Monday, June 26, 2006

Good Morning

Hope everyone had a good weekend

Today's Reading: Revelation 15:5-8 , Barclay 137-139

-- As noted, going to try to pick up the pace so that we can finish this study by the end of July. So we are doing a couple of sections today, which finished chapter 15, which is a relatively short chapter.

-- These verses today set the stage for the pouring out of the seven bowls of wrath. In today's verses, the angels come forth to do their work, and are given their bowls by one of the four living creatures (whom we met early on in Revelation). Barclay points out that the dress of the angels reflects their status and their relationship with God --- and it is similar in nature to the robes the priests wore who attended to the Ark of the Covenant.

-- There is the idea in the last verse that the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and that no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues were completed. In a sense, to me, this is like a giant "closed" sign on the temple, which in a way, is true -- no one was going to be able to approach God until these plagues were completed -- in other words, no one was going to be able to come to God and plead for leniency from these judgments.

-- Also, to me there is the interesting idea of smoke being the symbol of the glory of God, but if you think about it, nothing is more pervasive when it is present than smoke. Think about it -- smoke permeates everything that is around, it can fill any space with it's presence, and yet it is ethereal -- you can't really put your hand on it, you can't really stop it or control it. Just an interesting idea

Today's Scripture

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Today's prayer requests:

Today's class member prayer:

Joey Harbarger

Jay