Unlocking Revelation Session1

“Wheretobegin?”DerivedfromtheGreekwordmeaning“todisclose”,“toreveal”,or“tounveil”,thebookofRevelation,canbe difficult to read, difficult to understand, and harder yet to appreciate. It can, to say the least, be achallenging book to deal with. It’s inclusion of strange dreams, bazaar images, seemingly encryptedsymbolism, talk of ‘the end times’, and itsmention of ‘divine judgment’,make the book of Revelationunique among the books of the New Testament…but they can also make for a read that is not onlydifficult,butscary.

Sowheretobegin?IfwearetobeginanexplorationofthebookofRevelation,wemightdowelltobeginbyrememberingthatTheBibleis,inessence,a‘library’–acollectionof66differentbooks,ofdifferentgenres,writtenatdifferent times, by different authors, in response to different experiences. Some books cross genreboundaries, while others are themselves a collection of stories from across differing genres, a basicbreakdownofBiblicalbooksbygenreisprovidedbelow.

Figure1:AbasicbreakdownoftheBiblicalbooksbygenre.

The book of Revelation is among those books that cross various genre boundaries1. It exhibits traitscommontovariousformsofbiblicalliterature,andinitsconsiderationshouldbelookedat:• AsanEpistle

ThebookofRevelationis,infact,aletter,understoodtobewrittenby‘John’,from‘Jesus’,toparticularrecipients–inthiscase,7particularcongregationsinAsiaMinor–ataparticularpointinhistory,withinaparticularhistoricalandsociologicalcontext(c.95CE)

• AsaPropheticBook

ThebookofRevelationidentifiesitsmessageasbeing‘prophetic’(seeRev.1:3),andwasunderstoodtopronounce(or‘reveal’,‘disclose’,‘unveil’…fromtheGkword,‘Revelation’)God’swilltoagenerationanditsunfoldingfuture.

• AsanApocalypticBook

LiketheBookofDaniel,thoughbearingthetraitsofotherbiblicalgenres,itisultimatelyconsidered‘Apocalyptic’innature.Thisistheresultofitsinclusionofsuchthingsasits:strangevisions,exaltedsymbolism,manipulationofnumbers,talkof‘thelastdays’,divinejudgment,resurrectionetc.(alltraitsdefiningtheApocalypticgenre).Assuch,RevelationisuniquewithinthecanonoftheN.T.

ThesevaryingaspectsofRevelationarereflectedinthewaythebookitselfisorganized.ConsiderFig.2,below,outliningthematerialfoundinRevelation.

Figure2.AnoutlineofthebookofRevelation,showing3distinctsections:introduction,propheticcritiquesof7churches,and‘apocalyptic’visions

1AnotherexamplewouldbetheO.T.BookofDaniel,whichalthough‘Apocalyptic’instyle,isalso,infact,bothapropheticbook,withhistoricalnarratives.

AsidefromrightlyidentifyingRevelationaspossessingtraitsofacross‐genrepieceofliterature,wemustalsogivecarefulconsiderationtoitscontentsfromagreatercanonicalperspective,takingintoaccountitsrelationship tootherscriptural texts, includingDaniel,Ezekiel,Zechariah, theGospels,and theEpistles(particularlythosedeemedthePaulineEpistles)…fromwhich,evenacursoryinspectionwouldrevealashareduseofimagery,andwording.Ofcourse,onemustalsogivecarefulconsiderationtothehistoricalcontextofthebook’sauthorship,andin this case, the context of thebooks first recipients (i.e.whydid the issues and interests of thebookbecome important enough to preservewhen they did?)…aswell as considering that of the later faithcommunitiesinterpretingthetext.

InSummaryIfwearetogainagreaterunderstanding,anddeeperappreciationofthebookofRevelation,weneedto:• RecognizeRevelationasaworkofcross­genreliterature

• ConsiderRevelation’scontentscanonically

Consideringitsrelationshiptoothertexts(including:Daniel,Ezekiel,Zechariah,etc.)• Understandthehistoricalcontextof:

• Thebook’sauthorship(whydidtheissues&interestsofthestorybecomeimportantenoughtopreservewhentheywere?)

• Thelaterfaithcommunitiesinterpretingthetext

RevelationasanEpistle:Identifying‘thescribe,‘thesender’,&the‘7churchesoftheRevelation’TheScribe:Author:Theauthor(writer)ofRevelationidentifieshimselfasJohn.

