DAY 347

NOT WHERE BUT HERE

Hosea 12, 13 & 14 and Revelation 4

Yesterday was a long post and I indicated that I might try and tie together more some of the various points. I have re-read that post. It is long, but I think rather than rehash all that I have already written I merely would reinforce. That the church in the world faces a myriad of challenges and can never be complacent lest it be seduced by the world and it must expect persecution.

In chapter 4 we begin Scene #2: Suffering for the Church and involves a scroll. We do not get to the scroll until chapter 6 as it takes two full chapters to set the scene. Before we get to that I just want to consider where John is. The text says, “come up here”—where is here.

There are five possibilities. 1-The word the Biblical text uses for heaven is where the birds fly, we would say sky. 2-A place where the stars shine. 3-A place which is perfect and exists along our own world in a parallel space/time continuum. 4-The perfect order of things that will exist after this world passes way. 5-A heavenly place which does not indicate the absence of evil, but the sphere of a spiritual reality where all our masks are off and where good and evil are seen for what they really are. Since the vision includes the present creation and a church on earth that still needs to pray in order to contact God, suggests the last meaning.

Knowing where are then immediately draws us into what John is seeing. As I read I try to literally construct it in my head. I am going to stop for now. Using again what we did in chapter 1, imagine how John’s heart is racing.