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John before the throne of God

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It is remarkable that John does not describe the person sitting on the throne in detail.

John speaks of the glow coming from God shining like jasper and carnelian surrounded by an emerald rainbow.

The jasper is a crimson speckled stone. Crimson is the colour of the king. This stone symbolizes that God reigns. He is above everything. What he says is suitable.

The colour of carnelian is closest to human skin. This stone tells us: God is our counterpart, or we are his image. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'”

The emerald rainbow is like an aurora borealis and is a reminder of life. Green, like plants, symbolizes life. The rainbow symbolizes the faithfulness and mercy of God, as experienced by Noah in the rainbow in Genesis 9:12-17.

God reigns. We are like his image and life comes from Him. He keeps his word.

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For God our personality is important

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After seeing Jesus in chapter 1, John not only receives a message (2-3) but it is shown what is about to happen. “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1).

It is a special characteristic of God that he does not instrumentalize us but includes us.

For God our personality is important. God does not dictate the Bible but lets people describe their experiences with him.

Despite the 40 different authors, the Bible contains a common storyline. God is looking for people and wants to win them to share life with him.

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Faith means letting Jesus into our life

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The church in Laodicea is the only one that Jesus does not praise in the epistle.

The self-perception of being rich and to have no need is in big contrast to the conclusion of Christ, who describes Laodicea as poor, needy, wretched, pitiable, blind and naked. They think they are not dependent on God.

There is only one hope: Jesus says he is standing at the door, waiting to be let in (Revelation 3:20).

The message to Laodicea sums it up. If Jesus is out, then all our religion is of no use to us. Jesus knocks, but he doesn’t rush in with the door.

Faith means letting Jesus into our life and sharing everything with him.

 

Bible

Hold on like Philadelphia

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In his message to the church in Philadelphia, Jesus emphasizes the steadfastness of believers and the faithful proclamation of the word of God. Jesus promises citizenship in the new heavenly Jerusalem to those who continue in the faith.

Jesus not only holds the key as mentioned in Revelation 1:18, but also closes and opens (Revelation 3:7). “ The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.”

The teachers of the law, on the other hand, took away the key of knowledge. They prevent people from being forgiven. Jesus says in Luke 11:52, “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

Like in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:8-9), in which five have not to give away their oil, in Revelation 3:11 believers are asked to be careful that no one takes their crown of glory from them.

Bible

Strengthen what is dying

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In the eyes of Jesus, the Christian community in Sardis is active, but living faith is missing. “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead”. The church is told to wake up (Revelation 3:1-6).

Jesus warns against an organized church instead than an organic connection with Jesus himself.

Church can take place, but not live inwardly. Jesus’ approach is exciting, not to let the smouldering wick go out (Matthew 12:20 / Isaiah 42:3), but to kindle it again: “Strengthen what remains and is about to die”.

Revelation 3:5 “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”

In the book of life are written the names of those who have a share in eternal life. The term “book of life” comes from Psalm 69:29 (“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous”).

Bible

The church is a shelter for human encounters

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The resurrected Jesus, in Revelation 2:18-29, rebukes the church in Thyatira for allowing a woman in their midst, who encouraged to sexual immorality and participation in idolatrous feasts.

Spiritualizing sex leads to abuse of people. Church should be a place free of sexuality. People should meet here without hidden motives. The church should be a shelter for human encounters without one person becoming the object of another and thus being misused.

Anyone who can meet other people without desiring anything from them qualifies for a position of leadership in the kingdom of God (Revelation 2:26-27).

Bible

I and the Father are one

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The Feast of Trinity is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

Jesus says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Some people say what God can, may, and should do. The Bible shows that God can do anything as long as he keeps his promises.

The Trinity is the logical consequence of divine revelation in the Bible.

God revealed himself in three personalities. He is father because a son was born. The son carries the father’s DNA and is not a lower being by virtue of sonship, but voluntarily submits to the father by virtue of sonship. God is present because he is spirit and can be everywhere trough the Holy Spirit and act everywhere at once. God is not human and therefore outside of our thinking.

Whoever receives the Holy Spirit also receives the Father and the Son (Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. John 13:20). No of them does anything that the other wouldn’t do. A dimension of unity that we cannot understand. Jesus said, “Believe me” (John 14:11). We cannot comprehend this unity with our mind.

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