Revelation Day 2 - IN THE SPIRIT

DAY 2
IN THE SPIRIT
Revelation 1:9-10

Where did Revelation come from?

The book is named after its opening line: “A revelation of Jesus Christ.” Please note: it’s singular - Revelation - no “S.” This book reveals something. It’s both a revelation FROM Jesus and ABOUT Jesus. It’s given to a Jesus-follower named John. Nobody knows which John, but he’s worshiping on Sunday while exiled to the island of Patmos. As we read in v.9, he's there because government authorities don’t like his preaching.

The whole book is a vision “John saw,” as v2. says, written up as his “testimony.” It’s not like any testimony you’ll hear in a courtroom! 

Just like the original 1977 Star Wars film, Revelation blends together different genres into something totally new. Star Wars borrowed from science-fiction, westerns, and samurai movies to make it unique. Revelation is a testimony that’s also a prophecy that’s also a letter. But it’s served up in a style like Daniel in the Old Testament. Daniel also saw multi-headed monsters battling angels as the best way to describe the spiritual struggle raging around us.

What is a vision? Well, it’s clearly something you see, maybe something seen with physical eyes, maybe something seen in “the mind’s eye.” We’re brushing up against spiritual reality - God’s turf. John has “a religious experience.” Who can say what it was like for John?

I want to sit for a minute with that equally provocative phrase, “in the Spirit, on the Lord’s Day.” It’s Sunday, the day of Jesus’s resurrection, the day Christians quickly made their day of worship together. John set aside distractions to focus on God, giving God his attention, his thinking, his praying. That’s when God seized him!

And I wonder: how often do I put away distractions so I can think? So I can talk to God? So I can listen to God? I walk a lot. It’s great sermon-writing time (voice dictation is a gift!) or time to listen to a book. But I’m wondering if I should let my mind wander more, or at least be distraction-free. Then I can give God more attention. I can pray, I can think about a tough question, or puzzle over some Scripture. That’s what the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath, is all about anyway. Is there enough room in your life to be “in the Spirit?”

REFLECT
How often do you put away distractions to give yourself time to think and pray? How might you increase that time?

PRAY
Lord Jesus, you want to reveal yourself to me. Teach me how to put away distractions so I can give more time to pray and think deeply. Amen.