Journey Through The Bible Volume 16 Revelation – Robert Mulholland

The first trumpet, is there no indication two woes shape the rebellious that the third woe is completed order as long as it remains; the as noted in the first two woes? It __ third woe, while presently plun- is because the third woe is botha dering the rebellious order of its present reality and a future con- citizens, will not be completed summation, while the first two until the final consummation of woes are established dynamics God’s victory in Christ. has now “come” in Christ so that from now on God is the one who was and continually is present in the midst of the saints.

The affirmation that God has taken God’s great power and begun to reign further emphasizes this reality. Has not God always reigned? Of course, but through the mys- tery of God crucified, God’s reign extends even to the limits of the rebel- lious order. , Revelation 11:15-19 both closes the trumpets and opens the second of the heavenly visions (12:1—15:4). Just as Jesus who appears to John at the beginning of his vision becomes the door into the first of the three heaven- ly visions in 4:1, so now the Crucifixion and Resurrection become the source of the opening of the heavenly Temple with its covenant.

This would appear to be God’s new covenant and, since the heavenly Temple is also the New Jerusalem, the vision portrays the consequences of God’s death in Christ: the way has been opened into God’s new order of being. But the way has been opened, not only into God’s new order of being, but also into the very presence of God. In the Temple in Jerusalem the place of the ark, the Holy of Holies, was separated from the rest of the sanctuary by a veil.

No one could look into the Holy of Holies. In John’s vision nothing impedes the way into the Holy of Holies. The citizens of New Jerusalem have unhindered access to the presence of God. =| Dimension 3: What Does the Bible Mean to Us? The Realities of Sin In the first four trumpets John sees the disruption of creation, which God has permitted as a consequence of the rebellion.

He also sees the grace of God, which limits the incompleteness and destructiveness. God’s grace holds destructiveness in check. All human history is lived out in the midst of a flawed creation. In the first “woe” (8:13-9:12) John sees the tor- ment of sin. What person has not experienced the reality of John’s vision?

Who of us has not chosen to be or do something contrary to God’s purposes for human wholeness, thinking that we were in con- John sees the torment of sin. Who of us has not chosen to be or do something contrary to God’s purposes for hemon wholeness trol?

Dr. M. Robert Mulholland, Jr., is a native of Vermont and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Harvard University. He is presently vice-president and provost of Asbury Theological Seminary and a professor of New Testament studies. An elder in the Baltimore- Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church, Dr. Mulholland has served in pastoral min- istry for nine years and has served on various commis- sions and task forces of the boards and agencies of The United Methodist Church.

He has written two books on spiritual formation: Shaped by the Word (Upper Room) and /nvitation to a Journey (IVP) and is the author of Revelation: Holy Living in an Unholy World (Zondervon, 1990). JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE: REVELATION. An offi- cial resource for The United Methodist Church pre- pared by the General Board of Discipleship through Church School Publications and published by Cokesbury, The United Methodist Publishing House; 201 Eighth Avenue, South; P.O. Box 801; Nashville, TN 37202-0801.

Printed in the United States of America. Copyright ©1996 by Cokesbury. Scripture quotations in this publication, unless other- wise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Certain Scripture quotations are the author’s own translations. These instances will be designated as such. For permission to reproduce any material in this publication, call 615-749-6421, or write to Permissions Office, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202-0801. To order copies of this publication, call toll free 800-672-1789. Call Monday—Friday 7:00-6:30 Central Time; 5:00-4:30 Pacific Time; Saturday 9:00-5:00.

Use your Cokesbury account, American Express, Visa, Discover, or MasterCard. oh) Cokesbury ourney Through the IBLE EDITORIAL AND DESIGN TEAM Mary Leslie Dawson- Ramsey, Editor Linda H. Leach, Assistant Editor Linda O. Spicer, Adult Section Assistant Teresa B. Travelstead, Layout Designer Susan J. Scruggs, Design Supervisor, Cover Design ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM Neil M. Alexander, Publisher Duane A. Ewers, Editor of Church School Publications Gary L. Ball-Kilbourne, Senior Editor, Adult Publications Art: Charles Shaw Gustave Doré, page 123 ABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 16: Revelation by M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES THE REVELATION TO JOHN 5 Chapter 1 Wuat Do You Do With 4 VISION?

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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