After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.” vs. 9
Revelation 7:9-12
Tomorrow is Halloween, or All-Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day, an annual holiday set apart by the Church to remember the dead, and traditionally a time for the lighting of candles in memory of loved ones and for prayer. And while most congregations do continue to celebrate an All Saints Sunday, Halloween itself has been taken over by the culture and, through marketing magic, has been completely rebranded in the eyes of the public. For the last month neighbors have been competing to erect macabre displays in their front yards, build haunted houses, and celebrate a ghoulish notion of the dead more in line with Hollywood fantasy than Christian faith. It’s telling to contrast those scenes with the vision presented in the book of Revelation. While there are scary chapters in Revelation, these verses are spectacular: a multitude beyond number, from every tribe and nation, totally inclusive, all robed in white, gathered before the throne and the Lamb, with palm branches in their hands. Now wouldn’t it be great if we could catch a glimpse of something like that in our neighborhood yards? It would be a vast improvement over skeletons and the revenge of the zombies!
Thought for the Day: Who will I be remembering this All Saints Eve?
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