Weird Dream - Revelation 5:6

Revelation 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the Earth. (NIV)

I had a really weird dream last night. I was trying to escape from a high-rise building, but the elevator wasn’t working, so I scampered down the stairs as fast as I could. At some point, I went through a door and ended up in a coffee house which was full of people from the 1930s. It turned out to be set in Austria, but don’t ask me how I knew this – I’ve never been there in my life. Anyway, the color in my dream faded to monochrome and as I watched everyone in the café go about their business, conversations, and meals, I realized that I was the only one who knew about the coming World War which would tragically affect all of them. Just as I was about to warn them of the future, I woke up in a cold sweat. Who knows what would have happened if I slept longer.

Some people say that dreams are supposed to be metaphysical ways in which the brain processes current issues and personal problems. I have no earthly idea what my dream was about or what troubles it was meant to resolve. I’m more inclined to think it was due to the dark chocolate that I ate before sleeping – at least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

Every time I read the Book of Revelation, I get intrigued by the fantastic descriptions and enigmatic symbols that the Apostle John dreamed and wrote about. Some of them I understand, but others are so mysterious that I have no way of knowing completely what they represent. Today’s passage has always puzzled me and even though I accept that the Slain Lamb is symbolic of Christ, I just can’t fully fathom the seven horns, seven eyes, and seven spirits stuff. Biblical scholars have argued over the symbolism ever since John wrote down his great dream. I know that he was writing in some sort of code which his contemporaries understood, but honestly, some of it is totally lost on me.

However, despite my puzzlement, I get the thrust of the passage. Jesus, through His sacrificial death, is the only One worthy enough to open the great seals which will usher in the end of the world as we know it. It is His right to do so because He has now been given the complete authority to judge the whole Earth. On that special and solemn day, we will all get to know the answer to these mysterious things. This means that the Church’s primary role today is to prepare our people for that crucial moment in which everything will be changed, including ourselves, forever.

Point to ponder

Am I prepared for the judgment that is yet to come? How is my church helping me get ready for that inevitable and unavoidable moment in Eternity?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are things about You that we do not fully understand. Help us to see You as the Sovereign of the universe, the Lord of all creation, and the King of our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us on Sunday mornings for worship at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome.

Today’s image is one of John’s early psalm drawings based on Psalm 75. If you would like to view a larger version, click on this link: Time.

Daily devotion: Dream On - Genesis 28:12

Genesis 28:12             Jacob had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 

            I had a dream last night that troubled me. It was a mixture of the past, present, and future. When I look back on it this morning, I realize that there were many symbols in the dream of what I care about most. I won’t go into details because I’m still pondering over what it means, but it has left me unsettled.

            I’m no interpreter of dreams, but I know that they have a way of bringing our hopes and fears to the surface. I can still remember a few dreams from childhood that terrified me, as well as a couple of dreams from adolescence that solidified my faith in God. Even although it has been decades since those dreams occurred, they are still with me, which mystifies me at times. Why would something that didn’t really happen still stay within my heart and mind?

            Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-15 was amazing. He was on the run from his brother who wanted to murder him and from his father who would have cursed him. He didn’t have a place to call home and no doubt he was carrying a lot of fears and troubles within him. We can only guess how those traumatic circumstances affected his faith in God. He was at the lowest point in his long life. If ever he needed a sign or a symbol of reassurance, then this was the time that God had to show Jacob that He was real.

            So Jacob dreamt of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. He was apparently at the mystical point where Heaven and Earth actually meet. And then he heard the great voice of God confirming the covenant that had been made with his father and grandfather. God was personally reassuring Jacob that his life had a purpose and that the LORD’s promises would be fulfilled through this runaway. It was the most important crossroads in Jacob’s life. From that point on, he personally knew that God was always with him.

            I believe that God still speaks to us in dreams, simply because the world cannot interfere or cause distractions in the middle of them. I firmly believe that God also takes a deep personal interest in each of our lives, so that when we ask Him for guidance, assurance, and a calling, He will listen to our hearts and speak to us in our dreams. Perhaps, in the midst of all of the pressures, stresses, and troubles that we presently endure, the best advice may just be this: sleep on it.

