October 16, 2014 Revelation Chapter 16

Revelation Chapter 16

Originally posted Wednesday December 31, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 16 The Bowls of God's Fury

The executing of the final series of tribulation woes begins with a loud voice from inside the Sanctuary (Holy of Holies) signaling the angels to "go" and pour out the seven plagues of God's fury upon the earth. As we read through these seven plagues we will note that the entire earth is affected, not just one third or one fourth as the previous series were. That the whole cosmos is affected is a sign of the judgment in which the whole world is cleansed of its contamination by the dragon. John understands this final drama as the fulfilling of God's justice in a world of injustice (Ps. 97:2). The unjust are those who have persecuted and killed the saints, who have used the sword to conquer nations and set up a false religion based on the deification of evil in human form.  

First plague: All those who have the mark of the beast and worshipped its image were covered with foul and painful sores (Exod. 9:9-11).

Second plague: The sea becomes like blood and all life within it has died (Exod. 7:17-18).

Third plague: All the rivers and springs become blood. This plague evokes the song of the angel of water praising God's judgment as just. As the blood of the saints and prophets was shed those who shed it are given blood to drink (Exod. 24:25). Even the altar of the heavenly tabernacle upon which the blood of the martyrs has been offered affirms the justice of God's judgment.

Fourth plague: The first three plagues have been loosed directly against the entire earth. The fourth plague uses an element of the Cosmos. The sun is used as an agent of delivery, allowing it to "scorch "them" with fire." We probably are meant to understand "them" in the context of the first and third plagues - those with the mark of the beast and those who shed the blood of the saints and prophets and got "what they deserve." Those who experienced the fourth plague remained unrepentant and refused to understand God's act as one of justice against them.

Fifth plague: The fifth plague is aimed directly at the "throne [and kingdom] of the beast" from the sea, creating absolute darkness which created mass confusion and fear. As with those who were scorched by the sun were unrepentant, all those who belonged to the beast would not repent. Instead they cursed God "because of their pains and sores" from the first plague.

Sixth plague: This plague is upon the Euphrates River, causing it to dry up. As the drying up of the Jordan river allowed Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan to take the land from the idolatrous Canaanites, so John envisions the drying up of the Euphrates which will allow the dreaded Parthians (kings from the east) to prepare an invasion against the Roman Empire (see 9:14). But this is larger than Parthians versus Romans. John is giving a graphic image of all the forces of evil including the dragon, the two beasts and all who serve them to be used by God as part of the final judgment. The unclean demonic spirits (frogs) that issue forth from the mouths of the evil trinity and do their bidding, use signs (miracles) to deceive and assemble all the kings of the world in preparation for the last battle "on the great day of God's [judgment]" (Amos 5:18-20; Mal. 3:1-2). The battle is to be fought at har magedon. The Hebrew word for the location of the assembly of the "kings of the whole world" refers to the "mountain of Megiddo," a place not mentioned in the Old Testament or in any other Jewish writings. An Old Testament reference in Zech.12:11 is as close to this as can be found. It is the fortified city of "Megiddo" in a pass of the same name connecting the coastal plain of Palestine with the Plain of Esdraelon in northern Israel. In later Jewish writings this city became a symbol of the location of the arrival of the Day of the Lord (the cleansing of Israel). The problem with this location is that there is no mountain associated with it. John probably uses a name familiar to his readers because of the Zechariah reference and because it was the site of a number of significant ancient battles (Judg. 5:19-21; 2 Kings 9:27, 23:29). It would be an appropriate setting to place the final  conflict between God and Satan. One other difficulty to be considered is that there is no final battle between the Roman Empire and the "kings of the whole world" and/or the kings of the east (Parthians) in Revelation. The symbolic battle of the end will be between Christ and the assembled forces of evil (19:11ff).

John uses a familiar saying of Jesus which stresses the need for vigilance in anticipation of this Day of the Lord which will come unexpectedly as a thief in the night. (Mt. 24:43). Unlike so many supposed Biblical experts not even Jesus ventured to predict the end of the age. What he did stress was the importance - always and when that time came, of being found busy doing the godly works of kindness, justice, compassion and love. As far as he was concerned this was more important than any doctrine. For the people of faith, what you do is more important than the particulars of what you believe. 

Seventh plague: The last of the plagues is "poured...into the air" followed by a loud voice from God's throne within the Sanctuary. The voice declared, "It is done." The woes of the tribulation have ended and the final destruction of evil Babylon (Rome) has begun. The voice is attended by the usual sounds of majesty associated with God and the throne - lightening, rumblings, thunder and a mighty earthquake of exceptionally violent proportions. With the earthquake Babylon, the great city, crumbles and all the cities of the nations which served the beast and worshipped its idol also fell. With a giant wide screen, high definition spectacle "God remembered great Babylon and poured out the "wine cup" of God's fury. The Islands flee; the mountains disappear; and hundred-pound hailstones fall from heaven. The response of a world so locked in its intransigence even in the face of God's fury is to curse God for the fearful plague "poured into the air."

