I fell down at [the angel's] feet to worship him.   But he said to me, "See that you don't!  I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus.   Worship God!  For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."  Rev. 19:10.
 
    The presence of a living prophet marked the early decades of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Early Adventists believed that the visions and testimonies of Ellen G. White resulted from a direct connection with God.  From 1844 to 1915 her books, articles, sermons, and private letters provided a constant stream of insight into how God viewed the developing movement.  They dealt with living, everyday questions.  The denomination located and built institutions on the basis of her recommendations.  Also she both confirmed and at times denied the various results of Adventist Bible study.
 
    The presence of a living prophet was challenging, but it also provided great security.  Through interaction with the prophet, Adventist leaders could have a strong sense of God's direct guidance in the many difficulties the fledgling movement faced.  They could solve theological and political issues with her prophetic guidance.  Those fully committed to Ellen White's authority had a sense of certainty that few obtain in this life.
 
    But in 1915 Ellen White died, stilling the living voice.  No longer could the church address the problems of the moment with direct and specific guidance from God.  While members could consult her voluminous writings, people could easily dispute their applicability to specific issues.  A church accustomed to the living voice of God now had to struggle with the writings of a dead prophet--but it is the reality that most Christians have to cope with.
 
    By 1919 the issue of what to do with a dead prophet was a serious issue for the young movement.  So its leaders convened a Bible and history teachers' council.  From July 30 through August 1, 1919, all seemed to agree that it required much care and common sense to interpret her writings correctly.  But in the aftermath of the council, a couple of those present began to spread the word that key Adventist leaders had abandoned true faith in the prophet.  The death of a prophet can leave believers with more questions than answers.
 
    How do you draw living lessons from the writings of a dead prophet?  To rightly handle those of a dead prophet such as the apostle John, you have to take seriously the time, place, and the circumstances that led to the document in the first place.  The writings of even dead prophets are always worthy of our time and of our careful attention,
 
Lord, thank You for giving me a desire to know Your will and Your ways.  I choose to invest serious time in Your Word this week,

   And he [the angel] said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding banquet of the Lamb."  And he said to me, "These are the genuine words of God."  Rev. 19:9.
 
    When people brought lambs to the Temple for sacrifice, the animals had to be absolutely spotless and without blemish.  They were to illustrate the perfect purity of Jesus Christ.  Those called to the wedding banquet of the Lamb will seek the cleansing that comes from intimate relationship with the spotless Lamb of God.
 
    A beautiful college in eastern Indonesia called UnKlab is situated in the mountains just outside the world-famous diving destination of Manado, in northern Sulawesi.  It is known as the "green campus" because of the wonderful expanses of grass that greet the eye at every turn.  Every day the students are up before dawn to rake the leaves before the sun rises over the horizon.
 
    The campus contains several substantial buildings, and it seems that in this part of the world white is the favorite color to adorn any edifice.  But while white looks beautiful against the jungle-green environment, it does have a drawback when it rains.  For not only are the buildings white, but the floors have white tiles as well.  During the torrential rainy season some of he earthen walkways turn to mud, and it is not long before the white tiles get smeared with chocolate-brown dirt.
 
    In North America the favorite color of flooring is brown, because it "hides the dirt" well.  So one might be mystified as to why anyone would want to place white tiles where they would get dirty so quickly.  But if you were to ask the cleaning people at UnKlab why they used this color for the flooring, they would answer, as if it ought to be self-evident, "So we can see the dirt."  And sure enough, one day after a muddy rain they restore the tiles to a spotless state, with all dirt removed from the surface.
 
    Let's face it--most of us don't want to see the dirt on our floors.  We don't enjoy noticing it in our lives, either.  As a result we do everything we possibly can to conceal the dirt by sweeping it under the carpet or comparing our polluted thoughts and actions with the world around us.  But the Lamb of God is 100 percent pure and spotless.  Jesus is pure so that when we come to Him, we can see the dirt in ourselves.  And He will not only help us recognize our true condition, but has promised to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  So instead of trying to hide our dirt, we can go to Jesus and become clean through the Word of forgiveness.
 
Lord, draw me near to Jesus so that I can clearly see the defects in my own character.  I don't want to hide the dirt anymore--I want to be truly clean.

