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 14:9-13 (ESV) – to be read aloud

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

Call to endurance (14:9-13)

The third angel pronounces a much worse fate for those who do worship the beast and bear his mark. They are to drink the wine of God’s fury and endure eternal torment in burning sulfur. This fierce warning is directed both to the pagan population and to those within the Christian community tempted to deny their faith in view of the coming persecution. That the warning is directed at apostate Christians as well, follows from John’s added comments in vv 12 and 13, which speak of the coming trial and promised blessedness for those who die in the Lord. (Mounce, p.272)

Eternal torment (14:9-11)

What will be the fate of those who persist in the worship of the beast?

Those who have set themselves in irreversible hostility to God must become the objects of divine wrath before Gods Kingdom is established. It is inconceivable that men who hate God’s Messiah and join in the persecution of God’s people should enter the Kingdom of God. The perfect reign of God and the establishment of his rule in the world includes the necessity of judgement of those who refuse to embrace his rule. (Ladd, p.194-5)

The intention of the torment described is to startle readers into the realization of the eternal consequences of denying their faith in Christ and worshiping the beast…. The punishment of the damned is not a temporary measure…. Without hope of acquittal, they pay the eternal price of having chosen evil over righteousness. (Mounce, p. 274)

Eternal blessing (14:12-13)

The saints are described in terms of their obedience to divine revelation and their continuing reliance on Jesus…. Faithfulness to Christ may issue in martyrdom, but the faithful dead are blessed in that they have entered victoriously into their rest.

The blessedness consists in the cessation of all the trials and sufferings… and their rest is from the troubles that have arisen from their steadfastness in faith. They are blessed because their deeds follow after them. God will not forget all that they ave endured in loyalty to the faith…. Their deeds follow after them in the sense that there can be no separation between what a person is and what a person does. (Mounce, p.275-7)
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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.