(Notably, scholars oftenrefer to this ‘John’ as John ‘the elder’ &NOT John ‘the disciple’ or ‘theevangelist’.Thereasoningforthisdistinctionliesinthedoubtthattheyareindeedoneinthesame–adoubtgroundedinthefactthattheGospelofJohniswritteninfluentGreek,whiletheGreekofRevelation isrough, litteredwithgrammaticalerrors,andoccasionalclumsysentencestructure.ThiswouldsuggestthatGreekwasprobablyasecondarylanguagewithSemiticorArabicasJohnindigenouslanguage.Thereareotherreasonsfromthetextalso,includingthefactthatJohnneveridentifieshimselfas ‘Johnthedisciple’, ‘JohntheEvangelist’,orasoneof theapostles.However;thisJohnisapparentlyknowtothechurchesinAsiaminor)

Date: ThebookofRevelationdatesto95CE(thoughwritingmight

havebegunearlier)Setting:JohniswritingfromtheIsleofPatmos,anislandinthe

Aegean Sea used by the Romans as a prison, and says he’sthere because of the “word of God and the testimony ofJesus.”(seemap,right)

The7Churches:Revelation’srecipientsThebookofRevelation is firstlyaddressed to seven particularchurchesinAsiaMinor:Ephesus,Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira,Sardis, Philadelphia, andLaodicea.These churches are thought tohave formed part of a circularmailroute,andhavinghadsomeexperience and/or influencefromthewritingsof theApostlePaul.(seeColossian2:1,4:13‐16,which makes reference tosharing letters with Laodicea;and Ephesians, which wasaddressed specifically to thechurch in Ephesus, which Paulfounded; and consider alsoGalatians, addressed to churchinthenortherncentralAnatolianhighlandsofmodernTurkey)TheSenderThoughJohnisidentifiedasthewriter/author/scribeofRevelation,heisnotdepictedasitsprimary‘sender’(or‘initiator’).Instead‘thesender’ofRevelation–theonewhotellsJohnitdown–isJesus,whoisdescribedintheimageryofRev.1(seeRev.1:12‐20)as:• Dressedinlongrobe–(comparewithIsaiah6:1­4,andDan.10:5)

• Wearingagoldsash–(generallyametalassociatedwithkings,nobility,andthewealthy,compare

withGen.41:42,Dan.10:5)

• Havinghead&hairas‘whiteaswool…assnow’–(comparetoDan.7:9,andIsaiah1:17­19)

• Havingafacelike‘thesunshiningafullforce’–(lighted,glowing,blinding,comparewithEx.24,Dan.10:6,&Matt.17:2)

• Havingeyeslike‘flamesoffire’–(generallyassociatedGod’spresence,seeGen15:17,Dan.10:6;see

alsoPs.104:4,andEx.3:2)

• Havingfeetlikeburnishedbronze–(asrefinedbyfire,or‘shining’,comparewith1Kings7:45,Ezek.1:7,Dan.10:6)

• Havingavoicelike‘thesoundofmanywaters’–(great,loud,authoritative,comparewithIs.13:4,Dan.10:6)

• Havinga‘two­edgedsword’comingfromhismouth–(referencetothe‘WordofGod’;seeMatt.10:34,Romans13:2,Heb.4:12)

• Identifiedas‘thefirstandlast’,and‘theLivingOne’…whowasdead,butnow‘livesforeverand

ever’,andhasthe‘keysofDeathandHades’ThisimageryconnectsRevelationtoimageryusedelsewhereinscripture,directingthereadertootherparts of thebible forhelp in ‘deciphering’ theirmeaning, as itwere. In gathering, and combining, thisimageryJesusisdepictedasboththeuniversalKingandJudge,whospeaksGod’sword.Moreover,Jesusisdepictedasstandingamongthe‘7lamp‐stands’,orthe7churchestowhomRevelationisaddressed(seeRev.1:20),andholds‘7stars’inhisrighthand(apositionofimportance).The‘7stars’are identifiedas ‘theangelsof the7churches’ (seeRev.1:20),butcanbe interpretedas the ‘wiseandfaithful’fromamongthechurches.(seeDan.12:3,John10:28‐29)

Discovering the World of Revelation TobegintounderstandthehistoricalcontextofRevelation,itishelpfultoconsiderthelifeandtimesofthechurchestowhomthebookwasfirstaddressed.

Ephesus[EF‐eh‐sus]:thecity

Location:oneofthe12citiesofIonia(anancientGreekdistricton the western coast of Asia Minor; later part of the RomanprovinceofAsia),locatednearmodernIzmir,Turkey.Situatedatthe mouth of the Cayster River on the shore of the Aegean,EphesuswasthelargestandmostimportanttradingportintheRomanprovinceofAsia.