 And he [the angel] said to me, "Write: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding banquet of the Lamb."  And he said to me, "These are the genuine words of God."  Rev. 19:9.
 
    Scholars of Revelation often debate whether the bride of the Lamb is the New Jerusalem itself (Rev. 21:9-11) or the people of God.  Today's passage does not mention the city here, but it does refer to the saints.  The wedding dress that the bride of the Lamb wears is "the righteous actions of the saints."  So the people of God certainly must have something to do with the bride.  A city without inhabitants is not much of a city, so in a real sense the answer to the question of whether the bride is the city or the people must be yes.
 
    These days we find an increasing interest in a vegetarian diet.  And it involves much more than just the issue of health.  For many, foregoing a meat diet is an issue of justice (another word for righteous).  If so, it ought to be of concern to those thinking about marrying the Lamb.
 
    Depending on what they eat, the amount of land it takes to sustain two meat-eating individuals can feed 20-60 vegetarians.  It means that if Americans alone reduce their meat consumption by 10 percent, it would result in 12 million tons of grain for human consumption.  If distribution were not an issue, that would be enough to feed the 60 million individuals who starve to death each year.
 
    A plant-based diet also benefits the earth.  One researcher argues that animal production uses more than a third of all raw materials and fossil fuels consumed in the United States.  The fuel needed to produce a single hamburger patty would power the average car for 20 miles.
 
    While water consumption has become a major concern in the age of pollution and conservation, few American consumers realize that beef production alone uses more water than that required for the nation's entire fruit and vegetable crop.  One author estimates that you would save more water by not eating a pound of California beef than you would by not showering for a year.
 
    Everything we do touches others.  From our food and clothing choices to the automobiles we drive and the vacations we take, we are affecting others, either for good or for bad.  We need to evaluate all of our actions in the light of what Jesus would do.  The righteous actions of the saints include taking only what we need, giving as much as we can, and living honestly and simply.  As those awaiting the call to the wedding banquet of the Lamb, we will seek to arrange our lives in light of the righteousness of Christ.  This will include attention to what we eat.
 
Lord, I hear the call to practical godliness in every aspect of my life.  I am open to a deeper and more righteous walk with You today.

   And it was given to her [the wife of the Lamb] to be dressed in fine linen, bright and clean (for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints).  Rev. 19: 8.
 
    The word translated "righteous acts" occurs only two times in the book of Revelation.  First it appears in Revelation 15:4, which puts the righteous acts of God on view.  The nations at the end of history worship before God, because His righteous acts "have been revealed."  The total focus is on divine action.  But in Revelation 19:8 the saints are the authors of the righteous actions.  I suspect that John wanted the reader of Revelation to connect the dots between the works of God and those of the saints.
 
    Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert.  After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down to aisle to greet her.  Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually wandered through a door marked "No Admittance."  When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.
 
    Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway piano onstage.  In horror the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  At that moment the great piano master made his entrance, quickly approached the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit.  Keep playing."  Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.  Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of he child, and he added a running obbligato  Together the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.  The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played that night. Only the classic "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
 
    Perhaps that's the way it is with God.  What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.  We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music.  However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.  The next time you set out to do something really great, listen carefully.  You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear: "Don't quit.  Keep playing."  God sometimes "calls" those He has already equipped, but more often He equips those He has already "called."
 
Lord, it often seems that things won't work right unless they are done my way.  Thank You for the reminder that whatever "greatness" I may achieve in this life, it is based primarily on what You add to my feeble efforts.

And it was given to her [the wife of the Lamb] to be dressed in fine linen, bright and clean (for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints).  Rev. 19:8.
 
    The bride of the Lamb at the end of history wears "the righteous actions of he saints" like a garment.  While visible on the outside, they represent something deeper and even more important--character.  The outward actions arise from within.  When all is said and done, success will prove to be more a matter of character than skill or luck.
 
    This reminds me of Jesse Owens, the famous Olympic athlete.  While he certainly had great physical ability, the 1936 Olympics revealed his character as much as his skills.  Said his mother, "Jesse was always a face boy--when a problem came up, he always faced it."
 