Questions for personal reflection

When and how do I hear God speaking to my heart and mind? Do I really listen to what He is saying to me?

Prayer:            Lord God, through the blessing of Your Son Jesus Christ, we know that You are with us each day until the fullness of our lives and the end of all Time. Speak to our hearts and minds this day and help us to actually hear Your voice. Give us a calling of our hearts and a mission of Christ’s work. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest sunflower drawings. It’s called “Garden Glory.” A larger version can be viewed at the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8281/7607009436_906976cd09_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: The Dream

I had a beautiful dream last night which I have kept in my heart all day. I was standing on top of a high hill when suddenly the ground beneath me gave way. For some reason I was sliding down the hill at high speed, headed for a swamp at the bottom. As I reached the swamp, I braced myself for the impact by lifting up my knees to shield my body.

Podcast version here

I started channeling through the water at a fierce rate, but I never got wet. I was afraid that when I stopped moving I would begin to sink into the swamp. Inevitably, I slowed down and felt being sucked under the black water. All of a sudden, and this will sound crazy, two elderly ladies in a flat bottomed boat rescued me. As they hauled me up on to their boat, I felt an amazing peace. Then I woke up.

Bible Verse of the Day

Acts 10:17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.

The dream puzzled me and I inwardly asked God for an interpretation. This is what I think He gave to me.

The hill represents my strength and pride, ego and arrogance. The quake is God’s way of getting my attention and sliding downhill indicates the poor choices and bad mistakes I have made in my life. The swamp represents death and oblivion. The raising up of my knees indicates a time of prayer and the water, which didn’t make me wet, is my baptism. Slowing down and sinking represents me getting older and experiencing death.

But what about the two ladies on the boat? The boat is the church. The elderly ladies are called Faith and Hope. Now I know that at the moment of my death, whenever it comes, all that I will have left is Faith and Hope…and that will be all that I will ever need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gifts of Faith and Hope, which sustain us throughout our lives, and which also take us into Your Eternal presence at the moment of our inevitable deaths. Let them keep hold of us when we are fearful or depressed, vulnerable and all alone. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully and hopefully pray. Amen.

The Statue - Interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Daniel 2:31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. (NIV)

When I was in fifth grade, or Primary 7 as we called it back in Scotland, a Bible exhibition came to Glasgow. I think it was run by the Philadelphian Bible Society in Britain. It was fascinating because many of the exhibits were models of buildings and places in the Old Testament. Our teacher used to read to us every morning from the Bible before our other lessons began, so I guess he thought that by taking us to the Bible exhibition, our class would be able to visualize the events recorded in the scriptures.

I can remember one large model of this statue from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It was made up of all the different parts – gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay. Beside the model was a hand-written interpretation of what it represented – the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, and the British Empire – all of them were indicated on the model. It meant that the feet of clay represented the modern age and that the rock, which was thrown at the statue, symbolized Christ’s return. He is known as the Rock of Ages, so the person who interpreted the story historically at the Bible exhibition, was expressing to everyone that the end of Time would soon be fulfilled.

I couldn’t get to sleep that night because I was afraid that Jesus would come back whilst I was sleeping and that I would be condemned for all of my sins. It preyed on my mind and affected my whole being. During the day, I kept looking up at the sky and at night time, I shivered myself to sleep. It was hard to hold on to my faith in Jesus because I was afraid of Him. It was a very frightening time in my young life.

Almost forty years have passed since I was at that exhibition. Throughout that time, my faith has changed, so instead of fearing Christ’s return, I look forward to that moment. I know that I have committed a great many sins since being a child, but I also know that I have a Great Savior whose grace is amazing and mercy is limitless. I may have feet of clay at times, but Christ is my solid Rock, my sole Redeemer. His forgiveness sustains my faith; His love gives meaning to my life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, one glorious day, just like today, You will return to reclaim the earth as Your own, and to restore God’s ways in this world. Help us to prepare our hearts for that beautiful moment and to build up our faith, so that we may lovingly and effectively tell other people about Your Gospel. As You give us opportunities to relate our beliefs, help us to do so in ways that are convincing and compassionate. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.