Eyes Like Blazing Fire

Readings: Revelation 1:1-20, Apocalypse Revealed #43 (see below)
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Today we begin a seven week series on the book of Revelation. This book has captured the imagination of bible readers like no other. It is evocative, scary, hopeful, and remarkably strange. And for this reason, is perhaps not preached on very often. But, it holds a very special place in our tradition, for the ways that it metaphorically describes a vision of God’s presence and the beautiful future that God wants for all of humanity. 

The book of Revelation is often described as an “apocalypse” which is a particular genre of writing. Contrary to how we might understand the word apocalypse today, as having something to do with “the end of the world,” an apocalypse was an ancient style of writing that was pretty common in the time of the Old and New Testaments. The literal meaning of the word is “an unveiling.” The purpose of the apocalypse genre was to take a deeper look at reality, to sweep aside the curtain of the everyday and see divine action and divine presence differently. And in this way, the function of the apocalypse is much like the parable, in that both aim to make us feel uncertain and uncomfortable enough to ask useful questions of ourselves and our world. The main difference, I believe, is that a parable engages us intellectually, while the apocalypse engages us emotionally and imaginatively.

One thing that is important to say though, is that the book of Revelation is not a prediction of the future, it is not a literal projection of things or events that are to come. Many have interpreted it that way, mining the text for a secret code that will tell us what is going to happen in the future. This however, is a pretty superficial way of engaging the text, and even can be harmful. When reading the symbols and themes of this book in this way there is a temptation to try to make sure we are on the “right” or “winning” team by grasping for power or manipulating events, there is a temptation to judge or condemn others, to stoke fear, or to dismiss the importance of the real world because we think we “know” how it is all going to end. It is vital to avoid falling into the trap of viewing the book this way. 

What the book of Revelation *is* though, is someone’s spiritual experience, and the writer of this experience calls himself John. The bible is actually full of people’s spiritual experiences which is part of what makes it such a powerful, inspiring, and interesting collection of documents. Human beings are spiritual creatures, and something important happens when we are able to share our spiritual experiences with each other, whether through scripture or otherwise - we recognize both what we share and what is beyond us all. We recognize that we are all part of this human condition, and that there is something divine that holds us. We recognize that we are all searching in some way, and that we can take the journey towards transformation together. In the book of Revelation, we are invited to engage the text in a way that moves us forward towards that transformation, towards the beautiful image of the New Jerusalem that is found at the very end.

So, let’s jump in to the text.

We start with a prologue that tells us what we are about to read. Firstly, we can find it somewhat understandable if people do take this to be a literal prediction of the future, with phrases such as “what must soon take place” “this prophecy” and “because the time is near.” Yet we recognize that “prophecy” in the biblical context has never been about predicting the future, but rather about telling the truth, and in particular, speaking truth to power.

This spiritual experience that we call the book of Revelation is trying to tell us something true about divine reality, something true about where human fallability can lead us, and about how God continues to work for our redemption and transformation even so. These truths are urgent ones; they provide insight into our spiritual journeys and insight into the human condition. Where do human beings go wrong? What happens when we do? Where is God in all of that? These are not questions that we can or should put off, no matter how comfortable our own circumstances might be. Thus, the language of the book of Revelation is urgent and pressing, because that’s what kind of questions these are.

Next we are treated to a doxology that was likely used in early Christian circles, with connection to earlier apocalypses in the bible, such as in the book of Daniel. The spiritual experience of this person known as John is colored by his own context, his own spiritual tradition and formation. 

John eventually receives a commission: to write a message to seven real historical early Christian churches of his day. And then, he finally sees who the message is from: the risen Jesus Christ, standing in the middle of seven golden lampstands. 

Swedenborg writes that these seven golden lampstands represent the enlightenment that comes from engaging with spirituality in a new way, a path he would call “the new church.” This invitation to be a part of a new and revitalized way of being church is issued to all of us, for the seven lampstands mirror the seven real churches that John was writing to, an image of their potential for connection with the divine, an image of the way God’s light and love can power our earthly expression of spirituality in this life. 

