The Proposal

Revelation is personal. That epiphany led me to look at the book of Revelation in a new light. Many people believe that John’s prophecy talks about the end of days. It could, I suppose. I won’t say that it doesn’t, since God is perfectly capable of creating something with multiple meanings. For me, however, it tells a different tale. It’s a love story - and why shouldn’t it be? We are, in fact, destined to be the Bride of Christ.

I will walk you through it line by line, and show you how it reveals the nature of our Groom, his expectations for us, and all that he is doing to help us meet those expectations. Along the way, hopefully, we will learn a thing or two about ourselves as well.

This first part is just a proposal. He invites us to go for a walk with him, in a sense. As we go, we shouldn’t forget to talk, because communication is very important in any relationship.

Our invitation into the family of God does not begin with Revelation. It started with Genesis, and even before. The Scriptures detail our love affair with God and His love for us, but they are not the only correspondence He has with us. When we learn to see clearly, the whole world is a love story. One path to that idyllic point of view lies through Revelation, but it is not the only way. It is important to keep in mind that Abram didn’t have a Bible to follow. The source of his revelations was God. He only got them when he went searching for answers. He was fifty years old.

If you think you are not as worthy as Abram was to receive such a gift, then the first perspective you need to change is your own self-image. Abram was only human, just like you. In fact, we tend to place biblical characters on pedestals, but they were just people. God raised them up, and He can do the same for us.

It was only with God’s help that Abram was able to become the Patriarch of a great nation. For that reason, we should not place our whole trust in a book – any book. It would also be foolish to think that our journey into spiritual adulthood will not have its struggles. As the adage says, ‘No pain, no gain.’

We should keep in mind that Abram did not truly become Abraham without some challenges and some strife. His name change was just the beginning. Likewise, we will not become who we are supposed to be without some tribulations of our own. Soul searching is never painless. Personal growth comes with growing pains. Fortunately, the hurt is fleeting, and the discomfort is momentary. And let’s not forget that there will be moments of surprise and shock. Perhaps you noticed that the two letters that changed Abram’s name are ‘h’ and ‘a’. For Abram to become Abraham, he needed a ‘ha!’

Similarly, we could say that the new letters in his name were arranged as ‘ah.’ It depends on which ‘a’ we think is the new one. Whichever way we choose to look at it, we should be aware that the revelation road brings ‘ahs’ and ‘has’ and many ‘a-has.’

We should also remember that Abraham is the English derivative of a Hebrew name. The joke I made works great in English, but not so well in Hebrew. It is amazing to me how much sense the scriptures can make in English. I would assume that God has planted similar ‘easter eggs’ in every translation. This ‘miracle’ shores up the idea that the scriptures are a living work. It also testifies to the Jewish belief that each generation is responsible for finding their own truth in the word of God.

On that note, let’s get started.

The first part of Revelation is a proposal. It isn’t very interesting. There are only a few things that need pointing out. We’ll take it one line at a time.

Revelation 1:1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

Revelation begins with a letter from our intended, and a seeming insult. Servants? Is he looking for a wife, or hiring a maid? Does he mean we are his servants, or that we are all God’s servants? It’s hard to tell by the way it’s worded. Does it matter? We could take offense, but honestly, good relationships are built on servitude. Aren’t they? I mean, to be a good spouse, we have to be good to our spouse. Right?

And conversely, we would expect our spouse to be good to us. Wouldn’t we? I think so. That feels like the proper attitude. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. Perhaps we should move on before we overthink it.

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Oh. So he had his friend deliver the letter. That’s weird, isn’t it? What does that say about him? Is he scared? Are we being pursued by a coward, or is he just old-fashioned? Let’s assume the latter.

Once upon a time, in polite society, it was customary for maidens to be asked out through an emissary. A suitor would send their friend instead of appearing in person, so that if she said no, they would both be spared the embarrassment.

In addition to that, she would not be coerced by the presence of her suitor into agreeing to something she didn’t want to do. Emotions could be left out of it, in that there would be no tears or angry words, and no begging and pleading and making a fool of yourself. There would be no opportunity for bad behavior, brought on in the heat of the moment by bad feelings. We are, after all, children of God, and kids do dumb things.

There is a meme on the internet that states: Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. It’s a 3-day relationship between a 13-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy that results in six deaths. We’re looking for something more substantial. Let’s see what else our guy has to say.

3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

He thinks we’re blessed… but only if we heed his words. He’s a bit full of himself, isn’t he? Or is he promising us something? He’s gonna reward us with gifts if we go out with him? What kind of gifts? And what does he mean by the time is near?

Why does he feel like he has to bribe us? Well, honestly, it’s because our love, no matter what we say, is never unconditional. If it were we would truly love everyone, and there would be no strife in our world. We love because we see something worth loving, and we hate because we see something worth hating. That’s the simple truth of it.

There’s no time to dwell on that. We are out of time, because the time is not only near; it’s now. What I mean is, every day brings the end of the world for someone, and Revelation predicts the end of our world. It’s too late for us. We’re here, at this moment on our revelation journey, because we died in the spirit and were born again.

That doesn’t mean our guy is a necrophiliac. He wants a living, breathing bride. One who is willing to lay aside her old life for him. Remember, he has to set aside his life for us, too. That’s what marriage is. Two people become one person by giving up parts of themselves. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Jesus wants a commitment from us. He believes we are ready, but we have to make the final decision. Do we take his hand, or turn our backs? The most important question we should ask before beginning any journey is whether we really want to go through with it. Without the proper level of commitment, we won’t make it to the end. Our heart has to be in the right place, or our willpower will fail.

