The Joy of Hearing E-Book

Thomas R. Schreiner

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: New Testament Theology
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Join New Testament scholar Thomas Schreiner as he explores the meaning and purpose of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation can feel more intimidating to read than other books of the Bible. It invites readers into a world that seems confusing and sometimes even strange: golden lampstands, seven seals, a dragon, and a rider on a white horse. But at its core, Revelation is a message of hope written to Christians facing hardship, and it's worth the effort to read it and understand it.  In this first volume in the New Testament Theology series, trusted scholar Thomas Schreiner walks step-by-step through the book of Revelation, considering its many themes—the opposition believers face from the world; the need for perseverance; God as sovereign Creator, Judge, and Savior—as well as its symbolic imagery and historical context. The Joy of Hearing brings clarity to the content and message of Revelation and explores its relevance for the church today.

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“Believers, pastors, and students who look for a reliable guide to the last, and climactic, book of Scripture are superbly served by Tom Schreiner’s volume on Revelation. The Joy of Hearing prepares readers for an encounter with a text some deem to be the most difficult book in the Bible. This encounter focuses on the foundational and central theme of Scripture more generally: God’s people not only do well to listen to God in whom they believe, they also experience the joy of God’s holy presence and sustaining faithfulness even, and especially, in the midst of suffering while remaining committed to the sure hope of one day living in God’s very presence. Tolle, lege—take and read.”

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mary French Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author, Paul the Missionary

“The church has always needed the message of the book of Revelation, but it is as urgent now as ever before. Yet many today find Revelation confusing and even intimidating. Enter Tom Schreiner, a scholar who has spent a lifetime in careful exegesis of the New Testament. In The Joy of Hearing, Schreiner uses his considerable skills to present the reader with an overview of Revelation’s message in a clear, winsome, and compelling fashion that is an absolute joy to read. His treatment is balanced and thoughtful, which displays a solid grasp of the central message of this vital biblical book. While it is possible that not everyone who reads this book will agree with the author on some minor details, it is impossible for anyone not to appreciate his warm and fair treatment of differing views and especially his presentation of the central truths of Revelation. This is the book’s great strength and makes it an indispensable guide for today’s church.”

S. M. Baugh, Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Westminster Seminary California

“Tom Schreiner has provided a lucid and well-balanced overview of the book of Revelation—no small feat! He draws on the best contemporary scholarship treating the book but does not burden the reader with excessive scholarly debate. He is clear in his own convictions but charitable to those with whom he disagrees, and he is honest enough to admit when a given text remains perplexing. Anyone looking to understand the Apocalypse will greatly benefit from Schreiner’s discussion.”

Sean McDonough, Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author, YHWH at Patmos

The Joy of Hearing

New Testament Theology

Edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian S. Rosner

From the Manger to the Throne: A Theology of Luke, Benjamin L. Gladd

The Mission of the Triune God: A Theology of Acts, Patrick Schreiner

United to Christ, Walking in the Spirit: A Theology of Ephesians, Benjamin L. Merkle

The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation, Thomas R. Schreiner

The Joy of Hearing

A Theology of the Book of Revelation

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation

Copyright © 2021 by Thomas R. Schreiner

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Kevin Lipp

First printing 2021

Printed in the United States of America

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Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-7132-9 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7135-0 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7133-6 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-7134-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schreiner, Thomas R., author.

Title: The joy of hearing : a theology of the book of Revelation / Thomas R. Schreiner.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2021. | Series: New Testament theology | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020046763 (print) | LCCN 2020046764 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433571329 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433571336 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433571343 (mobipocket) | ISBN 9781433571350 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Revelation—Theology.

