“I
watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned
blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken
by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed
from its place.
Then the
kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and
everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the
mountains. They called to
the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Revelations 6: 12-17
I am
reminded as I reflect on this scripture of the song writer David who said, “The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is
no one who does good.” Psalm 14:1
The
Kings of the earth acknowledge the lamb when he begins to shake up the creation
but without repentance. It is the same
hardness of heart that keeps men from acknowledging him now. Romans 1:20 reads, “For since the creation of the world God’s
invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so
that people are without excuse.”
Psalm
19: 1-4 also reflect this truth. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the
skies proclaim
the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night
they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is
heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the
earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a
tent for
the sun.”
The
truth of these scripture was made very alive to me recently when I visited a
replica Hopi Indian Kiva. A Kiva is
essentially a prayer room where men danced and were visited by Kachinas, these
are supernatural spirit being who are benevolent and taught the Hopi how to
live in the hostile physical environments of New Mexico and Arizona. [1] There are to my mind Angels. It demonstrated for me that God has always
been meeting with his people.
Below is
a part of the Blackfeet creation story
“This story is about a lone spirit that lived in
this spiritual place before there was a world of any kind of life … He has been
alive from ever and will continue to live forever … Life is given to all of us
humans and to all the creations of the earth … ” The
Blackfeet describe the Creator God as “Creator Sun”, who’s first living beings
were snakes that rebelled against their creator and were punished for their
transgressions. He then decided to make “ … something that will look like my
image.”This creation was a woman (Creator Sun’s wife),
animated when, “He had blown in the nostrils of the mud figure, which gave it
life”. This woman
was looking for food one day when she was tempted by a “snakeman” who told her
a half-truth and caused her to betray her husband. The
Creator “ … knew what was going on … but, as always, he is so forgiving to all
his creations.” “Nevertheless, all of us are to pay for whatever sins we commit
… ”
“From the mud Creator
Sun molded a form in his own shape, his own image … This mud figure came to
life as Creator Sun blew into his nostrils. “ … he wanted
to do for the mudman … Some way to help him overcome that loneliness. Using
that strange power, Creator Sun put the mudman into a deeper sleep so he
wouldn’t know what was going on.
“Kneeling down beside him, Creator Sun took out
the mudman’s lowest, smallest left rib. With this rib he made an image after
the mudman and himself … To bear fruit, to bear offspring.”[2]
I have included these brief Native American references in
the context of this scripture in order to demonstrate that The Lord has always
been confirming his existing among the various families of mankind. Our rejection of him is done intentionally. “The wrath of God is being revealed from
heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the
truth by their wickedness.” Roman 1:18. Therefore, when the moon
turns blood red and stars fall to earth the Lord is justified. He is as justified at this future judgment as
he was in His judgment at the flood. He is in fact justified in judging all of
mankind now. He waits because he desires
for the population of heaven to increase.
He comes when man’s rebellion supersedes all of his goodness.
As we continue through the book of Revelations we are going
to see His kingdom established. Yet even
then some men would rather be struck down by mountains that shake than to be
embraced by a savior that offers love and a society in which all prosper. Thank God for His Mercy.
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