At the end of “The Book” we read the end of “The Story.”
All creation is gathered “AROUND the throne”;
“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood ransomed people for God from every TRIBE and language and people and nation.'” (Rev.5:9)
This pictures “the Mystery” of God’s plan to reconcile all things in Christ, and therefore to align ourselves with this plan as I wrote last week we must be freed from partisanship and come into line with God’s impartial application of His Law. (e.g. Acts 10:34,35)
The corollary of this Tribalism Renounced is THE TRIBE REVEALED
Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians, but Indians never did the same! This gravitational pull of tribal society on ‘Westerners’ is because that’s the way God planned it. From the first a man would leave his mother and father and be joined to his wife and the two would become one, not to be absorbed in their own little world, but to create that extended family or ‘household’ which is what everyone longs to be a part of, and which should be the most fundamental expression of the people of God. This earthly reflection of the Trinitarian community is something much more expansive, inclusive and biblical than our standard ‘Western’ ‘nuclear’ family.
Sebastian Junger’s book “TRIBE – on Homecoming and Belonging” says. “The most recent example of this attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredible intimate binds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today.”
Another positively stated observation among the same demographic is described in the following video which proves how the answer to the heroin addiction of Vietnam vets proved not to be sobriety but connection with the tribe – the family community!
Someone said, “In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And finally it moved to America where it became an enterprise.”
The scene in heaven described above in Revelation 5 is a Creator’s Circle familiar to our Native friends. It is not the stadium or platform of Western culture where the ‘rich and famous’ are center stage and up front. As more ‘leaders’ in this culture are exposed, this fake ‘reality’ continues to unravel. For example just this morning this story came across my desk(top)
Meet the Sacklers: The Family That’s Killing Millions
At the end of our last FREEDOM! retreat all 40 participants sat in a circle around The Table holding the body and blood of the only One who had true wealth and fame – and forfeited it all, that we might become part of, and participants in, His Body. Then looking one another in the eye all took their turn to speak truthfully from their hearts to their newly revealed family community.
“This is The Kingdom of heaven!” One sister said. Several repeated it in their own words, Some who had been burnt by religion said, “This is the way church is supposed to be!” or “This is REAL church!”
As we move into a new Kingdom age I think things are going to be very different from the religious culture we have known.
In heaven, “individualism” bows to this fundamental unit in God’s creation, the family community, healthy and intact, joining with other similar but unique families circled around God’s throne – the whole of creation worshiping.
I believe we are entering into what is depicted in Micah 4:4 and Zechariah.3:10
“In the last days…..Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord almighty has spoken.”
“In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,” declares the Lord Almighty.”
Redeemed nations, tribes, clans and families circled in order and in harmony.…….on earth as it is in heaven.”
As I was writing this blog my friend Mike, one of the FREEDOM! prayer team, ‘just happened’ to send me the following email. Father’s confirmatory wink through brother and bird!
Hi Paul
As my trusted local interpreter of signs and wonders, what do you know about eagles? I’ve seen a preponderance of them this week, in diverse places. Today one circled directly overhead. Is there significance to this or do I just look particularly delicious? Feel free to say “I don’t know.” But if you DO know, I’m not opposed to you weighing in with an opinion, unless the answer is ‘imminent death,’ in which case I prefer to be surprised. At your leisure of course…Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! (That Godly export to America from the British Isles…of course, so are the Kyles…on the Northern Ireland technicality)
McCabe!