power and security; they demanded the worldly kind, instead. Those who recognized in their hearts Jesus was the Messiah were in a position to hear the truth. They needed a great deal more, so they could serve as He served. As soon as Jesus explained the parabolic language, they realized what He meant by the polarizing effect of truth. When God passes by, it cannot be a neutral event. You must either drop everything else and follow, or you will burrow deeper into worldly concerns and hide from Him. In Jesus came this one last opportunity for Israel to decide once and for all time.
Indeed, the truth itself does all the work. In the Parable of the Tares, Jesus indicates wherever the people of the Kingdom gather, there will always be fakes. It is not possible in this life to make a final distinction between those in, and those not in the Kingdom. Those of us serving the Kingdom here must resign ourselves to having at least one Judas here and there. The act of cleansing the body here below would destroy those who belong, as well. Thus, the Kingdom develops until the Final Day, when God alone will decide which is fruit and which is poisonous weeds.
In the next two parables, Jesus shows how the Kingdom grows. As a Mustard Seed, it begins with almost nothing, but spreads to cover the whole world. In that part of the world, mustard can indeed grow into small trees. As Yeast, the Kingdom changes the nature of all things it touches. The lesson of "give it time" is reinforced. God does not operate on our schedule, nor by our rules of management. Revealed truth requires we focus on the truth and transmitting it. There is no way to measure its effect. If some join us right away, we wisely make room for them, knowing they may fall tomorrow, or some day take our place. Others will hang about, vaguely interested, but never quite sure. They may one day be the central figure of a great ministry, or disappear when the it's no longer entertaining. We cannot know for sure, and it's not our concern.
Matthew quotes Psalm 78:2, a psalm of Asaph. In that long psalm, Asaph warns the truth of God caught cannot be taught, only caught. God had made His truth a simple Law in the Covenant of Moses. He backed it up with numerous miracles, but they never got it. It was proof there was no profit in making truth too simple. Truth only works when the very act of hearing it winnows out the closed hearts. When Jesus dismissed the crowd, the disciples asked for an explanation of the parables. Jesus explains because these men needed a head start on such teaching. The warning is clear to turn while the opportunity lasts. The next two parables are actually one, in which Jesus warns the Kingdom will cost you everything. Whether you stumble across it as a treasure in a field, or you've been seeking it long and hard like a pearl merchant, it will consume your whole life or you won't get it at all.
The last parable, the Dragnet, echoes that of the Tares. Doing the work of the Kingdom will draw every kind. Don't even try to tailor your approach to one or another more desirable target groups. It doesn't work that way. You cast the Lord's net and let Him worry about what it drags in, and take what comes. At the appropriate time, the Lord will separate between good and bad. It's not possible to clear the sea of all the bad fish, so don't waste any effort with that. When the Final Harvest of Souls comes, then all will be revealed. We must wait on Him to separate. We give ourselves to spreading the truth, not what it captures.
Of course the disciples got it. Then Jesus hit them with something unexpected. All this time He had been disputing with and condemning the Pharisees and Scribes. Yet, it's not as if their education and training was the problem. It was their hearts. So if a Scribe were to have a Kingdom heart, his education would be a vast treasure of truth. He would be like a desert sheik, who had in his treasury a host of amazing and wondrous ancient things he had gathered in his nomadic life, mixed in with the most recent technological achievements from far lands. The Scribes and rabbis were not human junk, unless their hearts made them junk, so cast the net of truth among them, too. Meanwhile, study the Word with their level of devotion, so as to have your own treasure to offer.
In stark contrast, Jesus' experience in Nazareth was a net nearly empty. He went back for a visit with His immediate family, now at least a year after moving off to Capernaum. In the synagogue He presented the treasuries of the Word, but they were offended. How did this rather ordinary local fellow become such a famous man? Why all the fuss about great teachings and great miracles? They never saw any when He was growing up. For them, the treasures of God could not come clothed as ordinary men. With attitudes like that, it's no surprise He could do only a few miracles there. As a parting shot, Jesus quoted an old proverb about how prophets of old were never respected in their own household. It was a way of saying He left to do great works elsewhere because they rejected Him in the first place (Luke 4:16-30). He knew it would be so, but Jesus still gave them another chance.
The Kingdom does not discriminate in one sense: The message is offered to all. There is no basis for market research, no basis for excluding even those obviously not receiving the fullness of the truth. Ours is to press the truth to all, and to keep pressing it as long as they will listen. Let the recipients be self-selecting; truth will find its own path.
Friday, October 12, 2007
HOWTO: Filled with the Spirit
The New Testament often refers to the disciples or some other servant of Christ as "filled with the Spirit." Because we tend to use that phrase differently than those who wrote the New Testament, the phrase comes with a lot of baggage. Let's deconstruct a moment here.
It obviously cannot be meant literally. The Holy Spirit is a very literal reality, but He does not occupy space, but hearts. So it's a metaphor. No problem there. Now, try to picture your conscious mind so occupied with something, there's no room for anything else. Yeah, you get it. The phrase "filled with the Spirit" pretty much means that. It means you are at that moment so focused on what God is doing, you don't much concern yourself with anything else, least of all any worldly concerns.
That leaves pretty little else to do except say this: To be filled with the Spirit, simply make a conscious effort to be unconcerned about non-spiritual things.
Now, of course I have to expand on that a bit. It means you spend some time contemplating what you really give your self to, the kinds of things which eat up your time and conscious planning. Most of the time, those are worldly and fleshly concerns. So you put yourself through some experiences where you are forced to ditch your old self's worries. You know, like soldiers getting shot at, working from before dawn until after dusk during long summer days, packing your stuff in minutes and carrying it 5 or more miles, etc. Learn what really matters in human life.
You discover a drink of cold water is really precious, that a moment to stop and think really counts toward sanity. You learn a warm hug from stinking bodies is still love, and anything which takes time and effort better be really important. You learn things don't have to be "just so" to make you happy, because you are lucky there's food within four hours of mealtime, and really lucky if there's enough.
Got it? Good; now you are in a position to discard all that, too. That is, you decide you can afford to suffer even worse situations and still praise the Lord. You can master adversity because just breathing is a blessing. And then not breathing is a blessing of another kind. You learn death is just a circumstance.
Okay, now you are ready to be filled with the Spirit. You are ready to focus your attention on things that really, really matter the way God sees them.
Wasn't that easy?
It obviously cannot be meant literally. The Holy Spirit is a very literal reality, but He does not occupy space, but hearts. So it's a metaphor. No problem there. Now, try to picture your conscious mind so occupied with something, there's no room for anything else. Yeah, you get it. The phrase "filled with the Spirit" pretty much means that. It means you are at that moment so focused on what God is doing, you don't much concern yourself with anything else, least of all any worldly concerns.
That leaves pretty little else to do except say this: To be filled with the Spirit, simply make a conscious effort to be unconcerned about non-spiritual things.
Now, of course I have to expand on that a bit. It means you spend some time contemplating what you really give your self to, the kinds of things which eat up your time and conscious planning. Most of the time, those are worldly and fleshly concerns. So you put yourself through some experiences where you are forced to ditch your old self's worries. You know, like soldiers getting shot at, working from before dawn until after dusk during long summer days, packing your stuff in minutes and carrying it 5 or more miles, etc. Learn what really matters in human life.
You discover a drink of cold water is really precious, that a moment to stop and think really counts toward sanity. You learn a warm hug from stinking bodies is still love, and anything which takes time and effort better be really important. You learn things don't have to be "just so" to make you happy, because you are lucky there's food within four hours of mealtime, and really lucky if there's enough.
Got it? Good; now you are in a position to discard all that, too. That is, you decide you can afford to suffer even worse situations and still praise the Lord. You can master adversity because just breathing is a blessing. And then not breathing is a blessing of another kind. You learn death is just a circumstance.
Okay, now you are ready to be filled with the Spirit. You are ready to focus your attention on things that really, really matter the way God sees them.
Wasn't that easy?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Recommended Read
I highly recommend everyone take a look at this beautiful piece over at AntiWar.com: America's Armageddonites by Jon Basil Utley.
Revelation 16
It cannot be said often enough in studying the Bible: Context is everything. The whole context -- cultural, historical, linguistic -- as well as the adjacent text. The Book of Revelation is itself a context. In the past two chapters, we've seen a lot of condemnation on Babylon, the ancient city symbolizing idolatry and arrogance. Further, it symbolizes spiritual compromise, often tied to the Harlot Church. As we enter chapter 16, Babylon is still front and center in much of what happens.
The parallel between the Exodus and these last judgments is painfully obvious. Paul made it clear the Exodus and Conquest were recorded as symbols for our spiritual journey (1 Corinthians 10:1-11), and it's no great leap for John to extend that parable to illustrate our departure from this plane of existence into Eternity. Thus, the last plagues on fallen humanity will be the gateway to a New Heaven and a New Earth. As God commanded Moses to execute the symbolic actions for each plague, so the voice from the Temple in Heaven commands the angels to dump their bowls of wrath.
The First Bowl mimics the sixth plague on Egypt (Exodus 9:8-12), generating painful sores on the flesh of those dwelling in spiritual Babylon who worship the Beast and have his mark. The Second Bowl recalls the first plague on Egypt (Exodus 7), as well as the Second Trumpet. All life is gone in the sea. The Third Bowl extends the plague to every source of water on the planet, an intensification of the Third Trumpet. The angel pouring that bowl rejoices, and the altar carries the refrain, with phrases drawn from Deuteronomy 32:3-4 and Isaiah 49:25-26 to indicate how this is God matching the punishment to the crimes.
