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Course 10 · Lesson 8.1

Revelation and apocalyptic literature

12 minute read

Lessons in this course

Course 10 outline

Module 1: Sin and Human Nature

  1. Human beings in the image of God
  2. The fall in Scripture: Genesis 3 and Romans 5
  3. Original sin in Augustine and the Western tradition
  4. Ancestral sin and mortality in the Eastern tradition

Module 2: Grace and Free Will

  1. Pelagius and Augustine
  2. The church responds: semi-Pelagianism and the Council of Orange
  3. Luther and Erasmus on the bondage of the will
  4. Monergism and synergism across the traditions

Module 3: Justification and Sanctification

  1. Justification in Paul and James
  2. Justification by faith alone in the Lutheran and Reformed traditions
  3. The Catholic teaching and the Council of Trent
  4. Sanctification, holiness and theosis
  5. Recent ecumenical discussion of justification

Module 4: Predestination and Election

  1. Election and predestination in Scripture
  2. Augustine, Aquinas and Calvin on predestination
  3. Arminius, Wesley and conditional election
  4. Eastern and Catholic views on election and foreknowledge

Module 5: Atonement, Redemption and Adoption

  1. Atonement and its extent: for whom did Christ die?
  2. Redemption: the images of ransom, freedom and return
  3. Adoption: sons and daughters of God
  4. The order of salvation across the traditions

Module 6: Death, Resurrection and Judgment

  1. Death and the intermediate state
  2. The resurrection of the dead in Scripture and the creeds
  3. The final judgment: Christ the judge
  4. Purgatory, the Orthodox practice of praying for the dead, and the Protestant objection

Module 7: Heaven, Hell and the New Creation

  1. Heaven and the vision of God
  2. Hell: eternal torment, annihilationism and universal hope
  3. The fate of those who have not heard the gospel
  4. The new heavens and the new earth

Module 8: The Millennium and Christian Eschatological Traditions

  1. Revelation and apocalyptic literature
  2. Premillennial views, historic and dispensational
  3. Amillennial and postmillennial views
  4. Preterist, historicist and futurist approaches
  5. What the traditions hold in common about the end

All courses

Program / Course 10: Salvation and Eschatology / Lesson 8.1

What you will learn

  • Define apocalyptic literature and list its typical features.
  • Explain why Revelation is at once an apocalypse, a prophecy and a letter.
  • Describe the historical setting of Revelation and the debates over its date and authorship.
  • State the main principles for reading its symbols and numbers responsibly.

The big idea

Revelation belongs to a kind of writing called apocalyptic, which uses visions, symbols and numbers to unveil how God rules history and will end evil. It is also a prophecy and a letter to seven churches in Asia Minor. Reading it well means knowing its genre, its Old Testament background and its first-century setting before asking what it says about the end. Christians agree that it proclaims the victory of Christ and the final defeat of evil, and they differ on how to read its details.

Key terms

Apocalypse (apokalypsis)
A Greek word meaning unveiling or revealing. It names a literary genre and is the first word of Revelation.
Apocalyptic literature
Jewish and Christian writings, from about 200 BC to AD 200, that present visions of heavenly realities and the coming end, often in symbolic language.
Symbol
An image that stands for something else, such as a lamb for Christ or a beast for a hostile empire.
Seven
A number of completeness in the Bible. Revelation has seven churches, seals, trumpets and bowls.
Domitian
The Roman emperor from AD 81 to 96, under whom many scholars date Revelation. Others prefer a date in the late 60s.
Imperial cult
The worship of Roman emperors, widespread in Asia Minor, to which the Christians’ refusal to conform could bring danger.
Canon
The list of books accepted as Scripture. Revelation was accepted early in the West and later in much of the East.

Background

Revelation is the last book of the New Testament and one of the most misread. It opens with the words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1). It promises a blessing to the one who reads and to those who hear (1:3). It is addressed to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, and each receives a message from the risen Christ in chapters 2 and 3. Its first readers were people living under political pressure, in a world where loyalty to Caesar was a religious matter.

Because the book is full of strange images, it has been a source of many interpretations. Some have used it to predict dates, others to attack their enemies. A careful reader begins by asking what kind of book it is, and what its first readers would have understood. The answers do not remove all disputes but they set limits to the interpretations that can be taken seriously.

