1. Revelation Special Lecture #1
Dr. Dave Mathewson
Gordon College/Denver Seminary

2. Introduction to Revelation
Close literary analogies to Revelation
No modern parallels: newspapers, novels, poems
Two approaches as to how has it been treated in church history?
1) Many have ignored it: to many it still has 7 seals, not certain how to read it, too confusing
Retreat to safer ground of Gospels or Pauline epistles
John Calvin wrote on all NT except Revelation

3. Introduction to Revelation
2) Obsessed with it
How Revelation matches up with events of our own day, infatuation/fascination with decoding Revelation
Left Behind Series for example
Revelation is viewed like a crystal ball by which to figure out the future

4. Introduction to Revelation
Both of those approaches should be rejected
Put Revelation back in its original context
What did this book mean in its original context?
How would the original audience have understood it?
Who is the author? Who are the readers? What situation precipitated the writing of the book?

5. Authorship
John is the author—Church Fathers mention several “John’s” in the early church
One of the most popular is the Apostle John
Whichever “John” he is well-known to the churches
He doesn’t claim apostolic authority, instead he claims the authority of an OT prophet, he draws on OT forms

6. Introduction to Revelation
Did the NT writers know they were writing Scripture?
The writer of Revelation knows he is writing something authoritative on the level of OT prophetic Scripture
Dating
Dated early in the time of Nero (ca. 60’s AD)
Most date it in the reign of Domitian 95/96 AD
In that case the last book written in NT

7. Revelation Characteristics
Symbolism
Vision of locusts: head of human, hair of a woman, teeth of a lion, tail of a scorpion, dragon and serpents, strange creatures and symbols
Where did John get these symbols?

8. Revelation characteristics
Use of the Old Testament
Almost every verse has reference to OT
Weaves prophetic books into his vision without introductory formulae
Often the meaning of the symbol depends on OT background

9. Primary Purpose of Revelation
Minor feature predicting or forecasting the future
1) Revelation was a response to Roman domination and emperor worship
Rome was the dominant world power, replacing Persia, Babylon and others before it
Rome was known for providing peace and prosperity
The Roman emperor emerged as the savior of the world as the great patron of all people

10. Primary Purpose of Revelation
Vibrant emperor cult, emperor worship often tied into commerce and trade
Emperor worship permeated society
Christians lived in that environment and were at times pressured to worship the emperor
It would be an affront not to show respect to the emperor who provided so much good; debt of gratitude owed to him

11. Primary Purpose of Revelation
This push to compromise caused problems for many early Christians
Is it a harmless activity?

12. Revelation And Christian Persecution
Some have said Revelation addresses persecution of early church
Suffering persecution at the hands of imperial Roman
But at this point most persecution was local and sporadic

13. Revelation And Christian Persecution
Most persecution comes from local leaders who would find it an affront not to show homage to the emperor
At least one person [Antipas: Pergamom] had died for Christ
No official sanctioned widespread persecution

14. The 7 churches
Rev. 2-3 mention 7 churches in 7 cities in Western Asia Minor/Turkey
Letters to 7 churches
All of these cities are situated showing great allegiance to imperial Rome and emperor worship with temples dedicated to the worship of emperors in each city
Ephesus had a temple dedicated to Domitian

15. Responses To Roman Rule and Emperor
2 possible Responses
You could resist, that could bring about some types of persecution
Far greater problem: most Christians tempted to compromise to Roman ideology and rule; they could render allegiance to both Jesus and the emperor

16. Responses To Roman Rule and Emperor
When you read the letters to the 7 churches only 2 are suffering persecution
The other 5 churches have problems with mixed allegiance to Roman rule and emperor worship

17. 7 Churches of Western Asia Minor
So to belong to cities you would feel compelled to render allegiance to the Roman emperor showing support of Roman rule and ideology including your job
This was a plight for Christians

18. What is the main theme of revelation?
Suffering and persecution is one major theme
Main: Who is worthy of our worship and allegiance? Is it Jesus Christ or the Emperor or human institution?
Revelation tries to convince them that only Jesus Christ is worthy of worship
It is a wake up call to get them to understand what is going on in their first century context
No other human or institution is worthy of worship

19. Main point of revelation
Revelation is an unmasking or revealing of the true nature of Roman rule
John is not just predicting the future. What he is primarily doing is exposing the true nature of Roman rule
John is functioning like an OT prophet
OT prophets unmasked true nature of human empires: Babylon, Persia, Egypt

20. Main point of revelation
OT prophet exposed the arrogance of foreign empires and the problems of compromise
Now there is another empire that is emerging that is surfacing that is arrogantly sets itself up over the world like other ancient empires, it’s a blood-thirsty beast out to get Christians, power and wealth

21. Main goal of revelation
Revelation is exposing the arrogance and pretension and corrupt ideology or Rome and to get Christians to see its true nature of Rome and not to give into it allegiance
It is for Christians in the first century an unmasking and exposing Roman rule and its ideology so that Christians will be able to resist it

22. Genre of Revelation
When is the last time you read or wrote an apocalypse?
No close modern literary analogy to Revelation?
What kind of book or literary genre is Revelation that was familiar to 1st century readers?
What was John doing in recording these strange visions of locusts, 7 headed beasts….?
How do we read that?

