The moment the Lamb takes the scroll to enact God’s will there is spontaneous and unsolicited worship, 5:8ff: ‘…the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each...
God has to deal with the fundamental cause of the rot in his world, which is sin. As the Puritan, Richard Sibbes wrote, ‘Sin defiles our souls and takes away the sweet communion with God. It puts a...
‘Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are...
It is the voice of one of the elders (the higher order of angels) which provides the reassuring answer to the angelic cry for one to put into effect the will of God, ‘And one of the elders said to me...
Bishop Festo Kivengere of Uganda was known as the ‘Billy Graham of Africa’. He once said: ‘Please don’t be shocked if you hear that there is a revolution in Burundi, Uganda or Zaire. This is Africa!...
Revelation 4. ‘And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like...
The awe inspiring transcendence of God is depicted by the following images, ‘From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven...
The Bible never defines holiness as such, especially when applied to God; rather, it is a term which in many respects signifies the otherness of God, the Godness of God if you will - how he is so...
‘After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place...
After the unimaginable slaughter of the First World War, W. B. Yeats wrote a poem entitled, ‘The Second Coming’ which began: ‘Turning and turning in the widening gyre, The falcon cannot hear the...
The Book of Revelation is one of the most richly pastorally orientated books in the Bible. Rather than a letter to confound Christians, it is a prophecy designed to comfort them.
Immediately at the...
We have spent this month reflecting on the importance Scripture places on investing in the next generation, on discipling our children and youth. We have followed salvation history from Genesis 1...
It might seem like an unlikely contestant in the fight for favourite Bible passages, but Titus 2 is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. There are two things I love about it: the image of...
While welcoming a new family into our church, the conversation turned to why they were seeking a move from their previous congregation. I knew this other church to be led by a great team who were...
In this passage we see Paul address the responsibilities, in the light of the gospel, of children and fathers. He has previously urged the Ephesian readers to “live as children of light” (5:8) and “...
My youngest son often declares that he loves me much more than I love him. Sometimes we joke about it, comparing the extravagant extent of our love. Other times I let it go with a smile at his...
It is startling when something you expect to be restricted to an exclusive few, is made available to the many. Imagine a celebrity wedding banquet where children are suddenly invited, or an expensive...
From the moment of birth, we are on a journey towards independence and self-reliance. We celebrate milestones of independence like learning to walk, learning to talk, and learning to drive. Now we...