As we consider the seven plagues combined with the devastation and death meted out in the opening of the seven seals and blowing of the seven trumpets, we may need to be reminded once again of the symbolic/mythical nature of John's visions. John has one absolute aim: to exhort the churches of western Asia Minor to refute and resist even unto death involvement in and accommodation of the Roman Imperial cult of Emperor worship and the failed cultural values such worship requires. His visions are "as ifs" to be heeded and transformed into the power to faithfully persevere no matter the cost. 

October 15, 2014 Revelation Chapter 15

Revelation Chapter 15

Originally posted Tuesday December 30, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 15 The Angels with the Seven Plagues

Chapter 15 and 16 constitute a single unit. Chapter 15 introduces the last series of seven events of the tribulation that are described in chapter 16. Chapter 16 marks the finale, the end of the tribulations preceding the fall of Babylon/Rome. While the first series of seven described the opening of the seven seals of the scroll by the Lamb, the second (trumpets) and third series (bowls/plagues) are introduced by angels - messengers of God. It is important to note that in one or more of these disasters it is not clear if the impact is on believers as well as non believers as it was in the previous two series of woes. In general the wording implies that these plagues are aimed at the worshippers of the beast - a generalized term for those who have accommodated themselves to the Roman Imperial religion of deified Emperors and other deities. Some of these worshippers may be associated with John's churches.

Chapter fifteen serves as both a heavenly worship celebration of victory and an introduction to the seven plagues. John's vision of the seven angels with seven plagues/bowls sees this series as the last of "the [generalized] wrath of God (15:1)." There will be more of God's wrath to come but it will be directed at Rome, Satan and those who serve him. The opening scene is in heaven by the sea of glass mixed with fire (4:6). As with other parts of John's visions the content of this vision is derived from the Exodus experience of Israel. In the Exodus story a number of plagues preceded the escape from the evil god-man Pharaoh across the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds). Once the Israelites had crossed the Sea they stood by the shore and sang the song of Moses celebrating the victory of God's defeat of the Egyptians. In Exodus the sea is the water of deliverance in which Israel can see the ultimate fulfilling of God's covenant with Abraham. Now they are on God's side of the sea. In John's vision the martyr church of 7:1-8 and 14:1-5 that has conquered the beast is gathered by the transparent "sea of glass mixed with fire" through which they see the coming age of God's kingdom. They are standing with God's harps on God's side of the Sea of Glass and Fire before the throne of God (4:6) rejoicing and praising and glorifying God with the song of Moses (Exod. 15:1-5) and the Lamb. The song refers to the nations in two phrases. In vs. 3 God is called the King of the nations (some manuscripts have "King of the ages"). Elsewhere Christ has a similar title and kingship is shared with God. In vs. 4 "all the nations will come and worship before [God]. This is an important reference to Isaiah's understanding of universal salvation which means that when God transforms the world and gathers Israel all nations of the world will come to worship God (Isa. 66:23 as interpreted by later Judaism).

The vision returns to the seven angels. John sees them coming out of the opened sanctuary of the heavenly tabernacle (tent) dressed in the garments of the priests and in response to the song of Moses and the Lamb. They carry with them seven Sanctuary offering bowls from which they will pour out the seven plagues (the fury of God) upon the earth. The image of a Sanctuary full of smoke (cloud) such that no one could enter refers to the Shekinah, the manifestation of the presence of God (Exod. 40:34-35). The offering bowls can be understood in two ways: as the bowls used to carry away the ashes from the altar of burnt offering or as bowls in which incense was burned within the Sanctuary. The latter seems to be the case here since the altar of burnt offerings stands outside the sanctuary. That being the case the bowls referred to were used in conjunction with the prayers of the People of Israel rising up to God in the smoke of the incense. For John the incense carries the prayers of the saints petitioning God with the oft repeated petition, "Let your kingdom come; let your will be done on earth as in heaven." The final set of seven plagues poured from the seven bowls may be understood as God's response to these prayers.

October 14, 2014 Revelation Chapter 14

Revelation Chapter 14

Originally posted Monday December 29, 2008

General Comment: In chapter 13 John has envisioned the difficult social and religious situation that will face the churches of western Asia Minor. The beast from the land (Emperor worship and its priesthood) has been empowered to "make the earth and its inhabitants" worship the beast from the sea - the returned Nero. The mark (seal) of this second Beast has been placed on all who belong to it and look to it for salvation and judgment. Those without this mark cannot enter the economic functions of buying and selling. While none of this is to be taken literally, John presents the visions as a warning to those who might think it is harmless to accommodate any form of participation in pagan religious rites and cultural values. This would not be as easy as it sounds. Many Christians were members of trade guilds - stone masons, carpenters, weavers, metal workers, etc., similar to trade unions but without the right to strike or negotiation. Part of being in the guild was to participate in the regular functions which would include worshipping the gods (and Emperor) and "fitting in" with mainstream society. Those who entered into contracts or legal disputes would have to do so in Roman courts. Christians were likely to find little justice (favorable judgment) there. They would be at a distinct disadvantage because of their religious practices which separated them from their pagan neighbors and fellow workers. If this reality of how their life is now difficult, John uses the vision of a new Nero who will return and begin a new and more deadly reign of terror among the Christians, those who do not have the mark of the Beast. In chapter 14 John will compare the salvation and judgment offered by the Beast from the sea with that which is offered by the Lamb of God.

