Date Palms, Jesus, the Saints (Revelation 7:9-12)
Gary McManus, 04/30/2023Part of the God's World series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Revelation 7:9-12 Date Palms, Jesus, the Saints
Today we talk about the Bible and trees,
Bible foods and what would Jesus eat.
John’s vision written and preserved in the book
of Revelation: a multitude. . .wearing white
robes. . .holding palm branches.
An odd detail, is it not?
John’s gospel book particularly noted
in John 12:13: “They took palm branches. . .”
Today: Psalm 92
The Bible is talking about the date palm tree.
There is little agreement on the number of
times the date fruit is mentioned: Joel 1:12
and? 2 Samuel 6:19? 1 Chronicles 16:3?
Does it matter?
The date palm trees grew then and grow now
all over the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Images of the date palm were a part of Solomon’s
Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6:32-34).
Ancients utilized the whole tree.
But what are date palm branches doing in
the hands of the saints in white?
White robes symbolize purity.
Note; it was a purity that came through
the Great Tribulation—persecution,
temptation, betrayal. The saints endure
UNBLEMISHED. How? Jesus.
“They have washed their robes in the
blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)
(See also 1 Corinthians 15:57)
Pastor has read and heard some clever interpre-
tations of the significance of the palm branches.
Clever, but not Biblical.
The righteous carry the symbol of flourishing. . .
The palm frond is of the earth—God’s creation.
. .God’s provision. . .God provided the promised
land and its fruitfulness. The palm-frond
is a symbol of the fulfillment of God’s promises.
The saints were slain for their faith.
Theirs is not a physical victory
. . .it is a spiritual victory.
God made it all possible. (Revelation 17:14)
The fruitfulness of the land of promise
is seen in the dates of the date palm tree.
In the book, “What Would Jesus Eat”,
in addition to the often quoted “grapes,
pomegranates and figs (and raisins),
dates were commonly eaten.
Some websites will tell the benefits of
eating dates: lowered cholesterol, antioxidants,
bone health, and they help digestion (because
they are dried fruit (fiber)).
Still, a “Bible diet” is not THE answer for
health. Former Pastor Rick Warren developed
a weight loss diet based on Daniel 1:12.
A land “flowing with milk and honey.”
Bees or dates? BTW: “date” in Hebrew; Tamar.
Environmental questions for Christians to consider:
Since God made everything, why is it okay to
kill off entire species of creature?
The man was instructed to “keep and till” the garden.
(Genesis 2:15)
Were those labors obsolete with man’s expulsion?
Pastor is asking. Amen.
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« Looking for Love | None | Really Love Is Important » |