Baby, it’s Cold Inside

Our hearts are like a light bulb. They are either filled with light, or they are dark. We think we don’t have control over the state of our heart, but we do. To fill them with light, we have to invite Jesus into them. When he is in residence, we are in the Spirit. When there is no light in our hearts, we are in the Body.

When we examine the ideas that people put forth, it is important to think about which state they are in. It’s easy to determine if we put ourselves in their shoes and try to figure out what motivates them. Note that it’s not about whether their words are self-serving or not. As humans, everything we do is self-serving. That’s the way we are built. That’s why the Lord’s Prayer is all about us, and no one else. Most of the time we are blind to the connection we share with our neighbors.

The thing we need to look for, to determine whether someone is in the spirit, is communication with God. Are they talking to God? Is that where their ideas are coming from? It is that communication that gave Moses an advantage over the sorcerers of Egypt.

We can’t just take our neighbor’s word for it, though. The best way to find out if they are talking to God is to talk to Him ourselves.

In all honesty, if we’re in the spirit, it doesn’t matter if they are or not. Their words will ring hollow or true in our ears, depending on our state.

Most of us know what it feels like to be in the spirit, even if we haven’t put a name to it. It’s a moment where everything feels right. We are at peace with the world, and we can see God’s hand moving in everything. Even the bad things make sense.

Location, Location, Location

Revelation is a journey, just like any courtship. Journeys have a beginning and an end. Before we can set out on ours, we need to know where we are, where we are going, and how we’re getting there. Before we agree to a first date, we should ask, “Where are you taking me?” The answer is, it’s a surprise, sort of, and it seems we’re not the only ones getting this invitation. There are seven letters to seven churches. It looks like our guy is hedging his bets… or is he?

4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

This part always reminds me of the scene in Game of Thrones where Robert Baratheon is on his deathbed, dictating his last wishes, saying, “Titles, titles, titles; You know the damn words!”

If you have never read the bible, and know nothing about the life of Jesus Christ, then it must seem like a lot of braggadocio. For those of us who know the rest of the story, it’s actually a very modest take on the life of the man, and it gives us our first glimpse at our suitor. It’s a chance for him to introduce himself, and for his delivery boy to do the same.

There are several promises here, which I think need our attention.

One, he is coming with the clouds. The wording of that is more important than it seems. He’s not coming in the clouds, or on them. He is hidden behind a veil, and it needs to be lifted before we can see him clearly. Yes, I know, the woman is supposed to wear the veil. I didn’t say he was wearing it, only that he is hidden behind it. The veil is over our eyes, and yes, it has to be lifted by him.

He is coming with the clouds, because our new, born-again life is a mystery that needs to be solved, just like the book of Revelation. We have to get to know our husband-to-be.

Keep in mind, the word revelation comes from the word reveal, and the English word reveal comes from the Latin word revelare, which means to lay bare. Our guy intends to strip us down. You didn’t think you were going to get through this relationship with your clothes on, did you? Oh no. We’re gonna take it all off, but don’t worry, he’s getting naked too. How else can we see each other for who we truly are? Good marriages don’t have secrets.

Two, every eye will see him. Yes, that’s a promise, and an important one. As I said, every day brings the end of the world for someone. Some of us have had… a moment where we were picked up from the floor and set back on our feet. That moment, in truth, is indescribable, meaning no words can accurately depict it because it occurred both within and without the five senses – sight, taste, smell, touch, and hearing. It was not a feeling. It was an experience. In that moment, a great question was answered for us, beyond the shadow of any doubt. God is real. We cannot deny it.

That moment comes for everyone, in good time. If you haven’t had yours yet, you will, though it might not come until your last moment.

Perhaps you’re wondering why you have to wait, and why God doesn’t just reveal himself to everyone immediately? Well, to put it plainly, because God loves doubt as much as he loves certainty. He loves all of his creations, not just the ones we consider to be the good ones.

Think of it as peekaboo, or hide-and-seek. He’ll get to you in good time.

“Those who pierced him” applies to the soldier who speared him, those who placed the crown of thorns on his head, those who whipped him, and also those who have been given some insight into who he truly was.

The third promise is something we can count on in nearly every relationship. Coming together as one, giving up parts of yourself, is never easy. You can bet that there will be tears, and they are always the fault of the other person. You don’t cry just to cry. You cry because they made you cry. John is being honest with us, right up front. He warns us that the whole world will mourn because of Jesus. Now is our chance to run away, because the revelation path will not be easy.

Unfortunately, there is no escape because we were made for him, and he for us. We were betrothed, even before we were begat.

The fourth promise doesn’t seem like a promise at all. It sounds like more braggadocio. We can be sure that he is the first, and the last, and that he will always be, because he is and was and is to come. He is called the Faithful Witness, which implies that we can trust him.

Why can we trust him? Because he was the Firstborn from the Dead. Nothing we are about to experience is new to him. He did it first, and he’s not just a prince; he’s a King who was willing to bleed for us and come down and live as one of us.

The Seven Spirits are the seven spirits of God that are in the world. They are our vanities, and I could write a whole book just on them. In fact, I will go into them in great depth later. For now, just know that we can understand what a spirit is by examining how we use the word spirit in our daily lives.

