St. John at Patmos—Gustave Doré

St. John at Patmos—Gustave Doré

THE BOOK OF REVELATION:A non-scary approach

VOLUME ONE

By Philip W. Davisson

The Book of Revelation: A non-scary approach Volume OnePhilip W. Davisson

2016 Frontier Press

All rights reserved. Except for fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the publisher.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible unless otherwise marked, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Davisson, Philip W.The Book of Revelation: A non-scary approach Volume One

March 2016

Copyright © The Salvation Army USA Western Territory

ISBN 978-0-9968473-1-5

Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper

With appreciation to Dr. Gerald L. Borchert,

who started me off on this path,

at Northern Seminary.

Dedicated to my mother, Jacqueline L. Davisson,

who should never have had reason to fear.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword | 1

Introduction | 3

CHAPTER 1 Beginning to Understand the Book of Revelation | 9

CHAPTER 2 The Book of Revelation as It Introduces Itself | 23

CHAPTER 3 The Third Introduction and “Act One” | 47

CHAPTER 4 “Act Two” Begins | 81

CHAPTER 5 The Scroll Seals are Opened | 95

CHAPTER 6 The First Picture of the End of the Present Age | 111

Volume One Summary | 133

Notes | 135

Foreword

A NON-SCARY APPROACH TO REVELATION runs counter to the prefer-

ences of American evangelical tradition of the last century.

Rapture, Armageddon, Antichrist. Hal Lindsay’s The Late, Great Planet

Earth. I wish we’d all been ready. All this sounded a Christian culture drum-

beat during my first days as a young new disciple. No doubt, the Soviet

Union would invade Israel. Bible prophecy led us to the conclusion that

the antichrist was Henry Kissinger, or the European Union, or the United

Nations. Someone told us that the world would end in 1989, or was it

1990?

So it has been for some time. The final piece of New Testament writing

continues to play a large part for well-meaning and not-so-well-mean-

ing seers. We can’t seem to stop peering into today’s headlines, squinting

into the near and distant futures, correlating our headlines with Revela-

tion as supported by selected portions from Old Testament prophets. It’s

been the church’s preoccupation from our earliest days. Joachim of Fio-

re, 16th century Anabaptists in Munster, 19th century American Millerites.

A 20th century opening with postmillennial hopes, closing with glum

evangelical end time reviews.

One pleasant Sunday spring morning in the 20th century, I opened the

door and entered my place of worship. Walking in, sitting down. A silent

place. I was alone. Windows open and a delicious balmy breeze moving

the curtains. As time passed I realized no one else was there. I knew what

I was supposed to think. For some reason, I had been left behind.

Forty years and I still remember that experience even though people,

and I mean the right people, showed up ten minutes later. Ten minutes

THE BOOK OF REVELATION: A non-scary approach—volume one | 1

and the past forty years meant a much more careful examination of our

scary tradition. Scripture, theology, a better understanding of humanity’s

socio-historical context inform me. I now am not scared, too often. Other

things may scare me.

Philip Davisson’s commentary would not scare us. Some will take ex-

ception. Why not use Revelation and anything else we can lay our hands

on to get people to become the kind of people we want them to be? To

do the kind of things we want them to do? Perhaps today’s varieties of

fundamentalist terrorism and other coercive uses of power help answer

that question. The distinction between use and misuse is often unnoticed.

We find it too easy to mishandle and force Revelation into world-views

shaped by our social, political and economic agendas. It is convenient to

satisfy our desires with religious crusades.

If anything, Revelation: a non-scary approach gives us opportunity to peer

into the past, the first generations of our people. We see how John’s in-

spired writing helped the early Christians to understand and to live when

faced by those powers that wished them to bow the knee to another god.

Phil would have us recognize that Revelation, that the Bible, “says

what it says, but it means what it means.” Not what we want it to say.

Not what we fear it to mean. Let truth trump utility. (John 8:32)

—Phil Aho, St. Louis, MO

2 | THE BOOK OF REVELATION: A non-scary approach—volume one


Introduction

THE BOOK OF REVELATION can be a confusing, scary thing. Most people

avoid it, yet carry around in their heads many religious concepts seem-

ingly rooted in Revelation. There is simultaneously a candid admission

they don’t know what it says, let alone what it really means. How can it

be relevant to life? Many adopt the tendency to give themselves over to

complex interpretations and end-of-the-world predictions put together

by people who sound impressive.

