The Child Will Soon Be Born, The Marriage Feast Begun

We all love the new, the fresh, the unspoiled, the perfect. What great possibilities stand before us when we have that which is new. So says John as he now shares the vision given to him.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." - Rev 21:1-8 ESV

Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega in the very beginning of John's book:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." - Rev 1:8 ESV

The Greek John uses for "end" is telos. In this instance it does not mean the close or termination of all things. Quite the opposite. It refers to the end to which all creation relates, the aim, the purpose. All begins with Christ and all finds its fulfillment, purpose, meaning in Him. The Apostle put it this way:

For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. - Rom 14:9 ESV

So the new heaven and new earth is described as the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the city whose origins is from God. This is a marriage and the bride is adorned for her husband. Forever and forever God is with His bride. All that is broken, confused, twisted and filled with pain, suffering and sorrow will be gone. All things are to be made new, fresh, clean, filled with potential and possibilities! In Christ the new has finally come and what shall be is beyond our imagining.

Referencing the ancient prophet Isaiah (Isa.64:4), Paul writes,

But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-- - 1Co 2:9 ESV

 I have no experience, nor do you, of a world without murder, hate, lies, deception, betrayal, idolatry. What would it be like? We have no basis, no experience of such a world. How is it possible? How can there be a world without sickness, suffering, sorrow and death? It is beyond us. And yet that is what John's vision gives to us.

And Jesus proclaims this trustworthy and true word: IT IS DONE! This is the Word proclaimed from the cross and recorded only in John's Gospel: "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. - Jhn 19:30 ESV That word in the Greek is the noun telos used as a verb: tetelestai. Not only is the great work finished, but all things now find their purpose, their meaning, their Alpha and their Omega in the cross of Christ. All sin is now wiped away, forgiven, forgotten. All men are set free from death forever. All things begin anew now.

The Apostle struggles to find the words to describe what this means also for all that God has created as he writes,

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. - Rom 8:19-23 ESV

So we humbly wait and patiently endure the pain of the present, knowing that these are but the pains of childbirth. Soon, soon, soon!

A New Song For Old People

I've mentioned my Grandpa Henry before. He was a pious farmer who taught me when I was a small boy. He taught me to believe in Jesus and the resurrection from the dead. I have vivid memories of him teaching me the beloved hymn Abide With Me as I sat next to him on his bed. He later died from cancer. Each time I join in the singing of that hymn that memory floods back. And, now that I'm a Grandpa, his example encourages me to follow his wise example.

Listen to the psalmist.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! - Psa 111:10 ESV

 In my last post we were reminded that Jesus is God's wisdom (1 Cor. 1:17-30). The wise man loves Jesus because he knows that in Jesus God loves and forgives us and gives to us life in abundance. So abundant is that life that we can never die (John 11:25). This faith is included in the psalmist's phrase the fear of the LORD.


That phrase is an interesting Biblical way of speaking about faith. We find it everywhere in the Psalms. Some additional examples:

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. - Psa 34:11 ESV 

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! - Psa 22:23 ESV 

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. - Psa 25:14 ESV 

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. - Psa 40:3 ESV

The Hebrew word for fear is yareh. As you can see from the examples above it means much more than being afraid. It means to stand in awe of, to reverence and honor. The believer in Jesus knows about this. The story of Peter when his boat was filled with fish illustrates it.

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. - Luk 5:6-11 ESV

Peter was awed by the gracious and undeserving gift from Jesus as represented by the huge catch of fish. Why would Jesus give this to him, especially since he was a sinful man? Notice the astonishment and fear that fell upon all the fishermen. But they were to move beyond that. Jesus was calling them to follow Him. And so they did. In terms of what we are speaking about they moved from fear to a life of wisdom. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."

And so we come to my point about us seniors who have attained a certain amount of wisdom that grows out of the fear of the LORD. We may find purpose and meaning to these final years by seizing the opportunities to do what the psalm encourages: 

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. - Psa 34:11 ESV

Our lives can become the way by which we teach our children the fear of the LORD. You don't need to be a trained teacher. My Grandpa Henry certainly was not. Yet by his example, with his words and prayers he taught me at an early age the meaning of the fear of the LORD, a lesson I have never forgotten. Piety, prayers, our manner of life, how we spend our money, what we say and do to give encouragement—all this and more becomes our way of leading our children to fear the LORD. And note, by children I refer not only to our families, but to all who are younger than we are and who are
not as far down the path of wisdom as we may be.

To assist us in this gracious task the LORD has given us the books of wisdom in the Scriptures. Meditate and ponder Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. There we find much to guide us as we join all of God's wise people in the great and joyous task of making disciples of Jesus. Even in your good old age you too will be able to join the psalmist as he says,

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. - Psa 40:3 ESV

Does Old Age Have Meaning?

The question of meaning has increased for me as I entered old age. So many of my age fall into the despair as they struggle to find meaning in their lives. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon uses poignant images to describe the breakdown of our mortal bodies and warns us to make our peace with our Creator before these days come.

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut--when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low-- they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets-- before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. - Ecc 12:1-7 ESV

If you have ever been to a nursing home you have seen those whom Solomon describes, sitting, tied to their wheel chairs, white heads hanging low, eyes dull, toothless, trembling, groaning and staring out at nothing in particular. It can be a most disturbing spectacle. 


But even before reaching this stage in life, many in old age ask about the meaning of life. A white paper on old age and meaning by Sage Publications suggests there are two significant questions to ask:

1. Does old age have a meaning for society? 
2. How do individuals actually experience their lives as meaningful in the last stage of life? 

