[Revelation 2] The letters to the churches are written on a high standard of literary craftsmanship. It is an artistic whole and closely integrated. Each letter starts with a characteristic of Jesus mentioned in the first chapter, except the last one, Laodicea. All the descriptions of Jesus are taken from the Old Testament and applied to…
Tag: revelation
291. Introduction to Revelation
First question time: What is your first reaction to Revelation? What is your hope for this study? As a child I was always scared of everything I read in Revelation but struggled with a deep fascination for the book. I heard about the Rapture and was sure that I would not cut it. Then I mostly ignored Revelation until…
269. The Only Door That Matters
Just as we previously philosophized about life’s path, there is certainly a lot of symbolism and sayings related to a door. Doors open and doors close—life “doors” that actually signify major decisions that determine a career, residence, and circle of friends. We often speak in this way. I did, however, hear the other day that if you’re in…
221. Stay, linger, stand still
[Passover 2022] It is that moment of silent shock. Things are so different from what was expected. The minutes are filled with uncertainty, disbelief and distress. What now? Every year, at the time of the Passover (I prefer this name to Easter), I ask the Lord to teach me something new of the events that determined time and…
211. The Rock of Revelation
One is allowed back in church again. If there are some restrictions regarding the virus, there is at least hope that it will end soon. Things feel a bit more normal. We have been plucked out of our normality in a cruel and extreme way. In the beginning of virus-politics and virus-regulations one often heard about a “new normal”. I wonder…
206. The Scale of Scarcity
As children we often played with ants. They are fascinating little creatures. They walk in long rows, mostly single file. We were astonished at how persistent they would march to some or other destination. We used to put all sorts of obstacles in their way to see how they react – a heap of sand, a stone, a stick or…
193. Keep calm and carry on
We know the drill, don’t we? As soon as there are widespread unrest, violence, disasters and political upheaval, the voices announcing the end of the world become louder. Some of them sound like an old-fashioned doom prophet speaking a lament over our world in a cocksure tone of voice. These days they have many soundtracks, crying out on…
190. But you…what about you?
We live in community – there is no doubt about that. Many things decided within a community impact our lives even though we might not agree with it. Sometimes unconditional obedience is demanded from us, as we have all experienced during Covid regulations. The words of Jesus to his disciples often served to set them…
122. Seeking a saviour.
[John12] Do we really know what darkness is? When there is no hope of intervention or outcome in any way. I wonder whether our modern western world, in which Christianity and the doctrine of an almighty God is such an integral part of our culture that it is “to be had” even if a person…
67. It is finished.
[Revelation – Conclusion] Over the past months we have studied the book of Revelation, chapter by chapter. Just last week we rejoiced in the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in the last chapter. It brings this study to an end. I would like to repeat a few salient points. The study runs from Pebbles…
Pebbles of Perpetuity 