Event Horizon
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant, John; Revelation 1:1 NASB
The End – There is hardly a single book in the Bible subject to greater contextual folly than The Holy Revelation of John the Divine. To prove this point, all that is needed is a quick review of the number of generations who determined that the end of the world was at hand by reading Revelation in their own context. Of course, that means ignoring the context of the author and treating the book as if it is some mysterious code about political intrigue, nuclear wars, the rise of Communism or Islam, and the dominance of some earthly super-evil power. What great fiction this produces! Tim LaHaye cashed in on our paranoia about the end of the world, but I am quite sure that his novels will sit on dusty shelves while the next generation decides that Revelation is really about extraterrestrial invasions or sunspot radiation or Chinese economics or something else.
What Christians have forgotten (or perhaps never knew) is that John’s vision is part of a genre of literature called Apocalyptic. It isn’t the only book making veiled claims about the future. In fact, it is only one among dozens written during the end of the apostolic age. If we look at the rest of these manuscripts, we just might draw different conclusions about the purpose and the nature of John’s addition.
It’s useful to note that the Greek text begins with apokalupsis. There is no definite article here. This is a disclosure, not the disclosure. The word means an uncovering and an interpretation of that uncovering. In other words, it is event plus meaning. This is a significant problem since no one seems to actually know what all this means. Maybe the reason we find it so difficult to interpret is that we are looking at it from the wrong perspective. Maybe we are looking for answers to the wrong questions.
David Frankfurter points out that other apocalyptic literature of the era is very similar to John’s revelation. The common themes are a picture of the heavenly world, deep Jewish (yes, that’s right) traditions, concern with prophetic authority, typology based in the Tanakh and Jewish priestly purity.[1] Frankfurter points out that “Jesus Christ” really has a subordinate role in John’s work. The central issue is priestly purity (cf. The Ascension of Isaiah 3:21 and 28). In fact, Christ’s authority is derived from priestly purity and obedience. What Frankfurter demonstrates is that the book of Revelation fits comfortably within a Jewish view of life – here and in the hereafter. Revelation can be seen as “the work of continuous communities of halakhically-observant Jewish groups . . . that incorporated Jesus into their cosmologies and liturgies while retaining an essentially Jewish, or even priestly, self-definition.”[2]
What does this mean for us, the average people concerned about what is coming over the event horizon? Perhaps it means some of the following:
1. Revelation needs to read as Jewish, as a description of the concerns of the Messianic Jewish congregation in the first century. We must resist the nearly ubiquitous temptation to treat it as a hidden code about the end of the world.
2. Revelation is part of the literature of hope. Its themes are Jewish themes – obedience, trust, purity, submission and sovereignty. As such, they have meaning within the culture of the author. The questions we need to ask begin with understanding that culture.
3. Revelation is not alone. It is not an unusual piece of literature, a one-of-a-kind view into the world to come. Before we can speak about its meaning, we need to understand its genre.
4. Revelation offers great insights into the place of prophetic authority which stands in radical contrast to the organizational hierarchy adopted by the Church in subsequent centuries but foreshadowed in conflicts within the Messianic community. We need to ask if we are not the product of the very thing Revelation opposed.
5. Finally, Revelation is about the deeply Jewish idea of God’s utter reliability. It is about trust in spite of chaos and confusion. Perhaps more than “signs of the times,” we should be looking for validations of emunah [truth, faithfulness].
Buy Left Behind if you wish, but it is fiction, through and through.
Topical Index: revelation, apokalupsis, Revelation 1:1, priest, purity
[1] David Frankfurter, “Beyond ‘Jewish’ Christianity” in The Ways that Never Parted, p. 137.
[2] Ibid., p. 135.
Skip I find this all a bit convoluted. Whilst I have always found the many different interpretations of Revelations suspect and have never read TimLeHayes series nor really interested in doing so, I am unsure as to what you are saying about the fact that it is part of the Apocalyptic literature and how we should understand it or interpret it?
‘If we look at the rest of these manuscripts, we just might draw different conclusions about the purpose and the nature of John’s addition’. What manuscripts?
