Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Good Morning  

 

Well, we survived 6/6/06.  Whether anything happened on that date that started the countdown to the end times we just don't know.   Which is exactly how much we knew on Monday.

 

Today's Reading:    Revelation 14:1, Barclay 116 - 118

 

-- On to Chapter 14.

 

-- In the first part of this chapter, things lighten up for a moment, as they do in this first verse.

 

-- I'm stunned that Barclay doesn't give us any insight as to where or what Mt. Sion is (not that it is not Mt. Zion - a quick read can make you think that it is a Z instead of a S)  Did some research online -- Christian tradition says that Mt. Sion is the hill in Jersusalem where the Last Supper took place, as did the Jesus's appearance to the disciples after his cruxifiction, and where the Holy Spirit appeared on Pentecost.  In other words, this is where the upper room was located.

 

-- In this verse the 144,000 reappear with Christ, standing in triumph in Jersusalem (Mt. Sion).  They are marked with the seal of God on their forehead.

 

-- We can't tell yet how this fits into the timeline, but this may or may not be in chronological order or not, or this may represent a break in time.  Barclay sets up this section as being John's "next vision".   As it stands, we have just come out of Chapter 13, the two beasts have risen, they have been given a period of time to rule, and they have been placing their mark on their believers.  Again, a point that I find very interesting is the idea that both God and Satan are marking their followers with a seal/a mark, essentially to protect them -- not from the other, but from the wrath/destruction that they are going to bring on.  In other words, God marks his folllowers to protect them from the wrath/plagues that he was sending to the earth, and Satan was going to attack/persecute all of those who did not have the mark of the beast.

 

Today's Scripture   

 

 Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

 

Luke 12:35-36

Today's prayer requests:      Brad's grandmother 

From Brad on this past Monday:

My grandmother, Doris Adair, who is in the final stages of her fight with alzheimers, has been heavily medicated and asleep since Wednesday.  She has not had anything to eat or drink since Wednesday either.  This waiting has been tough, especially on my mother, because the nurses originally said she only had 24-48 hours left on Wed.  I will keep you updated on this.

Today's class member prayer: 

Christie Peebles 

 

Jay