.jpg "The Restorer of All")
"Because I am He who redeems
every tribe, tongue, and nation,
I also call out to each in unique ways,
and I have put part of My heart in each one.
But instead of learning to hear My voice in them,
many people in My name have attempted
to silence My witness in 'foreign' cultures
by forcing them to conform to a single culture.
I am bringing healing for the wounds of the nations.
In the last days a great multitude will raise their voices
singing the song of the Lamb in the freedom of My Spirit,
for My redemption is for all tribes, tongues, and nations!
I am the Redeemer of all,
and I am the Restorer of all."
*****
Art: "Light of Restoration"
As the time of Revelation comes, the cry of "Come!" through the Spirit and the bride will sound more and more through "every tribe, language, and nation."
ReplyDeleteJust as the Gospel went from Jerusalem "to all nations," from one culture (Jewish) to non-Jewish ("Gentile") cultures, so also today we are seeing the Gospel becoming "at home" in indigenous cultures, and the praises of God being sung in many "tongues."
When we see "contextual" faith and worship, what we are seeing is Pentecost in the end times. The faith of the Gospel is meant to connect with the witnesses of eternity that the Creator set in every tribe, tongue and nation.
But just as ancient Gentiles were, for a time, forced to conform to a single culture (having to go to Jerusalem and keep the Law of Moses), so also for a time Christianity has often forced tribes, tongues and nations to conform to a single culture, Western culture.
When tribes and nations begin to worship Him freely in their own tongues and with their own cultural expressions, what we are seeing is a sign of the times, that the diverse praises written about in the Book of Revelation are beginning to come to pass.
I might add that Revelation also speaks of a prophetic witness being sent out to "many peoples, nations, languages and kings" (10:11). As tribes, tongues and nations are set free from colonial-theological chains, and are filled with His Spirit as He intended, not only will faith and worship arise, but also a prophetic witness will resound from them.
Awesome words from the By Their Strange Fruit blog:
ReplyDelete“God is not colorblind. God rejoices in colorful creation, and wraps Himself in rainbows of color. Not only is God not literally colorblind, neither does God blind Himself to the cultures and nations of the people that worship Him. God created a world that would be inhabited by many races and peoples. Color is God's good intention.
“In John's vision of heaven, he notices that "there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). How would John have known this if they had lost their cultural identities upon entering heaven? John could have simply written about the unity of people praising God. But our cultural identities are important, even in heaven, and John affirms this with his words.”
(Link: Is God Colorblind?)