September 2001 BOOK OF REVELATION      (continued from previous issue) By Carlos Mesters

The vision of the mortally wounded Lamb (5:1-14) The vision continues. God holds in His hand a book sealed with seven seals (5:1). This book contains the plan of history from 33 AD to the end. No one is able to open this book (5:3). John weeps (5:4). This is what happens in the communities too: they weep because, as they see it. God no longer seems to be controlling history. Someone says: "Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed and so he will open the book and its seven seals" (5:5). John looks, but sees neither lion nor root - he sees only "a lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed" (5:6). This is Jesus who just entered heaven bearing on his body the scars of the passion (Jn. 20:27). Jesus receives the book from the hand of God Himself (5:7) and thus becomes the Lord of history (5:13). He will take in hand the control of the events and execute the Plan of God. In the past the blood of the Lamb had liberated the people from Egypt (Ex. 12:13-14) and had made them a "kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6). Now the blood of Jesus, the new Lamb, liberates the people and makes them a "kingdom of priests" (5:9-10). The liberation is already at work, the exodus has already begun! By rising from the dead Jesus receives power and assumes leadership (5:12-13). If the Roman empire refuses to acknowledge him, so much the worse for the empire! It will be defeated by the Lamb (17:14). And, as happened at the first Exodus (Ex. 15:1-22), all sing a "new hymn" (5:9, 12-14). There is a lot of singing in Revelation! John transcribes several hymns and acclamations (4:8-11; 5:9, 10, 12, 13; 6:10; 7:10, 12; 11:15, 17-18; 12:10-12; 15:3-4, etc). Is his intention merely to relate what was sung in heaven? No. His aim is to encourage the persecuted people (and us too!) to sing the same joyful victory hymn. Revelation is a great celebration from beginning to end. It celebrates, and teaches to celebrate the life and struggle of the people. For John the journey of the people of God through history and in the dark night of the persecutions is like a long candlelight procession marching on towards the sources of life (7:17). We are all of us, men and women, invited to join in: "Light your candle. You too join in the procession of the people of God. Participate in the celebration and sing along with the people." Thus we see gradually appearing the order in which John wrote the Book of Revelation. He suggests that the Exodus, the liberation, is not a mere memory, an event from the past - it is an actual reality, lived by the people. Yes, John begins to take off the veil that was hiding the events, and the people already see in them the Face of Yahweh. The opening of the seven seals (6:1-17) The vision continues. John opens the seals of the sealed book (6:1) which contains the plan of the history of the people. Guided by Jesus, history unfolds seal after seal, stage after stage, starting from 33 AD. John and the people are attentive witnesses: they want to understand the meaning of the persecution which makes them suffer. Four seals are opened (6:1, 3, 5, 7) and four periods pass by. At the fifth seal there appears the persecution of 95 AD. We watch the persecuted people clamouring for justice and vengeance (6:9-10). John and the people recognise themselves: "Here we are! This is our own day! Let us see what is going to happen!" Listen to the warning: "Be patient a little longer, until the roll call of your fellow servants and brothers is completed!" (6:11). The end of the persecution is already decided. Yes, Jesus is controlling the situation. At the opening of the sixth seal (6:12), the people can contemplate what will happen after the persecution. This future will give the meaning of the persecution since it will reveal the mission of the persecuted people.

. . . to be continued

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