We Finished the New Testament

   And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
   Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
   And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
   The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
   And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
   And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
   The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
   And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
…
   Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
   Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
   And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. (18:9-16, 19-21)

So after the destruction of “that great city Babylon” and all therein, the heavens and the holy prophets and apostles rejoiced. A great question is, is this transformation that of this actual physical world and our systems of enslavements and ownership, is this destruction spoken of to those systems (sounds very anti-capitalist), or to enslavements within us, or to both? If within, is it toward a no more seeking for things, that we simply exist with the creation, not quantifying or reasoning it, nor accumulating it, nor a seeking it, but merely an existing with it?

Chapter 19 talks about God’s word going forth, that it slew Babylon and their flesh was consumed. As so many chapters in Revelation, this one was full of really beautiful imagery. I especially liked the imagery representing the Word of God — it was a man on a white horse, “His eyes were a flame of fire, and his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself,” and the armies in heaven followed him (12,14). Anyway, pretty powerful. It’s like God speaks and the forces unite. They are led my hir word.

The next chapter, 20, is about binding “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” for a thousand years and casting hir “into the bottomless pit.” The saints then lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand year, the devil was then loosed for a short time, but eventually all the wicked, including Satan were “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone… tormented day and night for ever and ever.” This chapter also has the famous “final judgement” scene:

   And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
   And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
   And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
   And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (verses 12-15)

As we consider this, we must ask again, is this something literal or is this figurative. Many people count this as being literal, but I side with a symbolic interpretation, that sometimes we really put the devil down, we cast our afflictions down and live and reign, but in the process of ascension, sometimes they come back, but we learn and then we eternally throw them down. I’m sure others could come up with other just as good sounding interpretations, but that’s just what’s coming to me at this moment in my life.

As we got to chapter 21, two of the people in our bible study group wanted to sing part of this chapter. They’re in the church choir here at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Lincoln Park, and I guess there’s a song or two written using these verses:

   And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
   And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
   And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
   And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (verses 1-4)

After singing those verses, one person in the group continued reading. Throughout the Book of Revelation are references to the “water of life” or “living water.” Jesus also talks of this too in John 4:13-14, to the woman at the well ze said:

   Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
   But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be a in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This is greatly related to this chapter in Revelation, verse 6, “I give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things.” This chapter also talks about those who will not drink of this water, that such are those who are of Babylon, and cast into the lake of fire: “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (verse 8). If we are not to be numbered among them, then we are without fear, we believe, we do not seek to get gain through exploitation and deceit – they’ll receive the pounding of a Louisville Slugger for eternity.

 
The chapter goes on to speak of the New Jerusalem “descending out of heaven from God” (verse 10) and all of what that will look like, and also it’s dimensions and other characteristics. “The street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (verses 21-22) This verse, 22, lead us to consider that as we, our bodies are the temple of God, we are the temple of the new Jerusalem.

As we read the very last chapter, 22, two of my favorite verses were 1 and 2:

   And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
   In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

This is another interesting thing to consider and which our group discussed, that God doesn’t actually do anything but sit on hir throne (which we inherit also), speak hir word, and let the living water flow out from us. It is a very interesting visual. Verse 5 speaks of there being no night or day in that city as “the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” This leads one also to recall the verses of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:14-16):

   Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
   Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

If we are to follow this to perhaps one of it’s logical ends, our word – that which creates the light, movement, and differentiation in our world – the living water flowing out from our throne is what brings about the change. Or maybe the living water is something of our knowing. Even in Genesis, God speaks, hir word is what causes the differentiations of light and dark to occur in the universe, giving us a perception of witnessing and knowing. The words are the cause, and then people see. The tree of life whose leaves heal the nations is fed both by the living water flowing from God’s throne, but also by a light of the reception of knowing, or perhaps more so, the joy of the contrast around it created by the word. Pretty striking and stirring stuff.

As we read verse 10, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand” one person commented that all of the rest of everything is sealed and done, and so all that is left now is the coming of this new Jerusalem.

   And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
…
   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (verses 17, 20-21)