In Revelation 5, my imagination is captured by the imagery of Jesus the Lion of Judah who is triumphant, and Jesus the Lamb of God who is slain. He is worthy and he is able. Over the next several chapters our focus easily becomes entangled in details, times, dates, and predicting the end of the world, but the progression is deliberate. What is about to happen is by design and intent. He is in control. God is not helplessly watching the events of the end unfold. Getting that is important!
Often times, as I talk to Christians, I realize that pop-culture Christianity, in its efforts to capitalize on our media age, has created fear and doubt instead of faith and courage. We need to remember that it is Jesus who opens the seals, sends forth the horsemen, avenges the martyrs, seals the faithful, and releases the judgments upon the earth as well as limits the bounds of those judgments.
What I see is that Jesus is fully both Lion and Lamb. Jesus is not any less the Lamb when there is judgment and he is not any less the Lion when he is merciful. In these times that have our nation asking questions about the future and our economy, the imagery of Revelation is a reminder to us that Jesus is in control both in trying times and peaceful ones.
Hal Hester
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Devotionals
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