We say we’re in good spirits, or poor spirits, depending on our mood. We say arguments are spirited when they become riotous, and we call intoxicating beverages ‘spirits’ because they change our behavior. These seven spirits do just that; they change the way we behave.

The fact that they are before his throne means they work for him. In short, he’s telling us that he can make us feel good. To get to him and his throne, we must also overcome these seven spirits and make them work for us.

There we have it, all the makings of a great love story.

Next, John tells us where he was when he was given his task.

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John neglects to tell us that he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos, even though he was. He tells us that he is our companion in suffering, to endear himself to us, because misery loves company, and he sort of promises that there will be a reward in the form of a kingdom if we endure and are patient.

Now, Patmos is an interesting setting for the writing of Revelation. It is a small, rocky Greek island surrounded by the Aegean Sea. The reason it’s interesting is that Greece is renowned as the birthplace of logic and reason, yet Revelation seems entirely unreasonable at face value.

I will tell you now that it is a finger trap for wannabe wise men. If you read it in the wrong spirit, it will only confuse you. If you try to unlock it with human wisdom, you will find yourself thoroughly locked out of its secrets. As proof of this, I simply have to point to the myriad of books that get it wrong.

Yes, it’s an apocalyptic tale. No, it doesn’t warn of the end of the world, only of the end of our world when we become new Christians and gain a new life. It is a love story. It is a journey with our love. It is a walk and a talk that leads to dinner for two. To understand it, you must have love in your heart. Only then can you see it with a new eye.

If you go into it looking for monsters, you will find plenty of them. If your dream is to watch sinners burn, you will not be disappointed. However, just because you find what you’re looking for, doesn’t mean you solved the puzzle the right way. Your perspective is off and needs to be adjusted. That is what I will try to accomplish with my words. Now back to John.

10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:

to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

He tells us that he was in the spirit when he wrote this. Does that mean he was drunk? No. Not exactly. It means that he was filled with the Holy Spirit, which can be quite intoxicating in itself.

The thing about spirits is, they are either on or off like light switches or lit candles. If the Holy Spirit is not upon you, then you are in the body. That’s an important distinction, since it comes up once or twice during our walk through Revelation.

You have probably experienced being in the Spirit, and just don’t realize it. The Holy Spirit feels like you are lit from within, and that light is shining out on all the world. If you have ever had a peaceful moment where everything was right with the world, then you know what I’m talking about. That was the Holy Spirit; you just didn’t know its name.

John says that he was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. That’s true. He was imprisoned for spreading the word.

People don’t like ideas that are strange to them. I can’t blame them. I’ve been known to walk on the safe side, myself.

Still, the man I admire most was accused, tried, convicted, and hanged on a cross for telling people things they didn’t want to hear. I am going to warn you now that you might not like some of the things I’m going to say. I hope that’s not the case, but know that I’m going to say them anyway.

I have an odd, cynical sense of humor at times. I’ve been known to use language and imagery that you probably wouldn’t want your kids to see. I get that. I will try to rein it in where I can. Some of it, I feel, is necessary to get the full message across. And keep in mind this is a book for adults, not children, and the Bible itself is full of all sorts of sordid tales. That’s why most churches have a children’s Sunday School where kids can learn G-rated versions of biblical stories.

I grew up in the 70s, when parents made their kids repeat the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It’s oddly hypocritical that those same parents made us say heck instead of Hell. I guess they thought some words would hurt us, even though they were in the Bible and we heard our preacher say them every Sunday.

That being said, I will do my best not to throw overly offensive stones at you, if you promise not to pick up the ones I do throw and take them to heart. This is a love story, after all, and love requires us to treat each other with respect and understanding.

In The Image of The Son of Man

Revelation 12 gives us another glimpse of our suitor. It says:

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

The image of the Son of Man provides us with a packing list for the road of revelation. The symbolism found in the first chapter of John's book gives us a glimpse of how we should attire ourselves, and what we should aspire to be and remain during our journey. We know that this image is not just of Jesus, but also of us, because Daniel was also called "son of man" by an angel, as were others.

A Son of Man is anyone who seeks a closer relationship with God. Our title represents our basic acceptance and understanding of who we are and where we are starting from. As we walk the road of revelation, our form will change until we reach the shining city where all things are lit from within. As you know, fire produces no shadow. Therefore, when we are all light, there will be no shade and no place for dark things to hide.

There is a lot of debate over the symbolism in this passage. Most of it is very straightforward. Let’s go through it, line by line.

Context is always important, and so is the scene that is set for us. John sees someone like a Son of Man, standing among seven lampstands. To understand the Son of Man, we must know what these lampstands are. Fortunately, John tells us. They represent the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

None of those churches exist in a physical sense today, so why write letters to them? If they were only important in John's time, why do we still care what they say? It's because they hold a deep spiritual meaning, even in these modern times. They are places we believers can find ourselves in. They are starting points, but also waypoints on our journey. They can help us determine where we are and if we are heading in the right direction.

A lampstand is a place to hold our fire. That's what the churches are. They are conduits of communication between us and God. They warn us when we are veering off the path. As we will see, Philadelphia is the best church. It is the only one that Jesus doesn't have a problem with. It also holds a door to heaven. It's our way out, beyond religion.

Why would we want to go beyond religion, you ask? Because religion is a crutch, and there are no cripples where we are going. As babies, when we were learning to walk, most of us pulled ourselves up on whatever we could find. We used furniture to help us stand and keep us standing until our legs were strong enough to do the job alone. Likewise, religion is the furniture we pull ourselves up on. In Philadelphia, we become pillars in God's church. We become like turtles, carrying our place of worship with us wherever we go. We do not simply follow the law; we become it. It is written on our hearts, and it is ever on our minds.