Revelation, Chapter 14:1-5 The Lamb and the 144,000

In a new vision ("then I looked") John sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion - the location of the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the Old Testament site of the gathering place of the new Israel and God's deliverance (Isa. 2; Mic. 4; Ps. 46:5). In later Jewish tradition the Messiah will arrive on Mount Zion to usher in the reign (kingdom) of God. For John it represents the people of God. With the Lamb are the symbolic 144,000 righteous who had been sealed on earth from among the twelve tribes of Israel (7:4-8) and have the Lamb's and God's name on their foreheads (the seal). The image of those who are sealed is John's assurance to the churches that those who persevere in their faith/righteousness will share the same redemption as the 144,000.

Amid the heavenly sounds associated with God are heard the notes of harpists in accompaniment to the singing of a new song learned only by the redeemed 144,000 (Ps. 144:9). Their righteousness is defined by their not having been "defiled with women, for they are virgins." It would be easy to misunderstand John's association of sexual contact with women as defilement. John has used military terms to picture the saints as the army of God (7:1-8) that are part of the battle against evil. In the Old Testament we read that those under arms (and serving as priests) were to abstain from sexual contact while in service to the king (1 Sam. 21:4-5; 2 Sam. 11:10-11). Paul recommends sexual abstinence "for a season" for spiritual discipline - much like fasting. That there were those who taught the requirement for sexual abstinence in the last days is evident in 1 Tim. 4:1-5 where the writer acknowledges such teachings as false and against God's will. A better understanding would be in terms of spiritual adultery, unfaithfulness to God by worshipping idols. For John anyone who participated in worship of the Beast (Emperor) or any other god would be committing adultery and be thereby be defiled.

Revelation, Chapter 14:6-13 Messages of the Three Angels

John's next vision ("then I saw") consists of three angels flying in succession in mid-heaven (in the sky). The first announces the "eternal good news" to all the earth that now is the time for giving glory to God (and not to the Beast) for God's judgment has come (see Mk. 1:15 for an early example of "the time"). John appropriately uses "good news" as a counter point to its use in the Imperial cult to announce the words and mighty deeds of the Emperor to whom the worshippers give praise and glory. The second angel announces that "Babylon the great" has fallen (Isa. 21:9; Jer. 51:6-7). Babylon is the widely used metaphor for Rome. As God is credited with the fall of Babylon and the release of the Jews from their captivity, so John envisions that God has caused the fall of Rome as part of judgment. Included in God's judgment and wrath are "all the nations" which have been made to "drink of the wine of [Rome's] fornication," worshipping the Beast instead of God. The third angel shouts out the terrible fate of those who bear the mark of the Beast and worship its image. "The wine of God's wrath" that is " poured into "the cup of [God's] anger" is described in terms of sulfur and eternal fire - a metaphorical representation of hell. The image has little scriptural support but is widely used in some circles to "motivate" confessions of faith when the message of God's love in Christ is deemed insufficient. While some use John's words to fashion doctrines of the fate of "outsiders" his primary purpose is that of a warning to the "insiders" who ponder the question of just how terrible it can be to join some friends in an occasional bit of idol worship. John's answer is, "you have no idea." It is an exhortation to avoid any level of association with such pagan practices.

John interprets the three announcements as a warning and a promise to the churches. What is necessary in the face of God's judgment is their endurance, keeping God's commandments and "holding fast to their faith in Jesus." According to the voice of the Spirit from heaven this endurance and perseverance will lead to a blessing for those who "die in the Lord," with their uncompromising, unadulterated, unsoiled faith intact. Such as these will "rest from their labors" and be blessed by the godliness of their deeds. In view of the theme of the next passage, John has in mind those who have been martyred because of their endurance until death.

Revelation, Chapter 14:14-20 Reaping the Earth's Harvest

The angel of vs. 7 announced that God's judgment has come. In this passage we read John's vision in which the judgment is described in agricultural terms as two harvests: one of wheat and the other a vineyard harvest. In this vision John sees "one like the Son of man" seated on a cloud" (Dan. 7:13), a clear reference to Jesus' role as the agent of judgment emphasized in all four Gospels (Mt. 26:63-64). He is wearing a golden crown and holds a sharp sickle. An angel comes out of the heavenly temple calling upon the "one who sat on the cloud" to use his sickle because the "harvest of the earth is fully ripe" (the judgment has come). As the first of two harvests, the second being for grapes, this one is the grain harvest - the first fruits of the earth (see vs.4-5). It is represented by the symbolic completeness of 144,000 on earth who were sealed (7:1-8) and gathered into God's kingdom.

The second harvest of the judgment has often been a stumbling block for many readers of Revelation. Its graphic image of bridle-deep blood covering approximately 125,664 square miles, is so gruesome the very thought of it is repulsive. Little wonder this image has led so many to reject a God who is presented as the God who loves the world. When coupled with the image of eternal suffering in the fire of hell the Christian religion becomes more about fear than love. One of our difficulties rests in the difference between the literal and the metaphorical or symbolic. John's (and others') visions are not doctrines. They are hyperbolic comparisons between life with God and life without God. John's visions establish the widest possible set of opposites - hell or heaven, where hell is existence apart from God.

