Readings for today: Revelation 6-10
I often meet Christians who believe the Lord is coming back in their lifetime. They look at the world around us and see the evidence of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The white horse gallops through places like Ukraine where Russia seeks to conquer her former republic. The red horse rides through places like Gaza and Somalia and South Sudan and Yemen where terrorist groups disrupt peace with violence. The black horse visits nations afflicted by famine due to natural disasters, locust plagues, climate change, and other calamities. And the pale horse eventually comes for us all, bringing not only famine but disease with him. Of course, these four horses don’t just ride in other parts of the globe. They are very present here at home as well. The conflict between political parties and extremist groups is real. The violence in cities like Chicago or on the southern border cannot be ignored. The plight of those living in food deserts in communities all over our country or those who struggle to find sustainable housing is heartbreaking. And the death of those we love due to tragedy, diseases like cancer, or some other event that robs those we love of life is more common than we want to admit.
This is why we cry out with the saints who have gone before us, “How long, Strong God, Holy and True, how long before you step in?” (Rev. 6:10 MSG) I imagine Christians throughout history and around the globe today join us in that same cry. Can you imagine, for example, what it must have felt like to live in Europe during the Black Plague when 1/3 of the population died? Imagine living in the Holy Land when the Crusaders arrived or in Spain under the Inquisition? Imagine what it must have felt like to live under Stalin’s purges or the regimes of Pol Pot or Mao Zedong where millions lost their lives? Imagine what it must have felt like to live in the death camps in Nazi Germany or to be Tutsi in Rwanda during the genocide? I don’t share these examples to diminish the very real pain and suffering so many of us face on a daily basis but simply to help us gain some perspective on the delay of the parousia or the Lord’s return.
God has a plan. He is never early. He is never late. He arrives precisely on time. He sees all the evil that is taking place on the earth and He will one day come to judge the living and the dead. No crime will go unpunished. No wrong will fail to be made right. No injustice will be allowed to stand. No sin will go unaddressed. Those who bear His seal will be saved and will represent a multitude from every tribe, tongue, and nation on the earth. But until that day comes, life on earth will not be easy. We will experience trial and tribulation. But we can take heart for if we persevere in faith, we will receive a white robe, washed in the blood of Jesus Himself. We will find ourselves standing before the throne of God, serving Him day and night. We will hunger no more neither will we thirst. God will wipe away every tear and take away every sadness and make all things new. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus! Come quickly!
Readings for tomorrow: Revelation 11-13