Classification: LCC BS2825.52 .S45 2021 (print) | LCC BS2825.52 (ebook) | DDC 228/.06—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020046763

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020046764

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2022-04-27 09:01:27 AM

Contents

List of Tables

Series Preface

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction: The Truth Apocalyptically Revealed

1  The Deafness of Those Living on Earth

2  The Saints Hear and Heed

3  The Declaration That God Rules on His Throne

4  The Good News of the Lion and the Lamb

5  The Testimony of the Holy Spirit

6  The Promise of Blessing and the New Creation

7  Reigning with Christ for One Thousand Years

Epilogue

General Index

Scripture Index

Tables

3.1  Seal Judgments

3.2  Trumpet Judgments

3.3  Bowl Judgments

7.1  Ezekiel and Revelation Compared

7.2  Isaiah 60 and Revelation Compared

7.3  Meredith Kline’s Reading of Revelation 20:1–6

Series Preface

There are remarkably few treatments of the big ideas of single books of the New Testament. Readers can find brief coverage in Bible dictionaries, in some commentaries, and in New Testament theologies, but such books are filled with other information and are not devoted to unpacking the theology of each New Testament book in its own right. Technical works concentrating on various themes of New Testament theology often have a narrow focus, treating some aspect of the teaching of, say, Matthew or Hebrews in isolation from the rest of the book’s theology.

The New Testament Theology series seeks to fill this gap by providing students of Scripture with readable book-length treatments of the distinctive teaching of each New Testament book or collection of books. The volumes approach the text from the perspective of biblical theology. They pay due attention to the historical and literary dimensions of the text, but their main focus is on presenting the teaching of particular New Testament books about God and his relations to the world on their own terms, maintaining sight of the Bible’s overarching narrative and Christocentric focus. Such biblical theology is of fundamental importance to biblical and expository preaching and informs exegesis, systematic theology, and Christian ethics.

The twenty volumes in the series supply comprehensive, scholarly, and accessible treatments of theological themes from an evangelical perspective. We envision them being of value to students, preachers, and interested laypeople. When preparing an expository sermon series, for example, pastors can find a healthy supply of informative commentaries, but there are few options for coming to terms with the overall teaching of each book of the New Testament. As well as being useful in sermon and Bible study preparation, the volumes will also be of value as textbooks in college and seminary exegesis classes. Our prayer is that they contribute to a deeper understanding of and commitment to the kingdom and glory of God in Christ.

Tom Schreiner’s Revelation volume, The Joy of Hearing, takes on the urgent task of explaining the teaching of the most puzzling book in the New Testament. The book of Revelation throws up formidable interpretive challenges, not least in terms of determining its historical setting and understanding its apocalyptic imagery. Schreiner’s work aims to enable readers to experience the climax of biblical prophecy in all its fullness. In our day of relentless outrage and bitter conflict, Revelation offers a powerful message of comfort, encouragement, and hope. It discloses our world’s true state of affairs and offers a glimpse of transcendent reality. According to Schreiner, the joy of hearing Revelation consists of heeding the call of Jesus, listening to the words of the Spirit, and remaining confident that God rules on his throne.

Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian S. Rosner

Preface

I decided to write this short book on the theology of the book of Revelation when I was invited to give the Moore College Lectures in August 2020. I am currently writing the Baker Exegetical Commentary on Revelation, and I have also written a shorter commentary on the book in the ESV Expository Commentary published by Crossway (2018). I tried out some of the material for this book at the Northeast Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society held at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2019, and I am grateful for the feedback I received there and for the wonderful generosity of Eckhard and Barbara Schnabel, who hosted me in their home during those days. I also gave these lectures at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California, in August 2019, and I learned much from the interaction and responses of those present on that occasion as well. I particularly enjoyed spending time with and getting to know John Taylor, who invited me to Gateway.

In the providence of God, I didn’t give the lectures at Moore College after all. COVID-19 intervened, and thus my trip was canceled. I was at Moore College on an earlier occasion, and I was disappointed that I could not be present with them again. Still, the book of Revelation reminds us that we live in a sinful world and that God rules over all that happens. When we think of the devastating effects of the coronavirus worldwide, the disappointment of not giving the lectures at Moore College is a minor annoyance. In any case, what a joy it has been to reflect on the theology of the book of Revelation with its stunning vision of God’s majesty and glory, the beautiful portrait of Jesus as the Lion and the Lamb, and the assurance that comes from knowing that the Spirit utters the word of God. Our opponents are implacable and full of hate, but our God is greater still. We are called to endurance and must refuse compromise, for God will judge those who give themselves to evil, and he promises to reward those who continue to trust him with the greatest joy of all: we shall see his face (Rev. 22:4).