    He grew up as a young Black man in a world dominated by Whites.  Overcoming many barriers, he made the Olympic team, only to encounter the greatest challenge of his carrier.  Adolf Hitler had proclaimed that Nazi Germany, the nation of the "master race," would prove its superiority on the sports field before it did so on the battlefield.  Owens could not just concentrate on the sports--larger issues were at stake.
 
    John Kelley was the captain of the U.S. marathon team in the 1936 Olympics and a good friend of Jesse Owens'.  On the boat to Germany Owens told him, "I want to go up to the deck and exercise, but I don't have any shoes."  Kelley responded, "I don't think my shoes will fit you."  But that didn't stop Owens.  He tried to get one of Kelley's shoes on, but his foot was too large, it split the shoe in half!  Owens apologized, and Kelley had the shoe sewed up for 50 cents, a small price for what would become a treasured souvenir.
 
    When Kelley finished the marathon, Hitler waved at him, and the American thumbed his nose in return.  That became his greatest claim to fame.  It stunned him later when Owens told him, "Kelley, Hitler waved at me, and I waved back."  Talk about character!  When Owens won his fourth gold medal, however, he became the hero of the games to everyone but Hitler.  The dictator looked unbeatable at the time, and German athletes dominated the 1936 Olympics on the whole.  But one African-American was all it took to expose the lie of a master race.
 
    Character is the sum total of many choices and actions over a long period of time.  Crises do not make character--they expose it.  The behavior of Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics was a beautiful garment that bore witness to the character developed during a lifetime.
 
Lord, thank You for the reminder that every small decision and action today sets the stage toward the larger purpose for which You designed me.

 Rejoice, be abundantly glad and give glory to Him, because the wedding of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.  And it was given to her to be dressed in fine linen, bright and clean (for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints).  Rev. 19:7, 8.
 
    The brother of a friend of mine, Jim Park, asked him to buy a 1972 Ford Mustang Mach I in Los Angeles and drive it to Rapid City, South Dakota (a distance of more than 1,300 miles) for the brother's girlfriend.  The Ford Mustang Mach I was one of those "muscle cars" that were popular back in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States (the Pontiac GTO started the genre).  Such cars had massive engines and, usually, elaborate and distinctive decorations of some sort.
 
    Driving the powerful Mach I made Jim the center of attention wherever he was in the western United States.  People would look and point and treat him as if he were a member of some sort of "muscle car" royalty.
 
    1. October 10, 8:35 p.m., Monrovia, California.  Heading home from the place of purchase, Jim saw a man driving a 1960s Chevy Malibu muscle car.  The man glanced over Jim's car and quickly gave him a thumbs-up.  Jim felt as if he were now part of an exclusive club.
 
    2. October 11, 8:00 a.m., El Monte, California.  Jim's son, Jimmy, was 13 years old at the time.  Jimmy begged Jim, Sr., to take him to school or to pick him up after school in the Mach I so all his friends could see him in it.  In no time at all Jimmy was also part of the club.
 
    3. October 13, 3:45 p.m., Provo, Utah.  Jim was registering in the lobby of a motel on his way to Rapid City.  A person in the lobby at the motel was very excited to see the type of car he had once driven as a teenager in high school.  The appearance of the car was definitely feeding the memories of anyone more than 45 years of age.
 
    4. October 14, 2:00 p.m., Rawlins Wyoming.  As Jim was pulling out of a gas station, two young people made a signal for him to "rev up" the engine.  Jim gunned the engine, and the couple smiled in response.
 
    The wife of the Lamb is dressed in "the righteous actions of the saints."  Like the sound and appearance of a "muscle car," something distinctive about her commands attention.  As we walk and talk and drive around the block of life, what do people notice in you and me?  Do they see the "fruit of the Spirit" or are the "works of the flesh" more in evidence?  The constant abiding in Christ by faith is the requirement to be in the heavenly club.
 
Lord, people know that I have chosen to serve You.  They are watching to see if it makes a difference.  Make me mindful today that everything I do and say sends a positive message about You.

    Rejoice, be abundantly glad and give glory to Him, because the wedding of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready.  And it was given to her to be dressed in fine linen, bright and clean (for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints).  Rev. 19:7, 8.
 