But what if you had a guide to walk you through this strange and

dense world? What if, by working through a relatively simple study with

non-technical language, you had the means for drawing out some re-

al-life principles with clear relevance? The Book of Revelation: A Non-Scary

Approach, Volume One aims to introduce you to that guide. Or rather, to

help you make sense of the guides the book of Revelation itself gives us.

This first of three volumes will explore the writings of John in Revelation.

This volume will cover Revelation 1-8:5; volume two, Revelation 8:6-

15:8; and volume three, Revelation 16-22.

This book series is written for the non-scholar; for pastors and Bible

study leaders, and for individuals simply wanting to explore the book of

Revelation in a non-scary way. The principle underlying these books is

that we read for meaning—we’re looking for something that is relevant

to our lives, maybe even something that we can apply to our situations

now. Too often Bible study books get bogged down in technical language

and readers get lost. Along the way we don’t grasp the big picture, and

we miss the meaning. So these books are written in a conversational style

that aims simply to walk the reader through the Bible material in order

to discover meaning.

THE GUIDESAs an introduction to how we recognize the guides the book of Revela-

tion itself gives us, let’s look at a brief passage from Revelation 1.

Revelation 1:17-20When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The angel in this passage explains, in relatively simple language, how

to interpret what John sees as seven stars and seven lampstands. What

John says are seven lampstands and seven stars, the angel explains are

symbols meant to signify the seven churches and the angels of these

churches. Don’t be disturbed if you’re left feeling this explanation in and

of itself doesn’t seem to tell us much. It’s the fact that the angel ex-

plained something, and the way the angel explained it, that makes the

angel and this kind of interpretation a guide for discovering meaning.

The angel told John (and us) what John says isn’t always exactly what

he means. In fact, the angel himself called it a mystery, which is simply

a way of saying “it needs to be interpreted.” To get any kind of meaning


out of the book of Revelation, we’re going to need to explore the word

pictures as symbols.

You might also have picked up on the numbers in this passage, and

may already know that “seven” is a significant number in Revelation.

John often makes use of numbers with ancient, traditional, symbolic con-

nections to support his message. The actual mathematical values of the

numbers are typically of less importance than their symbolic meaning.

An interesting feature involving numbers is the way John “builds” num-

bers in many of the songs sung by the characters. Both the number of

people involved and the number of descriptors used add up to numbers

that point to meaning.

These meanings carry more of a supportive function rather than con-

taining the primary message. But identifying the connection between the

numbers and the message adds dimension to the overall understanding of

the book. At various points throughout the rest of the text, we will point

out the potential of these number connections. Numbers as symbols will

be another one of our guides.

Sometimes getting at the meaning in the book of Revelation isn’t all

that deep and mysterious. Sometimes it’s stopping to think through what

something might mean in an ordinary way. Thus, common sense can be

a guide, too. For example, there is an intentional emphasis on the “right

hand” in this description, and the fact that the writer has taken the time

to point this out might mean something. Maybe you have an almost intu-

itive sense that for much of history (and for a large part of the world even

now), doing something with your right hand as opposed to your left hand

indicates something along the lines of honor or power, or maybe simply

doing it the right way.

However, what was commonly understood to people living in another

time and place might not always carry over to our time and place. So we

will consult reference books to retrieve from history meanings that would

be clearer to John’s early readers.

There are a couple of other guides in this passage as well. Look at

the first line in the quote from Rev. 1. John nearly faints at the sight of

this loaded up symbolic word picture. He is acting out what the reader

or listener ought to do: react with your emotions! To get at some of the


meaning of the book of Revelation, we’ll use emotional intelligence as a

guide to pick up on the kinds of cues embedded in the descriptions of the

awesome sights and sounds John says he experiences in his visions.

There are other textual references in this passage—some which might

easily escape recognition, despite being surprisingly familiar (like the “I

am the first and the last,” also known as the Alpha and Omega)—that

come from other parts of the Bible and other ancient manuscripts. The

book of Revelation is full, from beginning to end, with phrases, cita-

tions, and word pictures from the Old Testament. Rather than making

a straightforward “prophecy-fulfillment” relationship between the Old

and New Testaments assumed by many reader-interpreters, we will make

what I call an “updated contextual” connection. The idea is to strive for

understanding of the imagery in its Old Testament context, and then dis-

cern how John interpreted and reused (applied) this imagery in his own

context. It is seeing the Old Testament through New Testament eyes.

Another of our guides is found in exploring parallels in other writings;

and using what those writers meant to give shape to the meaning of

John’s writing. It won’t always be a perfect or neat fit, but it will help.

