A Vision of God's Promised Future

Beloved in Christ,

Contrary to what most people assume, the book of Revelation was not written to provide a roadmap of the end times. The point of reading it is not to decode some secret language to know exactly how the future will unfold. That way of reading the book grows out of some fringe 19th and early 20th century evangelical movements that were picked up again in the late 1970s and 80s by popular Christian writers. 

The book of Revelation is indeed written in highly symbolic language, coded to the first century Roman world. But rather than a key to predicting the future, it was written to assure Christians living in the midst of unimaginably hard circumstances that God’s love is more powerful than the fearful circumstances around them, and God’s life is more powerful than every death they face. It holds up a vision of God’s promised future in the midst of the painful present. 

Our reading from chapter 7 this Sunday is exhibit A. Those who have “come out of the great ordeal” are seated around the throne of God. And, we are told, “They will hunger and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them. . .and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:13-17). 

As we face yet another fraught Election Day in our conflicted nation next week, as we continue to journey through our own “great ordeal,” we also celebrate the Feast of All Saints, where we bring to mind that multitude that stands in the presence of God, urging us on. They assure us again and again, because they now see it fully, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ settles forever the fact that God’s love and life are far more powerful than every hard thing we face. May we ever hold before our eyes a vision of God’s promised future, and may we be a people who hold that vision up for the whole world in the midst of every painful present.

Grace and Peace, 

The Right Rev. Craig Loya