Readings:
Revelations 20: 1-4, 11 – 21: 2
Luke 21: 29-33
Reflection:
Today is the last day in the series of readings from Revelations. At the time that Revelations was written, the persecution of the new Christians by the Romans was in full swing, and the exile of many because of the persecutions by the Jews was also a reality.
We read of John’s visions of the angel and the evil serpent; of judges and those that had been persecuted and died for their faith in Jesus as they preached the Word of God and refused to worship the false gods; of the throne of judgement and the book of life being opened up to see what people had done; the scary image of the burning lake where people would go if they are not found in the book of life. This series of visions and images remind me of scenes from the Lord of the Rings when it seems almost impossible for Frodo to survive the onslaught that is going on all around him.
We may be living in the 21st Century, but persecution is still very much with us in our world today. Be this physical, psychological and/or spiritual persecution, it is real.
But at the end comes ‘a new heaven and a new earth … the holy city and the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven.’ After all the destruction and chaos, there will be a new beginning where the reign of God will be supreme. What this will actually be like nobody knows but we can be assured that it will be perfect.
We are about to enter the season of Advent when we are invited to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. We may have to face some of the scary images described in Revelations but let us be reassured by Jesus’ words from today’s Gospel: my words will never pass away. Keeping these close to our hearts and living by them will ensure the bringing about of the new heaven and new earth that has been promised.
Victoria Raw is parishioner of Te Whetu O Te Moana, Star of the Sea Marlborough, NZ and is active in lay ministry.