Evening Prayer | Feb 5

Evening Prayer - Pg 25 

Collect for Pardon: 140 or 141

Psalm 139 - Pg 459

OT: Exodus 17

Hymn: Psalm 103 - Pg 30

Three Collects (Pg 124), Collect for Sickness (Pg 66), Conditions for All Men to End
^Bookmark Variable prayers and psalm

Discussion Reading: Revelation

Preface: 

• Thanks for blessing me by allowing me to read aloud this prophecy (v. 3); may you be blessed in hearing and doing what Christ revealed to St. John the Divine.
• Apocalyptic Symbols:
• A fundamental misunderstanding is to think the image is irrelevant to the substance if you know the significance of the emblem.
• In ancient world, symbol meant to tie two things together -- usually a physical/visual to an unseen reality. (The core behind sacrament/mystery)
• Apocalypses revealed the significance behind present, ongoing crises to help the hearer faithfully endure rather than seek to escape their life-threatening difficulties (Let the hearer understand)
• Apocalypses relied heavenly on shared past cultural language to redefine present experiences = prophetic recapitulation of the past to reveal the present in a heavenly perspective. (You need a thorough grasp of the OT and the Second Temple Church to read St John with better familiarity. John Calvin could not complete an exegesis of Revelation beyond chapter seven for a reason...)

Revelation 1 affirms the essential elements of the Creed:

- God the Father, the eternal Creator and almighty Lord (v. 6, 8)

-Jesus Christ His Son, the only son who is also eternal (v. 4, 8, 17-18)

-Jesus came as a faithful servant, suffered, bled, died, descended into Hades, resurrected, ascended on the clouds, and rules from heaven with God the Father over the nations, heaven, and earth. His death and resurrection provided everlasting life to His Church. (v. 1, 5-7, 13-18, 20)

- The Spirit of God unites the earthly faithful with the blessed company of heaven, which is the one holy Catholic Church, a kingdom and priesthood unified in Christ Jesus, forgiven through washing in His blood, resurrected in their bodies to life everlasting. (v. 10, 1-20)

"Article VIII

Of the Creeds. 

The Three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture."

Gospel Outro

Revelation has so much Gospel frontloaded. Christ the heavenly Son of Man who died and resurrected is God's sole mediator, the Ruler over Life, Death, and the Grave; the forgiver of our sins through His suffering, death, descent to Hades, resurrection, and ascension; the fashioner of the everlasting Kingdom and Priests; the First and Last as the Father is the Alpha and Omega, which is to say "True God of true God." Christ Jesus reveals the heavenly realities to empower us to live faithfully while worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4).