We will study the churches in depth later on. For now, just know that the Son of Man is surrounded by them, because this is the beginning of his journey on the path of revelation.

Notice that it doesn’t say the Son of Man, but rather one like a Son of Man. This is a very important distinction, because the Son of Man is a standard we should all try to live up to. Our Groom is dressed a certain way, and he wants us to match. Once you understand the symbolism, I think you’ll see what I mean.

First, recall that Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

True understanding of this verse came to me from a song by Patty Loveless, called You Don’t Even Know Who I Am. Our Fiancé wants to look at us and see in us a part of himself. That part is his willingness to do God’s will, regardless of the personal cost. He wants us to be just as willing as he is. He wants our total commitment.

What that means for us is, we need to dress like him, not because he’s a tyrannical diva, but because he has already traveled this road and knows what works.

God gave us laws. Rules and regulations should not be scary things. They help us define our expectations. God has defined His expectations for us. We will examine each of His commandments in turn. I think you will be surprised at their true meaning.

Get real, Gandalf

The Son of Man is wearing a white robe, down to his feet. This gives us some insight into what kind of person he is. After all, the clothes make the man.

Onward, Christian Soldiers is a popular hymn, and we are urged to put on the full armor of God, but he’s not a warrior. That’s obvious if you know anything about how people in ancient times fought. The Romans wore leather breastplates and short, pleated leather skirts. In some cultures, warriors fought naked, covered in grease. Cloth offers little or no protection against bladed weapons, so some of our ancestors made the choice to wear as little as possible so that they could move freely. It is better to get out of the way than to rely on your apparel to stop an incoming blow. The only people who fight in robes are wizards from fantasy stories. In the real world, robes are restrictive and cumbersome, and totally ill-suited for hand-to-hand combat.

Farmers would have found robes just as restrictive. Most of them chose short, light tunics, or even simple loincloths. The same goes for carpenters, bricklayers, and farriers (the people who shoe horses).

The truth is, the only group of people who traditionally wore robes, outside of courtiers and monarchs, were scholars. Our guy is educated, and he wants us to be too. Our part of holding up our questions is doing our homework to try and answer them for ourselves. God will often surprise us with the answers by hiding them in our study material.

Sure, Jesus is a king and a member of the Court of Heaven, but mostly he is studious and encourages us to be as well. You’ll see why later.

His robe is white to symbolize purity and diligence. You can’t keep white clothes pristine without diligence. The fact that it stretches to his feet implies a degree of modesty and tells us that he does not move quickly. It takes forethought and caution to move in a floor-length robe without tripping over yourself. The road of revelation should not be traveled quickly.

Contestant Number 1

Sashes are typically used like belts, except in beauty pageants and as symbols of award. The Golden Sash covers the location of our true treasure. Mark 7:21-22 tells us: “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” However, if we keep Jesus in our hearts, it is like having a fire in there that chases away the darkness.

Remembering to keep him there helps us avoid bad behaviors. The golden sash is a reminder to the Son of Man to keep the fire in his heart blazing. That fire is not one we can light ourselves. Only Jesus is able to ignite it. What we can do is invite him in as our guest. When he is in residence in our heart, we are lit from within. And since he is a carpenter, we shouldn't be surprised when he remodels the place and makes it big enough for the whole world.

Our sash should also remind us that we are a contestant for the hand of the Groom. We are in a pageant, and pageant contestants are under scrutiny. To meet his approval, we must show him that we agree with him. We must be just as committed as he is. What he really wants from us is a desire to be better.

An Eye For Puzzles

White always symbolizes purity. Our guy has white hair, which represents wisdom earned over time. The interesting thing about it is that it’s like wool. If you have ever looked at wool, you know it’s curly. That is symbolic in and of itself.

This is what it means: Like our thoughts, hair originates under the scalp. Curly hair twists around instead of growing in straight lines. Twists occur in nature because one side or part is weaker than the other. The weaker part is shorter and forms the inside of the curl. This weakness could be from a lack of nutrients, or it could result from interference by an obstacle of some kind. Regardless, it’s the unobstructed, stronger part that is longer, forming the outer part of the twist.

In this case, curly hair represents spiraling thoughts. As I said, our guy is a scholar. His hair implies that he has spent a lot of time developing his ideas, weighing pros and cons, and testing both sides of arguments to see which was stronger. To live up to his image, we need to do the same.

I noticed, after much consideration, that the entire Bible is made up of spiraling thoughts. I’ll give you an example. Take ‘an eye for an eye.’ It’s one of those confusing concepts from the Old Testament that contradicts the teachings of the New Testament. It’s problematic for Christians unless you look at both books as an evolution of human thought.

Our nature tells us that if someone wrongs us, we should wrong them back. If they pluck out our eye, we should pluck out theirs. That’s the only way to be even, and things need to be even to maintain balance. People in the Old Testament were all about balance. Cain was terrified that people would kill him, because he had killed his brother. Balance was the rule of thumb. Thankfully, as the Testaments progressed, cooler heads prevailed.

