In John’s vision, the sign-bearing angel comes from the east, the place of the rising of the sun and the direction from which salvation is expected. The destroying angels are told to cease their destructive actions so that the vast assembly can be sealed with the seal of God and, presumably, preserved from the suffering that these angels bring to the earth. The second scene takes place in the divine throne room in heaven, where a multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue is gathered. This multitude consists of those who survived the distress of the end of time because they were purified through the blood of the sacrificial Lamb.
It is a generative love that the Letter of John describes; it is transforming; it makes all believers children of God. Everything that happens in the lives of believers is a consequence of their having been recreated as God’s children. As children of God, they are new realities and, therefore, they are not accepted by the world, the old reality. Having been made children of God, they are promised an even fuller identification with God. They are also promised the ultimate vision of God, a vision that is denied believers “now” but is promised for “later.”
The instruction known as the Sermon on the Mount was meant for Jesus’ close followers, not for the broader crowds. All the teachings of Jesus are in some way directed toward the establishment of the reign of God. However, the values that he advocates in the Beatitudes are frequently the opposite of those promoted by society at large. Perhaps the way to interpret them is to look first at the blessings promised. We may then see that the values are indeed at odds with what society says will guarantee the blessings that we seek. It is clear that every Beatitude invites us to turn the standards of our world and our way of life upside down and inside out.