One thing upon which all life is dependent -- the sun -- is next turned against sinful mankind, as the Fourth Bowl vastly intensifies the energy output, scorching the earth. Yet this dire suffering only intensifies the blasphemies of the fallen. This is quite the reverse of God's comforting words to His people seen earlier in 7:16. The Fifth Bowl brings upon the throne of the Beast, in City of Babylon, that tangible darkness of Exodus 10:21-23 in the ninth plague. However, this darkness brings intense pain. This will also be insufficient to turn hearts in repentance to Him, just as with Pharaoh.
Thus far, the Bowl Judgments are difficult to relate to spiritual realities in reference to known Hebraic imagery. It seems to leave the whole earth as thoroughly devastated as the Exodus left Egypt. These first five bowls follow a rather logical sequence of an earth which becomes uninhabitable in a more literal sense: ubiquitous disease strikes the world, water becomes universally poisonous starting with the liquid-state end-point and progressing to the sources, the sun becomes unstable and heats up, and the whole earth becomes unlivable. While there may well be a literal meaning to this doom, it is far more important to see this in the broad general sense of fulfilling the threat inherent in the Covenant of Noah. Should mankind allow government to fail its original purpose of keeping civil order, God would withdraw His hand from actively keeping natural order. Thus, as moral chaos rises, God provokes a matching chaos in His Creation, and we must remind ourselves not to lose sight of this basic principle in John's writing here.
As Babylon symbolizes all Satan's efforts to destroy God's witness on the earth, so Jerusalem was the symbol of His throne, the Temple His presence. In that sense, Jesus called Himself the Temple. The one natural barrier between Babylon and Jerusalem was the Euphrates. In the Sixth Bowl, that river is evaporated. The "kings of the East" are a standard symbol of every pagan force against God's truth. This time, the Trinity of Evil manifests itself as frog-like spirits issuing from the mouths of the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet. These perform false signs to rally all human governments for one last battle.
John pointedly quotes Jesus warning us we cannot predict this "day" as a recognizable single event in human space and time. Rather, we are reminded in Isaiah 41-46 how the drying of the Euphrates was a good thing, coming as a promise from God to remove the barrier to their Return, and how drying the river flow under the walls of Babylon allowed the conquering Medo-Persians to enter the city unopposed. This is not a fearsome battle in spiritual terms, but a last pitiful outburst of a doomed Kingdom of Darkness. They gather at Armageddon, a Greek word based on the Hebrew term Har-Mgiddown: The Mountain of Assembly -- Mount Zion. (There is no justification in Hebrew for making this out to mean any valley of any kind, much less the Valley of Meggido; see Zechariah 14.) The Armies of Darkness have always striven to fight the revelation of God wherever He appears throughout human history. Satan always fails, too.
With the Seventh Bowl, we first hear from God all things are finished. The forces of fallen humanity gathered in anticipation of a great battle meet with war from the earth under their feet. There is no place to stand, as the ground heaves as never before since Creation. Babylon is ripped apart, and all the cities of humanity crumble into dust. The final recompense of resistance to God's revelation falls, and cup which Jesus drank in Garden is passed to the Beast. Even as the ground quivers like gelatin under their feet, recalcitrant sinners receive from above, like the seventh plague of Egypt (Exodus 9:13-21), hailstones at some 70 pounds (30kg) each. Yet all this saw men's hearts hardened in blasphemy.
As always, a literal meaning would miss the point entirely. John is warning his flock God is aware of the ways of Satan working among fallen humanity, building resistance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one denies there may be here a measure of literal description of the very last moments before Christ's Return. Rather, it is vital we see, for John's flock and every Christian living since he wrote this, all mankind is a tool of Satan turned against the followers of Jesus. These are dark visions of sorrow, hopelessness in the flesh, but behind it all is a glorious truth in the spiritual realm. Suffering on this earth for the sake of Christ is merely a sign of spiritual power and victory. If you and I do not suffer the loss of property, comfort and life itself, we aren't much of a threat to Satan -- he only fights where he sees God.
The parallel between the Exodus and these last judgments is painfully obvious. Paul made it clear the Exodus and Conquest were recorded as symbols for our spiritual journey (1 Corinthians 10:1-11), and it's no great leap for John to extend that parable to illustrate our departure from this plane of existence into Eternity. Thus, the last plagues on fallen humanity will be the gateway to a New Heaven and a New Earth. As God commanded Moses to execute the symbolic actions for each plague, so the voice from the Temple in Heaven commands the angels to dump their bowls of wrath.
The First Bowl mimics the sixth plague on Egypt (Exodus 9:8-12), generating painful sores on the flesh of those dwelling in spiritual Babylon who worship the Beast and have his mark. The Second Bowl recalls the first plague on Egypt (Exodus 7), as well as the Second Trumpet. All life is gone in the sea. The Third Bowl extends the plague to every source of water on the planet, an intensification of the Third Trumpet. The angel pouring that bowl rejoices, and the altar carries the refrain, with phrases drawn from Deuteronomy 32:3-4 and Isaiah 49:25-26 to indicate how this is God matching the punishment to the crimes.
One thing upon which all life is dependent -- the sun -- is next turned against sinful mankind, as the Fourth Bowl vastly intensifies the energy output, scorching the earth. Yet this dire suffering only intensifies the blasphemies of the fallen. This is quite the reverse of God's comforting words to His people seen earlier in 7:16. The Fifth Bowl brings upon the throne of the Beast, in City of Babylon, that tangible darkness of Exodus 10:21-23 in the ninth plague. However, this darkness brings intense pain. This will also be insufficient to turn hearts in repentance to Him, just as with Pharaoh.
Thus far, the Bowl Judgments are difficult to relate to spiritual realities in reference to known Hebraic imagery. It seems to leave the whole earth as thoroughly devastated as the Exodus left Egypt. These first five bowls follow a rather logical sequence of an earth which becomes uninhabitable in a more literal sense: ubiquitous disease strikes the world, water becomes universally poisonous starting with the liquid-state end-point and progressing to the sources, the sun becomes unstable and heats up, and the whole earth becomes unlivable. While there may well be a literal meaning to this doom, it is far more important to see this in the broad general sense of fulfilling the threat inherent in the Covenant of Noah. Should mankind allow government to fail its original purpose of keeping civil order, God would withdraw His hand from actively keeping natural order. Thus, as moral chaos rises, God provokes a matching chaos in His Creation, and we must remind ourselves not to lose sight of this basic principle in John's writing here.
As Babylon symbolizes all Satan's efforts to destroy God's witness on the earth, so Jerusalem was the symbol of His throne, the Temple His presence. In that sense, Jesus called Himself the Temple. The one natural barrier between Babylon and Jerusalem was the Euphrates. In the Sixth Bowl, that river is evaporated. The "kings of the East" are a standard symbol of every pagan force against God's truth. This time, the Trinity of Evil manifests itself as frog-like spirits issuing from the mouths of the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet. These perform false signs to rally all human governments for one last battle.
John pointedly quotes Jesus warning us we cannot predict this "day" as a recognizable single event in human space and time. Rather, we are reminded in Isaiah 41-46 how the drying of the Euphrates was a good thing, coming as a promise from God to remove the barrier to their Return, and how drying the river flow under the walls of Babylon allowed the conquering Medo-Persians to enter the city unopposed. This is not a fearsome battle in spiritual terms, but a last pitiful outburst of a doomed Kingdom of Darkness. They gather at Armageddon, a Greek word based on the Hebrew term Har-Mgiddown: The Mountain of Assembly -- Mount Zion. (There is no justification in Hebrew for making this out to mean any valley of any kind, much less the Valley of Meggido; see Zechariah 14.) The Armies of Darkness have always striven to fight the revelation of God wherever He appears throughout human history. Satan always fails, too.
With the Seventh Bowl, we first hear from God all things are finished. The forces of fallen humanity gathered in anticipation of a great battle meet with war from the earth under their feet. There is no place to stand, as the ground heaves as never before since Creation. Babylon is ripped apart, and all the cities of humanity crumble into dust. The final recompense of resistance to God's revelation falls, and cup which Jesus drank in Garden is passed to the Beast. Even as the ground quivers like gelatin under their feet, recalcitrant sinners receive from above, like the seventh plague of Egypt (Exodus 9:13-21), hailstones at some 70 pounds (30kg) each. Yet all this saw men's hearts hardened in blasphemy.
As always, a literal meaning would miss the point entirely. John is warning his flock God is aware of the ways of Satan working among fallen humanity, building resistance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one denies there may be here a measure of literal description of the very last moments before Christ's Return. Rather, it is vital we see, for John's flock and every Christian living since he wrote this, all mankind is a tool of Satan turned against the followers of Jesus. These are dark visions of sorrow, hopelessness in the flesh, but behind it all is a glorious truth in the spiritual realm. Suffering on this earth for the sake of Christ is merely a sign of spiritual power and victory. If you and I do not suffer the loss of property, comfort and life itself, we aren't much of a threat to Satan -- he only fights where he sees God.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Modern Pharisees
Jesus often found Himself fighting His worst verbal battles with a group of people called "Pharisees." Putting together the best evidence, it seems this group began as a reform movement to counter the paganizing Hellenist influence evangelized by Alexander, but harshly enforced later by the various Seleucid rulers who dominated Palestine until the the Maccabean Revolt.
What began as a moral campaign quickly became little more than a political party. Regarding themselves the righteous and conservative influence in Jewish society, they were actually no more than an oddball branch of the Hellenizing influence they claimed to hate. Arising chiefly from the rabbinical colleges in Alexandria, Egypt, the Pharisees inherited the Talmudic perspective -- a highly Westernized philosophical slant through which the Law of Moses was filtered. Shifting from the original Hebrew branch of Eastern Mysticism, the Talmudic tradition became highly rationalist, objectivist, even worldly. It retained only the worst elements of Mysticism, mixing it with rationalist assumptions in a truly sickening corruption of ancient Hebrew culture. The resulting worldview was vastly different from that of Moses and the Prophets, but used their writings and claimed to inherit their mandate from God.
