I Was at Rev. 11:14 and was told to look back...

Another long blank. Whew. I've been doing so much work in Japanese on that book-blog (I must share sometime how I came on doing it that way); I have little time to do any work in English anymore. Even writing in English for my personal journal has to do with my memory work...right now around Revelation 11:14.

Morning Stroll, Iwatsuki

Some people get a mental allergic reaction to the sound "memorization", and altho' it's the same word, what I'm doing now in my old age is very different from what I did when I was younger. I wake up every morning to take a walk with my Heavenly Father, and our meeting place happens to be in Revelation. There is no set agenda, no work to do or time it has to be done, review, recitation of chapter and verse that must be done. Some people call my way sloppy and undisciplined--but it's NOT STUDY; just a STROLL.

I don't know natural citizens who review their own citizenship rights every year or married people who read their marriage certificates every month. Neither are children of God expected to HAVE TO memorize the truths they possess. It should be something they are free to not do or free to do (I want to throw in both. Some like to throw in legitimate criticism of many who do memorize. Please leave us alone.)

-------------------------

Actually, since I'd finished verse 14 yesterday, I thought God would have me move onto verse 15 today. But it's like we got up from the boulder we were sitting on to walk on, and He motioned for me to look back between the trees behind us. I'd missed something in verse 13. Can I share what I saw?

Incidentally, I am NOT saying this is accurate scriptural interpretation, not "What it says" by any means. These are just thoughts the Holy Spirit threw into my mind as I was reading here, ok?

"The same hour...the tenth of the city fell...in the earthquake...seven thousand" (Rev. 11:13)

The same hour - sometimes, the very same time God seems to be doing something, He may be doing something else too; and he can operate on multiple levels at one time in ways that man's mind cannot fathom. We can never assume on the mind of God.

the tenth of the city - isn't this a minority? but it's of no consequence to God. Just a corner of a handkerchief or the center of it too, and to a great God, it's still a handkerchief. Perhaps it's called representation. Even the fallen minority can tell God about the heart of the standing majority.  The way God announces His woes or executes His mercies may be according to responses of this minority. Do Christians, the minority, call down God's mercies on fallen man, then turn and cry to the majority, "please, be reconciled to God"?

Fukushima Earthquake, 2011

in the earthquake - make no bones about it, this was an act of God. Recently, I was going back over 2011-3-11 earthquake we had in Fukushima, Japan, and how our family had to move out--all U.S. citizens within a certain radius of the damaged nuclear reactors were encouraged to move then, I remember. And with only what we could carry in our backpacks, we got on a bus moving through a back way--resourceful minds had patched together an exit route for the bus--and left Koriyama City, barely getting out of the metropolis. The Sendai airport was destroyed, train rails were uprooted but the bus--and few of us even managed to get gasoline then, so I don't know how they did it--somehow bounced over those split but manageable roads. Much could be said of that time.

were slain of men - not troubled, lost, or hurt, but killed; pretty final. And God Himself had punctuated the "period" there. And was not man the crowning act of creation, made in the image of the One...Who had killed him? Why?

seven thousand - wait...this was the number, the Holy Spirit seemed to bring to my memory, of faithful prophets who would not bow the knee to worship Baal, wasn't it?

This is just me. I couldn't help but see Moses' and Elijah's corpses from previous verses being infused with life and ascending to Heaven; believers praising God for His undeniable power; the unsaved deciding to shut these faithful Christians up but before they get around to it, a great earthquake comes from Heaven as if to say, "Oh, no you don't; I can get them Home Myself, thank you."

Hospital Window, Okinawa

Perhaps it's the YouTube movie I just viewed. The main character wanted to free her child from an institution and bring her home. Wouldn't that be a Heavenly Father's desire, not to leave His faithful loving children in the dark and broken walls of a cruel earth where they are mistreated, mocked, tortured, not given what they need, labeled hatemongers-criminals of society-minority outcasts?

The institution seemed to want to keep its patients medicated and unable to even recognize-respond to the rightful custodian who could grant her actual freedom. Is this "catatonic" inducement not brought about by the world's allure of social status, material security, and offers of satisfying vindication? Most human beings seem to lose sight of, desire for, Creator God Who can truly liberate and bring beauty out of ashes.

Back to "my vision". I saw a merciful Heavenly God taking His children Home in death, very aware, at the same time, those human creatures who remained and were not His would be terrified and then be given opportunity to give glory to the God of heaven.

We do not know this is what happens in Revelation, of course. But if God were to so choose, to use our deaths to lead unsaved to repentance, how many of us would willingly die for Him?

Garden, Missionary Acres

"And Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24)

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

I am not saying the objective content of a verse is not important. It is important for the Christian to read the Bible praying for God to show the plain reading of any text FIRST, and, of course, a Bible Scholar would be able to give you its accurate meaning. That is, I've heard, for over six decades, wonderful teaching from gifted men of God that should never ever be traded...I hope this kind of post will not be a stumblingblock in any way. Hm; I'm wondering if this post should stay in draft form, not be put out there for public eyes to see until God sees fit.