‘It’s useful to note that the Greek text begins with apokalupsis. There is no definite article here. This is a disclosure, not the disclosure. The word means an uncovering and an interpretation of that uncovering. In other words, it is event plus meaning. This is a significant problem since no one seems to actually know what all this means. Maybe the reason we find it so difficult to interpret is that we are looking at it from the wrong perspective. Maybe we are looking for answers to the wrong questions’.
I dont have a prespective – What questions should we ask?
‘Revelation offers great insights into the place of prophetic authority which stands in radical contrast to the organizational hierarchy adopted by the Church in subsequent centuries but foreshadowed in conflicts within the Messianic community. We need to ask if we are not the product of the very thing Revelation opposed’.
Can you explain/expand on this paragraph? I dont really understand ….’if we are not the product of the very thing Revelation opposed’. What ‘thing’ does Revelation oppose?
Hmmm … perhaps I am i’m in ‘fog’ here but dont get the gist of what you are endeavouring to impart besides that of it being imperative that we read it with understanding of the Jewish culture of the time and …’Revelation is about the deeply Jewish idea of God’s utter reliability. It is about trust in spite of chaos and confusion. Perhaps more than “signs of the times,” we should be looking for validations of emunah [truth, faithfulness].
Hope you can expand a bit. Perhaps Im the only one who is in a fog – be interested in others understanding. Thanks
Christine
AMEN, and thank you for focusing on the reality of the text and helping to clear up reality vs fanciful thinking on Revelation. It may be a lack of formal Biblical education or just a desire to see things in the current culture that causes a distortion like many Christians have of the text. I recently visited some grand parents and while there personal written material from WW2 was read. If it was not kept in context it would have had totally different meaning. The same with the Bible, it is for us to understand God and His plans for us; but it also has to be read with more than just me in mind.
I just want to share that I had a very eye- opening experience of getting to sit under a born again Jew named Neil Silverburg who went through the whole book of Revelation verse by verse and when he got through, he had proved it to be a picture of the glorified Jesus Christ which is what John proclaims in the beginning of the book. He says he saw the Lord high and lifted up. Neil proved to me that it was not written with the motive of interpreting future events and it was written in a way that was symbolized because they were under persecution and if the letter was intercepted by the persecutors, they wouldn’t understand what it meant. It was to encourage the believers.
It changed my perspective of it and I just rest in the fact I am His, so where He is, is where I get to end up. In the meantime He is with me all the way there.
Blessings and peace,
Kay
I’m thoroughly going to enjoy this. I will take great delight and pleasure in presenting these written words to “whosoever will.” (Whether Jew or Greek) the invitation of (the, not a) Christ is (and remains!): “Come unto me.”
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” What is the subject matter (if we wish to call it that) of John? John was given something and he was also instructed to “write that down.” This final book in a series of books (66 in all) is titled “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Ladies and Gentlemen- what is behind the curtain? Lift the veil and look! This book is about a person! What was that name again? This Name is the key to unlock the door to understand not only this wonderful book but every single book from Genesis forward. This (once again) is the revelation, (the uncovering), the exposure of Yeshua HaMashiach, the Lamb of G-d to everyone who is able to read and to understand the words written by John.
In Genesis we read “in the beginning G-d.” No problem there- easily understood and accepted. It was G-d who started it all. We are now out of the gate and on our way… but where does it end? What about the “rest of the story?” (yes, I will mention and not forget the Torah- our instructions for daily living is included in the package).
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” (Luke 24.27) What is Genesis all about? Jesus. What is Exodus all about? Jesus What is Leviticus all about? Jesus. What about Mark? Matthew? Luke? John? (hello John..) “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things..”
Have we missed it? Where did we go wrong? Have we found the “on ramp” to the highway of holiness? The door? The threshold?
There is a Name I love to hear, I love to sing it’s worth..- What, my dear friends is that Name? It is a Name above every name. It is a Name that one day, (soon, I hope) everyone will realize and recognize, the worth and value of. The Bible, the word of G-d, is our Him-book. It is all about Him.