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1: The genre

Apocalyptic writings have several features. They report visions, often given by an angel. They use symbols, numbers and composite creatures. They divide history into periods and look for a decisive end in which God overthrows evil. They are written to comfort the faithful under pressure. Daniel 7 to 12, parts of Ezekiel and Zechariah, and Jewish books such as 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra are examples. Jesus’ sermon in Mark 13 has apocalyptic features.

Revelation is an apocalypse, but it also calls itself a prophecy (1:3, 22:7) and takes the form of a letter, with a greeting and a blessing (1:4-5, 22:21). Prophecy in the Bible is not mainly a prediction of the far future. It declares God’s word to a people in their situation, and sometimes includes the future. The book therefore speaks to the first readers’ present as well as the world’s end.

Step 2: The setting

The author names himself John, who was on the island of Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1:9). Ancient writers such as Justin and Irenaeus identified him with the apostle John. Others, including Dionysius of Alexandria in the third century, doubted that the apostle wrote it because of differences of style, and some modern scholars agree. The question is open, and the book’s authority does not depend on it.

Irenaeus reports that the vision was seen near the end of Domitian’s reign, about AD 95. Many scholars follow this date. Others argue for a date shortly after Nero’s persecution, about AD 68 or 69, because of references to the temple and to the number of the beast. Under either date, the book’s readers faced hostility from the empire and from local pressure to take part in the emperor’s worship.

Step 3: The Old Testament background

Revelation contains very few direct quotations of the Old Testament but is saturated with allusions, perhaps hundreds. The vision of the throne draws on Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6. The four horsemen echo Zechariah 1 and 6. The beasts recall Daniel 7. The plagues recall Exodus. The new Jerusalem recalls Ezekiel 40 to 48 and Isaiah 65. A reader who knows the Old Testament will recognize these backgrounds and see that the book is not an arbitrary code but a creative re-use of Israel’s Scriptures.

Step 4: Reading symbols and numbers

Some principles help. First, the book interprets some of its own symbols: the seven lampstands are the seven churches (1:20), and the great dragon is the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan (12:9). Second, Christ appears as a slain Lamb who conquers by sacrifice (5:5-6), which tells the reader that victory in this book is by suffering love and not by force. Third, the numbers are mostly symbolic: seven for completeness, twelve for the people of God, a thousand for a great span, 666 for a figure associated with imperial power, whose precise meaning is debated.

Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 is generally understood as Rome, as the seat of the empire, and also as the pattern of all proud, oppressive power. Few interpreters think that the book requires a literal reading of every image. Almost all agree that its message is plain: Jesus is Lord, evil will be judged, the faithful should endure and God will dwell with his people.

Step 5: Reception in the church

Revelation was widely used in the second century. In the West it was accepted by the end of the fourth century. In the East, doubts lingered: some lists omitted it, and it is not read in the regular lectionary of the Orthodox Church. The Reformation raised new questions. Luther in his 1522 preface expressed serious doubts about the book, and later softened his tone. Calvin wrote commentaries on nearly every New Testament book except Revelation. Today it is part of the canon in all the major traditions.

  1. What does it change to read Revelation as a letter to real churches?
  2. How does the image of the slain Lamb shape the book’s understanding of victory?
  3. Why would an apocalyptic book be written in symbols for people under pressure?
  4. How does knowing the Old Testament help in reading Revelation?
  5. What is the risk of assigning each symbol to a current event?
  6. How would the debate over the date change the way you read the book?

Examples

A letter to Laodicea

The message to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) accuses the church of being lukewarm and says that it thinks itself rich but is poor. Laodicea was known for banking, a textile industry and a medical school, and its water supply came in lukewarm from a distance. A reader who knows these details finds that the images are tailored to the city. This shows how historical knowledge helps interpret the book.

A false prediction

Several times in history, preachers have announced the date of Christ’s return on the basis of Revelation or Daniel, and the dates passed without event. Teachers in many traditions cite Jesus’ words that no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36) and urge caution. The episodes show the danger of treating the book as a timetable.

