The lion and the lamb in SW GA
I had the privilege of teaching a combined group of adult Sunday School classes this morning at Americus First UMC down in Americus, GA (where Habitat for Humanity’s headquarters is located among other things) and it was a great way to end a trip home for Thanksgiving. The adults there, most of whom were in the 50s-70s age range, were awesome. It’s so great to come across adults who realize what it means to be lifelong learners.
The subject of my talk was interpreting the book of Revelation, with a specific focus on the theme of apocalyptic irony and upside-down symbolism in the book. This is one of the most helpful keys to interpreting Revelation without going off into doctrinal crazyland, as so many have done in the past. We looked at how in Revelation, Jesus is said to be a “Lion”, but is seen in reality as a slaughtered “Lamb” (ch.5). Likewise, the faithful servants of God who are sealed and protected from the “wrath of the Lamb” (a seemingly oxymoronic statement if there ever was one!) are said to be “144,000” from “the tribes of Israel”, but they immediately are seen in reality to be “an innumerable multitude” from “every tribe, language, people group and nation” (ch.7).
Thus, the 144,000 who are sealed are in reality all those who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes”…even if that path should lead to suffering persecution and ultimately death (chs. 7 & 14). It’s not some class of super-saints who will enjoy a closer existence with God in an etheral “Heaven” while the rest of God’s people live forever here on earth (as Jehovah’s Witnesses often teach), nor is it confined to ethnic Jews who come to faith in Jesus during the “Great Tribulation” 7 (or 3-and-a-half, depending on who you talk to!) years before Jesus sets up a Millennial earthly kingdom in Israel (as many Rapture-Theology proponents have taught). The 144,000 of Revelation are all God’s faithful followers, willing to lay down their lives for the One who laid down His life for them, depicted through Apocalpytic prophetic imagery as the true “army of Israelites”…with the true “Lion of Judah” being the slain Lamb leading the charge!
Revelation is such an amazing book!
Blessings,
JMS
Categories: Blog, Book of Revelation, Heaven, Ministry, New Testament, Theological issues
The following SUMMARIES OF OVER 1400 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CRIMINAL and CIVIL COURT CASES will provide the BEST and MOST ACCURATE info about Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs, and how they ACTUALLY practice such day to day.
The following website summarizes 900 court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including 400 cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children, as well as nearly 400 CRIMINAL cases — most involving MURDERS:
DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
jwdivorces.bravehost.com
The following website summarizes over 500 lawsuits filed by Jehovah's Witnesses against their Employers, incidents involving problem JW Employees, and other secret JW "history" court cases:
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES
jwemployees.bravehost.com
by JJones on Nov 30, 2009 at 7:41 pm