Book of Revelation

2022: from my notes from my seminary class:

Revelation is a debated book. John Calvin didn't want it in the Bible. Its value theologically is debated. So one reading strategy is to just not read it. (not the most helpful approach!)

Reading it through a dispensational lens is a popular approach to understanding it as future predictions, literal events that will take place “soon” - (premillennial, “Left Behind” series nonsense.) This approach seems to think the book was written for the contemporary world instead of a historical audience. This interpretation also borrows images from other NT texts: for example, there is no antichrist in Revelation. That's mentioned in 1 and 2 John. The same is true of the rapture. It's not in Revelation, it's in Thessalonians and read into Revelation. This premillennial interpretation is also a passive reading that says we just sit back and wait for God to do God's things and humans don't have to do anything because God is in control.

Weaknesses of this approach:
-it assumes the writer didn't know what they were doing or writing and that is not a very convincing argument.
-There is no account of the circumstances for how the text arose or the community it was created in or for.
-Prophecy in the biblical sense is NOT future telling. So this dispensational interpretation completely misunderstands the nature of prophecy. Prophecy is Forth-telling not Foretelling - it's about the present and what needs to change. Prophecy denounces oppression and injustice in the contemporary world of the writer in an effort to present God's just purposes, God's kin-dom.
-Doesn't take into account the genre of a letter and a Revelation
-It confuses symbolic images with literal images
-Because it is a passive approach it makes readers indifferent to pain and injustice (like climate change and everything else) - creates/allows apathy towards the brokenness of the world and feel nor bear responsibility to fix it or call out their responsibility for contributing to it

Better reading strategy pays attention to the circumstances -
A Different Reading Strategy
- noting that it's an ancient text written to ancient communities.
-It was written around 70-100 CE because it was written after the destruction of the temple - maybe closer to 70 because the images seem pretty fresh. The pain feels fresh.
-The writer addresses small communities of Christians in 7 cities in modern-day Turkey which was the Roman province of Asia
-One way people have interpreted what was happening historically was to say the Christians were being heavily persecuted but there's no evidence of that until 251. During this time we don't see architectural or extra-Biblical evidence to support this at this time. There were local conflicts that early Christian communities could have had with their neighbors. Most of these early Christians lived peaceably (not comfortably) in their little towns. They weren't elite. They were mostly poor, struggling to find jobs and food. They didn't live that long. Infant mortality was high. Lots of social stressors and anxieties. So when we hear references to hardships in these letters, those are the images we should see instead of Christians being persecuted by Rome.

So if persecution isn't the reason, then what is the reason? John is addressing a particular situation - a division among them - they can't agree on how to conduct themselves with the Roman Empire. Is the Roman Empire positive or negative?

Revelation is/contains 3 genres:
1) a Revelation (Apokolips: unveil, reveal, disclosing God's will and purposes, a revealing, disclosure about the world and God's desires for the world) lots of symbolic language engages the reader's imagination
-Emerged out of perceived crisis from the author's standpoint - the author is trying to convince the audience that it is a crisis.
-Expect it to describe visions or journeys, dualistic: black and white, good and evil
-Expect it to disclose evil of the present marked by specific economic structures...
-Expect it to reveal God's purpose for the world and that God will prevail over evil no matter how wicked or evil the rulers were
-Expected to reveal punishment of the wicked and reward for the good
-Expected to describe the world set right again; recreated in right relationship with God - justice
Strange creatures, vivid imagery, colors, numbers, all kinds of symbols, heavenly scenes, conflict
Often concerned with sovereignty: who or what rules the world? Does evil have the final word? Is there justice for the powerless?

2) Prophecy - addressing a particular situation; (again, Prophecy in the biblical sense is NOT future telling. So this dispensational interpretation completely misunderstands the nature of prophecy. Prophecy is Forth-telling not Foretelling - it's about the present and what needs to change. Prophecy denounces oppression and injustice in the contemporary world of the writer in an effort to present God's just purposes, God's kin-dom.)

3) a Letter - addressing specific communities and situations.
Understands that this book requires action from the readers, from the Christians - active faithfulness, not passive

Revelation Outline
What does Revelation Reveal?
-Reveals that it is God's word to God's world (Rev 1)
-Reveals that cultural accommodation is dangerous (Rev 2-3)
(stop participating in Empire!) Stop participating in Empire's economy? (But John doesn't give them solutions for how to survive if they do that...)
-Reveals true worship (Rev 4-5)
-Reveals that judgment is taking place now (Rev 6:1-8:5)
-Reveals that the world has a chance to repent (Rev 8-11)
-Reveals the evil powers behind the scenes (Rev 12-14)
-Reveals that time is up for the eternal empire (Rev 15-18)
-Reveals the coming triumph of God (Rev 19-22)

Outline from: Warren Carter, What Does Revelation Reveal? Unlocking the Mystery (Nashville: 3011)

The 7 churches
Read through these 7 letters to see what is John telling them to do. What is he saying is the problem? Who is he writing about? What other voices can we find in the community?
1. Ephesus (2:1-7)
2. Smyrna (2:8-11)
3. Pergamum (2:12-17)
4. Thyatira (2:18-29)
5. Sardis (3:1-6)
6. Philadelphia (3:7-13)
7. Laodicea (3:14-22)