I am grateful to one of my doctoral students, Coye Still IV, who checked references for me and sent me articles I requested. He saved me much time by carrying out such tasks! Also, I am so thankful to Justin Taylor and Dane Ortlund at Crossway. I had no idea what they would think of the book, but they were eager to publish it, which was very encouraging. They then suggested a series of similar books on every book of the New Testament, and Brian Rosner and I are honored to serve as editors of this series. Finally, I am grateful to David Barshinger for his fine editing and helpful suggestions, which made the book better than it would otherwise have been.

Thomas R. Schreiner

April 1, 2020

Abbreviations

AB

Anchor Bible

ACT

Ancient Christian Texts

BBR

Bulletin for Biblical Research

BECNT

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

EvQ

Evangelical Quarterly

HNTC

Harper’s New Testament Commentaries

HSM

Harvard Semitic Monographs

JBL

Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JSNTSup

Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series

LCL

Loeb Classical Library

NCB

New Century Bible

NICNT

New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT

New International Commentary on the Old Testament

NIGTC

New International Greek Testament Commentary

NovT

Novum Testamentum

NSBT

New Studies in Biblical Theology

OTL

Old Testament Library

PCNT

Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament

PTMS

Princeton Theological Monograph Series

SBLDS

Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series

SBT

Studies in Biblical Theology

Sib. Or.

Sibylline Oracles

SOTBT

Studies in Old Testament Biblical Theology

VCSup

Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae

WBC

Word Biblical Commentary

WTJ

Westminster Theological Journal

WUNT

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

Introduction

The Truth Apocalyptically Revealed

The book of Revelation both attracts and repels readers. It attracts readers because it introduces a strange new world, an apocalyptic vision that captures our imagination. We all sense that some dimensions of life are beyond us, that there are mysteries surpassing our comprehension, and Revelation introduces us to this world, inviting us to hear what God says to us. We wonder, what will happen in the future, and how will the world come to an end? Revelation reveals to us where the world is going, and it tells us what we should do to be part of the new world that is coming. At the same time, Revelation can repel us because we wonder what it all means and perhaps because we despair of making any sense of it at all. Martin Luther felt this way when he complained that Christ is not clearly taught or revealed in the book!1 Our inability to grasp the book is illustrated by this humorous comment by G. K. Chesterton: “And though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.”2 Perhaps we have been put off from the book when we have encountered speculative and strange readings of it, some of which offer an amazingly detailed map of what will supposedly happen in the future.

My contention is that we desperately need the message of Revelation for today’s world. There is a great conflict between good and evil in our world, and the Christian faith is under attack, as it was in the first century. John reminds us in this book that God rules, even in an evil day; that God has not forsaken his people; and that goodness will finally triumph and prevail. In the midst of evil, in a world in which the Christian faith is under attack, we need hope and assurance that evil will not have the last word, and Revelation teaches us that a new world is coming, that a new creation is coming, and that all will be well. God is just and holy and righteous, and those who turn against God and his Christ will suffer judgment. At the same time, we see in the book that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the center of history, or the fulcrum of history. Evil has been defeated because of what Christ has accomplished. The triumph over wickedness was realized not by an act of judgment but through the suffering of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, through the Lamb who was slain. What do believers do as they live in Babylon, as they live in a world in which the governments of the world are like ravenous beasts tearing apart the church? John tells us that we are to stay close to Christ, that we must not compromise with evil, that we must endure to the end, and that we must look to the final reward. The book of Revelation is not a prophecy chart about the future but a call to be a disciple of Jesus. John tells us to be faithful and fruitful, and we should not give in to despair, for in the end, all will be well.

Before we dive into the theology of Revelation, a brief word needs to be said about the historical context of Revelation and about the kind of literature we find in the book. When we read an ancient book (and modern books too!), it helps to know the circumstances that accompanied the book’s writing so that we can place it in its historical context. In the same way, we are also assisted when we grasp the genre of a writing. Is Revelation narrative, poetry, an epistle, or something else? If we read a poem or proverb as if it is an epistle, we are bound to misinterpret it. We need to set the scene, then, before we consider the message of the book, and the theology will then be explained in the subsequent chapters.

