Above: Map of the Roman Empire in 117 C.E.
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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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Revelation 14:1-5 (Revised English Bible):
I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him were a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like a mighty torrent or a great peal of thunder; what I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. They were singing a new song before the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, and no one could learn it except the hundred and forty-four thousand ransomed from the earth. These are men who have kept themselves chaste and have not defiled themselves with women; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of mankind for God and the Lamb. No lie was found on their lips; they are without fault.
Revelation 14:14-20 (Revised English Bible):
As I looked there appeared a white cloud, on which was seated a figure like a man; he had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud:
Put in your sickle and reap, for harvest time has come and earth’s crop is fully ripe.
So the one who sat on the cloud swept over the earth with his sickle and the harvest was reaped.
Another angel came out of the heavenly sanctuary, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then from the altar came yet another, the angel who has authority over fire, and he called aloud to the one with the sharp sickle:
Put in your sickle, and gather in earth’s grape harvest, for its clusters are ripe.
So the angel swept over the earth with his sickle and gathered in its grapes, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and for a distance of two hundred miles blood flowed from the press to the height of horses’ bridles.
Revelation 15:1-4 (Revised English Bible):
Then I saw in heaven another great and astonishing sign: seven angels with seven plagues, the last plagues of all, for with them the wrath of God was completed.
I saw what looked like a sea of glass shot through with fire. Standing beside it and holding the harps which God had given them were those who had been victorious against the beast, its image, and the number of its name.
They were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:
Great and marvellous are your deeds,
O Lord God, sovereign over all;
just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages.
Who shall not fear you, Lord,
and do homage to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship before you,
for your just decrees stand revealed.
Psalm 24:1-6 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it,
the world and all who dwell therein.
2 For it is who founded it upon the seas
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3 “Who can ascend the hill of the LORD?
and who can stand in his holy place?”
4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.
5 They shall receive a blessing from the LORD
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Psalm 96 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the whole earth.
2 Sing to the LORD and bless his Name;
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but it is the LORD who made the heavens.
6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the LORD honor and power.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the honor due his Name;
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations: ”The LORD is King!
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the LORD when he comes,
when he comes to judge the earth.
13 He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his truth.
Psalm 98 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
2 With his right hand and his holy arm
has he won for himself the victory.
3 The LORD has made known his victory;
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel,
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
5 Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands;
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
6 Sing to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of song.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy before the King, the LORD.
8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,
the lands and those who dwell therein.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands,
and the hills ring out with joy before the LORD,
when he comes to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall he judge the world
and the peoples with equity.
Luke 21:1-19 (Revised English Bible):
As Jesus looked up and saw rich people dropping their gifts into the chest of the temple treasury, he noticed a poor widow putting in two tiny coins.
I tell you this,
he said:
this poor widow has given more than any of them; for those others who have given had more than enough, but she, with less than enough, has given all she had to live on.
Some people were talking about the temple and the beauty of its fine stones and ornaments. Jesus said,
These things you are gazing at–the time will come when not one stone will be left upon another; they will all be thrown down.
They asked,
Teacher, when will that be? What will be the sign that these things are about to happen?
He said,
Take care that you are not misled. For many will come claiming my name and saying, “I am he,” and “The time has come.” Do not follow them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not panic. These things are bound to happen first, but the end does not follow at once.
Then Jesus added,
Nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be severe earthquakes, famines, and plagues in many places, and in the sky terrors and great portents.
But before all this happens they will seize you and persecute you. You will be handed over to synagogues and put in prison; you will be haled before kings and governors for your allegiance to me. This will be your opportunity to testify. So resolve not to prepare your defence beforehand, because I myself will give you such words and wisdom as no opponent can resist or refute. Even your parents and brothers, your relations and friends, will betray you. Some of you will be put to death; and everyone will hate you for your allegiance to me. But not a hair of your head will be lost. By standing firm you will win yourselves life.
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The Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Week of Proper 29: Monday, Year 1:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/week-of-proper-29-monday-year-1/
Week of Proper 29: Tuesday, Year 1:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/week-of-proper-29-tuesday-year-1/
Week of Proper 29: Wednesday, Year 1:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/week-of-proper-29-wednesday-year-1/
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Revelation 12 and 13 contain an allegory of evil (Satan) trying and failing to destroy good. The Book of Revelation identifies the Roman Empire with the earthly minions of evil; 13:13 refers to Emperor Nero. Yet, as we read in Chapter 14, Jesus (the Lamb) is with the martyrs on Mount Zion, a scene reminiscent of Micah 4:6-8. These martyrs have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They are on the side of God, the side which, in Chapter 14, begins the process of destroying evil and its earthly minions, identified with the Roman Empire.
Jesus says in Luke 21 that hardships will come upon the faithful. He says this in the context of his impending death. The faithful will face persecution because of their righteousness, so their hardships will not constitute divine punishment for sin. Family members will even turn on each other some of the time.
But not a hair on your head will win yourselves life.
–Luke 21:18-19, Revised English Bible
The Canadian Anglican lectionary I am following does a good job of covering the main points of Revelation in twelve days. Yet sometimes it atomizes the text too much, making writing a good devotion for each day difficult. Yet, if I stand back and stack blocks on top of each other sometimes, I see connections among them clearly. This is what I perceive as the great lesson for Monday-Wednesday: Evil might seem to have triumphed, but God will win. If one is on the side of righteousness, this is encouraging news. If not, however….
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 18, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT HILDA OF WHITBY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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