In chapter 15 of Revelation, we catch a glimpse of what appears to be a culmination of God’s judgment on Evil.  Before this, we have read about the judgments of the “seals” and the “trumpets”.  Now we come to the final series of “bowl” judgments.  It may be that these last seven bowls of judgment are an amplification of the earlier trumpet plagues.  But whatever the case, the essence of this chapter is not so much on the plagues themselves, but on the believers who have emerged victoriously from the struggle against the Evil one, the Devil and his antichrist (see Ch. 12: 11).  These believers are revealed to us standing, worshipping God in song, and praising Him for their deliverance. 

 

The passage tells us that they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.  It is not two songs, but one.  Why are the names of Moses and Jesus conjoined?  Perhaps because the song recalls both the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians, which they sang on the shore of the Red Sea (Ex. 15) and now a similar, but greater deliverance which has been wrought from a similar, but greater foe. 

 

The beauty of the song is that is emphasizes very clearly the power, justice and holiness of God, and the universal recognition of that fact.  Praise God, for he has triumphed and delivered us!  Praise God, for he delivers not only the Israelites, but all nations.  Whether we are American, Norwegian, Israelite, French, Indian or Fulbe, we will all be found around God’s throne one day, worshipping Him.  Amen.        

 

Dan Venberg

 

 

Greetings from Dan & Rachel below -

 

Dear friends at Bethesda,

Merry Christmas! May the joy of the Lord be with you all. As I write this, the temperature in Doh Fulbe is 104 degrees Fahrenheit, perhaps a little warmer than that of Eau Claire! But the nights are cooler, when the mercury plunges down into the 70's or maybe even the 60's.

Our family is excited about the Christmas season this year. Just a few days before Christmas, on the 20th, is an Islamic holiday called the Feast of Sacrifice. This commemorates God's provision of a ram in the place of Abraham's son, when the Patriarch was asked of God to sacrifice his son on the alter. Every family will butcher a sheep or goat, and will remember and celebrate God's provision for Abraham and for them. This day, we also will be butchering a sheep, and will be hosting a feast in our yard. We are hoping to read the account of Abraham during the celebration, and we will also share with our neighbors that just as God provided a ram in the place of Abraham's son, so also he provided a sacrifice for each of us, that being Jesus. That evening, we are also planning on showing the Jesus Film, based on the Gospel of Luke, which has been translated into Fulfulde.

We are also excited about Christmas week, when we will be hosting many visitors, including the Holzner family (another LBWM missionary family in Chad), my aunt Cheryl, and two other missionary families serving here in Chad that live close by. As we contemplate the fellowship with these friends of ours, representing Chad, the United States, England, Mexico and Korea, we are excited to get a little foretaste of the fellowship that we will all enjoy one day around the throne of God, when we will stand side by side with people of all nations. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests!

Dan and Rachel Venberg