Historical Setting

When we read the book of Revelation, we are struck by the vagueness of its historical setting. Despite the various claims of scholars, nothing in the book itself indisputably points to life under a particular emperor, whether we think of Nero (r. AD 54–68), Domitian (r. AD 81–96), Trajan (r. AD 98–117), or some other emperor. Such a state of affairs suggests that we should not rigidly tie our interpretation of the letter to any particular period or to the actions of a specific emperor. Obviously, the book was written at a particular time and addressed to churches in Asia Minor, but we lack definitive evidence for positing a specific date. I am not rejecting the attempt to posit a particular date. I will argue, in fact, for a late date shortly and will happily appeal to such to confirm interpretations offered here and there. The point being made is that no interpretation should be accepted that demands a particular date—an important hermeneutical conclusion that we can draw from the imprecision of the historical situation. Any interpretation that requires a particular historical setting imposes constraints in reading the book that can’t be verified. In other words, we must avoid the rabbit hole of binding our view of Revelation to a particular historical reconstruction.

Still, if any date is chosen, it most likely falls in the reign of Domitian (AD 81–96). Irenaeus wrote about this matter late in the second century:

We therefore will not take the risk of making any positive statement concerning the name of Antichrist. For if it had been necessary for his name to have been announced clearly, at the present time, it would have been spoken by him who also saw the Revelation; for it was not even seen a long time ago, but almost in our own generation toward the end of the reign of Domitian.3

Irenaeus’s meaning is contested, and his words don’t indubitably point to the time of Domitian, but the most natural reading suggests that John penned Revelation while Domitian was the emperor.4 The subject of the verb “was seen” if the book is claimed to be written before AD 70 could be “him” (i.e., John). If that is the case, Irenaeus does not specify when Revelation was written but records when John himself was last seen. Such a reading is possible, but seeing John as the subject of the verb is quite awkward, and the syntax reads more naturally if the subject is the revelation that John saw on Patmos. The English translation cited here supports this reading by supplying the subject “it.” The earliest external evidence, then, supports a date during Domitian’s reign.

The remaining evidence we have from early tradition seems to support a later date, although in some instances the tradition itself lacks clarity. Clement of Alexandria (ca. AD 155–215) remarks that John returned from the isle of Patmos “after the tyrant was dead.”5 The tyrant could possibly be Nero, and thus it is possible that Clement supports an early date. But since the remainder of the tradition points us in another direction, it seems probable that the tyrant Clement had in mind was Domitian. In support of such a conclusion, Eusebius identifies the emperor as Domitian,6 concurring with the most natural reading of Irenaeus. Victorinus also traces the book to the reign of Domitian:

When John saw this revelation, he was on the island of Patmos, having been condemned to the mines by Caesar Domitian. There, it seems, John wrote Revelation, and when he had already become aged, he thought that he would be received into bliss after his suffering. However, when Domitian was killed, all of his decrees were made null and void. John was, therefore, released from the mines, and afterward he disseminated the revelation that he had received from the Lord.7

Jerome (AD 340–420) advocates the same background: “In the fourteenth year then after Nero Domitian having raised a second persecution he was banished to the island of Patmos, and wrote the Apocalypse.”8 The tradition, as far as we can tell, was unanimous in positing a late date for Revelation. It is possible, of course, that Irenaeus was mistaken and that subsequent sources relied on Irenaeus and did not have firsthand knowledge about when Revelation was written.9 After all, the early writers in history are not entirely reliable and are clearly guilty of mistakes in some instances. We face again the problem that we can’t specify a particular date for the writing of Revelation. If the tradition is mistaken, it is probably safe to say that Revelation was written somewhere in the period between AD 60 and 100. I incline, however, to the judgment that Irenaeus is correct on the dating of the book. After all, Irenaeus knew Polycarp, and Polycarp knew John, and thus the tradition has a clear line of succession. Still, we have to admit that certainty eludes us. To sum up, the internal evidence doesn’t clearly point to a specific date, and the external evidence, if we assume it is reliable, points to a date when Domitian was the emperor.

