October 21: Ezekiel 45-46; Psalm 90; Revelation 14

The Book of Revelation is a vision.  A vision that combines what has happened with what can be.  In Chapter 14, we come upon the one hundred forty-four thousand "who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads." This number is symbolic of the multiplication that is expected to happen among believers.  I do not believe it is meant to be taken literally---as a restriction to how many dwell with God in the eternal life.  The rest of Scripture contradicts that interpretation.  Rather, it is an image that implies there is great multiplication of believers.

Those who have his "name written on their foreheads."  That's us.  We baptized believers, we are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever."  We are marked.  And our markings should be visible.  Like the Marks of Mission in the Episcopal Church:

~ To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

~ To teach, baptize and nurture new believers 

~ To respond to human need by loving service 

~ To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation

~ To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Who we are and what we believe should be visible to others.  How will we live the mission of Christ today?  How is God calling each one of us to proclaim, teach, nurture, respond....to seek, challenge, pursue and strive in our everyday lives today?  

How will people konow that the Lord is our dwelling place?