Perhaps we can assuage the anguish of making sense of a blood soaked earth by reading the text and related passages more closely. One key is found in vs. 13 which introduces the blessedness of the dead who from now on die in the Lord. "From now on" is a reference to John's expectation of mass martyrdom as a product of the times of tribulation/judgment before the end. As God presses the assault on the dragon the attacks on the saints increase. This is apparent in his visions of the two beasts who have received the authority and power of the dragon. It is especially so with the first beast who is "allowed to make war on the saints and conquer (kill) them." The "gathering of the clusters of the vine" where the vine, as in Isa. 5:1-7 (also Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 19:10) represents God's people, is the gathering of the martyrs whose blood has been shed by the beast. It is their blood that is the product of the winepress "of the wrath of God." One other important key is found in vs. 20 where the winepress is located "outside the city." The reference is to the place of crucifixion outside of Jerusalem's city walls. It is the place of blood, specifically Jesus' blood and his death as a martyr on the cross. It is also the place that Christian tradition calls Christians to gather and to suffer with Christ (Heb. 13:11-14). We see here a clear connection between the winepress and the blood of the martyrs. One other reference that may be helpful is In Mt 21:33-41, Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants. At the end of the parable the vine owner's son is sent to gather the harvest. He is thrown "outside the vineyard" and killed by the evil tenants. The allegorical meaning is transparent and those of John's churches whose blood has been and will be shed outside John's visionary city have shared in Christ's death and blessed for having "died in the Lord,"

October 13, 2014 Revelation Chapter 13

Revelation Chapter 13

Originally posted Friday December 26, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 13 The Two Beasts

General Comment: The Red Dragon - Satan, and his forces have been defeated in the heavenly conflict with the Archangel Michael. They have been cast down upon the earth where they will now carry their battle directly to the children of the woman - in this case the faithful Christians of John's churches. But Satan has allies. John's vision includes two symbolic beasts who will be the agents of Satan in his earthly assault on the Church. Taken together they represent what some writers call a counterfeit or evil trinity as if John had envisioned a direct comparison with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. At best a way to understand the comparison - in the symbolism of vision, is as an intentional mockery of God, God's saving act through Christ and God's prophetic word through the Spirit.

The two agents of Satan - one from the sea and the other from the earth (later called the false prophet), are representative of the two primordial monsters of Jewish myth: Leviathan (sea monster) and Behemoth (land monster). These two monster/beasts are significant figures of evil in the major Jewish apocalyptic writings of Enoch, Esdras and Baruch, known to and adapted by John. As in Daniel, John uses the beasts as symbols of empire. For Daniel the beast represented the Greek/Seleucid Empire of Antiochus Epiphanies IV and those that preceded it. In John the two beasts represent the Roman Empire: its Imperial cult established around the Emperors (lords) - as a mockery of Christ (Lord), and its local/provincial officials - as a mockery of the Spirit, who support,  promote and maintain the cult of the Emperor.

The Beast from the Sea 13:1-10

The Beast that rises from the sea is John's composite symbol of the Roman Empire that crosses the sea to invade and subjugate other lands (in John's case, Asia Minor). John's reference to the physical characteristics of the Beast in terms of three wild animals is from Dan. 7:3-7. In Daniel there are four wild animals corresponding to the Empires which had subjugated Israel: Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian and Greek which in later Judaism was changed to Rome). The seven heads of the Beast are both the Seven Hills of Rome and the seven Emperors beginning with Nero (17:9-10). The Beast receives the power and authority of the Dragon (12:3, 13:2b) represented by the equivalent number of ten horns with diadems (crowns of power and authority Dan. 7:1-8). The names on the seven heads are blasphemous. They are not the names of the seven Emperors. Rather they are Imperial titles that mock titles given to Christ - Lord, divine Son of God and savior of the world. These titles were applied by and to the Emperors and appeared on their coins and monument inscriptions. John makes this reference clear to the churches with the specific and well known circumstances associated with the Emperor Nero. He was the first Emperor to persecute the church, executing many including Peter and Paul. Nero is the "One [head] that seemed to have received a mortal wound" (a parody on the slaughtered Lamb). Nero committed suicide by plunging a knife into his throat. John's reference to the healing of the wound reflects a well known folk tradition that Nero did not die and would return to continue his murderous persecution of Christians (hence, Nero Residivous). Note the mockery - Nero/beast and Christ both have mortal wounds and both are alive. In John's vision "the whole earth" is amazed by the healing of the mortal wound and they followed the beast, worshipping it as well as the Dragon. They asked the question, "Who can fight against it?" The "whole earth" chose sides against God and picked what they thought was a winner.

Such a widely known allusion to Nero demonstrates how transparent much of John's political symbolism is. There is no mistaking John's intent to draw the sharpest distinction between the false divinity and lordship of the Roman Emperors and the true divinity and exclusive Lordship of Christ. John treads a dangerous path by proclaiming the true kingdom of God and the true Son of God over against the Roman Empire and its Imperial power - the enemies of God. For John, Nero residivous is represented by the presumed divine Emperor Domitian. That his readers understood the dangers and yet remained faithful in the face of death is a noble testament to their courage, hope and faith.