Genre

Scholars have often discussed the genre of Revelation, with the apocalyptic genre taking pride of place. At the same time, they have also noted the seven letters in chapters 2–3 and the prophetic character of the book. Revelation, in other words, contains a mixture of genres: epistolary, prophetic, and apocalyptic. Bauckham rightly says,

Revelation is a literary work composed with astonishing care and skill. We should certainly not doubt that John had remarkable visionary experiences, but he has transmuted them through what must have been a lengthy process of reflection and writing into a thoroughly literary creation which is designed not to reproduce the experience so much as to communicate the meaning of the revelation that had been given to him.10

The epistolary character of the book indicates that John addresses the situation and circumstances of his readers, and thus the message of the book must be tied to the historical location of the seven churches. Since we have letters, seven of them, we are reminded that the book wasn’t written as a general tract about the end of history but was intended for the churches in Asia Minor in the first century. The epistolary genre in the book reminds us that we should not indulge in what I call “newspaper eschatology” in reading the book. The book was written to readers who occupied a particular social location, and presumably they understood, at least mainly, what was written to them. The hermeneutical significance of this fact is massively important, for it eliminates the popular conception that modern readers interpret Revelation better than the original readers. Those who propose such readings practice newspaper eschatology and read the book in terms of current events. Actually, all who pay attention to such things realize that such a hermeneutical approach is arbitrary since the interpretations change as events transpire. The interpretation of the book, even if one adopted the approach of interpreting Revelation in accord with current events, is scarcely clear since the interpretation of Revelation shifts over time. It is wiser hermeneutically to locate the book in its historical context and to interpret it in light of the situation and the world in which the first readers lived.

At the same time, the reference to seven churches also carries symbolic significance, which suggests that the book was written for all the churches as well.11 In that sense, the message of the book applies to all churches throughout history. Still, as readers, we rightly focus on the historical situation in which the book was written to decipher the meaning, while also recognizing that the book has a wider significance for the church of Jesus Christ throughout the ages.

At the outset of the book, we are told that Revelation is a “prophecy” (Rev. 1:3). The book concludes with a flurry of references to prophecy (22:7, 10, 18, 19; cf. 22:6, 9). Thus, the claim that the book is a prophecy clusters at the beginning and the end of Revelation, and such an inclusio signals to the readers that the prophetic character of the book is key in understanding the Apocalypse. As a prophecy, the book should be read aloud and heard by the churches when gathered (1:3). The oral recitation of Revelation is a constitutive element of the church’s worship, indicating that the words of the prophecy were considered authoritative. Indeed, John emphasizes in the strongest possible terms the divine authority of what he wrote, saying that those who add to what is disclosed will suffer the plagues threatened in the book and that those who subtract from the revelation will not partake of the tree of life and will be excluded from the holy city (22:18–19). John here echoes Moses when he impresses on his hearers that they must not add to or subtract from the commands given from Mount Sinai (Deut. 4:2), and the echo indicates that John believed his words were as authoritative as the words of Torah.

The content of the prophecy is discerned by reading the entire book, but John tells us that as a prophecy the book “discloses what must soon take place” (Rev. 22:6, my trans.). And at both the beginning and the end of the book, John declares one of the key elements of his prophecy: “The time is near” (1:3; 22:10), a theme that must be considered in due course. Since we have a divine disclosure of what must occur soon, what is prophesied must be not sealed up but announced to the churches (22:10). The prophecy, however, isn’t written merely to convey information; the purpose is ethical formation and transformation, since genuine hearing leads to obedience, to keeping the words of the prophecy (1:3; 22:7). The prophetic vision has a pragmatic purpose that is intended to shape the thinking and to transform the behavior of the readers. We could say in general terms that Revelation has a wisdom purpose, and by wisdom I mean that it is intended to shape the character of the readers.12

Nowhere does John say that he is writing a book in the apocalyptic genre, though the first word of the book is apokalypsis (Gk. “revelation”), which is probably intended to tell us something about the nature of the book. In any case, there is virtually universal agreement about the apocalyptic character of Revelation. Adela Yarbro Collins has consulted and included the work of John Collins, David Hellholm, and David Aune in proposing the following definition:

Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another supernatural world. Apocalypse was intended to interpret present earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world and of the future, and to influence both the understanding and the behavior of the audience by means of divine authority.13

Certain characteristics are typical in apocalypses, but the pragmatic, practical element should be especially stressed here.14David Aune describes the apocalyptic worldview to be “centered on the expectation of God’s imminent intervention into human history in a decisive manner to save his people and punish their enemies by destroying the existing fallen cosmic order and by restoring or recreating the cosmos to its original pristine perfection.”15Bauckham remarks that Revelation differs from other apocalypses in that the amount of visual imagery exceeds what we see in other apocalypses, and we don’t have the longer conversations between the mediator of revelation and the one who receives it, which is quite common in other apocalypses.16 As readers, we might wish for such conversations, for they would presumably solve some of the interpretive puzzles that bedevil us.