It was a very empty shell, a form of righteousness which completely twisted the intent of the Old Testament. They burdened the whole nation of Israel with a mass of ritualistic behavioral demands as a hedge to prevent even the possibility of transgressing the Law of Moses. This, of course, ignored the flexibility inherent in the Law. One had to observe a pile of minutiae over which the Pharisaical rabbis themselves debated endlessly, still debating it today. Thus, one ends with rabbis going to unlock their synagogues on the Sabbath, having to wear their keys as integral parts of their belts to avoid "carrying tools" on the Sabbath. They rip off usable lengths of toilet paper in the synagogue men's room and pile it in a box near the toilet to prevent tearing paper from the roll on the Sabbath, because that's "labor." Yet this insane level of minutiae was pressed upon the Jews as demanded by Jehovah.
A critical element of their underlying failure was materialism. During the Restoration of the Second Temple, the prophets worked to overcome the inertia and despondency of the Returnees in part by revealing stirring images of a Messiah who would bring to earth the final Restoration of all things as God intended. While the Messianic prophecies included a vast range of seemingly conflicting predictions, the only problem was in taking the imagery literally. A cardinal rule of Hebrew prophetic literature is recognizing most things of great depth cannot be told literally. One should reflexively assume a prophecy is symbolic unless a literal meaning is obvious. It was the utter lack of spiritual depth in the Returnees which saw the growth of Messianic Expectations which literalized the symbolic promises of God. Thus, the blessings of God were viewed not as other-worldly, but mistaken as some literal and worldly vision of human comfort.
The concept of Eternity very nearly disappeared. The basic assumption of Talmudic Pharisaism was all God's promises must come true on this earth in a material sense. Messiah would militarily conquer all humanity, enslave every Gentile to the Jewish race, and the material prosperity of the world would belong to a revived Kingdom of Israel. This pile of nonsense was so completely locked in stone, merely questioning it was justification for punishment under Jewish Law. The only true mark of God's favor was material wealth and political power, but it must be married to a Pharisaical bent. The only reason one might be poor is because they were accursed. Those with various ailments were assumed to have sinned, or at least their parents did. Thus, anyone who wasn't a Pharisee and wealthy was a sinner.
It's not hard to see how this all served to maintain the status quo. If for no other reason, Jesus' teaching was a political threat to the Pharisees, not to mention just about anyone else among the "haves".
It is hardly different today in the US. We have a class of politically established and economically successful "conservatives" clinging to an utterly worldly brand of religion. If you don't adhere to their social customs, you must be a sinner. If you aren't at least lower middle-class, it's a punishment from God for bad choices. The only way to escape that judgment is to proclaim a desire to achieve middle-class comfort and strive to project the appropriate outward appearance and demeanor.
Worse, these modern Pharisees adhere to a rash of false Messianic Expectations of their own. They claim the heritage of the Reformation, yet cling to a brand of eschatology less than 200 years old. What they preach and teach regarding Christ's Second Coming was unheard of before 1830, some 300 years after the Reformation. This extra-biblical theology is a tradition of men, rising from a pack of theological idiots who rejected the sanity of 2000 years of Christian History in favor of some fascinating speculations given credence by a teenaged girl of questionable mental stability (Google of Margaret MacDonald, Irving and Darby). This is hardly different from the intellectually stimulating fascination the Pharisaical rabbis had over Greek rationalism.
The result is a movement more political than moral, demanding a modern Nation of Israel, populated by Jews, and a Third Temple. What they conveniently ignore is the current Israel rejects the Law of Moses, and so inherits none of the promises of the Law. More, most of the "Jews" living there are probably possessed of no significant Hebrew DNA. Most of them descend from peoples who converted to Judaism in centuries past. The people they crushed in taking the land of Palestine were not judged by God according to any accepted prophet by any known Old Testament standard. Modern mixed Arabic populations in Palestine are hardly the Canaanites of old, don't worship Molech, and and don't offer their infant children alive on brazen altars. Nor do they include filthy sexual practices as essential elements of their religious practices. While most of them do adhere to a pagan religion known as Islam, quite a few of them are born-again Christians. Just how does evicting Christians from their homes serve the plans of God?
Church, come out of this evil harlot religion. Today's Zionist Christians are little different from the Pharisees of Jesus' day. The heresy of Dispensationalism is a trap laid by Satan to deceive the Elect. Many have gone down that dark path. What fearsome judgments of God will fall upon them?
What began as a moral campaign quickly became little more than a political party. Regarding themselves the righteous and conservative influence in Jewish society, they were actually no more than an oddball branch of the Hellenizing influence they claimed to hate. Arising chiefly from the rabbinical colleges in Alexandria, Egypt, the Pharisees inherited the Talmudic perspective -- a highly Westernized philosophical slant through which the Law of Moses was filtered. Shifting from the original Hebrew branch of Eastern Mysticism, the Talmudic tradition became highly rationalist, objectivist, even worldly. It retained only the worst elements of Mysticism, mixing it with rationalist assumptions in a truly sickening corruption of ancient Hebrew culture. The resulting worldview was vastly different from that of Moses and the Prophets, but used their writings and claimed to inherit their mandate from God.
It was a very empty shell, a form of righteousness which completely twisted the intent of the Old Testament. They burdened the whole nation of Israel with a mass of ritualistic behavioral demands as a hedge to prevent even the possibility of transgressing the Law of Moses. This, of course, ignored the flexibility inherent in the Law. One had to observe a pile of minutiae over which the Pharisaical rabbis themselves debated endlessly, still debating it today. Thus, one ends with rabbis going to unlock their synagogues on the Sabbath, having to wear their keys as integral parts of their belts to avoid "carrying tools" on the Sabbath. They rip off usable lengths of toilet paper in the synagogue men's room and pile it in a box near the toilet to prevent tearing paper from the roll on the Sabbath, because that's "labor." Yet this insane level of minutiae was pressed upon the Jews as demanded by Jehovah.
A critical element of their underlying failure was materialism. During the Restoration of the Second Temple, the prophets worked to overcome the inertia and despondency of the Returnees in part by revealing stirring images of a Messiah who would bring to earth the final Restoration of all things as God intended. While the Messianic prophecies included a vast range of seemingly conflicting predictions, the only problem was in taking the imagery literally. A cardinal rule of Hebrew prophetic literature is recognizing most things of great depth cannot be told literally. One should reflexively assume a prophecy is symbolic unless a literal meaning is obvious. It was the utter lack of spiritual depth in the Returnees which saw the growth of Messianic Expectations which literalized the symbolic promises of God. Thus, the blessings of God were viewed not as other-worldly, but mistaken as some literal and worldly vision of human comfort.
The concept of Eternity very nearly disappeared. The basic assumption of Talmudic Pharisaism was all God's promises must come true on this earth in a material sense. Messiah would militarily conquer all humanity, enslave every Gentile to the Jewish race, and the material prosperity of the world would belong to a revived Kingdom of Israel. This pile of nonsense was so completely locked in stone, merely questioning it was justification for punishment under Jewish Law. The only true mark of God's favor was material wealth and political power, but it must be married to a Pharisaical bent. The only reason one might be poor is because they were accursed. Those with various ailments were assumed to have sinned, or at least their parents did. Thus, anyone who wasn't a Pharisee and wealthy was a sinner.
It's not hard to see how this all served to maintain the status quo. If for no other reason, Jesus' teaching was a political threat to the Pharisees, not to mention just about anyone else among the "haves".
It is hardly different today in the US. We have a class of politically established and economically successful "conservatives" clinging to an utterly worldly brand of religion. If you don't adhere to their social customs, you must be a sinner. If you aren't at least lower middle-class, it's a punishment from God for bad choices. The only way to escape that judgment is to proclaim a desire to achieve middle-class comfort and strive to project the appropriate outward appearance and demeanor.
Worse, these modern Pharisees adhere to a rash of false Messianic Expectations of their own. They claim the heritage of the Reformation, yet cling to a brand of eschatology less than 200 years old. What they preach and teach regarding Christ's Second Coming was unheard of before 1830, some 300 years after the Reformation. This extra-biblical theology is a tradition of men, rising from a pack of theological idiots who rejected the sanity of 2000 years of Christian History in favor of some fascinating speculations given credence by a teenaged girl of questionable mental stability (Google of Margaret MacDonald, Irving and Darby). This is hardly different from the intellectually stimulating fascination the Pharisaical rabbis had over Greek rationalism.
The result is a movement more political than moral, demanding a modern Nation of Israel, populated by Jews, and a Third Temple. What they conveniently ignore is the current Israel rejects the Law of Moses, and so inherits none of the promises of the Law. More, most of the "Jews" living there are probably possessed of no significant Hebrew DNA. Most of them descend from peoples who converted to Judaism in centuries past. The people they crushed in taking the land of Palestine were not judged by God according to any accepted prophet by any known Old Testament standard. Modern mixed Arabic populations in Palestine are hardly the Canaanites of old, don't worship Molech, and and don't offer their infant children alive on brazen altars. Nor do they include filthy sexual practices as essential elements of their religious practices. While most of them do adhere to a pagan religion known as Islam, quite a few of them are born-again Christians. Just how does evicting Christians from their homes serve the plans of God?
