Intro Revelation and Rev. 1

Apocalyptic and Prophetic Literature

In Revelation there are two types of literature that are at play: Apolcalyptic + Prophetic.

It’s important that we come to understand the characteristics of these because they will help us immensely in the reading of Revelation…Keep in mind that while some of these characteristics will show themselves in Revelation, not all of them will.

Apocalyptic

Dualism

Two opposing teams: God v. Satan, Light v. Dark, The Lamb v. the Beast, the present age v. the coming reign of God

God brings life as we know it to a halt and we become part of a new reality

Pessimism

The belief that God could no longer work from within history to accomplish his purposes

(This is one characteristic that Revelation doesn’t have. Revelation says that God is at work in human history)

Determinism

God has already made up his mind about the future

Imagery

Filled with images not to be taken literally…images that convey meaning

Images with meaning but not to be taken literally.

We must ask “What do these images mean”?

Numerology

Numbers have meaning beyond their numerical value

7=wholeness, completeness, 3.5 is incompleteness

666=the name of the beast

12, 24, 14,000 = the people of God

Recapitulation

Going over the same subject with variation

Revelation isn’t a timeline, but a circle

Suffering - the speech of pain

Pseudonyms - The writer uses someone else’s name - someone who lived a lot earlier but had a great repuation

Prophetic

God as Creator

The God of the ending to the God of the beginning

God who makes all things new; who finishes what he started

God as Covenant Maker

When the apocalyptics were pessimists, the prophets were radically optimistic.

Partners in God’s redeeming word

A New Israel/ A People of God

A celebration of God’s creation of a people who worship him in spirit and truth

An Ideal King/Messiah

God would establish a king and ruler to lead his people

This king is the hero of Revelation

A Rebuilt Temple

The prophets looked forward to a return from Israel and a rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple

Not found in Revelation

The End of Evil

Prophets imagined a day when evil would no longer exist – it would be destroyed

Review

Apocalyptic Literature

1. Dualism—Still there. The beast vs. Lamb.

2.  Pessimism—Gone. The Christ event in history blows such pessimism out of the water. Our salvation is rooted in the here and now. The resurrection of Jesus is our hope of being made new.

3.  Determinism—Gone. History is not a prearranged puppet show. We are not pawns on a chess board. We are the free creatures of a free God who offers us relationship. What we do matters.

4. Imagery—Tons of it.

5. Numerology—Tons of it.

6. Recapitulation—Yes, yes, yes!

7. Suffering—Afraid so.

8.  Pseudonymous—No. John writes as John, but he does reposition himself earlier in time and talk about the past as if it is the future.

Prophetic Literature

1.  God as Creator—Definitely. While creation is affected by evil and by God’s judgment, it is never totally annihilated. God will redeem, restore, and renew creation. This rules out a God who blows the planet to bits or rains down asteroids on us.

2. God as Covenant-Maker—Definitely. The Revelation nears its end with the announcement, See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them (Rev. 21:3). This is rich covenant language. We are God’s friends, children, and servants. The divine-human partnership is a move of unparalleled grace from God’s side.

3. A new Israel/people—Yes. This is the Church, the Bride of the Lamb.

4. An ideal King/Messiah—Yes. He is the Lamb slain, the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

5. A rebuilt Temple—No.

6.  The end of evil—Yes! This is the grand hope of the Revelation. One day, God’s will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Jergen Moltmann writes, End-time histories might better be referred to as exterminism. These are acts of military, economic, or ecological violence. Anyone who talks about “the apocalypse” or “the battle of Armageddon” is providing a religious interpretation for mass human crime, and is trying to make God responsible for what human beings are doing. Nothing has a more fatal effect than the expectation of a fatal future. These “cosmic catastrophe promoters” do not awaken the faith and hope of people. The only result is a general alarmism. What Christian apocalyptic intends is not to evoke horror in the face of the end, but to encourage endurance in resisting the powers of this world. Anyone who interprets the threatening nuclear annihilation of humanity apocalyptically as Armageddon is pushing onto God the responsibility of human beings. This is the height of godlessness and irresponsibility. This type of apocalyptic must be exposed.3 A French proverb says, “Better a terrifying end, than this endless terror.” We’d rather believe for sure that we’re headed for a disastrous finish to the planet than not know how it’s going to end. Christian apocalyptic prophecy is not about the end of the world. It’s about the new beginning that God creates for His people. We believe in the God who raises the dead, who makes all things new, who finishes what He starts, who is free to love His creation and creatures forever. This God is not plotting to destroy us. This God is saving us. Our part is to endure to the end—which is our beginning.

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