We should note, by the way, that apocalyptic isn’t restricted to the book of Revelation. We see apocalyptic sections in parts of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah in the Old Testament. John is also informed by Jesus’s eschatological discourse in Matthew 24–25 (cf. Mark 13; Luke 21) as well. We also have apocalyptic writings in Second Temple Jewish literature (e.g., 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch), and so readers of Revelation would, assuming they were familiar with some of these other writings, not find Revelation to be completely foreign or a radically new way of writing.

The book contains a revelation communicated in a narrative that rehearses the Lord’s triumph over the forces of evil, as we are informed about the end of history and the coming new heavens and new earth. To use Yarbro Collins’s terms, an “otherworldly being”—that is, an angel—communicated the revelation to a “human recipient,” namely, John. We have a transcendent reality, a heavenly perspective of what is taking place on earth, and yet the story is also linear in that it forecasts the final outcome of events taking place on earth. John clearly interprets in his visions the events occurring on earth, informing us about evil and good from a heavenly perspective so that believers will refuse to join forces with evil and will persevere in faith and hope until the end. Brian Tabb says that apocalypses have two purposes: (1) “to encourage and comfort believers” in their suffering and (2) to “challenge believers to adopt a new perspective on reality” in light of the end.17 I would add that in Revelation the readers are exhorted to remain faithful to God and Christ, to endure until the final day by not capitulating to the pressures imposed on them from the world.

Apocalyptic typically has certain characteristics, and a helpful resource in this regard is Leon Morris’s book Apocalyptic.18 The list below captures some of the characteristics:

historical dualism

visions

pseudonymity (Revelation excepted)

symbolism

numerology

angelology

demonology

predicted woes

If we consider how the book of Revelation relates to this list, we see that it fits quite nicely. We don’t have ontological dualism, in which God and Satan are equally powerful, but we do have historical dualism, in which there is a cosmic conflict between God and Satan. We also recognize that much of the book stems from visions John received, which are then communicated to his readers. Many apocalypses, such as 1 Enoch or 4 Ezra, are obviously pseudonymous, but Revelation stands out as an exception, as virtually all scholars agree, in identifying John as the author. Scholars aren’t agreed about the identity of John, but they do agree that the book stands out as an exception to other apocalypses in not being pseudonymous.

The symbolism of Revelation is indisputable, and we don’t have to weary ourselves with listing all the examples. Vern Poythress says that in interpreting Revelation, we need to take into account four levels: (1) the linguistic level, which consists of the words John wrote; (2) the visionary level, which includes the visions John received, whether of beasts, dragons, lambs, or other elements; (3) the referential level, where the historical referent of the vision is unpacked so that the first beast may refer to Rome or the Lamb to Christ; and (4) the symbolical level, where the meaning of the referent is conveyed.19 For our purposes we can collapse the categories into two: the visions recorded and the referent/meaning of the visions. For example, John sees Jesus as the Son of Man with a two-edged sword in his mouth (Rev. 1:16), and the sword stands for the power and efficacy of his word. Similarly, the enemies of the people of God are not literally beasts (Rev. 13); rather, the reference to beasts represents the devastation and tyranny imposed by Rome and the imperial priesthood. Again, Satan is no literal dragon with seven heads and ten horns (12:3), but mythological language about dragons communicates that the devil is terrifyingly powerful. Along the same lines, there are “seven spirits of God” (3:1), a phrase that almost certainly refers to the Holy Spirit, the number seven symbolizing the perfection and fullness of the Spirit (1:4). So too the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel figuratively describes the people of God since we have 12 x 12 x 1,000. The wall of the coming Jerusalem is 144 cubits, which is again 12 x 12, symbolizing the safety and security of the people of God (21:17). So too the city being 12,000 stadia is obviously figurative since the city is larger than the entire country of Israel (21:16).