Church, come out of this evil harlot religion. Today's Zionist Christians are little different from the Pharisees of Jesus' day. The heresy of Dispensationalism is a trap laid by Satan to deceive the Elect. Many have gone down that dark path. What fearsome judgments of God will fall upon them?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Revelation 15
We have seen the cycle of judgments repeated twice so far in the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets. We note the second cycle increased the intensity. As we enter the third cycle of the Seven Bowls, they increase yet again. This presents the rather obvious principle Our Lord will up the ante as time wears to its end. We have already seen how the Enemy will certainly increase his efforts to prevent mankind from ever having a chance to hear or understand the revelation of God. Thus, there is a distinct element of crescendo in revelation and in the reality of spiritual conflict.
In this case, John refers to them distinctly as plagues, echoing the Ten Plagues of Exodus. Indeed, the bowls of wrath themselves individually echo parts of that experience. It should be obvious John relates the final work of God in Time to the finality of the Exodus. That is, in the Exodus was born the independent existence of the Nation of Israel, loaded with promises for the future. That future included not least the promise to Abraham his children would be a blessing to all the earth. That they failed the task of becoming that blessing was a large part of explaining the work of Christ during His lifetime on earth. In Him the Lord fulfills every unfinished work in Creation. During this time between His Ascension and His Return -- these Last Days -- He does that work through those who follow Christ. Just as the Ten Plagues on Egypt did not come from the hands of Israel, so the increasing wrath of God in these Last Days does not come from ours. Just as those plagues were frightening to Israel, the wrath of God against sin is frightening to us. Just as they climaxed in deliverance through total destruction of the enslaving power, so our final redemption comes through total destruction of sin's power here.
That destruction of sin's power will most certainly destroy this fallen Creation as we know it. While our Christian character does not lend itself to vindictive celebration at death and destruction, we must retain the knowledge every natural and human tragedy serves to remind us this world cannot remain if the Lord is to finally redeem all things. So it is in our personal lives. He cannot redeem us without first destroying everything He did not build. We do well to willingly place on the altar not only our lives and possessions, but also all our hopes and dreams. Our old lives have to be utterly destroyed.
This is painful enough, but as time wears on, for each new soul turning to Christ, it becomes more painful than for the last. The grand powers of the Dragon, the Beast, the False Prophet and all who serve them have long and steadily drawn the human race as a whole farther and farther from the revelation of God. A large part of this effort has been to broaden the gap between native human assumptions and those of the Kingdom. For the very most ordinary human today who comes to Christ, the leap from flesh to faith has never been wider in human existence, and the rift grows every day. Complicating this is Babylon, the Harlot Church, who ever lives to bring the exercise of the faith into compromise with the world. Human misery was never God's plan; He never intended people should die. But we have chosen sin, and sin is death. If we choose in Christ to face that death in this life, we step across that chasm of separation. Failure to go the whole way leaves you anchored in the old life. John warns his flock there is no compromise, no place in mid-air to halt halfway across.
John begins this vision with seven angels prepared to carry out the Last Judgments of God on sin. This is a moment of celebration! Thus, the peaceful sea of humanity before God's throne is now aglow with the fire of His holiness. Standing on this is the host of the Redeemed, as they prepare to offer their praises to the Lord. Echoing again of Exodus, John refers to this as the Song of Moses (Exodus 15). Added to that is the Song of the Lamb. Notice the focus of the praise in that last line:
Where the standards of God's Law are revealed and upheld, no heart can fail to rejoice. With this introduction, the Temple in Heaven opens its doors. The seven angels emerge, each dressed the same as the image Daniel had of Christ (Daniel 10:4ff). They are handed their bowls. At that moment, the presence of God filled the Temple as impenetrable smoke. This same image was seen at the dedication of the Wilderness Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38), and again when Solomon dedicated the First Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8). His presence remains during the Seven Plagues. The implication is obvious: Until sin is completely removed, no one can come into God's presence.
Thus, the subtle message of John reminds his flock they must look often into the mirror of the soul in God's Word and see:
In this case, John refers to them distinctly as plagues, echoing the Ten Plagues of Exodus. Indeed, the bowls of wrath themselves individually echo parts of that experience. It should be obvious John relates the final work of God in Time to the finality of the Exodus. That is, in the Exodus was born the independent existence of the Nation of Israel, loaded with promises for the future. That future included not least the promise to Abraham his children would be a blessing to all the earth. That they failed the task of becoming that blessing was a large part of explaining the work of Christ during His lifetime on earth. In Him the Lord fulfills every unfinished work in Creation. During this time between His Ascension and His Return -- these Last Days -- He does that work through those who follow Christ. Just as the Ten Plagues on Egypt did not come from the hands of Israel, so the increasing wrath of God in these Last Days does not come from ours. Just as those plagues were frightening to Israel, the wrath of God against sin is frightening to us. Just as they climaxed in deliverance through total destruction of the enslaving power, so our final redemption comes through total destruction of sin's power here.
That destruction of sin's power will most certainly destroy this fallen Creation as we know it. While our Christian character does not lend itself to vindictive celebration at death and destruction, we must retain the knowledge every natural and human tragedy serves to remind us this world cannot remain if the Lord is to finally redeem all things. So it is in our personal lives. He cannot redeem us without first destroying everything He did not build. We do well to willingly place on the altar not only our lives and possessions, but also all our hopes and dreams. Our old lives have to be utterly destroyed.
This is painful enough, but as time wears on, for each new soul turning to Christ, it becomes more painful than for the last. The grand powers of the Dragon, the Beast, the False Prophet and all who serve them have long and steadily drawn the human race as a whole farther and farther from the revelation of God. A large part of this effort has been to broaden the gap between native human assumptions and those of the Kingdom. For the very most ordinary human today who comes to Christ, the leap from flesh to faith has never been wider in human existence, and the rift grows every day. Complicating this is Babylon, the Harlot Church, who ever lives to bring the exercise of the faith into compromise with the world. Human misery was never God's plan; He never intended people should die. But we have chosen sin, and sin is death. If we choose in Christ to face that death in this life, we step across that chasm of separation. Failure to go the whole way leaves you anchored in the old life. John warns his flock there is no compromise, no place in mid-air to halt halfway across.
John begins this vision with seven angels prepared to carry out the Last Judgments of God on sin. This is a moment of celebration! Thus, the peaceful sea of humanity before God's throne is now aglow with the fire of His holiness. Standing on this is the host of the Redeemed, as they prepare to offer their praises to the Lord. Echoing again of Exodus, John refers to this as the Song of Moses (Exodus 15). Added to that is the Song of the Lamb. Notice the focus of the praise in that last line:
For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.
Where the standards of God's Law are revealed and upheld, no heart can fail to rejoice. With this introduction, the Temple in Heaven opens its doors. The seven angels emerge, each dressed the same as the image Daniel had of Christ (Daniel 10:4ff). They are handed their bowls. At that moment, the presence of God filled the Temple as impenetrable smoke. This same image was seen at the dedication of the Wilderness Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38), and again when Solomon dedicated the First Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8). His presence remains during the Seven Plagues. The implication is obvious: Until sin is completely removed, no one can come into God's presence.
Thus, the subtle message of John reminds his flock they must look often into the mirror of the soul in God's Word and see:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my concerns. See if wicked way is in me, and lead me in the everlasting ways. (Psalm 139:23-24).
Monday, October 8, 2007
God in a Box
Yowza, yowza; step right up and get yer "God-in-a-box" right here...
Is it not amazing what people try to sell these days as the "true faith"? It's been going on for so long, nobody seems to notice a great deal of what passes for common sense Christianity is common, but not at all sensible in the Spirit. Even when we can get secular scholars to take us seriously, it's too often the common they assume is representative of the real thing.
For example, Scientific American is running an article on the possibility of replicating spiritual ecstasy simply feeding back into the brain the same electromagnetic fields detected in people who were experiencing such ecstasy. How nice! Only one big problem: spiritual ecstasy is hardly an indicator of any real communion with God.
Basic principle: If man can in any way do it by any means available in his fallen state, it's never going to be the same as what God does. Indeed, we've ample warning in Scripture subjective feelings don't reflect eternal truths. While we may indeed experience a great deal of emotion during spiritual encounters, the emotions are just symptoms, not the substance of the thing.
This mistake is closely tied to the false "Personal Word(s) from God" religious experience promoted in most churches I've seen or about which I've heard. I highly recommend you take the time to read Bob DeWaay's article addressing that. You cannot rely on subtle impressions as a "word from God." DeWaay makes it clear God offers a whole lot more freedom of choice than is typically associated with the Reformed understanding of things.
For the most part, the details of your life are hardly mapped out in advance by God's design. No doubt God can easily track every permutation of every minute difference at every point of decision, but just viewing it that way is worldly. The biblical viewpoint is much more subtle, and never attempts that level of precision. Yet, even if every minute decision were mapped out in advance by God, He is hardly likely to tell you any of it. That's the point DeWaay makes: It isn't God's way. God's way is to allow you a certain amount of unresolved tension of never being quite sure in this flesh. It's not as if you have to fear some little blink of the eye was "wrong" and it's going to cost you. The concept of "God's will" rises far above such materialist assumptions.
Again: God speaks most through your convictions, as shaped by your best understanding of His Word -- that book we call "the Bible." Seeking some detailed and nuanced guidance is childish, and reflects a poor understanding of the Bible. We are but a vapor, and our mistakes will hardly frustrate the will and grace of God. The biblical viewpoint focuses on your desire to glorify God, not your performance.
Still, I can see it now: The new Church of the God Helmet. "Plug in, sit down, and know the joy of the Lord!" Blasphemy.
Is it not amazing what people try to sell these days as the "true faith"? It's been going on for so long, nobody seems to notice a great deal of what passes for common sense Christianity is common, but not at all sensible in the Spirit. Even when we can get secular scholars to take us seriously, it's too often the common they assume is representative of the real thing.