I'd like to rephrase the questions:

1. Does anyone feel that we old people are important?
2. How do I personally make sense of this final stage in my life? 

So often people talk about what a wonderful thing it must be to be retired and have time to do things you really want to do. "Yeah, right," says a friend. "I tried that and in two years I got bored to death with three or four games of golf every week. Now what do I do? Watch TV? This retirement thing really stinks."


The Sage white paper points out that we're not all alike by any means. Broadly speaking, people over age 65 tend to do the same sorts of things they did in their middle years. Some things slow down however. For instance one study of leisure found that after age 65 only about 17% go to movies. Travel among people over 75 also diminishes. Other activities, such as outdoor gardening, TV watching, watching sports and just talking with friends remain strong.


One interesting fact for business is that Americans over 50 command more than half of all discretionary income and account for 40% of consumer demand. The young-old are much more likely to travel than the old-old. All in all, as noted, people continue to do the sorts of things they are familiar with and find meaningful as long as they can. Of course, as Solomon points out, the body doesn't stay healthy and whole forever. So elderly find themselves limited by illness and weakness and eventually forced to stop altogether.


Another friend of mine spent much of his life traveling the world to present seminars and training for people in his profession. Now he has heart disease and cancer. He struggles to continue, but his medical problems are raise big barriers. He talks about his final keynote speech at a conference in London. But will his health allow it? And what then?


Does God offer any help to those who are in old age or approaching it? Personally, I've never found the Solomon's words of much help. They fill me with anxiety, despair and hopelessness. They are meant to do that, of course. Don't forget your Creator, he warns. You won't live forever. Make your peace with God "before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."


There's much more in Scripture beyond these somber words. In the next couple posts I'll take a look at many other passages that do provide meaning, hope and encouragement to seniors. 

A Warning About Imagination

In our small group Bible study we recently took a look at the Apostle encouraging young Pastor Timothy to lead his congregation in prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-7). That opened a lively conversation among us about for what and how we should be praying. It is the how that concerns me in this post. We're accustomed to praying by thinking and speaking words, but what about what these days is called visualization? Jon Trott (Visualization And Imaging) writes,

. . . imaging and visualization are increasingly appearing as Christian meditation, "mind-stretchers," or a consciousness awakening experience in Christian workshops, and you'd better believe that visualization as a cultivated exercise comes with all sorts of metaphysical and spiritual baggage in tow."

What exactly are we talking about here?  Here's how Sandra M. Levy (Imagination and the Journey of Faith) describes the human capacity to imagine:

By imagination I do not mean what is commonly assumed by the term - that is, mere products of fancy without any status in reality (i.e., "It's only in your imagination, dear!"). Nor am I using the term in the limited sense of images, dreams, or "pictures" held in the mind. What I mean by imagination here is the inherent human power to transcend the concrete, to create new images or ideas that can open up new possibility and promise - the not yet of a future we can envision, the re-valuing of a remembered past. Ultimately what I mean by imagination is that human capacity to receive and respond to God's revelation in our everyday lives. I believe that it is this human capacity which plays a key role in faith development.

 Before we get too deeply involved in what various authors are saying about this kind of prayer, both pro and con, it is important that we take a good look at what God says in His Word.

Way back, before the great Flood, we read that the LORD God was deeply troubled by man's use of this capacity.

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. - Gen 6:5 KJV

. . . every imagination of the thoughts of his heart —that's the way several versions translate the Hebrew word yetser. The basic meaning of the root verb is "to form, frame or fashion." In a number of passages it is parallel to bara (create) and asa (make).

Sometimes the verb describes what a man does.

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? - Isa 29:16 KJV

Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image [that] is profitable for nothing? - Isa 44:10 KJV 

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? - Hab 2:18 KJV

At other times the verb points to God's activity. He frames and devises things in His mind. He plans what He does. For example, He fashions and forms us for His purposes from the moment of our conception in our mothers' wombs.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance (golem); in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. - Psa 139:16 ESV

Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.' - Jer 18:11 ESV

Back to Sandra Levy's definition of imagination:

"the inherent human power to transcend the concrete, to create new images or ideas that can open up new possibility and promise - the not yet of a future we can envision, the re-valuing of a remembered past."

New images, ideas, plans, possibilities, promises, not-yet futures, re-valued pasts, moving beyond, re-framing, re-envisioning . . . Exciting. Motivating. Energizing.

But!

This inherent human power, this image of God within us, this imago Dei, this way of thinking forward into the future, this capacity that humans alone have, this ability that God has given to us, this wondrous power—its corrupted! It stinks! It is decayed!

After the great Flood only Noah and his family remained. Everyone else was gone, destroyed by the waters. Yet the seed of this corruption remained even in faithful Noah and his sons. After the beasts, birds and creeping things left the ark, Noah built an altar and sacrificed clean beasts and birds on it.

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination (yetser) of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. - Gen 8:21 KJV

Noah and his family passed on this corrupted yetser. We still have it in one form or another, leader and laborer, artist and artisan, powerful or poor—all of us. But whatever the shape or form of this capacity within us, it remains corrupted, malignant, wicked and evil from childhood. Out of this power come the idols, the false gods, those images, ideas and ideologies we worship rather than the LORD God. This is why David prayed, using the bara verb, the one parallel to yetser, in his prayer. He had been carried away by his imagination as he gazed upon the beautiful, attractive and seductive Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). His imagination led him to adultery, murder and lies. Looking back he saw what had happened in his heart, his evil heart. And he prayed, as must we all—daily.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. - Psa 51:10 KJV

Only the LORD God can answer this prayer. Only as we are renewed in spirit and heart, will we be able to turn loose this wondrous capacity, this inherent human power to transcend the concrete and create new images and ideas in our hearts, only then may we confidently dream and plan for the future. Only then will we know how to pray.

God grant it for Jesus' sake.