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Monday December 1 - The unseen real
On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice
like a trumpet... Revelation 1:10-11
The ‘unseen real’ – I love this term, which I’ve heard from Christian writers and speakers over the years. What do we know and believe yet cannot see? So much of God’s reality is beyond what we can touch and feel, but with faith we believe God’s promises and truth – as John did when he was ‘in the Spirit’ and heard a voice behind him, which he realised was the risen Jesus. Through John’s vision he was given the instruction to write what he saw, and then to send it to the seven churches named by Jesus. This ‘unseen real’ was for John’s benefit, but also for God’s people.
Why these seven churches? Some Bible commentators believe Jesus chose them because they form a geographical circular pattern; others see the number seven, which in the Bible symbolises a perfect number, signifying that these seven churches represent the full church.
What about you and the ‘unseen real’? Might you hold back from believing God’s revelations, such as how we live in a spiritual battle between principalities and powers beyond our knowing (Ephesians 6:12)? Yet we can affirm that we can ‘pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests’ (Ephesians 6:18), even as John was in the Spirit. May we do so, trusting in God, today.
Risen Christ, I believe; help my unbelief. I love you and want to serve you with my whole heart and mind. Please strengthen my faith in you. Amen.
Tuesday December 2 - Son of Man
And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the
lampstands was someone like a son of man. Revelation 1:12-13
The revelation given to John honours and highlights Jesus. When John turns around at the voice calling to him, he takes in the glory of the Son of Man, who shines more than the lamps on the lampstands. Jesus loved using this designation, ‘Son of Man’, to describe himself, employing it more than 80 times in the gospels. John’s vision also hearkens back to that in the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel, the one whom Daniel saw ‘like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven’; he who had all ‘authority, glory and sovereign power’ (Daniel 7:13-14).
This title might be hard for us to ‘wrap our heads round’, but I love how Jesus uses it not only as a title of supreme authority, as we see from the Old Testament prophecies, but as a moniker that shows how he submitted himself to become one of us. It’s a bit mind-blowing, but we can recognise not only the majesty of Jesus from this term but also his utter humility. Which, of course, is perfectly timed during this season of Advent.
I invite you to spend some time pondering how Jesus holds all of the authority over every human empire ever – those who are committing atrocities today as much as the ones that uphold justice and righteousness – along with how he lowered himself to become a helpless baby. How might you respond to this wonderful Lord?
Jesus, Son of Man, I worship and adore you! Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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