Angels also play a prominent role in Revelation. We have already seen that an angel conveyed God’s message to John (1:1; 22:8, 9). At the same time, the devil and demons often crop up in the book as well. Finally, predicted woes are found in the seal (6:1–17; 8:1–5), trumpet (8:6–9:21; 11:15–19), and bowl judgments (16:1–21). And the judgments that will be unleashed on the earth aren’t restricted to these passages.

Since Revelation is identified as a prophecy but is also apocalyptic, George Ladd rightly suggested some time ago that we don’t need to decide between prophetic and apocalyptic, though the focus in his article was not on the book of Revelation.20We have a mixture of genres in Revelation; the book is epistolary, prophetic, and apocalyptic. But here I will make a comment about the apocalyptic character of the book. Why did John use this genre? It has often been pointed out that apocalyptic appeals to the imagination with its symbolic pictures and lurid images. The arresting images and depictions capture the minds and hearts of readers, as they confront the world with new lenses. John introduces the readers to a new dimension, a dimension of reality that is inaccessible to those in the space-time universe. We could say that Revelation is John’s apocalyptic metanarrative in which he declares to the addressees what is truly happening in heaven and on earth. As Bauckham says, John “expand[s] his readers’ world, both spatially (into heaven) and temporally (into the eschatological future), or, to put it another way, to open their world to divine transcendence.”21

Said differently, John is revealing the true nature of things. To the human eye, Rome with its empire is a superpower, and John doesn’t dispute the harsh reality of life on earth, but he also reveals the overarching reality. We aren’t confined to what is empirically obvious about Rome and its rule over the world. John unveils a divine perspective, and thus he tells us that the empire is from God’s vantage point a ravaging and idolatrous animal and that its power comes from Satan (Rev. 13:1–18). So too the city of Rome is rich, dazzling, and exciting, but when we see reality from the standpoint of heaven, when we see the apocalyptic reality, it is evident that Rome is actually a whore and that all who get in bed with her are destined for judgment. The apocalyptic genre, then, opens readers up to the true reality of what is going on, to a heavenly and transcendent perspective.

Conclusion

I have suggested that Revelation is written near the end of the first century when Domitian was in power, and the churches in Asia Minor were facing persecution from the Roman Empire and the society in which they lived. The book is a combination of genres so that it has epistolary features but is also prophetic-apocalyptic. The apocalyptic genre is especially important in interpreting the book because we must see the symbolism informing the work. Otherwise, we are apt to misread what the author teaches us. The apocalyptic nature of the book teaches us that what is happening in history is awesomely important, that a cosmic conflict between God and Satan is underway. Believers must side with God and refrain from throwing in their lot with evil, for a reward that exceeds their wildest dreams awaits those who are faithful.

1  Cited in Werner Georg Kümmel, The New Testament: The History of the Investigation of Its Problems, trans. S. McLean Gilmour and Howard C. Kee (Nashville: Abingdon, 1972), 26.

2  G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy (New York: John Lane, 1909), 29.

3  Cited in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, trans. Kirsopp Lake, LCL 153, 265 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992–1994), 5.8.6; see also 3.18.3.

4  G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999), 19–20. Against Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation, rev. ed. (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 1998).

5  Clement of Alexandria, The Rich Man’s Salvation, 42, in The Exhortation to the Greeks; The Rich Man’s Salvation; and To the Newly Baptized, trans. G. W. Butterworth, LCL 92 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1919).

6  Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.23.1.

7  Victorinus of Petovium, Commentary on the Apocalypse, 10.3, in Latin Commentaries on Revelation, ed. and trans. William C. Weinrich, ACT (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011), 13–14.

8  Jerome, Lives of Illustrious Men, 9, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 2nd ser., ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1969), 3:364.

9  Cf. Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, AB 38A (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014), 66–67.

10  Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation, New Testament Theology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 3–4.

11  So Bauckham, Theology of Revelation, 16.

12  Supporting such a general conception of wisdom is Jeffrey de Waal Dryden, A Hermeneutic of Wisdom: Recovering the Formative Agency of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018).

13  Adela Yarbro Collins, “Introduction,” Semeia 36 (1986): 7. See the earlier definition proposed by John J. Collins, “Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre,” Semeia 14 (1979): 9. Apocalypse, he says, is “revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendental reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another supernatural world.”

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