The Beast from the sea "was allowed" by divine Providence, authority for forty months (the time of tribulation). John wants to be very clear that Satan - the Dragon, is the source of the Beast's - the Emperor's, authority and power. But God has to allow that authority to be exercised by the Beast. God does so because, in John's view, this is all part of the tribulation preceding judgment. The Beast utters blasphemies against God's name and against those dwelling in heaven (vs. 6b). It is "allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them" with the sword. John's use of "conquer" in this context makes evident his differentiation of a Christian who conquers through non-resistant godliness and martyrdom and the Beast (Roman Imperial power) who conquers by violence. The Beast's authority is so all-encompassing that all the inhabitants of earth except those whose faith has persevered will worship it (all those whose name has not been written in the book of life Dan. 12:1). Vs. 10 is derived and loosely adapted from Isa. 14:2c. It speaks to the churches of the inevitable possibility of imprisonment and martyrdom of those who endure in their faith and do not give in to the pressure of paganism - particularly as it is expressed in Emperor worship of Domitian.

The Beast from the Land 13:11-18

If the Beast from the sea represents the divine Imperial power of Rome then the Beast from the land represents the official structure of the Imperial cult in charge of maintaining and encouraging the worship of the Emperor as a god. These were the provincial functionaries and civic leaders as well as the wealthy who promoted the building and maintenance of Temples to the divine Emperors. They also were the officiating priests of these Temples, the "false prophets" who encouraged public worship of and sacrifices to the Emperors This Beast derives its power from the first Beast (Emperor), speaking and acting on its behalf. John makes this arrangement clear in vs. 12 in that this beast makes humanity (encourages through false teaching) worship the Beast from the sea - the Emperor represented by Nero residivous. We should keep in mind - as John has, the Apollo connection between Nero and Domitian, both having fashioned their divine self-understanding after this god of light. This Beast from the land is allowed to use heavenly signs and wonders as a means of deception by which others are enticed to construct an image of the Beast from the sea, specified again as Nero residivous. This image was given breath (spirit) and speech with which to threaten the death of those who would not worship it.

The Beast from the land is also empowered to have every one of all stations of the social structure who worship the Beast marked on the right hand or forehead with the mark of the first beast (compare with 14:1). This mark controls economic and social commerce, creating difficulties for any who are not marked. A person's worship of the Beast becomes public with a form of identification which defines the person as belonging to the Beast set against those who have the name of the Lamb and God on their foreheads. Christians are cut off from typical sources of food. Much of the distribution and selling of food was done through the Temples. Some Temples were equipped with places for vendors as well as what we would call restaurants. The Christian would not purchase food under those circumstances and had to make do as they could, finding other sources without being detected.

John adds a detail that has interested every generation of Christians since the end of the first century. John refers to the mark of the Beast as the "name of the Beast or the number of its name."  In Judaism every letter is assigned a number. The use of such a system, called Gematria, in mystical, interpretive and prophetic studies of the Old Testament has been applied since the century before Jesus' birth. However, Its use is centuries older - as far back as the 8th century BCE. The book The Bible Code, written in 1997 by Michael Drosnin and its sequel The Bible Code II, stirred up considerable interest in this ancient method alleging there were hidden messages in the Hebrew Bible, specifically the Torah. With this system Drosnin predicted the Parousia would happen in 2006. Others - after that date, used it to predict a date 0f 2012. John is not interested in predictions of the future or verifications of past events. His concern is to identify the Beast from the sea. by the number of its name. Using the application of letters for numbers John derives the number 666 as the mark of the beast on the right hand or forehead of all who belong to the Beast. Taking the three numbers, the numerical equivalent in Hebrew is Nero. If we apply the same method with Greek letters the result is 616, which gives the name Neron, the Greek word for Nero. We need only note the consistent evidence of the first Beast being related to the head of one with a mortal wound and see John's understanding that this is Nero.

  

October 12, 2014 Revelation Chapter 12

Revelation Chapter 12

Originally posted Wednesday December 24, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 12:1-6 The Woman and the Dragon

John introduces a new vision with a new cast of characters. Although this vision is new and takes us in another direction, it is understood as a retrospective view of the cosmic/earthly events that have come before the pronouncement of 11:15which acknowledges that the kingdom of the world has always been ruled by God and now this reign is shared with the Messiah. The events of Chapter 12 represent the desperate state of affairs in the world because of the resistance of the forces of evil against God's people, both the old and new Israel.

