For Thursday, March 26, please read Revelation 13-22, concentrating on the last four chapters. Take a passage and note whether the preterit, historical, futurist, or allegorical interpretation seems to work best in that case.Alternative assignment: Cite a couple of verses from this section that show particularly well the beauties of this book or that show how difficult the book is to understand and interpret.
I found something toward the end of Revelation that might have a simple explanation, but I find it a bit confusing, or at least it seems off to me. In Revelation 21, after the new Jerusalem and the temple are described, verse 25 tells us this about the city:
ReplyDelete“In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed.” This is after the new heaven and earth are created and death and pain are done away with. But keeping this in mind I came to chapter 22 verses 14-15, which says,
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who practices lying.” The city seems like a place that the saints can go in and out of freely. Also the city doesn't seem to be representative of the whole new heaven and earth, it seems more like a very special part of it. But here is why I find it confusing: if the new heaven and earth are there and the new Jerusalem is there, what are all the wicked people doing outside? Are they in the new earth? That seems odd. Also, would the saints continually see them standing outside? Or if the saints did go through those gates that are always open, would they be entering something like hell? I'm sure it can all work out fine if it is that way, but it certainly gives a different picture than most of us probably think about.
The Passage i am choosing is chapter 22 verse 12-13 12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
ReplyDeleteI think this passage is really futuristic. This is because it is talking about the end when god comes down to earth to make his final judgment. He is saying that he is everything and we should know that. That he will make his final Judgment and all will be made just.
Revelation chapter 20 gets a little confusing as it describes the 1,000 year reign of Christ, where Satan is bound. I've always been taught from an allegorical perspective, where it is understood that when verse 5 says "This is the first resurrection." that refers to Jesus' resurrection on earth after being crucified. That still makes sense to me, but in previous verses when John writes that Satan is bound for 1,000 years, that seems to more easily fall into a futurist perspective, that this will happen tangibly in the future. But, if I were to still understand it from an allegorical perspective, then this binding of Satan would likely be imagery for Christ "crushing his head" and defeating the powers of Satan on the cross.
ReplyDeleteThis 1,000 year reign is something I hear often when people discuss what they believe about the end times, and as I am re-reading Revelation, I can see more and more how this gets easily confused or interpreted differently from person to person.
I think that one beautiful verse in this section is 22:12. I think the idea of people who escaped justice on this earth having to face it in the future/afterlife (however you interpret this passage) is a beautiful idea, especially given some things that have come to light more recently. Although justice is always seen as more beautiful by those wronged and more frightening when having to face it ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI find 20:1-3 a bit confusing. I don't really understand why the dragon would be subdued and then let out after a thousand years. What's the point of letting it out after conquering it? It just sounds counterproductive.
I reject the notion that this particular book of the Bible is rigidly tied to a single set of beliefs. Rather, Revelation is a complex piece of writing that requires a balance of historical context, preterit, futurist, and allegorical interpretations to truly envision the whole picture. The Second coming and judgment are set in the future, while events like the mass mirroring the Eucharist seem like an allegorical argument. Setting boundaries on such a unique and divine book causes trouble. Our human nature is to categorize, but that is not God's. If the belief is that God was showing a vision to John, why do we treat it like we can fully bound the nature of this work? There should be more mixing of beliefs rather than a set box; complexity requires such.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know I didn't really answer the question. But one passage that I believe can lead the futuristic way is 22:7. This verse says, "Behold I am coming soon, Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book." I think this is hinting at the second coming, which has clearly not come, so this would be set in the future.
The first time I really spent time in Revelation was in 6th grade Sunday school where we went basically through the entire book, though focusing more on the tribulation, rapture, thousand year reign, etc. I took most of it literally back then, and since then I haven't delved deep into the book so I always just sort of kept that same sentiment. However, going over the book again and talking about it in class makes me realize that there's most likely a mix of interpretation styles. For example, I think chapter 21 where it talks about a future reality where God lives among His people is true and literal. Other sections, like imagery of Babylon and the woman and the dragon seem almost certainly allegorical, especially after talking about it in class. Different parts of Revelation seem to communicate in different and intentional ways, and using multiple interpretation styles helps wade through such a confusing yet pretty conclusion to the Bible.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that the interesting passage found in 14:6-13 is best explained in the allegorical view, even though it may seem that the futurist view would be best here. Verse 6 specifically notes that the gospel that the angels deliver in this passage is "eternal." The message that the angels give us not only apply in the past when the book was written, in the future when the things of Revelation will take place, but also right now.
ReplyDeleteThe first angel tells us to "fear God and give him glory," which is an instruction that can apply to practically anybody that's ever lived.
The second angel tells us "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality."
This may seem to be referencing a future event, but Babylon is a device used to represent a government system of wickedness. I would be remiss to say that it could very easily represent Rome as well, since they grew exceptionally wicked. But, wickedness will always exist on the earth, and wicked governments will also always exist on the earth, whether it be Rome, actually Babylon, Nazi Germany, the USSR, or any other future government. The thing that those 4 previous governments have in common other than their evil is that all of them were dissolved or defeated. I feel like this eternal gospel is about how evil systems will always exist, but eventually, God will triumph over them.
The third angel tells us that, "if anyone worships the beast and it's image an receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."
This very well could be referencing a future event where all people will be required to wear a mark of the beast, but I feel like this passage is a warning. It warns us not to be consumed by the evil and wickedness of our time. Christians shouldn't fall in line with everybody else, but should instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus, and should be a holy people set apart. The rest of the passage warns us what happens to those that embrace the evils of their time.
I think verse twelve very nicely emphasizes my point, that this passage is a "call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
God wants us to endure the persecutions we face by evil regimes, resist the temptations to give into their wickedness, and to fear and worship the one true God.
Some versus that i think show both the beauty and the difficulty of the book.
ReplyDelete“Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 13:1-10
ReplyDeleteAnd I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,[a] that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[b] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
This passage seems to support the preterit approach. Most in this camp believe the beast to be the Roman Empire during the time of the apostles. This would fit the persecution of the saints during the time of Nero. Some believe Nero who is also intertwined in chapter 13 using Gematria. It isn't direct but there is a good case for it.