The colors of Revelation - December 15
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53], Zech. 3:1-10; Rev. 4:1-8; Matt. 24:45-51
I remember sitting in art class in school. It was such a refreshing break from the other learning we did. We got to sit in a different room. The tables were different. The light through the windows was brighter. There were clotheslines strung up around the outside of the room, where clothes pins held up the latest paintings and pieces that needed to dry before being sent home. We studied methods of still life painting. And then, we got to do our own. It was a bowl of fruit. Red apple. Yellow banana. Green pear. And purple grapes. The yellow paint on my brush cast tones of light on the backdrop. Rich brown strokes composed the sturdy table. I remember painting the reds on the apple and trying to accomplish the trick of adding depth to the form through shading. Hope Brannon was my teacher, and she coached me gently as I attempted to paint a shadow beneath the fruits. I thought that the darkness beneath took away from the beauty of the colorful fruits, but I did what she suggested to the best of my fourth-grade ability.
While it was no great work of art, my parents had that still life painting framed. It hung in our kitchen for the remainder of our years in that house. Until 2003. I think about the bold colors of that picture. And the subtle shadow beneath that red apple, which actually enhances the beauty of the fruit and gives it life in a more meaningful way. I can see that now, on many levels in life.
Even now, my eyes are drawn to artwork that has bold, bright hues. While at Anne and John Burruss’ house for a vestry meeting and dinner last night, I was struck by the colorful pieces adorning their walls. This morning, the colors of Revelation 4 speak to me. We move from the third chapter’s call to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Now, our eyes are opened to what the Spirit will show us. In this promise of heaven and what God will reveal, John of Patmos outlines an array of splendor. He sees a throne in heaven, and it is occupied by one who looks like jasper and carnelian – reddish brown tones. There is an emerald green halo (or rainbow) around the throne. There are twenty-four thrones around the primary throne, each filled with elders dressed in white robes, adorned with golden crowns. There are flaming lanterns, flashes of lightning, and a shimmering space in front of the throne that is described as a crystalline sea of glass. What a picture of the gathering of angels and archangels has been painted for us with words. This is the setting for the song proclaimed, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” The language of John’s revelation send majesty and inspiration to color the thoughts of my mind on this December morning.
Let me speak to one more aspect of John’s language choice that adds a subtle shadow and depth to his revelation. Revelation 4:3 reads, “And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.” In Greek, John uses the word “litho” in this sentence, which is translated as “stone”. It does not show up in the New Revised Standard English translation. Perhaps it is thought to be redundant to the jasper and carnelian – both semi-precious stones. However, as we are working to grow better-versed in Bible imagery through our immersion in scripture, as we are shown this revelation of the new heaven, who is it that we expect upon the throne? That stone upon the throne could be the building block of what “was, and is, and is to come”. It could be that use of “stone” here is a metaphor for Jesus, the chief cornerstone of our faith.
I pray that as you sit with Holy Scripture this day, you will be drawn into the bold colors and radiance of God’s promise, that was, and is, and is to come, where Jesus is at the center.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What colors catch your attention and are the most beautiful to you? How do you incorporate those colors in your environment?
Daily Challenge
The Revelation to John gets a reputation for being stormy and scary, and some imagery in this biblical book are unsettling. Re-examine Revelation 4 through the eyes of wonder and understanding. Pray that God will send the Holy Spirit upon you, to show you deeper understanding of this scripture, to build up your faith – rather than to deepen your fears.