Day 81

When we last left our scene, the elder had just spoken good and comforting words to the Apostle John. The elder delivered the cue line and there is a beat. Then John lifts his eyes,

"And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne."

It still amazes me that this is how Jesus chooses to be revelaed in this moment. In reality Jesus is now and will forever be a man in a glorified body (He isn't some sort of spirit being or shape shifter as far as we know,) but in this vision, it's as if Jesus is whispering to John, "Remind them that I am the Lamb." Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world from John 1. He is the perfect sacrifice from Hebrews 10. Jesus is reminding this people that he is not worthy to take the scroll just based on His divinity, but as the elders will tell us in just a few short verses, He is worthy to take the scroll because He was slain.

Most people try to separate the Jesus of the first coming and the second coming. You know, smiley Jesus vs. wow-you-seem-angry-kinda-like-the-God-of-the-old-testament Jesus. But in this vision, Jesus is making it clear to John that this man who is unleashing the greatest time of trial is the same one who laid down His life for His friends. The same man who bore the full wrath of God for the ungodly, will be the one who will be the dispenser of that wrath for those who reject Him. Just thinking about this makes me want to fall in love with Him more and follow His leadership to the end. He is so worthy. I am just tongue-tied and bursting with inarticulate-ness. Aarrgghh.

Hmm...yeah. I've got nothing after that.