For example, Scientific American is running an article on the possibility of replicating spiritual ecstasy simply feeding back into the brain the same electromagnetic fields detected in people who were experiencing such ecstasy. How nice! Only one big problem: spiritual ecstasy is hardly an indicator of any real communion with God.
Basic principle: If man can in any way do it by any means available in his fallen state, it's never going to be the same as what God does. Indeed, we've ample warning in Scripture subjective feelings don't reflect eternal truths. While we may indeed experience a great deal of emotion during spiritual encounters, the emotions are just symptoms, not the substance of the thing.
This mistake is closely tied to the false "Personal Word(s) from God" religious experience promoted in most churches I've seen or about which I've heard. I highly recommend you take the time to read Bob DeWaay's article addressing that. You cannot rely on subtle impressions as a "word from God." DeWaay makes it clear God offers a whole lot more freedom of choice than is typically associated with the Reformed understanding of things.
For the most part, the details of your life are hardly mapped out in advance by God's design. No doubt God can easily track every permutation of every minute difference at every point of decision, but just viewing it that way is worldly. The biblical viewpoint is much more subtle, and never attempts that level of precision. Yet, even if every minute decision were mapped out in advance by God, He is hardly likely to tell you any of it. That's the point DeWaay makes: It isn't God's way. God's way is to allow you a certain amount of unresolved tension of never being quite sure in this flesh. It's not as if you have to fear some little blink of the eye was "wrong" and it's going to cost you. The concept of "God's will" rises far above such materialist assumptions.
Again: God speaks most through your convictions, as shaped by your best understanding of His Word -- that book we call "the Bible." Seeking some detailed and nuanced guidance is childish, and reflects a poor understanding of the Bible. We are but a vapor, and our mistakes will hardly frustrate the will and grace of God. The biblical viewpoint focuses on your desire to glorify God, not your performance.
Still, I can see it now: The new Church of the God Helmet. "Plug in, sit down, and know the joy of the Lord!" Blasphemy.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Life of Christ: Matthew 12
The paradox of the Kingdom is that is must come by the power of grace and faith, not by any other means. Jesus makes the audacious claim of being the Messiah. While He offers sufficient proof by the prophecies, it's not about proofs which cannot be denied. He comes in gentleness, showing His power by what He does and by what He does not do, showing the godly results as His sole evidence.
As part of His claim, Jesus shows He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees had so thoroughly hedged about the Law of Moses, they had long since ceased to understand what it was all about. They were quick to push rules which benefited them personally, but used it to enslave every one else. On a particular Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples walked through a grain field. As was permitted under the Law, they were picking only so much as they might eat as they passed (Deuteronomy 23:25). This portion of Law pointed to the obligation of caring for others in their need. The Pharisees saw only the "work" being done on the Sabbath -- by their wild imaginations, the disciples were harvesting, treading and winnowing.
Jesus reminded them how David set aside the strict requirements of the Temple ritual regarding Showbread, by taking as much as he and his men needed to escape Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-6). Moral requirements outweighed the ritual requirements. Further, in order to obey one ritual requirement, the priests disobeyed another. They would do their heaviest annual labor observing special sacrificial requirements even if it fell on a Sabbath. The Temple was merely an earthly symbol of God's presence among men, but Jesus was Himself very truly God among men. Again Jesus bluntly reminded them of their abuse of the Law as a means to restrict others, refusing to act on the much higher requirements of the Law of God -- to have mercy on others (Hosea 6:6). Jesus' lordship was above mere ritual.
On another Sabbath, in a synagogue, Jesus answered a rhetorical question with another regarding whether it was permitted under the Law to rescue an animal in distress. Of course, taking care of property became an excuse to side-step the strict requirements of the Law. How much more so can one not care about a fellow Israelite in distress? Again, the Jews considered it "work" to heal, even if Jesus did nothing more than command the man to stretch out his withered hand. When by faith the man strove to do what he clearly could not, he was healed. So deeply mistaken were the Pharisees they took this as a crime. Who could not be disturbed by such misanthropy? Again, as long as bending the rules helped them retain power and wealth, it was fine. Using exceptions in the Law to actually do good was forbidden.
It was not yet time to bring the conflict to a climax, so Jesus withdrew from those who were quite ready to arrest and try Him under the Talmud. How odd it should be they could so easily drop their fierce hatred against the Herodians -- those who compromised with Roman occupation -- in order to stop this one man's voice. The audacious claims of Jesus could not be refuted on any grounds except hatred. Yet Jesus was completely unwilling to force anyone over to His viewpoint. He presented His message gently, almost shyly in parables, warning people not to stir up a circus atmosphere. Matthew remarks how this fulfilled the prophecy the Messiah would never use force, but would build a Kingdom on full respect for the human right to say "no" to God. No debates to force a change in the laws, no calling up an army to revolt, nor attacking the weak facade of Talmudic pretense, nor forcing anyone to decide one way or another. The truth itself was polarizing enough, and would bring its own victory, even to the point of winning the Gentiles to a trust in God greater than many generations of Jews who supposedly knew Him best.
When Jesus delivered a demonized man so that he saw and spoke, the Pharisees again alleged He did so by Satan's authority. This time He responded with a stern warning. The Pharisees trained people to cast out demons, as well. Jesus hinted their successes were fake, since it was the very perverted viewpoint of the Talmud which made that part of the world such easy pickings for demonic possession. But assuming they were attacking the Kingdom of Darkness, how could anyone suppose delivering a soul from demons would promote it? The very attempt to deliver is the standard of judgment; Jesus' effortless success was proof of greater authority, an authority above Satan's -- it could only be God's authority. Jesus compared them to shepherds who served only to scatter the sheep He came to gather into the Kingdom of God (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
Then Jesus pronounced one of the most disputed principles of the Kingdom, warning the one sin from which no man was redeemed and forgiven was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not bother to take offense when insulted, but this was not merely a slap at Him, but at God's holy presence. Should any man be drawn so far into delusion he can no longer tell the difference between a work of God and a work of the Devil, there is no hope for him. It remains a simple matter of knowing the work of Lord by its fruit. Speaking evil of human redemption shows the Pharisees were committed to the path of destruction. Sooner or later, the truth of a man's character is known by his words.
The Pharisee's response was to demand a sign according the False Messianic Expectations, something in line with that mass of childish, arrogant and materialistic nonsense built up since the building of the Second Temple. Jesus pointedly refused, showing how the fruit of His ministry was more than sufficient to show He acted by God's authority. However, their sign would be taken from the singular best representation of Jewish arrogance: Jonah. This was the prophet who ran from a mission because he didn't want the Ninevites to repent and be forgiven. The Pharisees were the same sort, and this was not lost on them. God's purpose was not thwarted by mere men. Just as Jonah was three days in a form of death, so would Jesus be in the grave. Meanwhile, the Ninevites repented and found redemption, shaming the Pharisees who rejected one with an ever greater message of redemption. Even the pagan Queen of Sheba knew wisdom when she saw it, but the Jewish leaders called it evil.
Jesus and His cousin John had shaken and broken Satan's hold on Israel, driving out all manner of demonic activity. The House of Israel had been swept clean, as it were. But when the window of redemption was past, nothing would have changed. The demons would come back with a vengeance and things would only get worse. The Pharisees knew Jesus was blaming them for the hardness of hearts.
Yet, even Jesus' own family wondered if He had not lost His senses, and was taken by demons Himself. While they no doubt had heard Mary's recollections of the miracles of Jesus early life, it was hard for their fleshly minds to imagine the Messiah would act this way. They were just trying to be a good Jewish family, making sure Jesus didn't overwork Himself, didn't neglect His own needs for a bunch of strangers. Surely He would respect His own blood kin. Instead, He declared the only kinship which mattered was that of the Spirit. Human bonding meant nothing compared to the fellowship of the Kingdom of Heaven. The only father who really mattered was the Father in Heaven.
As part of His claim, Jesus shows He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees had so thoroughly hedged about the Law of Moses, they had long since ceased to understand what it was all about. They were quick to push rules which benefited them personally, but used it to enslave every one else. On a particular Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples walked through a grain field. As was permitted under the Law, they were picking only so much as they might eat as they passed (Deuteronomy 23:25). This portion of Law pointed to the obligation of caring for others in their need. The Pharisees saw only the "work" being done on the Sabbath -- by their wild imaginations, the disciples were harvesting, treading and winnowing.
Jesus reminded them how David set aside the strict requirements of the Temple ritual regarding Showbread, by taking as much as he and his men needed to escape Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-6). Moral requirements outweighed the ritual requirements. Further, in order to obey one ritual requirement, the priests disobeyed another. They would do their heaviest annual labor observing special sacrificial requirements even if it fell on a Sabbath. The Temple was merely an earthly symbol of God's presence among men, but Jesus was Himself very truly God among men. Again Jesus bluntly reminded them of their abuse of the Law as a means to restrict others, refusing to act on the much higher requirements of the Law of God -- to have mercy on others (Hosea 6:6). Jesus' lordship was above mere ritual.
On another Sabbath, in a synagogue, Jesus answered a rhetorical question with another regarding whether it was permitted under the Law to rescue an animal in distress. Of course, taking care of property became an excuse to side-step the strict requirements of the Law. How much more so can one not care about a fellow Israelite in distress? Again, the Jews considered it "work" to heal, even if Jesus did nothing more than command the man to stretch out his withered hand. When by faith the man strove to do what he clearly could not, he was healed. So deeply mistaken were the Pharisees they took this as a crime. Who could not be disturbed by such misanthropy? Again, as long as bending the rules helped them retain power and wealth, it was fine. Using exceptions in the Law to actually do good was forbidden.