1st c. Pop.: est. 300, 000 [making it the 4th largest city in theRomanEmpire]

History: Probably founded in the 11th century BC by Ionian Greeks, Ephesuswas conquered by theCimmeriansinthe7thcenturyBC;byCroesus,kingofLydia,inthe6thcentury;andsoonafter,byCyrustheGreat,kingofPersia.LateritwasatributaryofAthens,butitsidedwithSpartaagainstAthensinthePeloponnesianWar(431‐404BC).SpartacededittothePersians,whoweredrivenoutbyAlexandertheGreat in333BC.Under thisMacedonianruleEphesus flourished,and itwasbriefly renamedArsinoë.ThecitypassedtoRomanrulein189BCandremainedanimportantcommercialcentre.

Economy:Extremelyprosperousascommercialtradecentre,provincialcapital,andportcity.Openedthefirst“worldbank”.Wasacentreofbusiness,trade,artisans,andtourism[seeActs19]

1st c. Religion: Ephesuswas a cosmopolitan city, catering to citizens of varying ethnic, cultural, andreligious backgrounds. Such diverse influenceswere reflected in diverse religious practices. Ephesuswashome tonumerousmystery cults, and temples – includinga temple to theGreekgodApollo, theEgyptiangoddessIsis,andthegreattemplededicatedtoArtemis,whichwasbuiltatasacredsiteofanancientAnatolianfertilitygoddess,about1.5miles(2.5km)NEofthecity.

Ephesus:thespreadoftheGospelThespreadofChristianityintoEphesushasbeenattributedtotheworkofPaul,butPauldidn’tdoitalone.• Paul’sinitialworkwasaidedbytheworksoflaypeople[ie.PriscillaandAquila]wholaidafoundation

ofcontactsinthecommunity.

• PaulwasassistedbyspeakerslikeApollos(agiftedoratoreducatedbyPaulandhisteamtoproclaimtheGospel.

• Paulcapitalisedontheinterestofreligiouszealots,whowerefamiliarwithJohntheBaptist’smessage,butnotwithChrist.[Acts19:1‐7]

Left:planofEphesusshowingproximitytoancientharbourRight:planoftheamphitheatreinEphesuswhichseatedapprox.24,000spectators.

Left: a statue, of Artemis portrayed as afertilitygoddess.Right: a plan of the Temple of Artemis atEphesus. Its construction is said tohave lasted 120 years, according tosomehistorians220.Itwasover400feetinlengthand200inbreadth,andrestedupon128pillarsofaboutsixtyfeetinheight.

• Paulexploitedgrowinginterestbylaunchingathreemonthcampaigninalocalsynagogue,thenmovingtotheschoolofTyrannus,whereheengagedtheEphesiansindialogueoverthecourseof2yearsduringtheirmid‐day,off‐workhours[Acts19:8‐10]

• Thechurchgrew,attractingopen‐mindedJewsandintellectuallycuriousGentiles,spreadingintotheeducationalsystem,residents,merchants,andtransportlanes.

• God’sworksturnedpeoplefromoccultgroupsandbroughtthemtoChristianitybyvalidatingPaul’sministry.[Acts19:11‐20]

Luke wrote about the founding of the Ephesian church in Acts 18‐20. Paul wrote Ephesians to thecongregation, and 1 & 2 Timothy to its young pastor. In fact no less than 20 chapters in the NewTestamentdescribeGod’sworkwiththepeopleinEphesus,coveringaperiodofmorethan40years.Inthat time the church overcame obstacles of prejudice, political intrigue, social division, economicdivisionsandachallengingworld‐classmarketplace.

TothechurchisEphesus:Rev.2:1‐7The letters to thevariouschurchesall tendto followamodelofpropheticcritique(i.e. Jesus identifieshimselftothem,pointstotheirpraiseworthypoints,thenidentifiesaparticularproblem(s)thatchurchisstrugglingwith,wherethey’reheadedifthe‘problem’isnotcorrected,andthencloseswithapromiseregardingwhat will happen to those congregationswho hear his words, get the point, andmake theappropriatechanges.Considerthisformula,inregardstothelettertothechurchinEphesusthroughthefollowingquestions.• HowdoesJesusidentifyhimselftothechurchinEphesus?Whymightthatmatter?

• WhatdoesJesusknowabouttheEphesians,andpointtoas‘praise‐worthy’?Whymightthatmatter?

• WhatdoesJesusalsoknowabouttheEphesiansandpointtoasproblems?Whymighttheymatter?

• WhatwarningdoesJesusofferthechurchinEphesus?Whymightitmatter?

• Whatadviceand/orpromisedoesJesusoffertheEphesians?Whyand/orhowmightitmatter?