To interpret the significance of the drama taking place between the woman and the red dragon we need to understand the Greek mythology on which the vision is based and which would be known to every Greek and Roman child. We will recall that Domitian, the Emperor during the time in which Revelation was written, styled himself after the god Apollo. The island of Patmos where John was in exile is close to the island of Delos, where Apollo the son of Zeus and Leto was born. The dragon Python the demon and guardian of the abyss of Delphi rebelled against Zeus and sought to kill the child so Leto fled. When Apollo grew he returned to Delphi and killed the dragon. The ancient myth is part of the lore of many cultures representing the warfare of the forces of chaos, darkness and death with the divine powers of light, order, and life. It is the classic tale of good versus evil on the cosmic level. The myth was adopted and adapted by Roman Emperors who played the role of Apollo bringing political order and peace (Pax Romana) through military victory over the enemies of the gods. Nero erected statues of himself fashioned as a god after Apollo the god of light. The Roman citizen could identify with the characters in the presentation. The woman is the goddess Roma, queen of heaven; the Emperor is the divine son of Apollo who establishes order and the dragon is the power of chaos who opposes goodness and peace.

John has used the mythical characters known to Christians as well as Hellenistic Jews and pagans to portray the age old battle between the serpent (Python) and the people of God, between good and evil. As Christians we will be tempted to see the woman in hard labor as Mary and the son who will rule as Jesus the Messiah who is taken up into heaven. John has identified the red dragon/serpent as Satan (vs.9). We could point to the story of Jesus' birth as told in Matthew. The child Jesus is hunted by the evil king Herod and an angel warns Joseph who flees with mother and child to Egypt (the desert). We could tell the story of Jacob's (Israel's) children traveling to Egypt where their offspring became slaves to the Pharaoh/serpent but were delivered by God and escaped into the desert. In John's vision the woman is this and more than this. She is no less than Eve, the mother of all humanity that has been the hunted prey of the prowling serpent since the Garden of Eden. She is represented as the queen of heaven, clothed with the sun, wearing a crown of twelve stars. Her birthpangs are the times of tribulation - the human struggle waiting for the time of judgment (Rom. 8:22; Isa. 66:7).

The red dragon, as noted by John, is Satan. He represents all the historic forces of evil. He is Ephesians' "principalities, powers, rulers of the present darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." He is Paul's "prince of the power of the air." He is the Old Testament's Leviathan, the enemy of light. He seeks to devour the children of Eve throughout the ages. John represents his power with Daniel's beast of ten horns (Dan. 7:7) and the seven heads of the ancient chaos monster of Mesopotamian mythology. He is so large and powerful that a swish of his tail sweeps away a third of the stars. Taken together the dragon becomes the metaphor for all the forces opposed to God since the beginning of time.

The dragon attempts to devour the woman's son who is destined to reign over all nations (Ps. 2:9). But he is saved and taken up into heaven. The woman flees into the wilderness and is protected by God for 1,260 days, the symbolic time of the tribulation. Here John extends the role of the woman and she becomes the church, the ideal community of God's children in the wilderness as the faithful who are sealed and thus protected through the tribulation and possibly martyrdom.

Revelation, Chapter 12:7-12 Michael Defeats the Dragon

God's act in saving the child and hiding the mother provokes a war in heaven between Michael with his angels and the dragon with his demon angels. Michael wins the war and the dragon, along with his demon angels, are cast out of heaven and "thrown down to the earth." The heavenly victory erupts into a celebration of the defeat of the dragon/Satan. Salvation (judgment) and the power of the kingdom of God under the authority of Christ have come and the "accuser" (Job 1:9; Zech. 3:1) of the faithful has been conquered through their testimony (witness) to Christ even unto death. There is a down side to this casting out of the dragon and his minions. The heavenly war of good versus evil comes to earth.

Revelation, Chapter 12:13-18 The Dragon Fights Against the Earth

The woman who has been in the protective wilderness is now the faithful church continuing to witness to her faith in Christ. She has now become the prey of the fallen angels. The defeated dragon pursues her but once again she escapes back to the protective wilderness, this time with the assistance of two great eagle's wings (Exod. 19:4). In an attempt to sweep her away a great flood of water came from the dragon's mouth (an adaptation of Isa. 59:19) but the earth itself opens and swallows the river. With this second defeat the dragon turns his attention to the woman's "children," the faithful community who live godly lives following God's commandments and persevering in their faith in Christ.

The war against the woman/community of the faithful is not yet over. The final judgment has not yet been fulfilled. The dragon/Satan has allies - two beasts, one from the sea and one from the earth. The battle intensifies.

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Note:

All Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, including Revelation, has as its guiding world view the overwhelming presence of evil in the world - the reign of Satan, in conflict with the human remnant of the godly faithful. The struggle is seen in cosmic proportions with the forces of God arrayed against the forces of Satan. Humanity has a limited impact in deciding the outcome. God and Satan are the major players and the total number of adherents to one or the other is irrelevant to the outcome. The outcome has already been decided. John would say it was decided before the battle began. The outcome will be in God's favor. It will accrue to the remnant faithful that perseveres, that refuses, even on pain of exile, rejection by society and family, marginalization, abandonment or death, to accommodate themselves to the world's prevailing standards and values. Those who "cling" to faith, who see a higher calling to the reign of God in and through Christ, and believe that true righteousness is not defined by doctrinal lists but is "doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God" will, as John puts it, conquer the world and walk with Christ.

