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Angel in the Window, Part 2

February 26, 2012


The Angel in the Window, Part 2

For an all-text version, click here.

The Angel in the Window, Part 1


THIS YEAR'S THEME:   The Year of the Lord

THIS MONTH'S TOPIC:  Talking to the Lord

TODAY'S MESSAGE:     The Angel in the Window, Part 2

Open your Bible

                                                                             Light a candle
















Opening Song

Shall We Gather at the River



Readings
from the Bible;
Revelation 1
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and Doxology
4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b]
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c] So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

FROM SWEDENBORG
True Christian Religion (Chadwick) n. 610
610. I will add to what I have already said the following point. A person's regeneration does not occur in an instant, but successively from the beginning to the end of his life in the world, and after this it continues and reaches higher perfection. It is because a person is reformed by struggles and victories over the evils of his flesh that the Son of Man says to each of the seven churches, that He will grant gifts to him who overcomes. Thus to the church at Ephesus:
To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life. Rev. 2:7.
To the church of the people of Smyrna:
He who overcomes will not suffer harm in the second death. Rev. 2:11.
To the church in Pergamum:
To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the hidden manna. Rev. 2:17.
To the church in Thyatira:
To him who overcomes I will grant power over the nations. Rev. 2:26.
To the church in Sardis:
He who overcomes will be clothed in white raiment. Rev. 3:5.
To the church in Philadelphia:
Him who overcomes I will make a column in God's temple. Rev. 3:12.
To the church of the people of Laodicea:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne. Rev. 3:21.
One final point: to the extent that a person is regenerated, that is, in so far as his regeneration advances towards perfection, to that extent he ceases to attribute to himself any good or truth, that is, any charity and faith, but attributes these to the Lord. For the truths that he absorbs one after the other plainly teach that lesson.


Meditation

The Angel in the Window

Today's message is designed as a meditation. The hope is to give you an opportunity to have an experience with the windows. Today is the fourth Sunday of the month, where we strive to experience our theme in a way that can help us bring it into our lives. For part of the experience, a link will guide you to the website of "In Company with Angels," where a multi-media experience with the angel windows is available.

To read last week's message on the windows, go HERE.

To order an outstanding book on the windows, go HERE.

Angel Pergamos
This angel represents a Roman warrior who fights lies and falsities.


The gold color represents love from the Lord.



The white stone represents truths from goodness and love. It is evidence that inner good is united with Divine truth: the marriage of love and wisdom.


They represent loving people who do good works for others. However, they need deeper roots to the Divine, which can come from scripture.

 



For an audio-visual experience of Pergamos, go HERE.      






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THE ANGEL SARDIS

Sardis represents those who live “only the external sign of charity and faith.” In the letter to Sardis they are challenged to continue to learn the truth with the realization that what they learn is only confirmed within them if they act lovingly from the truth they understand. They are promised that “to those that overcome shall be clothed in white.” “In the Word, ‘white’ is predicated of goods because it draws its origins from the light of the sun.”

The white represents truth, and shows that the angel received truth directly from the Lord.

In the right hand is the Book of Life, that promises rewards to all who grow spiritually.

Sardis can represent living by outer forms, but disconnected from inner wisdom. It could indicate a need for deeper connection with the Divine.


For an audio-visual experience with this angel window, go HERE.






 

Let us pray.

Inspiration and Prayer for 2/26/12:

This week I have been I'll, however, I am reading some very special books, "The Life And Teachings Of the Masters of the Far East", by Bayard T. Spalding. In his forward to the series he states,"The Masters accept that Buddha represents the Way to Enlightenment, but they clearly set forth that Christ Is Enlightenment, or a state of consciousness for which we are all seeking----the Christ Light of every individual; therefore, the light of every child that is born into the world."
May the study of the Angel Windows and our contemplation of them bring us closer to that realization and union with our Lord and deep understanding.

"Our Beloved Lord, hear our prayers for understanding and union with you. Show us the meaning of the Angels in the Windows and how they pave the way to you. Let us never forget your light in us. Bless us as we journey together toward Understanding, Union, and Love with each other and You. "
AMEN.

With love,
Rev. Judith



Closing song



Extinguish your candle.

                    

    

Close the Bible

   
 

Go in peace, trusting in the goodness of the angels.


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Next week:  Correspondences