Finally, we will look to the very structure of the book of Revelation as

a guide. We’ll have more to say on this later, but we will look at repeat-

ed patterns of words and phrases, structured series of events and other

indicators that reveal meaning. Repetitions may indicate that a concept

is being reinforced, or may indicate that a concept is being extended and

developed. A structure possessing parallel elements to it might indicate

some kind of equivalence. On the other hand, a parallel might lead us to

understand that instead of two things being equal, the writer intends to

draw a contrast and say that deep down they are anything but equal.

Putting it all together, here are our interpretive guides:

1. word pictures as symbols

2. numbers as symbols

3. common sense and intuition

4. emotional intelligence

5. references to the Old Testament and ancient texts

6. structure and repetition


These guides will show up in several distinctive features of the book:

• focus pieces to examine keys symbols and the importance of the

numbers;

• in-depth comparisons of key images and word pictures, looking

at the Old Testament and other ancient texts, and how the New

Testament vision reworks these same elements;

• short essays on big ideas and ways to think about unfamiliar

concepts;

• highlights of words and concepts that might be more technical,

something like a vocabulary list in plain language;

• a running commentary, telling the story and thinking through

different ideas, capped off with summary sections to help reinforce

along the way what we’re learning and discovering about the

meaning of the book of Revelation; and

• study guides highlighting concepts, encouraging you to dig deeper

into the meaning of the text.

There is one more thing that our selected passage can teach us: as the

angel might say, “Don’t be afraid.”


Chapter 1

BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The Interpretive Approach to Discovering Meaning

AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE for studying the Bible, I like to begin with the

phrase, “The Bible says what it says, but means what it means.” I take

this concept from professor Gerald L. Borchert, who opened the way to

me for the kind of study presented here. His phrase (originally applied

only to the book of Revelation) was, “John says what he says, but means

what he means.”

As a general principle, this is very helpful. While words themselves

appear to have their own plain, clear, and simple meaning, in reality it is

the way the words are used that help us understand the author’s intent.

The real challenge is to avoid reading into the words (that is, bringing

our own shade of meaning to the text), but instead draw out the meaning

from the words. Later, when we have carefully discerned to the best of


our ability the author’s intended meaning, we may responsibly explore

ways to apply the message to our own situation.

This is especially true when we consider a message written for some-

one else, either in another place or time period. And even more true when

the distance of time and place is compounded by the presence of a differ-

ent culture and language. It will require hard work to think through the

interpretive process using the cultural (and perhaps literary) references

of that original audience.

Content and GenreAs a general principle, “The Bible says what it says, but means what it

means,” applies to a greater or lesser degree to all biblical books. As a

specific application, “John (the Revelator) says what he says, but means

what he means,” is especially appropriate, not only because John’s own

time, place, culture, and language were very different from ours (some-

thing we will look into more in subsequent chapters), but also because

the type of literature John used to communicate his message is very un-

familiar to us today.

To begin understanding the book of Revelation, we need to have a better

idea of the popular genre of writing from John’s

own time called apocalyptic literature. Then, we

can turn to more familiar aspects of the book of

Revelation and discover that; although it comes

in a very strange wrapping, what John writes

also sounds similar to prophecy, looks a bit like

a letter, and in the end contains a very strong gospel message.

Apocalyptic LiteratureOur interpretive approach works well when reading apocalyptic litera-

ture. This subgenre of prophetic writing involves symbolic language and

obscure cultural references. We need to remark on the obvious: the book

of Revelation is apocalyptic literature. It contains many similarities to

large parts of certain Old Testament narrative prophetic books; Ezekiel,

parts of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, share apocalyptic elements.

There are a great many resources providing good descriptions of

Genre: as it applies to our study, “genre” [zhahn’-ruh] sim-ply means a kind of literature


apocalyptic literature, a genre well known from 300 B.C. to 200 A.D. Not

all examples of apocalyptic literature are the same, and not all examples

are fully developed, but many of the apocalyptic

writings do share a common set of characteristics

relating to basic content and perspective.

Among these commonalities is the intention

to reveal what is hidden—to reveal the world behind the world we see,

the heavenly truth obscured by earthly short sightedness. This other

world is not simply an “other-worldly” reality as much as it is a view of

ultimate reality, ultimate values, that ought to guide us as we live in this

present, visible reality. In other words, the prophet demonstrates how

present actions, based on a view of this ultimate reality, give shape to

both present and future reality.

In apocalyptic literature, there is often a heavenly guide helping to

interpret and explain this otherwise unseen aspect of our world to the

human visitor (the prophet). The time the prophet spends in this revealed

authentic reality allows him to understand the eternal consequences of

current actions and behaviors on earth. The prophet then writes about

these visions with an aim to persuade and change human decisions and

loyalties.

