Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special friends.

Dandy did it again this morning on our walk/jog. He became so distracted by some other smells in the woods where I threw his ball that he misplaced it and forgot where. Then he comes back up to me and says, “OK, I’m here. Do one of your tricks and throw the ball now.” In those cases I don’t really like calling him an idiot—but I confess that I did call him a “toidi.” Know what I mean?

The day is yet to take final shape. It will probably include some sawmill work again. I do need to finish up that guy’s logs and haul the mill back home.

Have a good day.

Love and prayers. Ray.

Granted—there is a lot of strange, symbolic, irregular, supernatural, and futuristic stuff presented in this book. But I hope we as believing readers can agree that that’s OK. God is mindful of all that. I’m convinced He intends all those things. You have probably heard before that this is the only book in the Bible that comes with a promised blessing just for reading it—not for understanding it—and added blessing for taking it serious. “Blessed is the one who reads 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” (v. 3).

Without attempting to decipher all that is contained in this first chapter, I want to invite your attention to something I think is very fundamental and foundational to the entire scope of it all. It has to do with our own attitude of heart that guarantees our being on the correct side of the conflict—on the side of blessing. It’s an attitude that participates in the doxology of verses 5 and 6. Let’s cite it in unison—“To him (Jesus Christ) who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 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!” But there’s one more important word to add that wraps it all up proper—“AMEN”—meaning, “I agree. Count me in! I’m for that!” It’s the personal side of the declaration, the response of a HEART AFTER GOD. On that heart foundation we can be confident that the rest of the revelation and whatever part we are called upon to play in the grand scheme of things will all fit into place just fine—all on the side of blessing that only He can impart. It’s an attitude affirming that it’s not about us—what we want or understand—it’s all about Him and what He wants and what He allows us to understand. That much I understand.

Question: How can I not participate in that doxology if I truly believe that how Jesus presents Himself to John is entirely true and accurate?—“the ruler of the kings of the earth” (v. 5)—“I am the Alpha and Omega…who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (v. 8). And it only makes sense that if I don’t believe that and place my trust there, I choose to be totally on my own, declaring my own self-sufficiency, placing my trust in puny me, my power, my invincibility, and what I think. Yippee! What a flimsy security! And herein is a mystery that rivals anything else within this volume of Revelation—the incomprehensible mystery of why the majority of intelligent human beings would actually choose that last option over making any effort toward seeking or trusting “the First and the Last” (v. 17)—the First One here and the Last One remaining.