October 11, 2014 Revelation Chapter 11

Revelation Chapter 11

Originally posted Tuesday December 23, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 11:1-14 The Two witnesses

The "mighty angel" of 10:1 has sworn by an oath in the name (and therefore the authority) of God that there will be no further delay in God's final act of judgment/salvation now to be revealed. In preparation for that moment, John has been given a "measuring rod" with instructions to measure the heavenly Sanctuary and the Altar (Ezek. 40:33ff; Zech. 2:1-4; Ps. 79:1). The Sanctuary was the Holy of Holies and the Altar was the great Altar of Holocausts which stands before the sanctuary within the court of the Israelites. John is told not to measure the outer court, referring to the Court of the Gentiles who were not allowed into the Court of the Israelites. This court was surrounded by a wall approximately six feet tall. According to Josephus, at regular intervals there were stone slabs, some inscribed in Geek and others in Latin, on which was inscribed "No foreigner is to go beyond the balustrade (wall) and the plaza of the Sanctuary zone. Whoever is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his death."

The term "measuring rod" has nothing to do with size, as if John were being asked to calculate the area of the heavenly Sanctuary for reproduction on earth. The contextual meaning here is that of sealing those who are in the inner court, the church, and is similar to the sealing described in 7:1-4. What is being measured is the faithfulness of those within the church who will be "protected" in the tribulation. They are not protected from persecution or death but are kept secure in their final victory. The rod or reed of measuring comes from the word, "canon" as in the Canon of the New Testament - the authorized 27 books included therein. The Canon is the inclusive measure of the basis of the Christian's faith and nothing "outside" the Canon is acceptable. In John's vision, no one outside of the court of the Sanctuary is within the measurement - they are not sealed.

The voice adds the reason for the limiting of the measuring. The outer court (outside the Sanctuary) has been left to the Gentiles. In this use, Gentile non-Christians are usually meant. However, John certainly would include among those who are not sealed "those who say they are Jews and are not." (2:9). The Greek word for Gentiles is "ethnos" as in "ethnic" group. All non-Jews were called Gentiles. The outer court - all that is not the Sanctuary - has been "given over" to these Gentiles who will "trample over Jerusalem for forty two months." John has in mind a very specific group of Gentiles, those under the authority of the Roman Army. He is bringing forward the memory of the destruction of Jerusalem and the entire Temple in 70 CE. Forty two months,1260 days or 3 1/2 years are not literal or symbolic predictions to be analyzed in some numerological scheme (Dan 8:14). They simply refer to the time until the end as a finite length of time to give the reassurance that the tribulation will only last so long and God will end it. This is an important message to the churches that are in the midst of persecution and martyrdom. It is meant to bolster the Churches' resolve to persevere, to stand firm in the faith through this time of hardship and the temptation to waver.

Coincident with the trampling of Jerusalem and the outer court two of God's prophets have been given authority to prophesy there for 1,260 days (42 months with a month being 30 days). Again, John is recalling the events of the last few days before the Temple was destroyed. The Jewish Zealots withstood the Romans for some time (the war began in 66 CE). During the last days before the city and Temple fell the Zealot prophets continued to prophesy that God would intervene at any moment and deliver the Temple from the unclean hands of the Romans. They, as we so often do, thought of God as a shield against bad things happening to good people. Their cause was righteous and noble but they perished without the deeper spiritual insight that God does not keep us from harm no matter how "good" we are or how strong our faith is. God protects us through harm and not from it. Those who understand this truth - no matter the outcome, know they are God's in all things and at all times.

The two prophets are designated as the two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before God. The interpretation of these two metaphors is complex. A number of known Biblical characters have been tapped as one or the other of these two prophets. The choices may speak to identifying figures popular in the church of the time. But to stress the identification too far is to miss the point John is making. The two prophets are the church doing what the church is suppose to be doing - standing in fearless witness against the forces of the State, real or presumed. In that light the two could be Peter and Paul who bore witness to the absolute lordship of Christ against the might and hubris of Rome. It could be Zerubbabel the king and presumed descendent of David, and Joshua the priest who returned from Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple and stood against hostile resistance which attempted to foil God's purpose. If a choice must be made, and in view of the events of the seventh trumpet, the best would be Elijah and Moses. In biblical and apocalyptic traditions both were said to have been taken up into heaven before they died. Elijah "shut the sky" preventing rain and used fire to destroy his enemies. Moses turned water into blood and was God's agent in bringing plagues upon Egypt. In the Christian and Jewish tradition, Elijah was to return as the forerunner of the Messiah, and both Moses and Elijah participate in the transfiguration vision bestowing upon Jesus the prophetic and Torah authority.

After the specified 1260 days the beast of the bottomless pit is allowed to kill the two prophets - a reminder to the churches of the possibility of martyrdom for those who continue to confess Christ as Lord rather than Caesar. The two dead prophets lay in the streets of Jerusalem (the great city) where Jesus (their Lord) was crucified. John refers to Jerusalem as both Sodom and Egypt, the place of moral degradation and bondage to oppressive slavery. After the Romans destroyed the city, thousands of Jews were marched out and sold into slavery throughout the empire. Thousands more were executed in Roman arenas in Syrian and Caesarea. Burial of the two prophets was not permitted (in violation of Torah) and the world celebrated their deaths thinking they were now rid of these tormenters.

