Revelation Special Lecture #1

1. Revelation Special Lecture #1 Dr. Dave Mathewson Gordon College/Denver Seminary

2. Introduction to Revelation • Close literary analogies to Revelation • No modern parallels: newspapers, novels, poems • Two approaches as to how has it been treated in church history? • 1) Many have ignored it: to many it still has 7 seals, not certain how to read it, too confusing • Retreat to safer ground of Gospels or Pauline epistles • John Calvin wrote on all NT except Revelation

3. Introduction to Revelation • 2) Obsessed with it • How Revelation matches up with events of our own day, infatuation/fascination with decoding Revelation • Left Behind Series for example • Revelation is viewed like a crystal ball by which to figure out the future

4. Introduction to Revelation • Both of those approaches should be rejected • Put Revelation back in its original context • What did this book mean in its original context? • How would the original audience have understood it? • Who is the author? Who are the readers? What situation precipitated the writing of the book?

5. Authorship • John is the author—Church Fathers mention several “John’s” in the early church • One of the most popular is the Apostle John • Whichever “John” he is well-known to the churches • He doesn’t claim apostolic authority, instead he claims the authority of an OT prophet, he draws on OT forms

6. Introduction to Revelation • Did the NT writers know they were writing Scripture? • The writer of Revelation knows he is writing something authoritative on the level of OT prophetic Scripture • Dating • Dated early in the time of Nero (ca. 60’s AD) • Most date it in the reign of Domitian 95/96 AD • In that case the last book written in NT

7. Revelation Characteristics • Symbolism • Vision of locusts: head of human, hair of a woman, teeth of a lion, tail of a scorpion, dragon and serpents, strange creatures and symbols • Where did John get these symbols?

8. Revelation characteristics • Use of the Old Testament • Almost every verse has reference to OT • Weaves prophetic books into his vision without introductory formulae • Often the meaning of the symbol depends on OT background

9. Primary Purpose of Revelation • Minor feature predicting or forecasting the future • 1) Revelation was a response to Roman domination and emperor worship • Rome was the dominant world power, replacing Persia, Babylon and others before it • Rome was known for providing peace and prosperity • The Roman emperor emerged as the savior of the world as the great patron of all people

10. Primary Purpose of Revelation • Vibrant emperor cult, emperor worship often tied into commerce and trade • Emperor worship permeated society • Christians lived in that environment and were at times pressured to worship the emperor • It would be an affront not to show respect to the emperor who provided so much good; debt of gratitude owed to him

11. Primary Purpose of Revelation • This push to compromise caused problems for many early Christians • Is it a harmless activity?

12. Revelation And Christian Persecution • Some have said Revelation addresses persecution of early church • Suffering persecution at the hands of imperial Roman • But at this point most persecution was local and sporadic

13. Revelation And Christian Persecution • Most persecution comes from local leaders who would find it an affront not to show homage to the emperor • At least one person [Antipas: Pergamom] had died for Christ • No official sanctioned widespread persecution

14. The 7 churches • Rev. 2-3 mention 7 churches in 7 cities in Western Asia Minor/Turkey • Letters to 7 churches • All of these cities are situated showing great allegiance to imperial Rome and emperor worship with temples dedicated to the worship of emperors in each city • Ephesus had a temple dedicated to Domitian

15. Responses To Roman Rule and Emperor • 2 possible Responses • You could resist, that could bring about some types of persecution • Far greater problem: most Christians tempted to compromise to Roman ideology and rule; they could render allegiance to both Jesus and the emperor

16. Responses To Roman Rule and Emperor • When you read the letters to the 7 churches only 2 are suffering persecution • The other 5 churches have problems with mixed allegiance to Roman rule and emperor worship

17. 7 Churches of Western Asia Minor • So to belong to cities you would feel compelled to render allegiance to the Roman emperor showing support of Roman rule and ideology including your job • This was a plight for Christians

18. What is the main theme of revelation? • Suffering and persecution is one major theme • Main: Who is worthy of our worship and allegiance? Is it Jesus Christ or the Emperor or human institution? • Revelation tries to convince them that only Jesus Christ is worthy of worship • It is a wake up call to get them to understand what is going on in their first century context • No other human or institution is worthy of worship

19. Main point of revelation • Revelation is an unmasking or revealing of the true nature of Roman rule • John is not just predicting the future. What he is primarily doing is exposing the true nature of Roman rule • John is functioning like an OT prophet • OT prophets unmasked true nature of human empires: Babylon, Persia, Egypt

20. Main point of revelation • OT prophet exposed the arrogance of foreign empires and the problems of compromise • Now there is another empire that is emerging that is surfacing that is arrogantly sets itself up over the world like other ancient empires, it’s a blood-thirsty beast out to get Christians, power and wealth

21. Main goal of revelation • Revelation is exposing the arrogance and pretension and corrupt ideology or Rome and to get Christians to see its true nature of Rome and not to give into it allegiance • It is for Christians in the first century an unmasking and exposing Roman rule and its ideology so that Christians will be able to resist it

22. Genre of Revelation • When is the last time you read or wrote an apocalypse? • No close modern literary analogy to Revelation? • What kind of book or literary genre is Revelation that was familiar to 1st century readers? • What was John doing in recording these strange visions of locusts, 7 headed beasts….? • How do we read that?