It was not yet time to bring the conflict to a climax, so Jesus withdrew from those who were quite ready to arrest and try Him under the Talmud. How odd it should be they could so easily drop their fierce hatred against the Herodians -- those who compromised with Roman occupation -- in order to stop this one man's voice. The audacious claims of Jesus could not be refuted on any grounds except hatred. Yet Jesus was completely unwilling to force anyone over to His viewpoint. He presented His message gently, almost shyly in parables, warning people not to stir up a circus atmosphere. Matthew remarks how this fulfilled the prophecy the Messiah would never use force, but would build a Kingdom on full respect for the human right to say "no" to God. No debates to force a change in the laws, no calling up an army to revolt, nor attacking the weak facade of Talmudic pretense, nor forcing anyone to decide one way or another. The truth itself was polarizing enough, and would bring its own victory, even to the point of winning the Gentiles to a trust in God greater than many generations of Jews who supposedly knew Him best.
When Jesus delivered a demonized man so that he saw and spoke, the Pharisees again alleged He did so by Satan's authority. This time He responded with a stern warning. The Pharisees trained people to cast out demons, as well. Jesus hinted their successes were fake, since it was the very perverted viewpoint of the Talmud which made that part of the world such easy pickings for demonic possession. But assuming they were attacking the Kingdom of Darkness, how could anyone suppose delivering a soul from demons would promote it? The very attempt to deliver is the standard of judgment; Jesus' effortless success was proof of greater authority, an authority above Satan's -- it could only be God's authority. Jesus compared them to shepherds who served only to scatter the sheep He came to gather into the Kingdom of God (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
Then Jesus pronounced one of the most disputed principles of the Kingdom, warning the one sin from which no man was redeemed and forgiven was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not bother to take offense when insulted, but this was not merely a slap at Him, but at God's holy presence. Should any man be drawn so far into delusion he can no longer tell the difference between a work of God and a work of the Devil, there is no hope for him. It remains a simple matter of knowing the work of Lord by its fruit. Speaking evil of human redemption shows the Pharisees were committed to the path of destruction. Sooner or later, the truth of a man's character is known by his words.
The Pharisee's response was to demand a sign according the False Messianic Expectations, something in line with that mass of childish, arrogant and materialistic nonsense built up since the building of the Second Temple. Jesus pointedly refused, showing how the fruit of His ministry was more than sufficient to show He acted by God's authority. However, their sign would be taken from the singular best representation of Jewish arrogance: Jonah. This was the prophet who ran from a mission because he didn't want the Ninevites to repent and be forgiven. The Pharisees were the same sort, and this was not lost on them. God's purpose was not thwarted by mere men. Just as Jonah was three days in a form of death, so would Jesus be in the grave. Meanwhile, the Ninevites repented and found redemption, shaming the Pharisees who rejected one with an ever greater message of redemption. Even the pagan Queen of Sheba knew wisdom when she saw it, but the Jewish leaders called it evil.
Jesus and His cousin John had shaken and broken Satan's hold on Israel, driving out all manner of demonic activity. The House of Israel had been swept clean, as it were. But when the window of redemption was past, nothing would have changed. The demons would come back with a vengeance and things would only get worse. The Pharisees knew Jesus was blaming them for the hardness of hearts.
Yet, even Jesus' own family wondered if He had not lost His senses, and was taken by demons Himself. While they no doubt had heard Mary's recollections of the miracles of Jesus early life, it was hard for their fleshly minds to imagine the Messiah would act this way. They were just trying to be a good Jewish family, making sure Jesus didn't overwork Himself, didn't neglect His own needs for a bunch of strangers. Surely He would respect His own blood kin. Instead, He declared the only kinship which mattered was that of the Spirit. Human bonding meant nothing compared to the fellowship of the Kingdom of Heaven. The only father who really mattered was the Father in Heaven.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Celebrating the New(er) Laptop
By the grace of God and His fine servants, I now type this message from the newer laptop. It's far better than I'll ever deserve. Now pray with me I can repay in a short order the man who paid for this up-front.
God is soooooooo good!
Update: The Linux attempt was a failure. Hibernate didn't work, nor the built-in wireless. That's pretty much the main two reasons people buy laptops, so I had to back off and install XP -- which came with it.
God is soooooooo good!
Update: The Linux attempt was a failure. Hibernate didn't work, nor the built-in wireless. That's pretty much the main two reasons people buy laptops, so I had to back off and install XP -- which came with it.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Getting the Message
There was a time I had to use a wheelchair. Standing for just a few moments was uncomfortable, and walking was utterly painful. Even with crutches, I'd come home midday and the knee joints were swollen. I suddenly became very aware of accessibility issues. Not only did I spend the day in a wheelchair, but my legs had to remain nearly straight, relying on elevated leg rests. Thus, in many "accessible" places I got scrapes on my chair, and left scrapes on the fixtures, trying to cut around sharp corners and narrow passages.
It's my nature to take such things in stride. Mostly I laughed about it, and seldom asked for any changes. Going to college at the time, where political liberal assumptions held sway in the first place, I recall having three significant incidents.
First, there was the class scheduled for the second floor in a building without an elevator. I asked the building manager where I could find a way to get to the classroom. In five minutes, the class was moved to a downstairs room. I was glad, and impressed with the response, but had no intention of whining. Had they offered no options, I'd have worked it out somehow.
Second, during a campus construction project, many sidewalks were removed and replaced with movable wooden walkways. These thoughtfully included gritty tar-paper on them for traction. However, the ramps running up from paved parking lots onto these walks was a bit steep. Now, having quite large and powerful arms, I had managed to climb a long 20% ramp for fun, but in this case it was the thick wooden panels which blocked me. My front casters couldn't make that flat cut edge and still climb. I'd pop up onto the slanted deck, but rolled backward off it before I could reposition my hands and get enough forward momentum to get my main wheels over the bump and make the climb. I made a request and the workmen cut a bevel on the front edge of every up-ramp.
The third incident really took the cake. I was required to present myself at a printing shop off-campus to purchase a large syllabus and some classroom materials, as the sole source for a particular required class. You guessed it: they had no wheelchair ramps for access. From the front parking lot, it was all high concrete curb. I rolled along the street to the far end of the building, because it looked to me as if the sidewalk sloped down toward the alleyway. When I got there, it was a mere 2" jump up onto the sidewalk. I managed to pop my casters up on the walk, then grabbed hold of a large soda vending machine standing there to pull myself the rest of the way up onto the walk. The front door was a little stiff, but I managed it. When I presented myself to the clerk at the counter, panting, and asked who could hear my complaint about access, the answer was frankly rude, with a clear undercurrent of "we couldn't care less." I bought my materials and escaped the way I came.
Later that day, I spoke to the dean of the school and the print shop lost their contract. I'd much rather they simply had built a decent ramp from the parking lot onto the sidewalk. It had only been a few years since the ADA was passed, so folks were still adjusting. However, my description of the rude answer was what motivated the dean to act so firmly. Across the street from a large, state-owned college? They should have gotten the message long before that. The campus itself was mostly easy access for my wheelchair.
Politics being what it is, there is plenty of lying on both sides of the issue. However, I maintain the push for the ADA would not have been quite so effective were it not for the notable truculence of many businessmen. It's one thing when you just don't realize the problems because it doesn't affect you. The best wheelchair ramp engineers are those using wheelchairs. Further, I realize there is a level of declining returns when you set out to accommodate some of the more obscure disabilities. All the more so when so many fake disabilities are claimed just to win lawsuits. In some cases, accommodation is simply not possible, and we should learn to live with it. You won't catch me demanding the rock climbing tour business hire me as a guide while I'm using a wheelchair. Some demands are manifestly evil.
I no longer use a wheelchair. Still, I remain sensitive to the whole field of concern. As a Christian, I am especially sensitive, though given the nature of fallen mankind, I don't expect everyone to walk with me on it. It's that Christian spirit which calls me to leave some alone in their sins, and which calls me to work independently to help some disabled people at a much more personal level.
One friend of mine is going blind, and I try to help him find ways to do things without so much assistance. He bought a huge 37" monitor for his computer, but I still had to set the theme to reverse white-on-black for him to read clearly. Windows still prevents easy access to changing the font size on some system related display items. For people completely blind, I think I can empathize a bit. For example, I vastly prefer using plain-text web browsers. I want information, not entertainment. Sometimes graphics are required to truly understand something, and I shift to a graphical browser for that. Still, the nature of the Net itself calls for some limits to ADA demands.
Inherent in the ADA is the concept of whether some entity can be labeled "public accommodation." Recently, the retail chain Target has been hit with lawsuits regarding its online store. Now it's one big class action lawsuit. Right or wrong in the larger sense, Target does fit the label "public accommodation." On the one hand, the most tiresome thing is for a retailer to assert they are doing right, when it's obvious to everyone else they are not:
Now, assuming for the sake of argument my text browser is a fair indication of whether a site is accessible to the blind, I note there are a ton of obvious links on the front page. However, there is at least one section relying entirely on visual clues to narrow down the search for products (electronics). Further, the complaint insists the real problem is one cannot close a purchase without having to use a graphical browser and mouse. That is the primary point of failure.
There are opposing viewpoints. When a webmaster fancies himself an artiste, we aren't surprised he gets grouchy about such issues. I agree some of the ADA-related demands are out of line. Like everyone else, I absolutely loathe flashing banner ads. For that reason, I take steps to prevent seeing them. Further, I have a special problem with them. Whatever it is we mean by Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, I've got it. I find I am far more susceptible than the average person to such ads in the sense I can't read the content of a site when things are moving or changing colors on the screen. However, I tend to think that is my problem, given the wider view of things.
