Revelation Special Lecture #2

1. Revelation Special Lecture #2 Dr. Dave Mathewson Gordon College/Denver Seminary

2. Introduction to Revelation • Review • Persecution largely at local level from those keen on showing their allegiance to Rome • Problem: Christians compromising with Rome • Revelation to unmask/expose Rome’s arrogance, it’s pretentions, its desire for wealth at the expense of others, imperial oppression

3. Review • John exposes the whole system, it’s a hideous blood thirsty beast • God’s people shouldn’t give in to it no matter what the consequences

4. Genre of Revelation • Genre: • We don’t read or write apocalypses today • It’s a vision into the heavenly world, lifting the veil so the readers can see behind the empirical world. • An apocalypse is a first person narrative of that heavenly vision

5. Analogy : Modern Political Cartoon • One possible modern literary parallel might be the political cartoon • Political cartoons refer to actual specific historical events and people, rooted in reality • The way they do it is by highly exaggerated symbols of those persons or events • Because we know the present scene and because we know their symbols we can identify with them and resonate with them

6. Revelation As Political Cartoon • Dave’s analogy: Rebuilding a cabin: old political cartoons in 1930’s didn’t understand because didn’t know that time or the symbols • A commentary on the political circumstances of the 1st century to help his readers understand the true nature of their conflict with Rome • Some of the symbols are stock: eagle=USA; donkey or elephant= political parties • So too in Revelation: 7 headed beast or a dragon, says something about the true nature of the Roman empire

7. Sampling of sections of Revelation • 1) Chapters 4-5 Vision of God and Lamb upon the throne • Begins the heart of John’s vision: John ascends to heaven, God lifting the veil giving him a glimpse into the heavenly reality • Symbolic depiction: Rev. 4:1-7; • Throne and lightning = judgment • This throne in heaven is meant to usurp and replace the throne of Caesar; Caesar is not on the throne but God is on the throne being worshipped • So what is happening on earth is not all there is

8. Revelation 4-5 Section • Chapter 5 introduces scroll • Scroll is probably God’s plan to establish his sovereignty and bring salvation and judgment • No one who can open it, John weeps • John is introduced to the Lamb who can open it • Jesus described as lion and lamb (symbolically)

9. Revelation 4-5 Section • Jesus can open it and divulge its contents, so Jesus through his death can enact the contents of the scroll • The rest of Revelation tells how that God’s sovereignty and worship permeate the rest of creation • Cf. Lord’s prayer, God’s will/rule in heaven now extents to the entire creation is the rest of Revelation • Revelation 4-5 is the fulcrum of the rest of the book

10. Sampling of sections of Revelation • 3 sections of 7: 7 Seals opened; 7 Trumpets sounded and 7 Bowls poured out • What are we to understand of the symbolism? What are they suggesting? • Need to understand the OT background • Rev. 8:1-9:3 Trumpets sounding • Bowls are much of the same: whole earth darken, frogs, locusts, water to blood

11. Sampling of sections of Revelation • What do these plagues recall in your canonical memory?  Exodus • Plagues on Egypt and the deliverance of his people • In the same way God judged Egypt God will once again judge an arrogant human empire • These are not literal descriptions

12. Sampling of sections of Revelation • What is their meaning? God will judge wicked humanity (wicked Rome) in the same way he did in Egypt via the exodus • Combination of physical and spiritual judgments • Judgment on Egypt’s commerce and life similar to the judgment on Rome

13. Sampling of sections of Revelation • Relationship between the seals/trumpets and bowls • Do the seals/trumpets and bowls follow each other sequentially? • Are they sequential? seals, then trumpets, then bowls • Do they overlap? seals; describe it again as trumpets; describes it again as bowls

14. Sampling of sections of Revelation • John’s point is not to speculate how many now or in the future • John’s primary point is to evoke the imagery of the exodus; don’t give in to Rome’s evil system because God is going to judge it

15. Numbers In Revelation • In Revealtion Numbers must also be interpreted symbolically • As the beasts, water to blood, stars falling and making the water bitter, = symbolically portraying God’s judgment on the earth; so too the numbers • Many try to take the numbers literally, should be just the opposite

16. Numbers In Revelation • What about the number 666? • This number was taken literally by some  Caterpillar tractor company, credit cards, computer chips, mark of beast identified with all sorts of modern things • Any interpretation that John could not have intended and his readers would not have understood should be looked at with suspicion

17. Numbers In Revelation • The concern not with the exact numbers but what they symbolize • 1) Perhaps the number 6 is one short of 7 the number of perfect; (Rev. 13) 666 is short of 777, the number of humanity, falls short of perfection • Imagery may evoke more than one meaning • 2) 666 may have suggested the name “Nero” when the letters are added up it = 666

18. Numbers In Revelation • If John is writing under Domitian maybe John is wanting them to recall Nero as that evil beastly ruler. Now the spirit of Nero is resurrected and the true evil of Rome is being exposed

19. Numbers in Revelation • The number 7 has symbolic value: 7 days of creation perhaps, completeness, perfection • 7 seals, trumpet, bowls: completeness, perfect number of God’s judgment on the world • 3 ½ is half of seven: only half of perfection; so often persecution of God’s people is 3 ½ years; not significant for temporal value but symbolic value; intense time of conflict it will be cut short • So trouble 3 ½ years the point is it will be cut short, it won’t last

20. Numbers In Revelation • The number 12 is 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles 144,000 = people of God; new Jerusalem measured in unit that are multiples of 12  people of God

21. Sections of Revelation : Rev. 12-13 • Revelation 12 and 13 • Vision of 5 main characters • A woman • A child • Dragon • 2 Beasts

22. Sections of Revelation : Rev. 12-13 • Woman with child; when child is born the dragon goes after the child of the woman [people of God; Israel as the wife of Yahweh common in OT] • Dragon enlists 2 beasts one from the sea and one from the land. They will help the dragon destroy the offspring of the woman

23. Revelation 12-13 • What is the Old Testament background? • Genesis chapter 3:14f cursing of the serpent and Proto-evangelium–enmity between the serpent and woman, he will crush your head and you will strike his heal • How many of those motifs get repeated in Revelation 12-13? • The dragon is clearly identified as the serpent of old (Gen. 3)

24. Comparison Gen. 3 and Rev. 12-13 • Rev. 12 dragon and woman in battle • Rev. 13 the dragon and two beasts go after the woman’s offspring • Rev. 12-13 beast has a damaged head • Rev. 12-13 woman suffers pain • Gen. 3:15-16 serpent and the woman in enmity • Gen. 3:15-15 the offspring in enmity also • Gen. 4:15=16 describing head crushing • Gen. 3:15-16 woman undergoing pain in childbirth

25. Revelation 12-13 • What is the function of Rev. 12-13 • Rev. 12-13 is showing the true nature of the conflict. • The conflict ultimately goes all the way back to Gen. 3 so they should not be surprised by their struggle with Rome • Their struggle with Rome is really their struggle with Satan and goes all the way back to Gen. 3.

26. Revelation 12-13 • Rev. 12-13 is a commentary in Eph. 6 spiritual armor; your battle is a spiritual battle in heavenly places; conflict with Rome is not the whole picture, John lifts the veil and shows the connection with the age old struggle (Gen. 3) • The death blow has already been dealt so all they need to do is resist Rome