An eye for an eye leads us to forgiveness, because forgiveness is the only logical conclusion to be reached. Here’s how: It becomes pretty clear, early on, that taking an eye will not restore the eye we lost. However, losing an eye forces us to look at things differently. For one, we lose our depth perception. For another, we have to contend with the fact that we weren’t able to keep someone from taking our eye from us. We have to come to grips with our own weakness. Third, taking someone else’s eye is a hollow gesture that really doesn’t fill the hole in us.

Then there’s the Golden Rule, which tells us that we should do unto others as we would have done unto us.

We didn’t want our eye taken. If we take someone else’s eye, we’re doing unto them something we didn’t want done to us. That’s a problem.

We bat these ideas back and forth, like curls twisting out of our head, until we realize that the Golden Rule is more important, and therefore the only thing we can do is let it go and give it to God. He has already claimed vengeance for Himself. We can only accept that we lost an eye, admit that we can’t get it back, but in its place we gained a new way of looking at the world.

That’s what ‘an eye for an eye’ really means. It’s just a statement of fact, not a commandment aimed toward vengeance. If we lose an eye, we will gain a new way of seeing things. A new eye.

Similarly, if we lose a tooth (Perhaps it’s our favored tooth for chewing), then we will have to find a new way to chew, using a different tooth. How about some wooden dentures, or a nice rock to smash our food with?

Note: It was not uncommon for people who lost their teeth to have their food chewed for them by someone else. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

We need to remember that a married couple is a team. We must work with our Fiancé, not against him. We must come to the wedding dressed appropriately, ready to do our part.

‘An eye for an eye’ is a basic law of physics. Scientists know it as ‘Nature abhors a vacuum.’ Simply put, if you lose something, don’t worry; you’ll gain something new in its place.

Anyway, that’s how the two Testaments, put together, demonstrate spiraling thoughts. Our suitor’s curly hair speaks of his puzzling habits. Puzzling, meaning he puzzles things out.

Spit and Shine

Blazing Eyes come from a fire in our heart. I can tell you, from personal experience, that when Jesus is truly in our heart, the light inside us is so bright that it shines out on the world and changes the way we see things. We become a witness to the hand of God moving in the world. Everything makes sense. Everything has a purpose, even evil. If it didn’t, after all, then God wouldn’t allow it to exist. We’ll delve into that later. For now, recall that Mathew 6:23 says, “If the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”

When I was a paratrooper, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, I had a pair of boots that were solely for inspections. They were highly polished, so much so that I could see my face reflected in them when I looked down.

I should have been able to guess just from that the meaning of the Son of Man’s Bronze Feet. It wasn’t polished jump boots that gave it away, however. It was the realization that people in ancient times used polished metal for mirrors. They didn’t have our modern glass ones.

But why mirrored feet? Well, if you will recall, revelation is a walk – a journey, just like our lives. It can lead us down some very interesting roads, and roads can be very dusty, especially in ancient times.

As we travel down our road, we get tired. Naturally, our shoulders slump and our head begins to hang. But as our eyes focus on our feet, instead of the road ahead, what do we see? Ourselves, of course. We see our white hair, our golden sash that tells us where our true treasure is, and our blazing eyes, and we remember that we are a Son of Man, or at least we are aspiring toward that standard.

In that moment when we see ourselves, we are refreshed. Our spirit lightens. Our head lifts, and we find the strength to go on. Our mirrored feet remind us of who we are, and who we want to be.

But as I said, roads can be dusty. That’s why we must wash our feet regularly, and wash the feet of others, just like Jesus told us to do. That way we always have a reminder of who we are and where we have been, not to mention where we want to go.

Note, however, that the feet of the Son of Man are like bronze in a furnace. In the scriptures, light, fire, and heat represent scrutiny. This implies that the Son of Man sees himself in the places his feet have taken him, but he also gives those experiences a healthy dose of scrutiny. We also have two feet, just as every story has at least two sides. We should apply our diligence equally to both.

In all of the stories where Jesus healed the blind, there is only one where we see him use a salve. He mixes dirt with saliva and applies it to the eyes of a blind man. This is symbolic, because the blindness the man suffered from was not physical, but spiritual. He could no longer see any good in the world, or a reason to remain in it. The fire in his heart had gone out, and it took his passion with it. But oftentimes when our true flame fades, it is replaced by an alien fire. This fire makes us burn with anger, not love. When such a calamity befalls us, the remedy is not more fire. It’s water.

Saliva is often called “the Fruit of the mouth”. It represents our words. By mixing it with dirt, Jesus showed the man that even the bad things in the world have value. For instance, we learn best from those experiences that hurt us the most. Like when we touch our hand to a hot stove. That is a lesson most of us only have to learn once.

When we open our eyes to the knowledge that good and evil are both working for our betterment, the world shines in a way it never did before.

Note that Jesus was not one to mince words. Some of the things he said to people sound like sarcasm. He had a sword in his mouth, and swords cut deep. Most of us know that words can hurt more than physical cuts do. Don’t assume that the lesson Jesus taught was a kind, gentle one. It was a spat, after all. Sometimes tough love is the best love, and honesty is always the best policy, even when the truth hurts.

Drowning In Parables

The voice of the Son of Man is like rushing water. Now think for a moment what rushing water sounds like. It is literally a cacophony of little splashes. Our ears cannot distinguish each splash. Instead, we hear a sort of roar. The voice of the Son of Man tells us that his words come from a myriad of experiences. But remember, it’s waves slapping against waves, and waves slapping against stones that make the sound so deafening.