    This text brings us to a much-anticipated point in history.  Jesus Christ comes face to face with His people!  John portrays the encounter as a wedding.  Everybody loves a wedding, and this will be the greatest one of all time.  When we understand a few characteristics of ancient biblical weddings, the description in Revelation will mean even more to us.
 
    Ancient Hebrew marriage began with a betrothal, something like our concept of engagement.  The prospective groom and his father would come to the house of the bride and her father for an engagement ceremony.  In biblical culture the engagement was more than just a promise.  People treated it as seriously as a marriage itself, even though the couple did not yet set up a joint household.
 
    Then the groom would return to his father's house and prepare the place where the couple would reside.  It was usually somewhere on the father's property.  In a rural setting the couple would receive a piece of land on which the groom and his bride would live and farm.  The groom would work with other members of his family to build a suitable house for the new family on that land.  But in more urban areas they might construct an extension onto the family home.  While this went on, the betrothed woman remained at her father's house, preparing herself to be a fit and honorable bride.  She would also be shopping and packing things that would go with her to her husband's house.
 
    On the wedding day itself, the groom collected his bride at her father's house and took her to the wedding celebration at his father's house.  John 14:1-3 described the second coming of Jesus in terms of this third stage of the biblical wedding sequence.  The first advent of Jesus was like a betrothal.  He left His Father's house in heaven, came to earth, and became engaged to His bride, the church.  Then He returned to heaven to prepare a place for His bride while she remained on the earth, preparing herself.  At the Second Coming Jesus will return to earth for His bride and escort her back to His Father's house.
 
    In the ancient tradition the wedding occurs when the place and the bride are both ready.  The bride is dressed in the righteousness of Christ and the righteous acts that she has done.  Its brightness and cleanliness distinguishes her dress from that of Lady Babylon.
 
Lord, I want nothing more than to be pure and clean when You come.  Take me and mold me to that end.

   The twenty-four elders and  the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, the one sitting on the throne, saying, "Amen, Hallelujah!"  And a voice went out from the throne, "Praise our God, all His servants, and those who fear Him both small and great."  And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and the sound of mighty waters, and the sound of loud thunderings, saying, "Hallelujah, because the Lord God Almighty has begun to reign."  Rev. 19:4-6.
 
    The worship in this text has its basis in God's deliverance of His people from end-time Babylon (Rev. 19:1, 2).  In Revelation 4 and 5 worship takes place in response to creation and the cross, just as in the Old Testament, worship responded to God's mighty action in Exodus.  True worship is always about an awareness of the mighty things that the Lord has done for you.  And the result of true worship is tangible.  When we remember and recite what He has accomplished, it rekindles His mighty power in us and changes our lives.
 
    One Old Testament passage especially unpacks this in detail: 2 Chronicles 20:1-23.  The Israelites are under attack, outnumbered three to one.  The enemy army has advanced to less than 30 miles from Jerusalem.  King Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast and goes to the Temple courts to lead the prayers.
 
    Now, if you were in his shoes, what would you pray about?  "O Lord, help us!  Do something please!  We're in big trouble!"  Prayers get real focused when you are about to die.  But Jehoshaphat's actual prayer doesn't sound desperate at all.  Instead of whining and begging, he just recounts God's actions in the past.  He reminds God of the Exodus and how He had promised the land to the Israelites forever (2 Chron. 20:6-9).  Then the king puts God on the spot.  "These nations wouldn't even exist if You hadn't spared them at the time of the Exodus!" (see verses 10-12).  Through a prophet God assures him not to worry about the battle.  The Lord will fight for them.
 
    So what does Jehoshaphat do next?  He sends out the Temple choir to lead the army into battle (verses 22, 23).  And the enemy perishes.  What did the choir sing that day?  It wasn't "Trust and Obey"!  Rather, they sang, "Give Thanks to the Lord, for His Love Endures Forever."  Focused on God, not on the problem, they were rehearsing His mighty acts.
 
    And what happened when they did that?  It reignignited the power of the original act in their midst.  The power of the Exodus became a living presence among them.  And the result was another mighty act of God to celebrate in the future!
 
Lord, I'm grateful for all that You have done for me in Christ.  I desire to experience His resurrection power in my life today.

 And a second time they shouted, "Hallelujah!  Her smoke goes up for ever and ever.  The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, the one sitting on the throne, saying "Amen, Hallelujah!"  Rev. 19:3, 4.
 
