GOD'S NEW WORLD, DAY 26 (salvation & judgment)

 


          The paradox of the kingdom of God.  The book of Revelation is clear – it is precisely by dying for their faith that the martyrs “overcome” the “beast”, the “world” and all the enemies of God.  Jesus showed us the way to true victory – by giving up his life on the cross, he defeated the “principalities and powers” (cf. Col. 2.14-15).  Despite the fact that everyone – including the disciples – believed that Jesus’ death was a defeat and proof that he was not the Messiah after all (cf. Lk. 24.19-24), the New Testament consistently insists that the opposite was in fact the case.  The cross was Jesus’ “enthronement” as Messiah, as King of Israel, and constituted his victory over the true enemies of the people of God – sin, death and all the forces of evil (cf. Eph. 6.12).  The New Testament tells us again and again, lest we miss it – the kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom.  That is to say, God’s powerful reign functions in the opposite way from human regimes.  For God, true power is manifested in weakness, humility, suffering, humiliation, service – yes, even death (cf. Lk. 1.51-53; Mk. 10.42-45; 2 Cor. 12.10).  Humans “do” power motivated by fear and pride; God does power by humility and self-giving love (cf. Phil. 2.5-11).  That being said, it takes a lot of courage to follow Jesus on the path of the cross and of self-denial (cf. Lk. 9.23); it requires bravery to trust God, to render oneself vulnerable to attack, rejection, and mockery instead of defending one’s rights and status.  We are members of Jesus’ subversive kingdom, called to “fight” with the “weapons” of compassion and service.  As those who are – according to the world’s standards – powerless (if they only knew), we are called, not to escape this world – or indeed, suffering for our faith – but rather to engage our world (even those who are hostile to us) with the love of God, which is more powerful than hatred, violence and all devices that humans can conjure.  

     There is, however, an even darker side to the cross – before going to his death, Jesus had predicted the total destruction of the city of Jerusalem within one generation (cf. Mk. 13; cp. Jer. 7.1-15).  Jesus understood his own death as a foretaste of the disastrous judgment that would soon befall the people of God; indeed, as the culmination of the suppression of a Jewish revolt which began in AD 66, the Romans besieged and destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.  We cannot fully understand the significance of Jesus’ death without reference to the judgment of Jerusalem that he had foretold, even as he was on the way to Golgotha (cf. Lk. 23.27-31).

     A fly on the wall of heaven.  After the series of 7 letters in chapters 2—3 of Revelation, John sees an open door in heaven, and is summoned by the voice of the Son of Man to “come up here”; immediately John is “in spirit” and he is ushered into the divine throne-room (Rev. 4.1-2; cf. Dn. 7.9-10).  This is the very center of reality; the seat of God’s rule and authority over heaven and earth.  Consistent with certain forms of biblical imagery, “heaven” is depicted as being “above” earth, but, as we have seen, we shouldn’t insist too much on this spatial differentiation, since “heaven” is not only “above”, but also “within” and “around” the earthly realm.[1]  The “one seated on the throne” – God’s primary “title” in Revelation – is identified as the Creator (4.2, 11).  Every conceivable creature in the entirety of the created order is said to worship the “one seated on the throne” and the “lamb” (Rev. 5.13).  The “Lamb who was slaughtered” is the only one worthy to open the scroll that is in the right hand of the One seated on the throne – i.e., Jesus is the one who initiates and presides over the judgment of the world (Rev. 5.1-7; cf. Jn. 5.19-29).  Jesus is both Saviour and Judge.[2]  In virtue of his having been slaughtered (crucified, and thus having “overcome”), Jesus has the right to act as the agent of divine judgment; those who belong to Jesus and “overcome” as he did will “reign on the earth” and participate in the divine activity of “judging” (Rev. 5.10; cf. 1 Cor. 6.1-5).

     It’s important to point out that John’s visit to heaven did not transport him to “the future”, but was rather contemporaneous with his present circumstances – that of being exiled on the island of Patmos.  John was given access to “heaven”, which is “God’s space”, parallel to and in constant communication with “earth”, i.e., our space.  Once he is in heaven, John can now “see” the true meaning of what’s happening on earth.  John has a front-row seat to the divine judgment of the world (cf. Rev. 6.12-17; 11.15-18), which proceeds in a thrice-repeated 7-fold series of catastrophes – 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls (chapters 6—16).  As in Daniel 7, a vision of God’s throne introduces a “judgment scene” – in Daniel, the four beasts (empires) were judged; in Revelation, the entire world is subjected to divine judgment (cf. Rev. 20).


[1] As we will see in Rev. 21—22, heaven and earth were designed for each other, and will ultimately be united to form one new transfigured reality (cf. Gn. 1.1).

[2] In the Bible, God’s salvation and judgment always occur simultaneously; often, this takes the form of the judgment of the enemies of the people of God which is Israel’s salvation.  Also, judgment/salvation can be the result of one’s response to the prophetic “word of God” – e.g., Jesus’ parables (Mk. 4.10-12; cf. Is. 6.9-10).

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