Water is belief, but stone is truth. We call the place where they collide the shore. It is a thin line, just as the line between real and fake is thin. This mixing of water and stone represents parables.

His voice sounds rough, but only because we cannot hear all the voices that guided him to his conclusions. Simply put, we do not always understand his words, because we haven’t been where he has been. At times, the things he says sound like insults, or sarcasm, or dare I say blasphemy. That is the problem Jesus faced with the people of his day. He was trying to explain things that only he had seen.

Similarly, when Christopher Columbus returned from the New World, he stopped in Portugal. Reportedly, a dock worker asked him about what he saw. After trying to put it into words, Columbus gave up and told the man to get on a boat and go see for himself. How can you explain an opossum to someone who has never seen one?

As a Son of Man, we might encounter this problem for ourselves. The key is to follow the example Jesus gave. He used parables. He told stories that got the point across, just enough for it to make sense to most people. We must draw on our own experiences to find common ground with others. We must always remember what our voice might sound like in their ear.

For me, even having had my moment and having been picked up off the floor, when I hear someone else talk about their experience, it sounds as strange as an alien abduction story. I can imagine my story would sound as strange in your ears.

Rushing water also signifies that God speaks to us from many sources, not just the Bible. The world is filled with an abundance of wisdom. Some of it is lying around, easy to find, while some takes time and hard work to uncover. Being studious, like our Fiancé, gives us the tools we need to dig that gold out of the ground. Remember, though, unearthing gold is only the first step. Once we have it out in the light of day, we must refine it in the fire of our scrutiny.

Good Girls Love Bad Boys

The Seven Stars our guy is holding are the Angels of the Seven Churches. Angels are messengers. Some messages are warnings. Throughout the scriptures, stars represent Angels for a couple of reasons. One, they are the children of light. Two, in every angelic encounter, the person encountering the Angel falls on their knees because of the splendor of the Angel. Our inclination is to place ourselves below them. They appear perfect to us, for good reason; They are. The thing is, we are perfect too. We just don’t see it.

It is often easier to see the perfection in others before we see it in ourselves. This is a form of hypocrisy, and if you know anything about Jesus, you probably know that he used the word hypocrite a lot. Simply put, hypocrisy is accusing someone of something that you are doing. It is a failure of perspective. It involves not seeing in yourself that thing you accuse your neighbor of doing or being.

We have a tendency to place Angels on a pedestal. We hang them in our heaven, like stars. We wrongly believe that they are better than us. The truth is, we are receiving many gifts that they don’t have. They can only worship God, whereas we can choose not to. Being messengers, they are restrained in action. They can only do what they are told. We are leavened with rebellion. I know that you’re thinking that Satan rebelled, but he is an angel, and angels are messengers. The message he brings is one of rebellion, but that message originates in the mouth of God. As we go along, this will become clear.

Angels are eternal, but that means they can never experience death. Not only do we get to die, but we are also promised eternal life. Two things are better than one, are they not?

We also have a tendency to place our Fiancé on a pedestal. To live happily ever after, we have to rise to his level, and simultaneously bring him down to ours. We must find the humanity in his words and deeds, and seek out the child of light that resides inside us. How else can we expect to see eye to eye?

In order to do this, we must accept that he is an angel who got to live and die as a human. He assures us that this is true at the end of Revelation, when he says that he is the Bright and Morning Star. But let’s not just take his word for it. John, when he saw him, fell at his feet as though he were dead. This is the typical reaction people have when we meet an angel. We become starstruck. We die a little inside, because the beauty of angels is so obvious, while our own beauty hides from us. Our first instinct is to worship them. Worship simply means to hold them in reverence or high esteem, as if they were a deity. Our guy is a deity, but we will be too, because when two are joined in matrimony, they become one being.

We mustn’t lose sight of our Fiancé’s humanity. He came down to earth to live as one of us. Therefore, we must view all of the things he did and said while he was here through a mortal lens. If we do that, we can see the true value in his life and gain a better understanding of ourselves and what God wants for us.

First of all, he had a sharp tongue. Some of the things he said sound like sarcasm in my ears. Plus, he had a habit of biting people’s heads off. Let’s be honest, he was a hater who called people names. He hated the actions of the Nicolaitans specifically, and of all the words he spoke, sorry wasn’t one of them. He never apologized.

He called the Sanhedrin a nest of vipers. Sure, that seems tame by today’s standards, but you have to remember that they weren’t accustomed to insubordination. I’m sure it struck a nerve.

A Sharp Tongue

The choice of weapon the Son of Man has in his mouth is telling. It’s not a scimitar or a katana; it’s double-edged. The Romans used a double-edged Gladius around the 1st century, so the style would have been known to the early Christians.

Have you ever looked at a double-edged sword? There is something interesting in the way the light hits it. No matter how you hold it, one side will be lit while the other side sits in shadow. They are thicker in the middle than at the edges, which causes light to hit each side differently.

Interestingly, the sword in his mouth is double-edged, and not single-edged. This distinction tells us something about the things he spoke about. He did not shy away from speaking about the darkness or the light. We should not be afraid of that, either. After all, sticks and stones might break our bones, but words will never hurt us, unless we let them.

Likewise, we need an ear to hear. If someone pelts us with insults, we should try to see the truth in their words, whether what they are saying is true or what it is inside them that pushes them to speak so harshly toward us. Only then can we understand and find common ground with them.

Light the Way

Lastly, Moses had a face that shined like the sun. He got it from talking to God daily. Our guy has that same sunny disposition.

