DAY 350

TIME AND SIZE

Amos 4, 5 & 6 and Revelation 7

“After this…” after the events of chapter 6 come the events of chapter 7. Or do they? We need to be careful to assume a linear progression of events in Revelation. In chapter 6 we see the earth harmed, yet in chapter 7 we see that the earth is not yet harmed. Seal 6 in chapter 6 speaks of the return of Christ, yet the marking of the Lord’s followers in 7 would seem to more naturally come before the Seal 6 is opened. What John literally says is, “After this I saw…” In other words John saw one “scene” which he described in chapter 6 and then another scene which he described in chapter 7. We should be able to relate to this situation, after all there are TV shows and movies that in the middle of the story have a “flashback” or “flash-forward” moment where the main character takes us to another time and place, only to return to the original time after a brief interlude.

Might it be that the point of chapter 7 is that God’s people are safe amid the trials of this life; the trials that we read about in the last chapter? This does not mean we are isolated from trouble, indeed Seal 5 showed that the church would suffer. The point is that we have an inner security amid the external strife…we are marked as Christ’s own forever…we know how the story ends!

Beyond this discussion of “timing” what do you make of the reading? I am encouraged by the sheer magnitude of those present at God’s throne. In a special post I will deal with the “numbers” of Revelation, but for now I am enjoying the size of this scene. Size—the “size” of the scenes—has been something that Revelation has inviting us into. Sometimes the scenes are large with descriptions of creatures that are mind boggling. Sometimes the scenes are large with descriptions of the Son of Man that lead you to fall on your face. Today the scene is large by the number of people at God’s throne. I think the point is less the absolute number and more the sense that many, many, many, are at the throne. If you were producing a Broadway play and wanted to make that point clear you would have your set overflowing with people.