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Ruling like the Slaughtered Lamb

I recently posted about the first verses of Revelation 14, exploring how we might interpret some of those words and ideas. I picked this chapter as a starter because, as we saw last time, Chapter 14 has been called “the play within the play”. Chapter 14 sits at the heart of The Apocalypse revealing the victory of the Lamb.

Throughout The Apocalypse, of course, Jesus is fully and finally revealed as gaining and holding power in a unique way – through witness, service and sacrifice. Remember that John’s intent in writing the Apocalypse is to re-assure, re-imagine and re-invigorate the faith and hope of Christians living in the Roman empire. He calls them back to the different Kingdom of which they are a part as he recognised how easy it was for them to be seduced by their imperial surroundings. Don’t we sometimes need the same reminder?

Poet that he is, John reconfigures, re-develops and re-characterises Jesus’ authority as rooted in his sacrificial witness by using the shocking image of a slaughtered lamb. Pastor that he is, he demonstrates the fulfilment of the promise of Hebrews 12 for the church by describing the similarly faithful and martyred witnesses on Mount Zion. He sets before his readers and listeners the true picture of where they are positioned. Theologian that he is[1], John positions the martyred witnesses within the throne room of God, surrounded by attributes of heavenly authority, firmly establishing the victory of the Lamb after the ‘messianic war’ mentioned in Revelation 13.

This is the hope he sets before the church of his day and ours. In his vision, the martyrs’ victory materialises through the witness of 144,000, faithful under empire. John uses poetic language and imagery to help his churches – and ours – visualise the heavenly reality he has seen: the sacrifice of a slaughtered lamb at the Passover (Ex 12.6); a Witness who lays down his life; analogies in the Old Testament (Ps 23; Ps 28.9; Ps 80.1; Isaiah 40.11); a Shepherd identity (Jn 21.1) and Jesus’ many parables on shepherding – Luke 15.4; Jn 10; Jn 10.14; 1 Pet 5.4; 1 Pet 2.25.

I find the most profound description of the slaughtered lamb is in Acts 8.32-3 (taken from Is 53.7,8). The words reverberate through history, ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation, he was deprived of justice.’

When we read (or hear) in Revelation 14.1 that John sees a Lamb on the heavenly Mount Zion, it could be a surprise because the emphasis in the Old Testaments is on language depicting Jesus as the Lion of Judah. That’s not surprising and it’s not wrong. But it doesn’t express the fullness of his identity. And sadly, the lion image has often been misinterpreted by earthly powers. Nevertheless, Lamb power is how the victory has been won. Michael J Gorman avers 2] that within such Lamb power,[3] there is NO competition between the Lamb and the Lion. Rather, ‘the Lion reigns as the Lamb not in spite of it. God rules through the Lamb, not in spite of it’.

John extends the lamb imagery to include the faithful, demonstrating that ‘Lamb power’ is also found in the church’s witness, service and martyrdom. John, lifted into heaven (Rev 4.1-2), recognised Jesus for who he truly is – the original witness (Rev 5.6; Rev 14.1). He also recognised that the Father also identifies the 144,000 that way, perceiving us through that same lens – Jesus.

How encouraging and affirming is that for us today?

[1] As ‘poet, pastor and theologian’ is how Peterson describes John’s literary approach (Peterson Eugene H, Reversed Thunder (1988) pp3-8)

[2] Gorman, M J, Reading Revelation Responsibly (2011) p139

[3] Ibid.

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Augustine‘s words…

The depth of a few words from Augustine of Hippo makes me cry. If only I could write wisdom like he does!

I’m reading his book ‘On Christian Doctrine’ and almost at the beginning was deeply affected by one simple passage.

Augustine writes, ‘“The Lord saith, “Whosoever hath, to him shall be given.” He will give, then, to those who have: that is to say, if they use freely and cheerfully what they have received, He will add to and perfect His gifts. The loaves in the miracle were only five and seven in number before the disciples began to divide them…but once they began to distribute them, though the wants of so many thousands were satisfied, they filled baskets with the fragments that were left.