The mindset within this genre of writing is fixed: the choice to make

is clear, the options of a distinct either/or; there is no in-between or

almost/maybe. The mindset reflects an affirmation of a cosmic battle

between forces of good and evil. Since apocalyptic literature was often

written to a religious-cultural minority facing pressure to conform to

secular-cultural norms, the effect of reading the prophetic exhortations

is to bolster the readers’ courage and resolve to remain faithful.

The Apocalyptic GenreConsider the many “genres” of communication with which you likely interact. Each is very different in the way the message is communi-cated. If you were not already familiar with the “genre” of a late-night infomercial, you might be quite confused by the constant repetition of information. Likewise with the wild exaggerations and caricatures used in a comedy satire piece. Or the over-the-top melodrama of a

Apocalypse: an un-veiling, a revealing; thus, a “revelation”


“telenovela.” Read enough mystery novels and you have an intuitive feel for the pace of what’s happening next—and you’ll even start to expect the “unexpected” twists! Each of these has a different tone and vocabulary from that of a news documentary. Because you do know, and understand them, there’s no real confusion. Just so with the ancient world and the various genres known to them. Apocalyptic presentations were understood; and communicated the message the author intended.

When we consider the cultural pressures coming to bear upon the orig-

inal intended audience, we can understand how symbolic language works

as something of an insider’s code, where the meaning of the symbolism is

more readily apparent to the persecuted minority than to the persecuting

majority.

Which brings us back to our primary challenge: how to draw clear

meaning from words originally written in another language, to a people

in another time and place, using references deeply entrenched in that

people’s religion and culture. We need to aim at understanding what

John’s message means; a message clearer for his first readers and listen-

ers than for us. For them, this symbolic language would not have been

obscure or confusing. Just the opposite: John intended his message to be

understood, for the meaning to be clear. Only then could his original au-

dience take action in response to what he was trying to convey to them.

A Selection from 4 Ezra 3:1-3, 28-31; 4:1-4 4 Ezra is a late first century A.D. text preserved in the Christian apoc-ryphal books as chapters 3-14 of 2 Esdras.

In the thirtieth year after the destruction of our city, I, Salathiel, who am also called Ezra, was in Babylon. I was troubled as I lay on my bed, and my thoughts welled up in my heart, because I saw the desolation of Zion and the wealth of those who lived in Babylon. My spirit was greatly agi-tated, and I began to speak anxious words to the Most High.

Then I said in my heart, “Are the deeds of those who inhabit Baby-


lon any better? Is that why she has gained dominion over Zion? For when I came here I saw ungodly deeds without number, and my soul has seen many sinners during these thirty years. And my heart failed me, for I have seen how you endure those who sin, and have spared those who act wickedly, and have destroyed your people, and have preserved your enemies, and have not shown to anyone how your way may be comprehended. Are the deeds of Babylon better than those of Zion?”

Then the angel that had been sent to me, whose name was Uriel, answered and said to me, “Your understanding has utterly failed re-garding this world, and do you think you can comprehend the way of the Most High?” Then I said, “Yes, my lord.” And he replied to me, “I have been sent to show you three problems. If you can solve one of them for me, I will also show you the way you desire to see, and will teach you why the heart is evil.”1

A Selection from the Apocalypse of Abraham 9:1-5, 9-10; 10:1-8The Apocalypse of Abraham is a first to second century A.D. text.

Then a voice came speaking to me twice: “Abraham! Abraham!” And I said, “Here I am!” And he said, “Behold it is I. Fear not, for I am Be-fore-the-World and Mighty, the God who created previously, before the light of the age. I am the protector for you and I am your helper.”

“And there I will show you the things which were made by the ages and by my word, and affirmed, created, and renewed. And I will an-nounce to you in them what will come upon those who have done evil and just things in the race of man.”

And it came to pass when I heard the voice pronouncing such words to me that I looked this way and that. And behold there was no breath of man. And my spirit was amazed, and my soul fled from me. And I became like a stone, and fell down upon the earth, for there was no longer strength in me to stand up on the earth. And while I was still


lying face down on the ground, I heard the voice speaking, “Go, Iaoel of the same name, through the mediation of my ineffable name, con-secrate this man for me and strengthen him against his trembling.”

