Revelations on Revelation
This fall, I've gone through the book of Revelation in the two men's groups to which I belong here at Foundry.
I've had a love-hate relationship with Revelation. I love it because it is a fantastic ending to God's written Word, the Bible. I hate it because too often Christians believe they have the book figured out with elaborate charts, naming names, and setting dates.
Despite the differing interpretations of the book, is there some common ground we can all agree on?
I believe there is. I'll call them Five Revelations on Revelation. Here they are:
Revelation is primarily written to be read, heeded, and obeyed
Revelation 1:3 says we are blessed if we "read the words of this prophecy...hear it and take to heart what is written in it (NIV)". The ESV says "keep" what is written. Revelation is meant to be obeyed. Interpreted, yes, but obeyed as a book for individuals and churches navigating their faith in a hostile culture. It's meant to be lived.
Revelation was written first to seven first century churches and really to every church
Revelation 1:4 says John is addressing seven Asian churches (modern day western Turkey). In 1:11, the churches are named. In Revelation 2-3 they are addressed individually.
Although the cities and names are foreign to us, people are people and churches are churches. We still face the temptation of moral and doctrinal compromise. We wrestle with the seduction of adopting the world's value system. Jesus still commends and warns us. Though written in the first century, Revelation speaks to us today.
Revelation is highly symbolic, but that doesn't mean it isn't true
Revelation reads like a sci-fi or fantasy novel. Angels, dragons, bleeding lambs, weird numbers (just to name a few!) cause our heads to spin.
But just because they are symbolic doesn't mean what they represent isn't true and isn't predictive of reality.
For example, in Revelation 12, there's a description of a woman, a child, and a dragon. While scholars debate the identity of the woman (Mary? Israel? God's people?), it's pretty clear from the text that the dragon is Satan, and the Child is Jesus.
Not all the symbols in Revelation are that easily discerned. It helps that Revelation borrows much of its imagery from the Old Testament, so a working knowledge of the Hebrew Bible aids in understanding.
Revelation is addressed to a persecuted church; we American Christ followers are more likely to be seduced and compromised
Revelation 2:10 warns the church in Smyrna to "not be afraid of what you are about to suffer." It talks of people being imprisoned. It encourages them to be faithful to the faith even if it means death. Revelation 6:9 and other places in the book speak of martyrs: "those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained."
I contend we in America are more likely to be seduced by power and the dominant culture we live in. With graphic detail, Revelation 17-18 describes Babylon (to first century readers it was the Roman empire), a system of economic and political power that promises fulfillment but only seduces and deceives.
World systems like Babylon rise and fall in history. Only God's kingdom endures. Let's never conflate America with the kingdom of God. We can too easily compromise in our desire to be relevant. Let's be biblically distinctive instead.
Finally, Revelation tells us that Jesus has won and will win
In John 19:30, Jesus on the cross declared, "it is finished". Not only are our sins past, present, and future atoned for, but Jesus confirms that the ultimate victory over the cosmic forces of Satan and evil has been accomplished (Colossians 2:15).
Human history has been a series of skirmishes between God and the devil, but the ultimate victory has never been in doubt. Ironically, as one writer put it, it's a victory through suffering. The cross vindicated God's justice that he is both "just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Revelation tells us that our just God will ultimately vanquish Satan and his wicked world value system (cf. 16:5-7; 20:7-15). God will then redeem and restore heaven and earth, and we his people will enjoy his presence through eternity (chs 21-22).
As fanciful as this may sound to our sometimes cynical ears, these truths should give us great hope in whatever we are facing.
Mark Twain, the American writer and novelist, once said this about the Bible: “I am not troubled by the things in the Bible which I do not understand, but I am troubled by those things which I do understand and which I find very difficult to measure up to.”
The book of Revelation has twists and turns that are difficult to understand. Hopefully, we can now read it with greater understanding. It's a book that is meant to be lived.