And these seven letters that will make up Chapter Two, each of them is both personal and prophetic. They are honest appraisals to real communities. They say: here is what you are doing well, and here is what you need to work on. For example, for the church of Ephesus, they are praised for their perseverance but advised to try to reconnect with what inspired them in the first place, and so forth.

More important than the specifics is the form. In order to access the enlightenment of God’s seven lampstands, more than anything we need to engage in honesty. We need to be able to recognize where we are off the mark, where we need to re-evaluate, where we need to step up, where we need to step back.

And boy, that is hard work, this staying accountable without defensiveness, without avoidance, without blame. But it is necessary work, and it is why Jesus Christ appears as he does in John’s vision with a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth, and a voice like that of rushing water. Both are images of the power of truth: a sword to cut away harmful, false, self-serving perspectives, and rushing water to wash these perspectives away. We cannot transform if don’t know what needs to change. We cannot transform if we are not willing to be accountable. Without either of these things, our spiritual journey, our human journey, is in jeopardy. We see this in our country right now, with an administration completely unwilling to be reflective or accountable, so convinced of their rightness that they think the rule of law does not apply to them. They have deluded themselves into thinking that *they* somehow wield Jesus Christ’s double-edged sword on behalf of God, and they are drunk on the power of it. But it is a sword of their own making. God would never ever condone the cruelty of their actions.

The double-edged sword is not for others, it is only ever for ourselves, and only for the purpose of helping us become more free and more loving. It is an awesome and somewhat frightening sight, this God with a double-edged sword coming out of his mouth but we recognize it is because God tells us the truth. And because of this, perhaps we might want to play full possom in the face of reality today, to fall down as dead like John in the face of the enormity of the call of how to be people of faith in trying circumstances. I know I do. Many days I feel paralysed and stuck, not knowing how to make a difference, not knowing how to do good. Then the old patterns come up - endless equivocation about the “best” thing to do, being afraid of what people will think, or whatever variation our own roadblocks might be. The temptation to choose apathy in the face of the challenge of our moment is real. But, as awful as it might feel, the tension is actually our guide. Engaging the tension, engaging the questions the tension brings, will makes us braver and more accountable, and it is that process that will always tell us the truth. 

In this complex post-truth world, it is harder than ever to know that is true and real. But this question can guide us: does something make myself, or this community, this institution, this country, braver and more accountable? Or does it lead us into greater comfort, greater distraction, greater avoidance? Because it is only the former that will lead us into loving and caring for our neighbor and our world more effectively. 

But even as we encounter this double-edged sword, this voice of rushing water, what else do we see in the text today? An image of Jesus Christ with eyes like blazing fire and a face shining with brillance. An image of Jesus Christ picking us up off the floor and saying do not fear. Our Lord God Jesus Christ saying “I am the first and the last, I am the living one.” This is the center of our faith, an image of the divine love that is available to each of us, a brilliant unquenchable fire. Do not fear, says the Lord, engaging the tension is painful but I’ve got you, from start to finish. I’ve shown you that death is not the end, whether it is the death of your bodies, or the death of your egos, your ideologies, your perspectives, your excuses. I am the living one, and I will show you how to live, if you will let me. 

This is the beginning, and the book of Revelation is a wild ride. I’m so glad you are taking it with me. There are not many books of the bible that make me cry, but this one does over and over again because of the way it gets right to the heart of things, right to our deepest fears and our deepest hopes. As we walk through the chapters to come, we will likely see much that resonates with our times, much that tells us the truth about how human beings have always been. And, we will also see a divine love that accompanies our challenges, that is guiding us, that is imploring us forward into the New Jerusalem that awaits, if only we are willing to partner with God in building it. Let’s walk together, my friends. Amen.



Readings:

Revelation 1:1-20
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Greetings and Doxology
4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Apocalypse Revealed #43

And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. This symbolizes a new church, which will have an enlightenment from the Lord from the Word.
The seven lampstands mean a new church because the Lord is in it and in the midst of it…The lampstands appeared golden, because gold symbolizes goodness, and every church is a church by virtue of the goodness that is formed through truths.