Have you ever tried to use a text-only browser? Some sites are simply inaccessible. For example, I've run across church-related sites which are 100% Flash content. When such sites are private, that's their right. While the church facility has one set of rules, and most churches fervently desire to be physically accessible, their websites are another matter.
When the site owners seek to engage in commerce in any way, it falls under the ADA (right or wrong). Seems to me businesses want it both ways for themselves. The Net is inherently anti-business in the first place, and very much pro-free-information. Commerce is a badly matched layer on top of it. At the same time, we cannot just jump at every demand. The problem is the truculence of many businesses, versus the whining of many disabled people. I try to include in my webpage coding a liberal sprinkling of
It's my nature to take such things in stride. Mostly I laughed about it, and seldom asked for any changes. Going to college at the time, where political liberal assumptions held sway in the first place, I recall having three significant incidents.
First, there was the class scheduled for the second floor in a building without an elevator. I asked the building manager where I could find a way to get to the classroom. In five minutes, the class was moved to a downstairs room. I was glad, and impressed with the response, but had no intention of whining. Had they offered no options, I'd have worked it out somehow.
Second, during a campus construction project, many sidewalks were removed and replaced with movable wooden walkways. These thoughtfully included gritty tar-paper on them for traction. However, the ramps running up from paved parking lots onto these walks was a bit steep. Now, having quite large and powerful arms, I had managed to climb a long 20% ramp for fun, but in this case it was the thick wooden panels which blocked me. My front casters couldn't make that flat cut edge and still climb. I'd pop up onto the slanted deck, but rolled backward off it before I could reposition my hands and get enough forward momentum to get my main wheels over the bump and make the climb. I made a request and the workmen cut a bevel on the front edge of every up-ramp.
The third incident really took the cake. I was required to present myself at a printing shop off-campus to purchase a large syllabus and some classroom materials, as the sole source for a particular required class. You guessed it: they had no wheelchair ramps for access. From the front parking lot, it was all high concrete curb. I rolled along the street to the far end of the building, because it looked to me as if the sidewalk sloped down toward the alleyway. When I got there, it was a mere 2" jump up onto the sidewalk. I managed to pop my casters up on the walk, then grabbed hold of a large soda vending machine standing there to pull myself the rest of the way up onto the walk. The front door was a little stiff, but I managed it. When I presented myself to the clerk at the counter, panting, and asked who could hear my complaint about access, the answer was frankly rude, with a clear undercurrent of "we couldn't care less." I bought my materials and escaped the way I came.
Later that day, I spoke to the dean of the school and the print shop lost their contract. I'd much rather they simply had built a decent ramp from the parking lot onto the sidewalk. It had only been a few years since the ADA was passed, so folks were still adjusting. However, my description of the rude answer was what motivated the dean to act so firmly. Across the street from a large, state-owned college? They should have gotten the message long before that. The campus itself was mostly easy access for my wheelchair.
Politics being what it is, there is plenty of lying on both sides of the issue. However, I maintain the push for the ADA would not have been quite so effective were it not for the notable truculence of many businessmen. It's one thing when you just don't realize the problems because it doesn't affect you. The best wheelchair ramp engineers are those using wheelchairs. Further, I realize there is a level of declining returns when you set out to accommodate some of the more obscure disabilities. All the more so when so many fake disabilities are claimed just to win lawsuits. In some cases, accommodation is simply not possible, and we should learn to live with it. You won't catch me demanding the rock climbing tour business hire me as a guide while I'm using a wheelchair. Some demands are manifestly evil.
I no longer use a wheelchair. Still, I remain sensitive to the whole field of concern. As a Christian, I am especially sensitive, though given the nature of fallen mankind, I don't expect everyone to walk with me on it. It's that Christian spirit which calls me to leave some alone in their sins, and which calls me to work independently to help some disabled people at a much more personal level.
One friend of mine is going blind, and I try to help him find ways to do things without so much assistance. He bought a huge 37" monitor for his computer, but I still had to set the theme to reverse white-on-black for him to read clearly. Windows still prevents easy access to changing the font size on some system related display items. For people completely blind, I think I can empathize a bit. For example, I vastly prefer using plain-text web browsers. I want information, not entertainment. Sometimes graphics are required to truly understand something, and I shift to a graphical browser for that. Still, the nature of the Net itself calls for some limits to ADA demands.
Inherent in the ADA is the concept of whether some entity can be labeled "public accommodation." Recently, the retail chain Target has been hit with lawsuits regarding its online store. Now it's one big class action lawsuit. Right or wrong in the larger sense, Target does fit the label "public accommodation." On the one hand, the most tiresome thing is for a retailer to assert they are doing right, when it's obvious to everyone else they are not:
"Target is committed to serving all of our guests and we believe that our Web site is fully accessible and complies with all applicable laws," Bloomberg quoted Target spokeswoman Carolyn Brookter as saying in an e-mailed statement.
Now, assuming for the sake of argument my text browser is a fair indication of whether a site is accessible to the blind, I note there are a ton of obvious links on the front page. However, there is at least one section relying entirely on visual clues to narrow down the search for products (electronics). Further, the complaint insists the real problem is one cannot close a purchase without having to use a graphical browser and mouse. That is the primary point of failure.
There are opposing viewpoints. When a webmaster fancies himself an artiste, we aren't surprised he gets grouchy about such issues. I agree some of the ADA-related demands are out of line. Like everyone else, I absolutely loathe flashing banner ads. For that reason, I take steps to prevent seeing them. Further, I have a special problem with them. Whatever it is we mean by Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, I've got it. I find I am far more susceptible than the average person to such ads in the sense I can't read the content of a site when things are moving or changing colors on the screen. However, I tend to think that is my problem, given the wider view of things.
Have you ever tried to use a text-only browser? Some sites are simply inaccessible. For example, I've run across church-related sites which are 100% Flash content. When such sites are private, that's their right. While the church facility has one set of rules, and most churches fervently desire to be physically accessible, their websites are another matter.
When the site owners seek to engage in commerce in any way, it falls under the ADA (right or wrong). Seems to me businesses want it both ways for themselves. The Net is inherently anti-business in the first place, and very much pro-free-information. Commerce is a badly matched layer on top of it. At the same time, we cannot just jump at every demand. The problem is the truculence of many businesses, versus the whining of many disabled people. I try to include in my webpage coding a liberal sprinkling of
alt-text explanations, but I tend to avoid images and tables in the first place. It seems to me when something can be done more simply, I should do it that way. It's a basic principle of communication. After all, I'm trying to get attention for what I wish to say. If I make it hard to read, fewer people get the message. It's my Christian duty to reach out to everyone I can, and I tend to believe that's a fair demand on all Christians.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Not Right Now
For the first time in many months, I am feeling under the weather. There is a nasty persistent URI making the rounds here in Central Oklahoma, and it caught up with me. By tomorrow I expect to be back in shape to think up something more useful to write.
A bit of good news: I am told the newer laptop shipped Tuesday. I should see it tomorrow or Friday. Having considered the options, I have determined to try running Ubuntu on it first (a branch of Debian Linux, of course). They are working with Dell to ensure good quality drivers for the laptop hardware. In fact, you can now order a Dell laptop with Ubuntu already installed, if you know where to look for it.
The laptop coming soon is a refurbished Dell Latitude D505. The system was purchased up front for me by G. Morin LLC. Pray I am able to repay quickly, that the Lord be glorified in my dealings.
A bit of good news: I am told the newer laptop shipped Tuesday. I should see it tomorrow or Friday. Having considered the options, I have determined to try running Ubuntu on it first (a branch of Debian Linux, of course). They are working with Dell to ensure good quality drivers for the laptop hardware. In fact, you can now order a Dell laptop with Ubuntu already installed, if you know where to look for it.
The laptop coming soon is a refurbished Dell Latitude D505. The system was purchased up front for me by G. Morin LLC. Pray I am able to repay quickly, that the Lord be glorified in my dealings.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Revelation 14
The horror of human sin, and its final consequences on the human race, take on a different meaning from the viewpoint of Heaven. The previous two chapters gave us the drama of Satan fighting the Lord, and the awful results on the earth. In this chapter, John shifts the viewpoint to Heaven, and shows us what The End will be like.
First, we are treated to the beatific vision of Christ the King and His citizens. The number is symbolic of the whole of His people, those who granted to Him by His sacrifice as the Lamb of God. By contrast to the previous passage with the Mark of the Beast, these have the Mark of God on their foreheads. Like the sound of God's approval at Jesus' baptism, John hears the sound of God's favor again. These citizens of the Kingdom sing a new song, a song of final redemption which they alone can sing. The reference to virginity is contrasted with descriptions later in the chapter of the Harlot, and is merely symbolic of spiritual purity. They are the firstfruits of the human race, the spiritual harvest Jesus mentioned in places such as Matthew 9:35-38. Here, they have been cleansed and gathered to His flock.
Before the earth is renewed and this Kingdom replaces it in the New Earth, some final measures must be taken to ensure God's justice. The Angel of the Gospel makes one last pass through the heavens to repeat the requirements of the Covenant of Creation: all Creation must acknowledge God as Creator. A second angel follows to announce the fall of the Harlot Church, here identified with Babylon. The third angelic herald gives the final warning regarding worship of the Beast. The wrath of God against sin recalls the Cup of Wrath Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane. He tasted it for us, so we avoid it -- not so those who reject His Lordship.