The thing about Moses is, he didn’t share the source of his light with the Israelites. He was happy being their intermediary. They were happy with that arrangement, too. We, on the other hand, should be more than happy to direct others to the tent, so they can hear God’s words for themselves.

Whenever I think of Moses, I think of those toy caterpillars with the light-up faces that kids use for a night light. When the Israelites were newborn, they weren’t ready for the bigger picture. They needed a nanny like Moses to guide them to the promised land. For us, as sons of man, we might encounter those who need to be spoon-fed, or those who aren’t ready to grow up. In those cases, our example will show them more than our words ever could.

A Touchy Subject

There comes a time when we have to stop beating around the bush. There are a lot of different opinions on who the Devil is. You might not like mine. That’s fine. As a Son of Man, when we encounter strange new ideas, we hold what we have. We hold it up, and let God sort it out for us. I would ask nothing more from you.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Notice that the Son of Man touches John with his right hand, the same one that holds the seven stars. As I said, Angels are messengers. He holds the stars in his right hand to symbolize that they are firmly in his grasp, as most people are right-handed.

When I was a kid, teachers wouldn’t let left-handed kids write with their left hands. Being left-handed was considered to be a sort of disability. That was only fifty years ago. It’s funny how things change. Once upon a time, left-handed people were thought to be evil, unlucky, or inferior. Being left-handed was linked to witchcraft and the demonic.

Jesus couched a lot of his teachings in common beliefs. He used parables to try to explain the unexplainable. The use of the word Hades in Revelation 17 is no different. The Jews were living under Roman rule. Hades is a Roman concept. The Jews would have been familiar with the idea of Hades, even though it wasn’t a part of their religion. There is no Hell in the Old Testament. Neither is there a fully developed concept of eternal torture. These things only show up in the New Testament.

Likewise, the Devil is viewed differently by Jews than by Christians. For the Jews, he is simply God’s prosecutor. As in the story of Job, he’s the one who says we haven’t been thoroughly tested. With that in mind, we can see the true nature of the messengers of God. Some Angels are Fallen Angels. Their messages are doubt and confusion and jealousy and greed and so on. For this reason, we are told to test every message, as well as the Angel who delivers it.

Don’t be afraid. Angels love to be tested, just as much as they love testing us. You see, Angels view the world in black and white. There are no gray areas for them. There is only right and wrong. Their mission is to test us until we are fully cooked. They are messengers. They represent God’s thoughts toward us. Don’t be confused, though. He is not asking Himself if we are ready or not. He is asking us if we think we are ready. The story of Job is a parable, designed to illustrate this dialogue.

We should not hate Devils, or overly love Angels. God didn’t hate the Devil who walked through Heaven and tempted Him to try Job. Instead, He took that Devil for a walk. He did not exorcise His demon; He exercised it. We are encouraged to do the same. Jesus compels us to walk a mile in the shoes of our neighbor. Only then can we see their point of view. A happy home should have a splendid view, don’t you think?

The devil compelled God to walk a mile with him. God walked that mile, trying Job by taking away all of his blessings. Then He took the devil a mile further and turned the whole thing into a teachable moment, not only for the devil, but also for Job and his friends. The devil learned that Job was ready, and that he would not curse God’s name. The Messenger of Doubt was satisfied with the result of the test. Job’s friends learned that all the things that happened were not Job’s fault, and that God does exactly what He wants, when He wants. And Job learned that his God is not above a little tough love when it’s necessary to prove His point, or to test His children.

This is what it means to go the extra mile. We are encouraged to always walk a mile further, especially when we are testing angels and devils. We should never accept that where they lead us is the best place to be. Only by walking a mile further can we find ourselves in a place we never expected to be, and as a bonus, we have brought our tempter to that place as well. In this way our thoughts spiral, like wool. God speaks to us from a babbling brook, not a stagnant pond.

Absolute Power Does Not Corrupt Absolutely

There is another story in the scriptures that fits hand in hand with Job. I stumble across it from time to time, but when I try to find it, I never can. Its location eludes me, as does the name of the man whom God placed on His throne. The story tells us that the people cried out with one voice for answers, and God heard their cry and decided to go down to earth and speak with them. But first, He instructed them to bring Him a certain man, whom He would place on His throne. They brought Him this man, and God showed him how to run the machinery of Heaven. He entrusted to this man all the power He had; then He went down to speak with the people.

While He was below, an angel came to the man and tempted him, saying that with one lightning bolt he could kill God and rule Heaven for himself. The man did not heed the angel, nor did he take him for a walk. Instead, he killed the angel and demonstrated the difference between our nature and God’s.

We kill messengers who bring us bad news. We kill prophets, even though they are just trying to tell us where we lack. God, on the other hand, has no lack. He cannot be led anywhere He does not wish to go. He gets exactly what He wants, when He wants it, and He is not afraid of devils. Jesus didn’t fear devils either, even a full legion of them. Instead, before he cast them out of a man, he asked them where they wanted to go. He showed them mercy and took them for a walk. That is the example we should strive for.

Jesus said that he could call down more than twelve legions of angels. Knowing that angels are messengers, what messages do you think they would have brought, and how many spiritual deaths do you think they would have caused?

H – E – Double Toothpicks

Hades is synonymous with Hell. In modern times, when we say we’re in Hell, we don’t mean a place of eternal damnation. Our Hell is a momentary tribulation.

