A supernatural encounter.

31Oct
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’
- ​​Revelation 4:1-11

Among my favorite things about my adopted home are its embrace of celebrations like Carnival and Halloween, its fascination with the supernatural, and that its citizens will look for any excuse to don costumes and have a good time. Actually, I think often that an excuse is rarely needed. By definition, though, both Mardi Gras and Halloween provide built-in reasons to costume and fixate on the supernatural or mythological. The more elaborate the costume or tableau, the better. On this Halloween, as I read the passage from Revelation, a book that has confounded, if not simply scared me, my entire life, I reflected on a different kind of supernatural encounter, one where the apostle John is given a glimpse of the heavenly throne room. Its profound imagery reminds us of the majesty and holiness of God.

John received an invitation to enter an open door into a heavenly realm by a voice calling him to "Come up here...". I think that invitation is always open to us. I also think the vision of God's throne is beyond human imagination. It would likely tax the creativity of even the most skilled costume or set designer in New Orleans. Indeed, the jasper, ruby, and the rainbow around the throne tell us that God's majesty is unlike anything we've ever seen. Clearly, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, who in their own right seem fairly impressive to me, are in constant worship and praise. As we go about our Halloween festivities, while so many around the world are suffering, it is my hope that we remember this heavenly encounter and let it remind us that there is a greater reality beyond the costumes and stories of this day. The ultimate source of wonder, majesty, and peace, is our God who sits on the heavenly throne.

Musical Reflection - Bach: Tocatta in D Minor - Richard Elliott

From ghoulies and ghosties, And long-leggedy beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us! Amen.
- Traditional Scottish Prayer
New Testament
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