REGAL RAYS IN REVELATION

REGAL RAYS FROM REVELATION

Rev. Dr. Robert E. Donaldson

Published by World Wide Web Witness Inc.

May 2002

ISBN 0-9580787-3-4

Preface

Revelation - it is the cap and coping stone of man, as in an arch. Without it, it is a puny weakling; but once provide it, and the structure is both stable and artistic.

It is however not only revelation as a generic - the three mains forms of which we shall consider in a moment - it is Revelation as one of the books in the Bible, and surely one so fascinating that it reminds one of the great oceanic caverns into which the seas come, now splashing, now roaring, now artful and of intimate acquaintance, but then ravaging as if nothing would stop them; but at times, rather of the 'roar' in the sea shells, as if reminiscing.

In the last named, there is no intention to provide a commentary; these abound. It is rather to bring in major themes illustrative of the grandeur and greatness, the power and the wonder of God, that one essays. The book is filled with these as an auditorium with some vast symphony, but this sound, it is not only like a multitude of waters in their thronging song; it is that intensely delightful and intensively absorbing thing, comprehensibility, express and articulate, indeed words, phrases, clauses, structural, that comes our way. GOD has seen fit to SPEAK. What more wonderful except of course this, that ONCE only He made His speech, His word, His living companion and fellow, His eternal intimate incarnate as the Son begotten of a woman, the Son of whom He being the direct and immediate Father, there would and could be no equal. The Son of God was and is and will be forever praised and altogether glorious.

Why ? It is because

1) that is what He was in the beginning as the perfect expression of God, His eternal word (John 1:1, 8:58).

It is because

2) there is only one God, only could be, was and will be, so that this is the fully expression of all that there is, divine and definitive of Him for man (Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 1:10).

However it is because

3) He has done what befits His station, taken the step to uncover HIs heart, shown a majesty unparalleled and unparallelable, since as sinless, He died for sinners, as Majesty, He died for miscreants and as cherishing, He stretched out His hand, that of God incarnate, to meet need, proclaim the manner of restoration to divine friendship for man and cover the entire costs on the cross of payment, of redemption.

Thus there are three forms of revelation the regality of which we entertain and wonder at, in this volume: the word of God written, the Bible; the Son of God incarnate, Jesus Christ, and the book of Revelation in particular, as an example of our theme, an intense presentation of it, and one of great moment at the present time. In this, as noted, we take however merely regal themes, and consider from time to time their application.

In so doing, it is the purpose to collect some of the contemplations or exegeses in Revelation already given, to add, and to follow such themes as may the more be thrust upon our thoughts, as history develops before our eyes, in some ways now, alas, like the final symptoms of an advanced case of tuberculosis in which the same mind still works, the same body is present, but a hacking, racking cough disturbs the once more peaceful features, and death stalks as if the best of friends, close to the world in its way, a now more gaunt reminder of the wilful ignorance it has for so long entertained, of its Maker, the Redeemer, the Revelation. Still inclined to put man in the cockpit, and God in the luggage compartment, man still soars though His humiliation is so total that blindness alone would not see the fatal symptoms; and He still crashes, as if there were 'plenty more where that came from.'

In this, as to the riches of God, it is right. As to His willingness endlessly to countenance the fooleries which ever grow, and seem to want to storm the very heavens, as so often since Babel (Genesis 11), it is wrong. The end is coming. As Christ put it, "Then comes the end!" You see al this in Matthew 24; but this is not for the moment our topic, but revelation, its regal rays, with special reference to Revelation, that book carved in stone, beautiful in thematic unity, elemental in exposure of the heart of the Lord, the fashion of history and the prodigious contrast which now the more obviously shows itself to man: that between the love and intense, persevering grace of God, and the hatred, the hollowness, the hatred, the vexation of man, in that persevering squalid unspirituality which is his calling card, the more as the charade nears its end.

As the end is now rocketing along for its finale, there will be, DV, interspersed with these revelatory regalities from the Bible, illustrations of such themes from history, as from the news: both those from Revelation and from revelation in the book of the Lord, more generally.

CONTENTS

1. Please be nice(r)...! Bush to Arafat.

Radio News April 29, 2002
The Age Magazine, August 20, 1988
A good comparison

2. Divine Perspectives

The Way of the World with the Woes of this World: Its Modes ...

or Going with God!

Chiefly Revelation 1

3. First and last Things

Revelation 1, 21-22

(from SMR Ch. 7)

4. Astonishing Astronomy, and the Celestial Consummation

Revelation 1, 5-6, 8-9, 12, 14, 20, 21

(from Repent or Perish Ch. 6,

with Addition )

For More on Revelation 5, 6, 8 see Trust in God, Mate ... Ch. 2
The LION, the SAINTS and the PAUSE
with inspiration from the word of God, for heart and mind.

5. Profitable Excursions into Revelation 6

(from News 84, and Deliverance from Disorientation Ch. 11)

6. Thousands with No Limit in Sight

Revelation 5, 7, 11, 13-14, 17-19

(from Things Old and New
Appendix, Axes and Axioms)

7. Mathematical Moments in the Career of History and The Two Witnesses

Revelation 11

(from News 87, and Acme, Alpha and Omega: Jesus Christ Ch. 5)

8. The Millenium in Revelation 20, in Context

with Overview of Revelation 12-20,
useful as we proceed in later chapters, for orientation

(from Sparkling LIfe in Jeus Christ Ch. 10 - with addition)

9. Beasts ? Isn't One Enough ? Alas, no!