Sermon | Year A - The Year of Matthew

November 2, 2008 | All Saints

Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Today’s first lesson by St. John the Divine shares with us his revelation, vision, and glimpses of heaven as to what the life of the saints is like there. Today's reading from Revelation was one of those glimpses in language that is called apocalyptic. That means it is vision language. It is language, which goes beyond normal human language to give a word-picture of what is indescribable. It is language, which is a mix of figurative language, symbolic language, and literal language. All of it is designed to give a sense of the wonder and majesty and other world quality of God, heaven, and God’s kingdom.

The only example I can think of is a poor example. However, think of a dream. A dream can be vivid and filled with things both real and images. However, within the strange language and images of a dream, a truth is often said.

Apocalyptic language often sounds like dream language because it is using images to describe the indescribable reality of heaven and the presence of God. It has images that are both real and surreal. It has pictures and sounds and visions that are meant to show us mysterious glory of heaven.

In that glimpse of heaven that John gives us from Revelation, we see a multitude that cannot be counted. It is a multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language on earth. This multitude stands before the throne of God and before the lamb loudly proclaiming God's praise, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” We also see clustered around the throne of God the elders, the angels, and the four creatures of God, and they, like the multitude, praise God saying, “Praise and glory and thanks and honor and power and might be to our God forever and forever - Amen. Amen.”

This remarkable passage has influenced Christian images of Heaven from the time John wrote it. Christian art through the centuries has used this passage as one of its main sources for depicting in stone, glass, paint and ink what we would see when we too joined the throng of the faithful in the kingdom of heaven.

This passage gives details of what John saw in his vision and why the vast multitude from every nation is to gather before the throne of God. In ancient times, a throne was actually a ceremonial chair from which a ruler issued judgments. It was so closely associated with royalty that it became symbolic of kingship.

Before the throne of God are martyrs who have defied all human kings like the Roman Caesar. The victory is spiritual, not over physical death, but a victory of faith over all that can lure, entice, and divide our loyalties.

The martyred Christians have successfully fought this fight and found that they have conquered by holding to the central belief in Christ crucified. They have come, having washed their white robes, the symbol of their baptism, in the life-blood of the Lamb through this great ordeal.

The image John presents is grand. It is big and bold. It is filled with song, music, and wonder. It is meant to uplift and inspire us with a vision of what is before us in the heavenly kingdom. It is there to tell us not to fear, but to look forward with anticipation.

We read these words and vision of St. John the Divine on All Saints because they are here to remind us of not only what awaits us, but the glory into which those we love have entered. They are here to give us comfort as where and how those we love are as they stand before the throne of God.

The words have inspired Christians with the hope to endure as well as to stand strong in the face of those things that want to take our faith from us. They are here to tell us of the kingdom that awaits us, and of where we will be with those whom we love.

Although the words are dream-like, they are not a fantasy or a dream. They attempt to give us a sense of into what we have commended those whom we love.

These words from St. John the Divine of what he saw in heaven are what stand behind the words we say at the committal when we commend someone we love who has died. “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.”

Those words come at the very end of a funeral; and although they are softly spoken, behind them is the choir of the angels, martyrs, and all those that John saw singing, "Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen."

In Isaiah 25, the prophet promised that God would "wipe away tears from all faces." The vision John sees echoes those words of Isaiah for we commend to God not only those whom we love and have died, but ourselves. All Saints is also about the promise into which we commend our lives and all that we are. Someday our tears will be wiped away, but even now, through John’s words, we can see the promise and what it holds for all of us. Amen.