The idea of eternal torment is one that evolved over many centuries. The red-skinned, horned, and hoofed devil that terrorizes the world in our fictional stories is not one that our ancestors would have been familiar with. Our images of a fiery land were not known to the Romans or the Jews in John’s day. Revelation introduces a lake of fire, but as you will see when we get to it, it does not live up to the hype that has been built around it.

For our purposes, both Hell and Hades are the same place, and that land is all in our heads. It is a land of confusion, where our minds drown in questions we cannot answer. The lake of fire is a place of intense scrutiny, where we stone ourselves and others with molten rock in our search for the truth.

In the scriptures, the true purpose of a stoning was to allow the victims of a crime to drop their assertions and accusations on the head of the criminal, like a proverbial ton of bricks. It gave the perpetrator a chance to come face to face with the pain they caused, and see what they could lose if they didn’t repent. That is why it was done outside the camp, facing the desert. It was confirmation that they would be ostracized permanently from the society that they knew, and from the people who cared about them.

At no time did they use actual stones, and the death that was sought after was a spiritual one. This is why Jesus stopped an incorrect stoning. He knew how it was supposed to go down.

Holding the keys to death and Hades is something we can do, as Sons of Man. We can throw those who tempt us into the fiery lake of our scrutiny, and we can cause spiritual deaths in others with the swords in our mouths, and in ourselves by our spiraling thoughts. We can all die over and over and be born again and again and again. A spiritual death kills the person we are, allowing us to grow into someone new.

Hair is nothing more than a buildup of dead cells that harden once they leave the scalp. Under the surface, the hair follicle is very much alive, pushing the cells out of the skin, where they die and become keratinized.

Symbolically, hair strands are a testament to the thoughts that led us to become the person we are at this particular moment. This is why, in the Old Testament, a Nazarite (Someone dedicated to God from birth) was not allowed to cut their hair. It was an unbroken declaration of their obedience.

This is also why the Bible tells us that the male should cover his head, but the female should not. Males are stone. Stone is truth. The male is the knower. The female is the believer. God doesn’t need to hear all the things we know. He wants our questions, because our questions lead us forward, not our facts. He wants us to get swept away in the river. He wants us to walk on water. It is the female in us that stretches out her hand for the next fruit. If only she would learn to consult Him first.

Telling God all about the truth we know is like being told how the world works by a toddler. It’s easy not to question facts. We accept them, and build castles out of them. It’s only when they threaten to reach heaven that God feels the need to come down and destroy them. As we will see, heaven is no place for reality.

FILO

Perhaps our guy is the first and last, because he is opening and holding doors for us? First out of the car, last inside the restaurant, if you will.

In truth, he is the first and last, as well as the best and worst. His life should serve as our example, so long as we remember that he died as the worst of us. Girls like bad boys, don’t they? We’ve found ourselves one. Likewise, women think they can fix their man. It was only after Jesus lived among us, as one of us, that he became whole. In that way, we fixed him.

In those days, the worst crime you could commit, even more heinous than murder, was blasphemy. He was an unapologetic blasphemer, even knowing that the crime he was committing was all in our heads.

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

We are told that this is a prophetic work. That’s true. It tells of our walk along the revelation path. John is told to write it all down, because writing is a much more permanent record than traditional, oral storytelling.

The Old Testament was kept alive through the Babylonian captivity, only by word of mouth. It was passed along in secret, in the dark of night, because the Israelites were not permitted to practice or even speak about their former religion. They were all expected to convert to the religion of the Babylonians. Their captivity lasted for five hundred years. Can you imagine what was lost over the course of their long suffering?

Jesus told the Jews of his time that they were holding on to traditions whose meaning had been lost in time, and that they had lost the love in the law. Not love of the law, but the love that was required to understand and fully implement the law.

Those with the Jewish trait are great lovers of the law. They cling to their rules and will not let them go, even in the face of overwhelming philosophies. In that respect, they are like angels and devils, who are also enthusiastic rule followers. But make no mistake, things were lost in Babylon.

Let’s put this in perspective. Shakespeare wrote his plays around five hundred years ago. Yet, how many of us could understand their meaning without the help of historians and the existence of other writings from that time that give us insight into his meanings? None of us, to be honest. The words and phrases he employs are alien to us, even though he wrote his plays in English.

Language changes over time. The Israelites, coming out of captivity, once they regained access to their ancient teachings, had a difficult time understanding what their forefathers had written.

To illustrate, I’m going to use what some people now refer to as a bad word. In the early nineteen hundreds, when my grandmother was a child, the word ‘bitch’ meant only a female dog. It was safe for use by all members of the family, old and young alike. Then it evolved. It came to mean an uppity woman, a whiner or the act of whining, a weak man, a strong woman, and now it can also be a term of endearment, as in: What’s up, bitches? When I was a kid, its use could get your mouth washed out with soap.

The same evolution occurred with the ‘F’ word. No one really knows where it came from, but some believe it started in the English Courts as an acronym: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Today most people don’t consider it to be a bad word, but when I was a kid, when it came to cursing, it was the nuclear option.

My point is, the meaning of things can easily be lost, even if we write them down, but writing is still better than word of mouth. We’ve all played that game where a sentence is passed from one person to another, and witnessed how much it can change by the time it reaches the end. If, however, the sentence was written down then passed around, it wouldn’t change. Over time, though, our definition of the words in it might evolve, and change its meaning. I’ll get into this more, a little later. For now, let’s take a look at the system that moves us down the road of enlightenment.