Good morning friends and welcome back to Revelation! Today features the classic (and scary) image of the four horseman of the apocalypse and the seven seals of revelation. The seals represent judgement and by the note from the author that the scrolls contain writing on both sides we know that there is plenty to be judged! At first no one is worthy to open the seals and it causes John to mourn. You would think he would celebrate this because that means rapture, and fiery, and torment and all that jazz would be delayed but rather he mourns that it means evil still has a place in this world. Eventually it's realized that with Jesus' mission on earth complete He can be the one to open the seals and unleashes their wrath upon the Earth. In many ways it's simililar to the events of Noah and Great Flood but instead of water we're all dying to war, famine, and disease. Yay.
What is less clear is the amount of time between seals one and six. "when the lamb broke" is an arbitrary timeline. Does revelation happen in a day with one thing after another or is it over the course of thousands of years? In other words, have seals been opened? Surely we have war and death - just look at the events of Afghanistan. The pandemics of the past and of today reveal we've experienced blight and suffering. Where are we on this timeline if it is to be read literally?
I have so many thoughts and questions and reactions to revelation which I can't wait to discuss tomorrow through the end. But first, we need to let the Bible Project give us some more tools on how to read this. More on that below!
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What are your thoughts in response to the seven seals? (6 of which we've read so far)
What do you think worship in heaven looks like? What kind of music? Etc.
What about this reading spoke to you? How can you apply it to your life?
- Study Video -
"Revelation isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning of the renewed world." This is one of my favorite videos of theirs.
Praying the Hymns
Today we will pray hymn 351 in our hymanl - Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior. Which I find pretty sobering in light of the whole seven seals judgement thing. Let us pray for forgiveness, reconciliation, and the promise to be better each day :)
1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.
2. Let me at thy throne of mercy
find a sweet relief,
kneeling there in deep contrition;
help my unbelief.
(Refrain)
3. Trusting only in thy merit,
would I seek thy face;
heal my wounded, broken spirit,
save me by thy grace.
(Refrain)
4. Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me, whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee? (Refrain)
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