    It must be easy to worship God when you are face to face with dazzling glory!  Flashes of lightening, thunderous sounds, and blazing torches almost force you to fall on your face and worship One who possesses such glory and such power.  But does it really take thunder and lightenings and dazzling jewels to inspire people to worship the Lord?  Or is it more about being attuned to His presence, wherever we are?
 
    I remember the time my daughter and I climbed up the traditional site of Mount Sinai in the dark.  At 5:00 in the morning we reached the top.  Along with about 500 other people, we sat or lay down on rocks to await the sunrise.  We battled to stay warm in a freezing wind atop the 7,400-foot peak.
 
    Although we might have been on the very spot where Moses encountered the living God Himself, the crowd seemed to exhibit no awe or reverence.  Locals were making money, loudly offering food, hot drinks, and blankets that they had transported to the mountaintop on the backs of donkeys and camels.  Tourists cursed the cold and the wind and carried on conversations about sports, relationships, politics, and what they had eaten yesterday.  They had no sense of God's presence on the mountain.  All were consumed with the concerns of the moment. 
 
    That began to change with the first rosy glimmer at one end of the blackened sky.  People began to stir from their places.  A buzz of conversation all over the mountain banished the mundane details of everyday life and anticipated the appearance of the golden orb that lights every day.  For an instant everyone forgot the cold, sports, and politics.  As the red in the eastern sky gradually spilled over onto the peaks to the west, all sounds of human presence began to die down until an amazing hush gripped the whole mountaintop.
 
    As the sun itself began to peek over the mountains to the east, no one raised up a sign or anything, yet everyone in the crowd either remained silent or at most talked in whispers.  It seemed as if everyone had suddenly realized that we were in God's sanctuary--and what a sanctuary it was!  The roof was the heaven and lit by the sun.  It was fittingly huge as befits a King of His stature.  Everyone responded in quiet awe.  There was no thunder or lightening and no sparkling jewels.  Yet for a moment all were attuned to God's presence.
 
Lord, I need a sense of Your presence today.  I need to be awed by the mighty works You have done for me.  Give me a glimpse of You in the midst of today's distractions.

    [God's] judgments are true and righteous because He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornications, and avenged the blood of His slaves out of her hand.  Rev. 19:2.
 
    In the end-time setting of Revelation 15-19 God acts in judgment against Babylon, the great power that has oppressed His people.  It is interesting, however, to note that He calls His people "slaves."  They are not Babylon's slaves, but God's slaves.  Though redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 5:6, 9, 10) in one sense they remain "slaves" in this life.
 
    We find an interesting analogy to this language in American history.  The American Civil War began as a battle over the relative rights of states verses the national government.  But in the course of time a higher cause came into focus--freedom for the slaves in the Southern states.  Many who were reluctant to die for national union were willing to give their lives so that all might be free.
 
    Abraham Lincoln, the American president, longed to liberate the slaves, but knew it would be a pointless act if people believed the South would win the war.  The Union armies marched from defeat to defeat until September of 1862.  Then at Antietam Creek in Maryland, 3,600 men died on the battlefield in a single day (the largest casualty count of any day in American history, including September 11).  As a result of the carnage, the Southern army withdrew to Virginia, and Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the southern slaves free.
 
    All over the South slaves heard the news and cried out, "I am free at last!"  But were they truly free?  Yes and no.  Though many fell to the ground, weeping tears of joy as they heard the news, the daily routine did not change.  Husbands, wives, and children continued to be sold away from their families.  Slaves still endured beatings, whippings, and hangings when they did not comply with orders.  Many continued to be treated like cattle.
 
    But something had changed.  People were dying to set them free.  Governments now acknowledged their right to freedom.  Though they were slaves to the master's lash, their hearts and minds had been set free.  They knew that the day of liberation was coming, because it had already been proclaimed.  Though they remained slaves in one sense, in another they were already free!
 
    In Christ all human beings have been set free.  The story of Revelation is full of carnage and anguish because the battle rages to implement what Jesus has already done.  No matter what you are going through now, the decisive event has already taken place.  It is not too early for God's slaves to proclaim, "I am free at last."
 
Lord, help me today to live in the freedom that Christ has already won for me.