John again takes a moment to encourage the saints suffering persecution. We know this judgment is coming; we have no idea when. In God's patience we await the final revelation of God Almighty to all Creation, a revelation which must include His wrath on sin. John hears a voice from Heaven reminding him to write in no uncertain terms: In that Last Day we who serve Him are better off dead before it arrives. Thus, should the Beast take our lives, it is a good thing. This is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, who connects it clearly with those who devote themselves to living Christ on the earth, by relentless service and doing good.
Finally, the time of warnings is past; Jesus Christ returns. We see Him "coming in the clouds" as we are told repeatedly in the New Testament. He will come with His sickle to make the final harvest of His saints. An angel comes from the Presence of God and tells Him it is time to move, reminding us even the Son does not know that final hour, but only the Father. At that time, He will draw out all His redeemed ones left alive.
That done, the angels of the Harvest of Wrath will come for those who did not turn to Christ. We have here echoes of Jesus' parable of the Harvest (Matthew 13:24-20), itself an echo of Joel 3:9-13 where he speaks of final battle of man against God. Isaiah, too, warned it would be like this (63:1-3). God would save the Righteous Remnant, and destroy all the rest of humanity in one fell swoop. While John does not mention here that symbolic Final Battle around Jerusalem, he describes the consequences of it in gruesome imagery. The depth of blood would cover the entire length (some 200 miles) and breadth of Israel. We are reminded this is not to be taken literally, but is a symbol of what sin does in the human soul, and to all humanity. Sin's price is beyond measuring.
For John's flock, all this serves to reinforce the call to focus on the spiritual plane. For the lost, this life is all they have. The sheer tragedy of that principle is impossible to put in words. When all this is gone, they will find themselves suffering eternal torment even more impossible to put in words. The spiritual focus is denied them. For us, it is an unspeakable gift of grace. We rejoice in living as a chance to share His love with others. We rejoice in dying so we may go to be with Him. That modern Western culture has lost touch with this other-worldly viewpoint is also tragic. Songs of longing for Heaven are songs John would sing.
First, we are treated to the beatific vision of Christ the King and His citizens. The number is symbolic of the whole of His people, those who granted to Him by His sacrifice as the Lamb of God. By contrast to the previous passage with the Mark of the Beast, these have the Mark of God on their foreheads. Like the sound of God's approval at Jesus' baptism, John hears the sound of God's favor again. These citizens of the Kingdom sing a new song, a song of final redemption which they alone can sing. The reference to virginity is contrasted with descriptions later in the chapter of the Harlot, and is merely symbolic of spiritual purity. They are the firstfruits of the human race, the spiritual harvest Jesus mentioned in places such as Matthew 9:35-38. Here, they have been cleansed and gathered to His flock.
Before the earth is renewed and this Kingdom replaces it in the New Earth, some final measures must be taken to ensure God's justice. The Angel of the Gospel makes one last pass through the heavens to repeat the requirements of the Covenant of Creation: all Creation must acknowledge God as Creator. A second angel follows to announce the fall of the Harlot Church, here identified with Babylon. The third angelic herald gives the final warning regarding worship of the Beast. The wrath of God against sin recalls the Cup of Wrath Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane. He tasted it for us, so we avoid it -- not so those who reject His Lordship.
John again takes a moment to encourage the saints suffering persecution. We know this judgment is coming; we have no idea when. In God's patience we await the final revelation of God Almighty to all Creation, a revelation which must include His wrath on sin. John hears a voice from Heaven reminding him to write in no uncertain terms: In that Last Day we who serve Him are better off dead before it arrives. Thus, should the Beast take our lives, it is a good thing. This is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, who connects it clearly with those who devote themselves to living Christ on the earth, by relentless service and doing good.
Finally, the time of warnings is past; Jesus Christ returns. We see Him "coming in the clouds" as we are told repeatedly in the New Testament. He will come with His sickle to make the final harvest of His saints. An angel comes from the Presence of God and tells Him it is time to move, reminding us even the Son does not know that final hour, but only the Father. At that time, He will draw out all His redeemed ones left alive.
That done, the angels of the Harvest of Wrath will come for those who did not turn to Christ. We have here echoes of Jesus' parable of the Harvest (Matthew 13:24-20), itself an echo of Joel 3:9-13 where he speaks of final battle of man against God. Isaiah, too, warned it would be like this (63:1-3). God would save the Righteous Remnant, and destroy all the rest of humanity in one fell swoop. While John does not mention here that symbolic Final Battle around Jerusalem, he describes the consequences of it in gruesome imagery. The depth of blood would cover the entire length (some 200 miles) and breadth of Israel. We are reminded this is not to be taken literally, but is a symbol of what sin does in the human soul, and to all humanity. Sin's price is beyond measuring.
For John's flock, all this serves to reinforce the call to focus on the spiritual plane. For the lost, this life is all they have. The sheer tragedy of that principle is impossible to put in words. When all this is gone, they will find themselves suffering eternal torment even more impossible to put in words. The spiritual focus is denied them. For us, it is an unspeakable gift of grace. We rejoice in living as a chance to share His love with others. We rejoice in dying so we may go to be with Him. That modern Western culture has lost touch with this other-worldly viewpoint is also tragic. Songs of longing for Heaven are songs John would sing.
Monday, October 1, 2007
To Cloak or Not
There's privacy, then there's secrecy. In general, followers of Christ are called to be transparent. No one should ever have cause to question our motives. It won't matter if people suffering in their sins can't trust anyone; you can only do what you do to reveal the Father of Lights. Convincing them of your honesty is God's problem, not yours.
That's not the same as wearing your underwear on the outside. There's this thing called "modesty" which is an integral part of civilization and civility. People don't need to know everything about me, but there is a certain amount of information which is rightly publicly available. Thus, I have a resume online which outlines details you could easily find without my permission. It includes my current address and phone number.
It is altogether possible, even likely, that information will be used against me in the future. Given the nature of things, that may have already happened to some degree without me being aware of it, yet. For now, it doesn't matter. My readers know I am convinced that will change in the near future. We may yet see another day of Catacomb Christianity. It's not here, yet. Yes, I do shun publicity, and really don't care if you remember my name or my face; I'd much rather you remember what I teach. Meanwhile, I keep an eye on that call to teach. When the calling requires a home in the catacombs, as it were, I'll move there.
There are people I know altogether cagey about their personal information, to the point they don't tell the truth to some agencies demanding personal information. As it is, the advertising industry has taken to deception and stealing to get it, convinced it is their God-given right to hit you with their sales pitch. That ugliness has gotten to the point I am almost willing to declare all advertising dweebs a public nuisance -- shoot on sight. Of course, I'm exaggerating what I might do, but I certainly won't be nice to them. There are good and godly reasons to fill in some blocks with junk to prevent such outrages.
However, it's an open secret the commerce folks would be delighted to rule the world. To a large degree, they do. Congress is thoroughly bought and paid for, and we "little people" mean nothing to them, except as a source of plunder. Even in the medical industry, marketing and profit outweigh actual human need every time. Just Google for "gardasil" and read stories about Merck trying to con state governments into requiring pret-teen girls to have taken this substance in order to attend public school. Read why this drug is such a horrifically bad idea, a threat to their health. Then stop to think about all the other industries which have lobbied for laws which claim to protect the public, but in reality protects the profits and monopoly power of that industry. It's only going to get worse.
At some point, though, just admitting your real name could cost you your life, and it would have nothing to do with justice. Those days may already be here for some. Keep your eyes on your own calling. What is necessary for you serve the Lord? Do you carefully select all manner of stealth measures in your daily activities? I know people who do, and I'm not sure they are simply paranoid. Decide for yourself. The least you can do is be aware of it.
That's not the same as wearing your underwear on the outside. There's this thing called "modesty" which is an integral part of civilization and civility. People don't need to know everything about me, but there is a certain amount of information which is rightly publicly available. Thus, I have a resume online which outlines details you could easily find without my permission. It includes my current address and phone number.
It is altogether possible, even likely, that information will be used against me in the future. Given the nature of things, that may have already happened to some degree without me being aware of it, yet. For now, it doesn't matter. My readers know I am convinced that will change in the near future. We may yet see another day of Catacomb Christianity. It's not here, yet. Yes, I do shun publicity, and really don't care if you remember my name or my face; I'd much rather you remember what I teach. Meanwhile, I keep an eye on that call to teach. When the calling requires a home in the catacombs, as it were, I'll move there.
There are people I know altogether cagey about their personal information, to the point they don't tell the truth to some agencies demanding personal information. As it is, the advertising industry has taken to deception and stealing to get it, convinced it is their God-given right to hit you with their sales pitch. That ugliness has gotten to the point I am almost willing to declare all advertising dweebs a public nuisance -- shoot on sight. Of course, I'm exaggerating what I might do, but I certainly won't be nice to them. There are good and godly reasons to fill in some blocks with junk to prevent such outrages.
However, it's an open secret the commerce folks would be delighted to rule the world. To a large degree, they do. Congress is thoroughly bought and paid for, and we "little people" mean nothing to them, except as a source of plunder. Even in the medical industry, marketing and profit outweigh actual human need every time. Just Google for "gardasil" and read stories about Merck trying to con state governments into requiring pret-teen girls to have taken this substance in order to attend public school. Read why this drug is such a horrifically bad idea, a threat to their health. Then stop to think about all the other industries which have lobbied for laws which claim to protect the public, but in reality protects the profits and monopoly power of that industry. It's only going to get worse.
At some point, though, just admitting your real name could cost you your life, and it would have nothing to do with justice. Those days may already be here for some. Keep your eyes on your own calling. What is necessary for you serve the Lord? Do you carefully select all manner of stealth measures in your daily activities? I know people who do, and I'm not sure they are simply paranoid. Decide for yourself. The least you can do is be aware of it.
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