23. Genre of Revelation • Revelation is a combination of 3 literary forms • 1) Apocalypses: Literary form from 200 BC to 200 AD • Today we see it as mass cosmic destruction at the end of the world • In first century would have identified it characterized by this: • It reveals or exposes what is going on in the situation of the readers

24. Genre of Revelation • What they see with their eyes is what is going on empirically but the apocalypse shows what is going on behind what they see in the empirical world • “Apocalypse” means: unveiling, what you see empirically was not all that there is. Behind that world was a spiritual or heavenly world

25. Genre of Revelation • Play analogy • When you see a play you see what is happening on the stage. • What you don’t see is what is going on behind the scene--it’s all behind the curtain • What Revelation does is lift the curtain so you can see what is really going on behind the scene

26. Genre of Revelation • Revelation lifts the curtain to the stage of history, behind first century Roman rule there is a spiritual world and a future beyond it • Revelation gives them a glimpse behind the empirical world into the transcendent world in order to see their present world in a totally different light • Now they can see behind the empirical world into the heavenly world to better grasp how to live in their world in a totally different light • Unmasking the reality that lies behind the empirical world

27. Genre of Revelation • John does that unmasking through the use of symbols • Using symbols is more compelling: 7 headed beast out to devour people • Not just to effect the intellect but to impact the imagination and emotions

28. Genre of Revelation • 2) Revelation is a prophecy • Like OT prophets who critiqued the culture of their times not just futuristic • Like OT prophets it exposes the true bankruptcy of the world system and opposes God’s people

29. Genre of Revelation • 3) Revelation is a letter • It is communicating information that the first century readers understood • It begins and ends like Paul’s first century letters • 1:4, for example

30. Genre of Revelation • In the same way Paul wrote to address a specific problem or need of churches or persons in first century so too the book of Revelation does • Point is to try to reconstruct what was going on and what John was addressing in the first century that John is address • Opposing compromise with Roman rule and emperor worship

31. Principles of interpreting revelation • 1) Should be interpreted symbolically not literaly—given the kind of literature it is • It describes something beyond the experience of empirical reality • John is not describing the first century or future in literal terms • What do the symbols mean? What do they refer to? What is the seven headed beast trying to convey?

32. Principles of Interpreting Revelation • 2) Any interpretation that John could not have intended and his readers could not have understood is suspect. • Some think the original readers couldn’t understand it but now we have the key finally at last, (vid. obsessed Revelation teachers today) • If Revelation was a time-machine into our day then Revelation must have been completely out of the range of understanding of the first century readers • No, Revelation was communicating a message that would meet the crisis of living life under Roman rule

33. Principles of Interpreting revelation • 3) Don’t loose sight of the forest for the trees • Read Revelation holistically and not get so much into the details missing the message of the whole • 4) Don’t miss the main purpose: it’s not primarily about the future but how God’s people are to live in the midst of a pagan society

34. Principles of Interpreting Revelation • 5) Humility • The main focus is very clear but the details one must hold our interpretation with a healthy amount of humility • Given the variety of diverse ways Revelation has been understood in Church history, it is wise to interpret it with humility

35. 4 approaches to revelation • Attempts to read Revelation according to ideological approaches: feminists, etc. • 1) Preterists approach to Revelation • All of Revelation was fulfilled in the first century • Revelation is a commentary on the first century events except perhaps for Rev. 21-22 • It can still be applied to us

36. 4 Approaches to Revelation • 2) Historical view • Revelation is church history in advance • John was predicting the entire history of the church starting with the 1st century down to the present day • Forecast or church history written in advance • As history goes on it has to be modified – not many hold this approach today

37. 4 approaches to revelation • 3) Idealist approach • Revelation is simply a symbolic description of the battle between good and evil • It transcends any particular situation • For John and his readers it fit the first century but such ideals could apply to anytime

38. 4 Approaches to Revelation • 4) Futurist approach • These approaches are not necessarily monolithic • Revelation is primarily events in the future when Jesus comes back • Preteristapproach = Already Futurist approach = Not Yet • Visions are awaiting to be fulfilled when Christ comes back

39. 4 Approaches to revelation • Which approach is correct? • Combination of 2 or 3 is most likely correct • Primarily addressing first century so Preterist approach has a point • Yet some of Revelation is futuristic • Opens up the present in light of future so idealists also have a point

40. 4 Approaches to Revelation • Certainly truth in the idealist view • Many of the symbols come to him from the OT • Those symbols can transcend the first century and apply more broadly • Best is an eclectic approach • Preview of lecture Next Time