We have just discovered something. Actually,Someone. Jesus (who is the) Christ is LORD. Not “a” lord, THE LORD. Lord of Heaven AND of earth. LORD of then and LORD of now. LORD of time and LORD of eternity. LORD of the circumcised ones, and LORD of the heathen. LORD of the living and LORD of the dead. Jesus Christ, my dear friends and family is LORD. LORD of all. He is the KING of kings and He is the LORD of lords. Do they teach and preach this in the synagogue? Then I will attend and support this ministry with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Do they teach and preach this in the church where I attend? Then I will support this ministry with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Who IS Jesus Christ? Was it not John who also said- “Behold, (take a good look, -go on and stare in wide-eyed wonder)- the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world?”
“And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered–to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” (Revelation 5.12) Who is the Lamb who was slain? Tell us John, Tell us Matthew. Tell us Mark. Tell us Luke. What is His Name? Do you know this man? Is it possible for me to know Him? Put me in this glorious heavenly choir..please.
Here is an interesting article I received today – “Removing the Veil” : http://www.thebiblepost.com/removing-the-veil
Ms. Jan Carver
perhaps there is an awakening going on out there… ♥
THE WORD IS ALIVE – THE LIGHT WILL HAVE TO BREAK AWAY THE DARKNESS…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukMix2pUpPo&feature=player_embedded#at=176
“Before we can speak about its meaning, we need to understand its genre.”
Hope you can watch the Trailer below, it’s my favorite example of the genre and a great vision of Hope.
Ingmar Bergman: “The Seventh Seal” (1957) Trailer (SPOILERS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M3AQMHRufY&feature=related
Wow Skip, Most people didn’t get what you wrote and don’t understand the book. I find most people are out in left field when it comes to understanding the book of Revelation. It simple when you understand the circumstances of the time. This is the last book given to the Church of the events that are about to occur until the second coming. Yes, it was written in symbols so that the Romans wouldn’t understand it, but it was written for the Church to understand it. (Old Testament symbols) For the first century Church it may have been difficult for them to understand it since these events were still in the future, but for us today, it’s much easier for us because all we have to do is look back into history and see the fulfillment as they were predicted. We must look at it in a Hebrew perspective to understand the symbols yet to come. Verse three say’s, “Blessed (happy) is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
“and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”
The “time is near” makes me think of the movie Hombre, in which Paul Newman plays an Indian.
At the end of the movie, Hombre must walk down the mountain and face his adversary.
In doing so, Hombre faces almost certain death to save the community of white folks.
His adversary, played by Richard Boone, and other very guys, are waiting for him.
When Hombre gets down the hill, Richard Boone almost admiringly says:
“Mr, you gotta have a lotta hard bark on you, walkin down here alone like this.”
To which Hombre replies:
“We’re all gonna die, it’s just a matter of when.”
And I’ve always thought that in relation to eternity, “the time is near” for all of us.
I agree. I have always understood it as a book of encouragement; it does reminds me to do (put) the first thing first ( Matthew 6: 33). In other words, always try to put “my house” in order for the can come for me at any time He chooses.
I agree. I have always understood it as a book of encouragement; it does reminds me to do (put) the first thing first ( Matthew 6: 33). In other words, always try to put “my house” in order for He can come for me at any time He chooses.
Skip, what does your reference – (cf. 3:21 and 28) – mean? I originally thought it meant Rev 3:21, 28 but of course there is no 28. Help please?
Sorry, I forgot the reference. The Ascension of Isaiah, another apocalyptic document. I have corrected the TW.
Skip, do you believe that all the events prophesied in the Book of Revelation were fulfilled in the past, and if so, by when? Also, it seems to me that chapter’s 19-21 speak of the second coming of Christ and the future existence. How do you see them?
Hi Vince,
Far too big a topic to reduce to a one paragraph answer. It is crucial to understand John vision within the context of first century apocalyptic literature. Without that, we just throw darts at the wall, not the target. In addition, all biblical prophecy seems to contain multiple levels of meaning, as witnessed by the way prophecy about circumstances in and surrounding the Babylonian captivity can also be used to confirm Yeshua as the Messiah (in the gospel, for example). So, most questions like “is it about this or about that?” tend to ignore these multiple levels.
Will there be a future return of the Messiah. Of course. Does Revelation describe that return. Certainly. Do we know what John was communicating in a way that allows us to outline the chronology? I highly doubt it. I suggest you listen to Bob Gorelik’s excellent series called The Last Days