Morning Prayer: 08 Nov – Revelation 17:8-14 ~ the riddle of the beast

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 17:8-14 (ESV) – to be read aloud

Woodcut from the vorlutherischen Graninger Bible (15th c.).

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Reflection

THE THIRD VISION (17:1-21:8)

The Prostitute and the Scarlet Beast(17:1-18)

The riddle of the beast (17:8-14)

The beast is the more important and is explained first. It is not easy to understand all we are told, in part at any rate because the symbolism seems to have more than one meaning. Sometimes the beast is the ruler, sometimes he is the kingdom (cf. v.9). Fundamentally the beast is the principal henchman of Satan (the great red dragon) and Satan’s work is done in different ways at different times…. The evil in mankind may seem to disappear, but only seems, It always returns again…. That the beast was means that he had put in an appearance on the earth. That he is not signifies that he is no longer in evidence.

But this does not mean that the last has been heard of him. He will come up out of the Abyss. This identifies him with the forces of evil and indicates that his final sortie will be the climax of the efforts of the evil one. But it will fail. He will go to his destruction. Not for one moment does John lose sight of the certainty of the overthrow of evil. (Morris, p. 202)

[Peanut Gallery: Quite honestly, this mystery is way beyond my ability to to unravel or even make sense of the detailed interpretations offered by Ladd, Morris and Mounce. At some level, John probably has in mind first century Rome… and perhaps successive kingdoms and even empires. But the contemporary import speaks to the ability of evil to resuscitate itself in every generation. Certainly in this generation we are witnessing evil manifested on a world-wide stage and the persecution of Christians on a scale never before known.]

Called, chosen and faithful (17:14)

These are his retinue, not his resources. They represent no independent source of aid for he needs none. Indeed, the very qualities named show that they depend on him. But they share his triumph. (Morris, p.206)
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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.

Morning Prayer: 07 Nov – Revelation 17:6b-18 ~ one mystery

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.

Revelation 17:6b–18 (ESV) – to be read aloud

The Whore Babylon, Revelation 17:1-18 circa 1530-1532 Mathias GerungOttheinrich-Bibel, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — The Whore Babylon,
Revelation 17:1-18
circa 1530-1532
Mathias GerungOttheinrich-Bibel, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Reflection

THE THIRD VISION (17:1-21:8)

The Prostitute and the Scarlet Beast(17:1-18)

The vision interpreted (17:6b-18)

The interpreting angel sets out to explain to John the mystery of the woman and the beast she rides…. In a general sense we immediately understand that here we see the appropriate end of “Babylon,” the cruel oppressor of God’s people.It is a picture of the self-destructive power of evil….

The woman and the beast cannot be understood apart from one another. While the remainder of chapter 17 is primarily concerned with the interpretation of the beast, 18:1-19:5 details the judgment of the prostitute. (Mounce, p.313-4)

One would expect that the angel’s explanation would deal largely with the mystery of the great harlot, but the angel says that he will explain also the mystery of the beast. This shows the inseparable relationship between the woman and the beast. The last center of civilization will derive its character altogether from the one fact that it is supported by the beast. THere are not two mysteries; the one mystery includes both the beast and the harlot. (Ladd, p.226)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Morning Prayer: 24 Oct – Revelation 14:17-20 ~ grapes of wrath

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.

Revelation 14:17-20 (ESV) – to be read aloud

The Wine Press, 1864 John Roddam Spencer Stanhope Tate Britain — The Wine Press, 1864
John Roddam Spencer Stanhope
Tate Britain

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Reflection

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

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

Vintage of the earth (14:17-20)

Verses 14-16 portrayed judgement under the general figure of the harvest. Now, by means of the more vivid figure of the vintage, John stresses the violent carnage of that judgement…. The harvest was reaped by Christ himself while the vintage is gathered by an angel from the temple in heaven. The two visions present the same judgement from slightly different perspectives. (Mounce, p. 279)

Radical judgement 14:19-20)

The harvest of grapes represents judgement, not salvation.

The metaphor suddenly changes from the treading of grapes to a military slaughter…. The entire land is pictured as being inundated in blood…. The thought is clear: a radical judgement that crushes every vestige of evil and hostility to the reign of God. (Ladd, p.201-2)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Morning Prayer: 23 Oct – Revelation 14:14-16 ~ harvest time

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.

Revelation 14:14-16 (ESV) – to be read aloud

jesus-with-a-sharp-sickle-in-his-hand

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Reflection

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

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

Harvest on earth (14:14-16)

Two visions of judgement bring the chapter to a close. Verses 14-16 picture the advent of divine judgement in the familiar figure of a grain harvest…. These visions serve to remind those who were suffering… that their faith in God and their reliance upon the saving efficacy of the sacrificial death of the Lamb will most certainly be vindicated…. The sharp sickle is the instrument of harvest and portrays the son of man prepared to reap the harvest of earth in righteous retribution…. The time to reap is the precise moment determined by God. (Mounce, p.277-8)
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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Morning Prayer: 22 Oct – Revelation 14:9-13 ~ eternal torment and blessing

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.

Revelation 14:9-13 (ESV) – to be read aloud

hell_forever_and_ever

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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