Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

THE SONGS

March 4, 2011

Songs often tell a story like "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," or "The Cats in the Cradle." The songs in The Revelation of John tell a story as well, and they are often overlooked. We ignore the obvious songs; we get sidetracked figuring out the not-so-obvious imagery.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; who was, and is, and is to come....You are worthy...for you created all things…"
                                                  - Revelation 4:8,11 TNIV

The people who first heard John's Revelation were up against it, some were punished, and persecuted for embracing the faith of Christ, others even died. They needed to hear a word of hope and encouragement. Apocalyptic literature is not so much about predicting the future but a summons to encouragement--THEN AND NOW. Chapters 4 & 5 of the Revelation stand at the core of that encouragement yet are ignored usually as merely poems, songs. What a shame.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord," the angels sing 24/7/365. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end is not Caesar, not the devil, not Hitler, not bin Laden, but "You created all things." It's a triumph of our Creator God. The angels sing that song of TRUTH and the summons to a substantive faith. Apocalyptic comes alive and changes lives when it girds up our loins!

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson