Behold, I come as a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and hangs on to his garments, in order that he might not walk naked and they see his shame. Rev. 16:15.
This is a very important text because it demonstrates that the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:14, 16) is a struggle for the hearts and minds of real people. It is not about Middle Eastern oil or the kinds of fighting we have seen in that part of the world recently. Right in the middle of the passage describing the battle of Armageddon is a call to the people of God to stay watchful and faithful as the end-time approaches.
What is particularly interesting is the connection between this text and the message to Laodicea in chapter 3. We find four words in this passage ("garments," "naked," "see," and "shame") that appear together in only one other place in the Bible, Revelation 3:17, 18. At the decisive end-point of history God reminds us of the letter to Laodicea.
The key problem with Laodicea is inauthenticity. What she says about herself and what she is are two different things. According to the text, Laodicea has put on a mask of riches but lives in poverty. She dons a disguise of beautiful clothing but cannot escape the reality of her nakedness. And she claims to be living on easy street, but she is actually wretched and homeless. I can relate to her condition.
Some 30 years ago I was visiting the Riverside Church in New York City one Sunday with a couple friends. It has one of the five largest classical organs in the world. Being an organist myself at the time, I never got enough of it. The organist that day was Fredrick Swann. Internationally famous, he had dozens of recordings.
When the worship service concluded, I took my friends up on the platform to get a closer look at the organ. And since I knew quite a bit about such things, I began to explain some of the organ's different features. As I talked about the organ, the audience began to grow. It was fun having a bigger audience. So I began to expand on the story a little. And the audience got even bigger. Then suddenly I began to realize that the people weren't looking at me anymore. They were watching something behind me. When I turned around I stood face to face with Fredrick Swann himself. Looking me in the eye, he said, "You'd better get your facts straight, sonny, before you open your mouth." Then he turned and walked away. I wish I could have been teleported to another planet instantly! That day I learned a very painful lesson in authenticity.
Lord, I confess that sometimes I don't even know how much I try to be something that I'm not, or attempt to polish an image of me that isn't real. Help me to find my security in You so that I can give an authentic witness to the reality of Your presence in my life.
This is a very important text because it demonstrates that the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:14, 16) is a struggle for the hearts and minds of real people. It is not about Middle Eastern oil or the kinds of fighting we have seen in that part of the world recently. Right in the middle of the passage describing the battle of Armageddon is a call to the people of God to stay watchful and faithful as the end-time approaches.
What is particularly interesting is the connection between this text and the message to Laodicea in chapter 3. We find four words in this passage ("garments," "naked," "see," and "shame") that appear together in only one other place in the Bible, Revelation 3:17, 18. At the decisive end-point of history God reminds us of the letter to Laodicea.
The key problem with Laodicea is inauthenticity. What she says about herself and what she is are two different things. According to the text, Laodicea has put on a mask of riches but lives in poverty. She dons a disguise of beautiful clothing but cannot escape the reality of her nakedness. And she claims to be living on easy street, but she is actually wretched and homeless. I can relate to her condition.
Some 30 years ago I was visiting the Riverside Church in New York City one Sunday with a couple friends. It has one of the five largest classical organs in the world. Being an organist myself at the time, I never got enough of it. The organist that day was Fredrick Swann. Internationally famous, he had dozens of recordings.
When the worship service concluded, I took my friends up on the platform to get a closer look at the organ. And since I knew quite a bit about such things, I began to explain some of the organ's different features. As I talked about the organ, the audience began to grow. It was fun having a bigger audience. So I began to expand on the story a little. And the audience got even bigger. Then suddenly I began to realize that the people weren't looking at me anymore. They were watching something behind me. When I turned around I stood face to face with Fredrick Swann himself. Looking me in the eye, he said, "You'd better get your facts straight, sonny, before you open your mouth." Then he turned and walked away. I wish I could have been teleported to another planet instantly! That day I learned a very painful lesson in authenticity.
Lord, I confess that sometimes I don't even know how much I try to be something that I'm not, or attempt to polish an image of me that isn't real. Help me to find my security in You so that I can give an authentic witness to the reality of Your presence in my life.
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