Morning Prayer
+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening sentences
Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.
Revelation 11:7-14 (ESV) – to be read aloud
The Bamberg Apocalypse (Bamberg State Library, Msc.Bibl.140) is an 11th-century richly illuminated manuscript containing the Book of Revelation and a Gospel Lectionary.
And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
Reflection
THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
Interlude: The two witnesses (11:3-14)
Martyrdom at the hands of the beast: (11:7-10)
When the witnesses have finished their task, they fall prey to the wrath of the beast…. a familiar concept in Jewish-Christian thought (Daniel 7; Mark 13:14; Matt 24:15; Luke 21:20)…. Here is a fundamental clue to the understanding of biblical prophecy: eschatological events are foreshadowed in historical events.
The beast is a central figure in the Revelation…. In this passage, the beast represents both every hostile evil power that oppresses and persecutes God’s people, but primarily the eschatological figure at the end of the age. (Ladd, p.156)
Ladd: Here Jerusalem is not mentioned as an empty theoretical metaphor. In some way or another the earthly, geographical Jerusalem will have its place in the history of the last days. (Ladd, p.157)
Morris: The great city is every city and no city. It is civilized man in organized community. (Morris, p.146)
Mounce: The city illustrates the response of paganism to righteousness…. Sodom refers to the depths of moral degradation… and Egypt is a symbol of oppression and slavery. The great city in which the martyred church lies dead is the world under the wicked and oppressive sway of Antichrist. (Mounce, p.221)
The world has always shown hostility to the message of God – a truth that ought to give some concern to the contemporary church existing for the most part rather comfortably in a world of increasing wickedness. (Mounce, p.222)
Witness vindication: (11:11-12)
Ladd: The conversion of Israel is to be accomplished by a miracle of resurrection… reminiscent of the revival of Israel in Ezek 37:10…. The resurrection of the martyrs is a public event designed to bring “great fear… on those who saw them.” (Ladd, p.159)
Mounce: The resurrection of the church is a sure indication that God possesses the ultimate authority over life and death…. The triumph of the witnesses is no secret rapture; it is openly visible to all (Matt 24:27; 1 Thess 4:17). (Mounce, p.223)
‘Why does the Church of Jesus Christ today sit so easy to her surroundings? Why do Christian people live such comfortable and such undisturbed lives in this evil and disturbed world? Surely it is because we are not true to the Word of God?’ (Torrence)
(Morris, p.146)
Repentance: (11:13)
Ladd: The result of the resurrection and ascension of the two martyrs and of the following earthquake was the conversion of the rest of the city. This appears to be a symbolic way of describing the final conversion of the Jewish people as a whole.
Because of these mighty acts of God in the end time, the Jewish people will repent of their sins and give glory to the true God. Previously they have not glorified God; they had crucified his Messiah and rejected his prophets. But now they repent of their disobedience and glorify God. (Ladd, p.159-60)
Morris: The survivors not only gave way to fear, they also gave glory to the God of heaven. This is a new note, for John has not hitherto spoken of sinners as being other than hardened by the judgements of God. But these happenings are so striking and so clearly from God that even sinful men could not forbear from ascribing glory to him. (Morris, p.147-8)
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Canticle
Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.
This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).
The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.
The Peanut Gallery 