Articles
Revelation 2
Today’s reading is Revelation 2.
As confusing as Revelation can be, I have found it simplifying to see it as a story. It is actually a very common story. It is the story of the Hero saves the Girl. I know it is out of vogue to have a damsel in distress saved by a knight in shining armor, but that is exactly what this story is. And, in fact, I would it is one of the reasons we shouldn’t be so quick to abandon that story. In this and in our next reading, we meet the girl–or rather, in Revelation, the Bride. We already know from Ephesians 5 that all brides are to represent Christ’s church. In Revelation, we see that played out literally. The Bride is the church. That will become completely clear in Revelation 21:9. However, please note, while the damsel is in distress, she is not exactly presented as utterly helpless and just waiting around for the Hero to save her. She is embattled, but as the Hero is fighting to save her, she must fight to be true to the Hero. She must fight against enemies that would destroy her. She must especially fight against Jezebel, the Harlot, the seducing woman who would encourage the bride to fall from her virtue, purity, and devotion to the hero. Will the Bride stay true to her first love? Will she be faithful even if it means her own death? Will she only eat at her coming Groom’s banquet table, or will she eat at the table of false idols? Keep reading. And as you do, remember that we Christians make up that Bride. These are really questions for us today.
A Word for Our Kids
Hey kids, welcome to the world of Biblical word pictures. Many who read Revelation see this and the next chapter as the ones that are to be most taken literally. I understand that. They are most like the letters we’ve read throughout the rest of the New Testament. And certainly, there were seven literal churches of Asia and they were literally facing the problems Jesus addresses. However, there is still a great deal of symbolism and figurative language here. Even beyond that, we don’t read John’s letter to the Ephesians the exact same way we read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We do not simply read their letter, determine doctrinal matters, make patternistic applications, and where we are in similar situations apply the teaching to our lives. We are to read these various letters as representative of all churches. Throughout history all churches will be like these various ones. Throughout history all churches will face these various attacks. These churches represent the Church, the Bride of Christ. These letters represent the kind of attacks Christ’s Bride will face. As you read them, see if you can see how the enemy attacks and threatens Christ’s Bride. See if you can determine which of these attacks are taking place today. Which church seems to best fit the state of the Church today? Which one seems to best fit the state of your own congregation today? Based on Jesus’s direction to the various churches, what should we be doing to combat these attacks today?
Edwin Crozier
