On the eve of this Easter time, we stop to consider John 13:1-6, where Jesus will enact His entire mission before His disciples. Will we receive His love today and give it away to others?

A new episode

A new episode

John’s vision closes with a bookend to Genesis — the tree of life growing by the great river which would take God’s Kingdom to the nations. We are taken into the garden city, where God’s rule far outweighs the pressure and persecution of our current day. As John concludes, he asserts the authenticity of the vision, the imminence of Christ’s return and the need for an ongoing faithful witness unto the goal.

At last, we are here! Heaven and earth collide, in an expression of Kingdom life with Jesus at the centre. The Bride IS the temple, and the once hostile nations now offer their Glory to the King of Kings. This encouragement for the early church will also be an encouragement to us as we seek to live out this faith in front of a (mostly) unbelieving world.

Now John sees Satan bound and thrown into the darkness for 1,000 years. While Satan is weak, those who have died for the sake of Christ are raised to new life. Now Satan, while rallying for a final push, is engulfed by the power of God. The church is rescued and begins its reign with Christ. How do we make sense of somewhat confusing passages like this, and what do we do with the famous 1000 years?

We are now welcome into the complete and total victory of the Lamb over the oppressor. He wins His victory not with violence, but with the Word. The Bride is made ready, but also makes herself ready, a task to which Christians today must continue. How do we walk in the victory provided to us?

Swiftly and suddenly, Babylon falls. In John’s compelling vision, steeped in Old Testament prophetic imagery and style, the destruction of the empire is complete, making way for a new and recreated garden city where the Lamb reigns. What are the characteristics of this empire, and how might we ‘come out of her’?

In contrast to the holy woman of chapter 12, we now have the unholiest of women riding into chapter 17. The heart of the beast is laid bare, and the world without God is exposed. A battle is set, but the Lamb wins — just by showing up. How do we guard ourselves against ‘Babylon’ in our own hearts?

Today, we see the recapitulation of the ‘sevens’ — we’ve seen the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and now it’s time for the seven bowls. Only this time, there is no more time for waiting. God’s justice moves swiftly against the beast and his followers, setting up the renewal of all things.

Now, John sees a vision of the triumph of God’s people. Their worship is God-inspired and God-oriented. They sing a new song of exodus from slavery, but now, the whole world is invited! How is God’s judgement good news for the world? We’ll find out together.

Against the backdrop of unholy power and deception, the people of God are the real deal. Cleaned by Christ, and following Him everywhere He goes, even until death, those in Christ are given a renewed call to persevere against the tyranny of Rome and of the culture of the day. In God’s Kingdom, martyrs are rewarded and esteemed, evil gets its own reward, and God’s justice flows like a river.

In Chapter 12 we met the dragon, who now calls not just one associate but two — which forms a kind of ‘unholy trinity’. Together, these three are a counterfeit of God’s Kingdom, and in forms that echo Daniel 7, create a Roman parody of the true and living God. The beasts’ power and deception call the earth to worship them, but the ones ‘marked’ by Christ will not be marked by the beast.

Today, a new vision begins with ‘a sign from heaven’ — the first in a series of seven visions that will unfold. These are not new stories, but deeper ‘character studies’ on the main players in this cosmic drama. We see the story of God’s victory reinforced again — Satan is a defeated foe, and yet he is bent on persecuting the church.

Today, we move from the big-picture scenes of man-eating locusts, mighty angels and revelatory scrolls, to a simpler story about two individuals, their work and their fate. What do we make of this passage, as we reach the climax of Revelation and also its literary mid-point?

Now, John is relieved by a heavenly vision containing God’s activity once more. Arriving at his purpose for being in the throne room, he receives new commissioning for his prophetic work which will encourage and inspire the church. This will mean joy for some, and despair for others.

Today, we encounter the hellish vision of man-eating locusts and terrible angel armies. The worst of mankind is shown on a global scale. They issue from ‘the Abyss’ - the dark place of chaos where evil reigns. How do we live in the midst of such terror? We might first look in a surprising place…

In this vivid and rattling passage, we see a major re-run of the Egypt story, complete with plagues, trumpets and angels. The prayers of the righteous are effective, and God’s judgement is complete. He is re-making the world, defeating sin, and rescuing His people from slavery.

Today, we see the eternal safety of the people of God. They are held in His care as He stretches His tent over them. They have to endure and endure again, but God is coming to rescue them, and nothing can pluck them out of His hand.

In an intentionally jarring scene, what follows the worship of heaven is the exposing of the evil that currently infests the world. Things indeed get worse before they get better! Six out of seven seals are opened, and the plan of God continues to unfold, even in the midst of strife. The rejection of love is what got us here, and only love Himself will get us out.