But God would have the last word. As an example to the churches of the outcome of conquering through death, after a symbolic three and a half days, God breathed life into them (Ezekiel's field of bones) and called them up into heaven to the terrified amazement of their enemies. As the two martyrs were ascending to God a great earthquake struck the city killing seven thousand people (seven times 70 companies). John sees the rest of the pagan Gentiles giving glory to God. This does not mean praise or acceptance of God as the one God. It means they credited this God with a miracle that any god might perform.

Revelation, Chapter 11:15-19 The Seventh Trumpet

The angel has proclaimed there will be no further delay (10:6). God's kingdom is about to dawn (Dan. 7:10-11). And so it is with the blowing of the seventh trumpet accompanied by loud voices in heaven. "The kingdom of the world has become [what it has always been,] the kingdom of our Lord (God) and [God's] Messiah" who reigns forever (Isa. 27:13; Dan. 2:44; Ps. 145:13). The shouts of the voices are met with worship before the throne of God by the twenty four elders. God's reign is affirmed. The time for "judging the dead, rewarding the servants, prophets and saints and destroying the destroyers of the earth cannot be far off. As if to join the heavenly celebration the curtain of the heavenly Sanctuary is opened, the Ark of the Covenant is visible and the presence of God is seen within the lightening, thunder, earthquake and heavy hail.

We thought we had arrived at the end. The kingdom was affirmed and God reigns over all. But what John has given us in his vision is not the end of struggle, but the beginning of the end. Now that God's kingdom has been identified as the true kingdom of the world wholly belonging to God, the war of possession can commence. At stake is the world. In question is the power. In the balance is love, peace and justice weighed against hate, violence and oppression.

October 10, 2014 Revelation Chapter 10

Revelation Chapter 10

Originally posted Monday December 22, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 10 The Angel of the Little Scroll

Before the opening of the seventh seal there was an interlude in which John's vision identified the 144,000 who had been sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads. This symbolic number was identified as Christians who were part of the existing churches of John's time. In addition there was a "multitude from every nation," martyrs who were enrobed in white and joining the angels, elders and living creatures in worship of God and the Lamb. In chapter 10-11:13 the visions of the Little Scroll and the Two Witnesses precede the blowing of the seventh trumpet. They serve as the announcement that the judgment and the great cosmic battle between God and Satan has begun. The two witnesses will be particularly important in John's vision of the role of the church during an increasing level of persecution, 

John sees a "mighty angel" described in terms used elsewhere in Revelation of God and Christ. (1:16, 4:3, 5:1). Descriptive images of God, Christ and angel merge but it is God who is heard and seen in and through both angel and Christ. The cloud that is wrapped around the angel is reminiscent of the cloud of God's presence on Mount Sinai and the mount of Transfiguration (also see Job 37; Ps. 18:7-15; Zech. 10:1). The angel carries an open scroll and shouts with the roar of a lion (5:1, Amos 3:8). The scroll that is open is the scroll of the seven seals of 5:1, taken from the hand of God and which the Lamb was found worthy to open. The angel's shout - as if calling to the heavens, leads to the voice of the seven thunders (thunder is usually associated with the voice of God). John is prepared to record the words spoken by the seven thunders but he is halted by "a voice from heaven" that instructs him not to write what he has heard but to "seal up what the seven thunders have said." We are not told why this is. (It is worthwhile at this point to read Daniel 12:1-10 to understand how John adapts an older Jewish tradition for this part of his vision.).

The angel's oath before God is a promise that "there will be no more delay," that when the seventh trumpet is sounded God's mystery (the final judgment) as told to the prophets will be fulfilled. Of course apocalyptic time is more symbolic than chronological. While the angel swears there will be no delay and the waiting is over, what is meant is that there will be no delay in proceeding toward the events of the end of history. Before this can occur there will be the final tribulation through which the churches are already passing (Dan. 12:1). Perhaps this final tribulation is what John has been told to seal, as Daniel was told to "keep the words [of Michael's prophecy] secret and the scroll sealed until the time of the end." A better possibility more in keeping with the unfolding text is that God has intervened in the apocalyptic process, perhaps in response to the prayers of the saints who are continuing to endure the tribulation. God has chosen not to delay the end but to proceed to the fulfillment of God's mystery in the blowing of the seventh trumpet. 

God's voice from heaven tells John to take the open scroll of the seven seals from the angel. As he does so the angel tells him to devour the scroll, that it will be "bitter to [his] stomach, but sweet as honey in [his] mouth." This might seem an odd command but John's frequent reliance on Ezekiel for his imagery provides an understanding. In Ezek. 2:8-3:3 Ezekiel is given a scroll to eat. On the scroll were written "words of lamentation and mourning and woe." corresponding to the seven seals on John's scroll. Ezekiel eats the scroll and writes, "...in my mouth it was sweet as honey." Unlike Ezekiel, in the eating of the scroll John experiences the two extremes of God's plan (mystery) for the coming judgment. There is the bitterness of what John will continue to prophesy regarding the disaster that is being loosed on the earth leading to the day of final judgment and the sweetness of the victory of salvation that comes to those who have persevered until the end. John's work is not done.