Reading Revelation Responsibly:

Uncivil Worship and Witness

Following the Lamb into the New Creation

Michael Gorman proposes an interpretative framework of Revelation that is marked by

three features: “Christ, worship, discipleship, and final hope” (12). These elements shape the

narrative and the theological themes that are central to the book of Revelation, as well as serve to

correct the misguided interpretations of the book. Additionally, a “responsible reading” of

Revelation must consider elements such as genre, historical context, and the original purpose

without intending to explain every single detail in the book since its artistic images are not meant

to be interpreted in detail. Rather, the purpose of the book is to cause astonishment and

repentance. In this sense, Revelation is also a “wake up call.”

Gorman indicates that Revelation presents a combination of genres. The taxonomy that

Gorman uses to buttress his assertions are as follows. Revelation is a “hybrid document,” which

combines three literary genres: apocalypse, prophecy, and letter (13). This mixture presents a

liturgical/theopoetic, and a political/theopolitical character (13). Revelation is also liturgical

since a significant theme of the book is the worship of God and the Lamb, and theopolitical since

Revelation presents a critic and condemnation of the Roman Empire.

For Gorman the substance of Revelation is a theological reaction against the Imperial

Religion and civil practices. Christians confronted different kinds of local persecution since they

stop participating them. In this context, Revelation is a call for resistance and for faithful

discipleship. Since worship was essentially a political act where people demonstrated their

loyalty, Revelation encouraged Christians to see beyond their immediate reality and to realize

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that the only ruler of the universe is their God. This reality is depicted with the heavenly throne

and the several worship scenes presented in the book, for example chapters 4, 5, 7, etc.

In addition, reading Revelation requires identifying several themes that are combined in

the book: Creation and re-creation, redemption, judgment, witness, and victory. Another

important motif for Revelation is the blessing, especially of the faithful disciples. So, worship

and discipleship are portrayed as two inseparable realities.

Revelation is also a “critique and parody of the Roman Empire and of the cult of the

emperor” (40). In particular, the Roman Empire is contrasted with the empire of God and the

Roman peace is parodied in Revelation as the Babylon “the shedder of blood.” Revelation also

criticizes the church and its accommodation to the idolatry of the imperial religion.

Gorman proposes that the interpreter must read Revelation as a “word to the church in the

present” without forgetting the past or future elements in the book (68). Moreover, a combination

of theopolitical, and the pastoral-prophetic approaches helps to find “contemporary analogies to

first-century realities” (68). Interpreting Revelation requires a “Cruciform Interpretative

Strategy,” (77) which consists in recognizing that “the centering image of Revelation is the lamb

that was slaughtered” (78).

Regarding the structure of Revelation, Gorman indicates that the book is opened and

concluded with bookends (1:1–8; 22:6–21) that present the themes and genres of the book

indicating the mixture of genres and the liturgical and theopolitical emphases. The narrative of

the main section (Chaps. 6–20) is not a linear description of events; so, the structure is better

described as a spiral. The main sections of Revelation:

1. Revelation 1–3. The opening vision of the Risen Lord and the seven

pastoral/prophetic message to the churches. The opening vision presents Jesus as

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partaking God’s divinity and power. The messages to the churches are a wake up

call to follow the lamb in faithful discipleship. The main structure of these

messages is: “affirmation, correction, and motivating promise” (87).

2. Revelation 4–5. Central and centering vision of God and the Lamb. The image of

worship and the throne, which is shared by God and the Lam, constitutes the heart

of Revelation and is the “interpretative key of the entire book” (103). The purpose

of this section is to portray the real power behind the universe using “a symphony

of Old Testament theophanies” (106). Moreover, the Christophany of chapter 5 is

a unique image of power since the one sitting on the throne is a slaughtered Lamb.

3. Revelation 6–20. Vision of the Judgment of God and interludes. The main

characters in this section are the “unholy trinity” and the church. These beasts

represent the Roman imperial order where Satan is on the move against the people

of God. The powerful images of judgment are a “wake up call” to the church that

can be tempted to abandon the way of the Lamb. Additionally, these divine acts of

judgment are part of the divine process of bringing the new creation; so they are

means to bring the restoration of the universe. These visions of Judgments are

combined with a few interludes, such as chapters 7 and 14, in order to encourage

the faithful disciples. For example the image of 7:14 describing the people with

white robes. The images of this judgment come from the Old Testament

narratives, such as the plagues of Exodus. These depict the final judgment of the

empire, which is punished because of its multiple forms of injustice and idolatry.

The end of this section is marked by the celebration in chapter 19 with the

hallelujah song.

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4. Revelation 21–22. Final Vision of the New Creation. The conclusion of revelation

mirrors the opening of the book presenting a conclusion to the work. The final

coming of God and the New Jerusalem ushers forth the new creation, which is the

replacement of the “culture of the beast by the culture of the Lamb” (164). This action

that was preceded by the judgment is not the destruction but the transformation of the

world. This new creation is marked by the absence of death, suffering, and other

consequences of the previous reign of the beast. Gorman points out that the end of

Revelation serves as a closing chapter for the entire Scripture: the beginning of

creation concludes with the new creation. The prophetic image of the New Jerusalem

is a contra-image of the Empire since the size of the holy city resembles the size of

the Roman Empire. The New Jerusalem is marked by the presence of the Glory of

God, which for Gorman, is the “rapture in reverse, the descent of God to us!” (170).

Finally, Revelation ends by summarizing several themes of the book, such as blessing

and hope.

Conclusion

For Gorman, discipleship and worship are two elements that are fused together to form

the heart of the book of Revelation. This approach contrasts the misguided interpretations and

focuses on the real purpose of John’s book: a call to worship and to follow the Lamb in the midst

of our culture of idolatry. This reading is relevant in any age. Additionally, what is the most

remarkable aspect of Revelation is its “Christological reconfiguration of God” (167). In

Revelation, God does not look like a Roman emperor who rules with violence and fear. On the

contrary, the one sitting on the throne is the “Lamb that was slaughtered.” This new

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understanding of God encourages us today to follow the Lamb in faithful discipleship.

Additionally, the book enables the faithful disciple to resist empires then and now. The book

amplifies the fact that the one who rules the universe was faithful until his dead, as well as

crystalizes the hope that some day he will come back and restore his creation to its original

splendor where life, peace, and the glory of God will reign forever.

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