Singing justice into being.

A vision of cosmic liberation.

A reflection on the Revelation 19:1:8 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller.

Hello good people.

Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller.

That's me.

Thanks for joining me on this mission.

To get the audible word of God into 2 million ears.

That's a million people by 2028.

We do so by a daily reading of the Scripture taken from the Revised Common Lectionary.

That's a three year cycle of reading through the Bible.

We're in year C, the Lenten season and we are talking about reading the Bible.

That is a way that is understandable.

We read from the New Testament, the message version relatable.

We have some points to ponder applicable.

We give you an action step.

We have a prayer and we do it all in under 10 minutes.

It's all brought to you by our website voiceofgodaily.com that's the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible study method.

Let's get in our reading for the day from the Revelation 19:1 8 reading for the message.

The sound of alleluias I heard a sound like masked corps choirs in heaven singing Hallelujah.

The salvation and glory and power are God's.

The judgment's true, his judgments just.

He judged the great who corrupted the earth with her lust.

He avenged her on her blood of his servants.

Then more singing Hallelujah.

The smoke from her burning billows up to a high heaven forever and ever.

The 24 elders and the four animals fell to their knees and worship God on his throne praising Amen.

Yes, Hallelujah.

From the throne came a shout, a command.

Praise our God to all your servants, all you who fear him, small and great.

Then I heard the sound of masked choirs, the sound of mighty rapids, the sound of strong thunder.

Hallelujah.

The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign strong.

Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, Let us give him the glory.

The marriage of the Lamb has come.

His wife has made herself ready.

She has given, she was given a bridal gown, a bright and shining linen, the linen of the righteousness of the saints.

So we're talking here in this today's reflection about really a vivid imagery from the revelation about contemporary movements that are related to justice and transformation.

So let's get into some some points to ponder here.

One is the politics of praise.

When we read Revelation through a progressive lens, we see that these alleluias aren't just spiritual songs, they're political statements.

The Great Whore traditionally represents Rome's oppressive empire, suggesting that praise can be an act of resistance against systems of domination.

Today we might ask what empires of exploitation need challenging.

What systems of oppression call for holy resistance?

Another point is about collective liberation.

Notice how in the praises here it moves from heaven to earth and involves beings of all scales and species.

The elders, the animals, small and great.

This vision suggests that liberation isn't just personal, it's cosmic.

Environmental justice, species interdependence and human equality are all woven into this picture of celebration.

No one is truly free until we all are free.

One more thing.

It's about this revolutionary wedding.

The images here of the marriage of the lamb subverts patriarchal wedding imagery.

The bride's linen represents the righteousness of the saints.

Not passive punity, but active justice.

Making this suggests that our relationship with the divine of God is less about individual morality and more about collective commitment to creating a more just world.

The bright and shining linen it speaks of is woven from acts of justice and compassion.

Let's talk about an action step.

I would invite you to think about doing something we might call resistance rejoicing.

That is, choose one justice issue that weighs heavy on your heart.

It might be climate crisis or racial justice or economic inequality or political upheaval.

And each day, alongside your work for change, celebrate a sign of hope or resistance in that area and create maybe a journal or a way to record this with hallelujahs or praises and document both the struggle that we have and the signs of transformation.

Remember that celebration can be a form of resistance.

All right, let's.

Let's.

We're gonna have a closing prayer here in just a minute, but I did really want to let you know that we have a great resource for you to do your own Bible study.

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Pick it up@voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray.

Oh God, you are the source of justice and joy.

And sometimes it feels impossible to sing hallelujah in a world that's full of pain.

Help us to understand that our celebrations can be acts of holy defiance.

When an empire seems overwhelming, remind us that you stand with the marginalized and the oppressed.

And when our justice work leaves us weary, let us draw strength from the mighty chorus of all who work for liberation past, present and future.

Thank you for the glimpses of hope we see in movements for change, in communities of resistance, in small victories and persistent vision.

Make us people who dare to imagine and celebrate the world as it could be, even as we work to transform the world as it is.

May our hallelujahs be both praise and protest, both celebration and commitment to change.

Amen.

So great to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.

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Bring a friend next time because we have a goal here of getting the Word of God, the audible word of God, into two million ears, a million people, by the end of 2028.

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Until tomorrow, friends.

My name is Dr.

Brad Miller.

And remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up.

It's created new every morning.