I am going to make a very embarrassing confession here. I grew up in the 80s and therefore, I experienced more than my fair share of daytime soap operas. All My Children is the one my mom watched and I was loyal to Erica Kane all the way through college. I’m telling you this because if there is one thing a soap opera excels at – it is being dramatic. The ability to build the tension just as a commercial break is coming is an art, and the soap opera mastered it.
Now that you’ve got that in mind, a similar thing is happening here in today’s reading. We’ve just been told the third terror is coming quickly and the seventh trumpet has been blown. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Cut to commercial! But this interlude is much more powerful than the typical daytime spots for Slim Fast and Weight Watchers. This interlude is the praise song of the 24 elders we were first introduced to in Chapter 4. And as we wait for what we assume to be destruction and terror, they give us some of the most beautiful words in the book. They sing the highest praises to God and in response, the heavens roar. This interlude reminds us that in the midst of a lot of bad news, terror, and chaos – God is on the throne and is worthy of all of our praise. He will reign for all eternity. He is a righteous judge. Earthly rulers and supernatural beasts cannot compare, so even as we hold our breath to see what kind of destruction awaits, we do so knowing that the end of the story is Jesus defeating sin and death once and for all. He will reign forever, and that will be the end of the story.
Questions for reflection:
- Living in a space of ‘not knowing’ is really difficult. How has God shown himself to be faithful to you in that space?
- If you have a little extra time today, consider reading Psalm 19. You can use this Psalm as prayer prompts, or simply select a verse or two to meditate on throughout the day.
Old Testament reading: Amos 3-5