Kontakion

Reading Amount: Revelation 14:1-20 Central Verse: Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation and tribe and language and people. He said in a loud voice. "Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." Then another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, "Those who worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or on their hands, they will also drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up foreve...

Title: The Example of the Lamb Reading Amount: Revelation 12:1-13:18 Central Verse: Let anyone who has an ear listen: If you are to be taken captive, Into captivity you go; If you kill with the sword, With the sword you must be killed. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. But they have conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb, And by the word of their testimony, For they did not cling to life even in the Face of death. Revelation 12:9-11 Central Truth: Victory for a believer comes not from violence but from the victory that the Lamb attained and how well we follow that example. Food For Thought: Note the only mark of a true believer is not accepting the mark of the beast. Salvation doesn’t have anything to do with a confession of faith contrary to what many modern theologians say. This section continues with the fact that evil is just a parody of God. We see an evil "trinity" the dragon represents Satan. The beast from the sea represents the Roman governme...

Reading Amount: Revelation 10:1-11:19 Central Verse: We give you thanks, LORD GOD Almighty Who are and who were, For you have taken your great power And begun to reign. The nations raged, But your wrath has come, And the time for judging the dead, For regarding your servants, the Prophets And saints and all who fear your, Name, Both small and great, And for destroying those who destroy The earth." Revelation 11:17b-18 NRSV Central Truth: The role of the church in the book of Revelation is one of praise of God and reflection on what God has done. We often forget this role in the church today in favor of other modes of expression. Food for Thought: Seven Thunders - a curious thing happens and John is interrupted and told not to write down what the thunders say. Traditional Apocalyptic tradition would dictate that there must be seven different sections of seven woes. Here we see that God is not trapped by our own traditions but is powerful enough to say stop, we will move forward. C...

Reading Amount: Revelation 10:1-11:19 Central Verse: We give you thanks, LORD GOD Almighty Who are and who were, For you have taken your great power And begun to reign. The nations raged, But your wrath has come, And the time for judging the dead, For regarding your servants, the Prophets And saints and all who fear your, Name, Both small and great, And for destroying those who destroy The earth." Revelation 11:17b-18 NRSV Central Truth: The role of the church in the book of Revelation is one of praise of God and reflection on what God has done. We often forget this role in the church today in favor of other modes of expression. Food for Thought: Seven Thunders - a curious thing happens and John is interrupted and told not to write down what the thunders say. Traditional Apocalyptic tradition would dictate that there must be seven different sections of seven woes. Here we see that God is not trapped by our own traditions but is powerful enough to say stop, we will move forward. C...