Different perspectives

Catholic

Revelation is inspired Scripture, read in the Church’s liturgy, especially at the end of the liturgical year and at funerals and Easter. Catholic teaching has historically favored interpretations focused on the Church’s struggle with evil and Christ’s final victory, and has not insisted on a single scheme of details.

Orthodox

The Orthodox Church counts Revelation as canonical but does not read it in its regular lectionary. It is used in the liturgy in other ways, and Orthodox writers such as Andrew of Caesarea wrote early commentaries. The emphasis falls on worship, the heavenly liturgy and Christ’s victory.

Lutheran

Lutheran churches accept Revelation as canonical. Luther at first expressed doubts and later identified the book with the church’s struggle through history. The Lutheran confessions do not give a prescribed interpretation of its details.

Reformed

Reformed churches accept the book as the word of God, and many Reformed interpreters read it as depicting the church’s conflict in history, with Christ reigning now. Reformed commentary on Revelation has been abundant since the Reformation, with a range of views.

Arminian and Wesleyan

Wesley wrote notes on Revelation that largely follow earlier historicist interpretations. Methodist and Holiness churches have accepted the book as Scripture, and in the twentieth century many Wesleyan churches, like other evangelicals, have been influenced by premillennial interpretation.

Scholarly views

Contemporary scholars generally emphasize the book’s first-century setting, its apocalyptic genre and its use of the Old Testament. They disagree about dates, authorship and how far it predicts later events. Most hold that it was a message of resistance to the idolatry of imperial power.

Why it matters

Revelation is often read in the news cycle, and misreading it has caused anxiety and confusion. Learning the genre and setting before turning to systems of the end times equips a student to discuss the book carefully. It also helps to see why the church has called it a book of comfort and of worship, since its first and permanent aim is to say that Christ is Lord.

Common misunderstandings

Misunderstanding: Revelation is a code for predicting current events.

Correction: It was addressed to first-century churches and uses symbols from the Old Testament. Interpreters differ on how much it also foretells later history, but all should begin with its first setting.

Misunderstanding: The book is called Revelations.

Correction: The title is singular: the Revelation (unveiling) of Jesus Christ. It is one vision, not many.

Misunderstanding: The beast’s number, 666, has been solved.

Correction: Many solutions exist, including Nero, and some manuscripts read 616. The number’s meaning is disputed.

Misunderstanding: All Christians have always read Revelation in the same way.

Correction: Interpretations have varied widely since the second century. Some churches doubted its canonicity. The book is accepted by all major traditions today.

Knowledge check

What is apocalyptic literature?

It is a type of Jewish and Christian writing, from about 200 BC to AD 200, that presents visions of heavenly realities and the end of history in symbolic language. It often includes angelic guides, numbers and composite creatures, and aims to comfort the faithful under pressure by showing that God will overthrow evil.

In what three ways does Revelation describe itself?

It is an apocalypse, an unveiling of what God has revealed through Christ. It is a prophecy, a word from God to a people in their situation. And it is a letter, addressed to seven churches in Asia with a greeting and a blessing. Reading it well means keeping all three in view.

What are the two main proposed dates for Revelation?

Many scholars, following Irenaeus, date it to the reign of Domitian, about AD 95. Others argue for a date around AD 68 or 69, soon after Nero’s persecution. Both dates place the book in a time of pressure from the Roman empire. The choice affects how some passages, such as those about the temple, are read.

How can a reader handle the symbols in Revelation?

By noting what the book itself explains, such as the lampstands and the dragon, by tracing Old Testament allusions, by treating numbers as mostly symbolic, and by remembering that the central image is the Lamb who conquers by sacrifice. Few interpreters think every image must be taken literally, and all agree the book’s main message is Christ’s victory.

Think it through

  1. What do you think the first readers of Revelation most needed to hear?
  2. How might the way a person reads Revelation affect how they read the news?
  3. Why do you think a book of strange visions was included in the canon?

Independent assignment

One letter and one vision

In your notebook, write 400 to 600 words. Read one of the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2 or 3) and the vision of the throne and the Lamb (Revelation 4 and 5). For the letter, list the praise, the criticism, the promise and the local details you can learn about. For the vision, list the Old Testament images you recognize. Then write a paragraph explaining how the two sections fit together.

Further study