Just as that bread increased in the very act of breaking it, so those thoughts which the Lord vouchsafed to me…will as soon as I begin to impart them to others, be multiplied by His grace so that…I shall be made to rejoice in a marvellous increase of wealth.’

Freely and cheerfully stepping out…

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Exit. Leave. Abandon. Depart.

The more UK Christians I talk to, the more genuine faith-filled people I find among them who are exiting evangelicalism as an idea, theology, belief or faith system. It’s also quite common now to read blogs, articles and books from ex- or ‘recovering evangelicals’. There’s even a Facebook group to join. Their combined purpose being to help others already on this journey.

I find these pilgrims are not superficial leavers. Often their decisions have a deep and long-term history. Often they are made by mature believers, despite leaving family and friends within the belief-system. The transition can be difficult. And material has been written to help people through the transition, currently known as ‘deconstruction’. The ‘evangelical system’ itself has been described by one leaver friend as ‘cultic’ but it isn’t always. (Cultic is a strong word.) It is just flawed. Nevertheless, the leaving part is hard and, in some cases, has caused serious psychological distress.

Often however, leavers have already suffered spiritually in silence or resignation for years. Often they are shunned and accused of heresy. (Not using those words of course. That would be medieval.) Only now are they able to ‘leave’ their genuine suffering behind. And this is a 21st century phenomenon. Or is it?

In a 1997 book called The Sovereign Individal (SI), the authors draw a parallel between the printing press-driven mass exodus from the Catholic Church and the impact of the internet in shaping the 21st century. (In 1997, they had no real idea but the concept was prescient.)

The authors suggest that the 21st century SI will eventually choose to withdraw his or her nation-state allegiance and may therefore be labelled criminal or traitor. The SI does not intend a crime or betrayal of course – they simply want to be free to ‘choose their form of governance as customers.’ The book argues this will be possible due to the upcoming Information Era and that those who resist are New Luddites Perhaps. It could be a phenomenon.

How does the increasing exit from fundamentalist evangelicalism mirror this? Is a similar phenomenon to the Reformational mindset happening among these Leavers? It might be. Does it herald what the SI predicts or is it deeper than that? Are there New Luddites and Sovereign Individuals both in the church? I think it’s possible there are.

Isolation has a downside but it also has an upside – freedom from control. People have found a different freedom when released. On one level, it helps them make a voluntary choice to reengage at a level that is meaningful and manageable for them.

Service is a choice. They count the cost. Their re-engagement is worth more because it’s given as, and with, love. Voluntarily. Responsibility is hard-won and therefore more valuable when voluntarily given. But it may not be as permanent.

I prefer to honour any process of ‘exit’ by calling it a metamorphosis, although I understand why ‘deconstruction’ is so much used, as it’s the start of the freedom process. I find more hope in imagining a metamorphosis.

Metamorphosis is more than just deconstruction, it’s dissolution. Dissolution followed by Reconstruction, a much more hopeful, faithful and honest development. One might even call it Redemption.

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Beginning. And end.

The older I get, the more I realise what a beginner I am in so many ways. I feel as if I’ve learned nothing and need to start all over again. Yet I know, because people have told me so, that I have sensible things to say, and even do, that aren’t yet said and done.

Thank you to family and several friends who have encouraged me out of my timidity about expressing my thoughts and ideas.

So. Just to say that last night I pondered over a couple of lines of poetry that touched me…

“The Sea of Faith

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore

Lay like the folds of a bright girdle folded;

But now I only hear

In melancholy, long withdrawing roar, Retreating to the breath

Of the night-wind down the vast edges drear

And naked shingles of the world.”

(Dover Beach excerpt by Matthew Arnold)

Faith, once full and rounded, as he says, doesn’t disappear or die but perhaps becomes so deep it is invisible to our naked eye and instead quietly retreats to the centre from which it sprang.

And we finally follow it into the Light.