23. Genre of Revelation Revelation is a combination of 3 literary forms
1) Apocalypses: Literary form from 200 BC to 200 AD
Today we see it as mass cosmic destruction at the end of the world
In first century would have identified it characterized by this:
It reveals or exposes what is going on in the situation of the readers

24. Genre of Revelation
What they see with their eyes is what is going on empirically but the apocalypse shows what is going on behind what they see in the empirical world
“Apocalypse” means: unveiling, what you see empirically was not all that there is. Behind that world was a spiritual or heavenly world

25. Genre of Revelation Play analogy
When you see a play you see what is happening on the stage.
What you don’t see is what is going on behind the scene--it’s all behind the curtain
What Revelation does is lift the curtain so you can see what is really going on behind the scene

26. Genre of Revelation
Revelation lifts the curtain to the stage of history, behind first century Roman rule there is a spiritual world and a future beyond it
Revelation gives them a glimpse behind the empirical world into the transcendent world in order to see their present world in a totally different light
Now they can see behind the empirical world into the heavenly world to better grasp how to live in their world in a totally different light
Unmasking the reality that lies behind the empirical world

27. Genre of Revelation
John does that unmasking through the use of symbols
Using symbols is more compelling: 7 headed beast out to devour people
Not just to effect the intellect but to impact the imagination and emotions

28. Genre of Revelation 2) Revelation is a prophecy
Like OT prophets who critiqued the culture of their times not just futuristic
Like OT prophets it exposes the true bankruptcy of the world system and opposes God’s people

29. Genre of Revelation 3) Revelation is a letter
It is communicating information that the first century readers understood
It begins and ends like Paul’s first century letters
1:4, for example

30. Genre of Revelation
In the same way Paul wrote to address a specific problem or need of churches or persons in first century so too the book of Revelation does
Point is to try to reconstruct what was going on and what John was addressing in the first century that John is address
Opposing compromise with Roman rule and emperor worship

31. Principles of interpreting revelation
1) Should be interpreted symbolically not literaly—given the kind of literature it is
It describes something beyond the experience of empirical reality
John is not describing the first century or future in literal terms
What do the symbols mean? What do they refer to? What is the seven headed beast trying to convey?

32. Principles of Interpreting Revelation
2) Any interpretation that John could not have intended and his readers could not have understood is suspect.
Some think the original readers couldn’t understand it but now we have the key finally at last, (vid. obsessed Revelation teachers today)
If Revelation was a time-machine into our day then Revelation must have been completely out of the range of understanding of the first century readers
No, Revelation was communicating a message that would meet the crisis of living life under Roman rule

33. Principles of Interpreting revelation
3) Don’t loose sight of the forest for the trees
Read Revelation holistically and not get so much into the details missing the message of the whole
4) Don’t miss the main purpose: it’s not primarily about the future but how God’s people are to live in the midst of a pagan society

34. Principles of Interpreting Revelation
5) Humility
The main focus is very clear but the details one must hold our interpretation with a healthy amount of humility
Given the variety of diverse ways Revelation has been understood in Church history, it is wise to interpret it with humility

35. 4 approaches to revelation
Attempts to read Revelation according to ideological approaches: feminists, etc.
1) Preterists approach to Revelation
All of Revelation was fulfilled in the first century
Revelation is a commentary on the first century events except perhaps for Rev
It can still be applied to us

36. 4 Approaches to Revelation
2) Historical view
Revelation is church history in advance
John was predicting the entire history of the church starting with the 1st century down to the present day
Forecast or church history written in advance
As history goes on it has to be modified – not many hold this approach today

37. 4 approaches to revelation
3) Idealist approach
Revelation is simply a symbolic description of the battle between good and evil
It transcends any particular situation
For John and his readers it fit the first century but such ideals could apply to anytime

38. 4 Approaches to Revelation
4) Futurist approach
These approaches are not necessarily monolithic
Revelation is primarily events in the future when Jesus comes back
Preterist approach = Already Futurist approach = Not Yet
Visions are awaiting to be fulfilled when Christ comes back

39. 4 Approaches to revelation
Which approach is correct?
Combination of 2 or 3 is most likely correct
Primarily addressing first century so Preterist approach has a point
Yet some of Revelation is futuristic
Opens up the present in light of future so idealists also have a point

40. 4 Approaches to Revelation
Certainly truth in the idealist view
Many of the symbols come to him from the OT
Those symbols can transcend the first century and apply more broadly
Best is an eclectic approach
Preview of lecture Next Time