The angel he sent to me in the likeness of a man came, and he took me by my right hand and stood me on my feet. And said to me, “Stand up, Abraham, friend of God who has loved you, let human trembling not enfold you! For lo! I am sent to you to strengthen you and to bless you in the name of God, creator of heavenly and earthly things, who has loved you. Be bold and hasten to him. I am Iaoel and I was called so by him who causes those with me on the seventh ex-panse, on the firmament, to shake, a power through the medium of his ineffable name in me.”2

ProphecyIn Revelation 1, the angel’s message is identified first as a prophe-

cy—a revealed message from God to God’s people intended to create a

response, to get them to act upon the message. It is meant to be heard

and heeded. As such, we may immediately begin connecting it with the

Old Testament prophets who announced their messages with a claim

of God’s authorship, “Thus saith the Lord,” so you should listen and

obey!

The content of the prophets’ messages in the Old Testament generally

falls into two veins. One is a word of warning to repent from present be-

havior, a message sent to the “oppressor class” of the rich and powerful,

both foreign and domestic. The other is a word of comfort to not deviate

from the faithful path (e.g., to not join with the oppressors, to not (re)

embrace idolatrous ways), a message sent to those suffering under abu-

sive oppression. To both, the underlying message is that God hears, sees,

and will take action to secure justice.

Why would such a message even be necessary? Because the people of

God, in their present circumstances, were not able to perceive God’s pres-

ence in their midst; nor could they sense God taking action anytime soon.

While we typically speak of prophecy in terms of future “foretelling”

predictive speech, its purpose is always to create a response relevant to


what is going on in the present. The prophets meant to cause a change in

the people’s perception of ultimate reality and inform (warn) them of the

likely outcome of following their present courses of behavior.

In the context of the oppressed-by-oppressors framework, the mes-

sage indicates God’s imminent action; God’s intervention comes as a

promise of relief for the people of God. As such, it is not a long-range

forecast, even though there is no present evidence of divine activity. In-

deed, all available evidence is to the contrary; thus the need for reassur-

ance that God hears and will take action.

So we understand the typical prophetic speech to be more of a preach-

ment (a sermon), than a prediction. The prophet’s message is a declara-

tion of God’s intentions with implications for the future; especially the

future consequences of present choices.

The message of the prophets should also be considered as “conditional

prophecy”: If ungodly people heed a message to change and follow more

faithfully God’s way, then the promised blessings will materialize. If god-

ly people heed a message to stay the course and not waver from their cov-

enant commitment, then the resulting blessings will also bear the truth

of the prophetic message. The opposite for each also applies: refusing to

change (or refusing to not change) will bring the attendant punishment.

(The system of blessings and curses found in Deuteronomy 28 is a prime

example of this concept.)

One difficulty, however, is God often works through human intermedi-

aries. Any action taken against the oppressor on behalf of the oppressed

will come by God via human activity. Since the oppressors were often

members of the ruling class, the evil embedded in the social and political

systems would not be altered if the rulers did not want change, or if an-

other powerful force, like a foreign army, did not intervene. In the history

of the people of God, there were long stretches of time when it seemed as

if “promises and curses” didn’t hold true.

The long-term postponement of the promised consequences—

blessings or curses—brought about questioning of this theology, as

people wondered about the persistence of evil, and why ungodly peo-

ple flourish while the godly suffer. Why is God not acting? Why the delay?

The apparent delay in action forced the development of the concept of


a coming new era of life on earth when justice would be postponed no

more. These ideas were expressed as the coming day of the Lord. There

were no exact dates when God would intervene to set things right; only

the belief that God would act to restore the created order of things.

This hoped-for day of the Lord eventually linked with the appearance

of a messiah (a human intermediary) who will be God’s instrument

to bring justice and re-establish the righteous order of the things on

earth.

When we turn to the New Testament and the nature of prophecy we

read in the book of Revelation, it is likewise less predictive than it is con-

ditional. It is an exhortation for the faithful to

stay the course, and thus realize the blessings

in their very near future.

LetterAfter the initial few verses of Revelation 1, John

begins writing as if composing a letter, com-

plete with its own introduction and dedicatory

blessing like those we see in other New Testa-

ment letters. John warns against “sealing” up

the words of this prophetic preachment, lead-

ing us to understand this letter is intended for

recipients in John’s own time, as opposed to

something meant only for future generations

to read. (A more thoroughgoing apocalypse includes a sealing which in-

dicates the message is yet unfulfilled; see Daniel 12:4, 9 as a prime exam-

ple). Thus we may understand the letter that is the book of Revelation is

a very present message (We will take a more in-depth look at this concept

in chapter two of this book).

As for the identity of its author, we read it is written by John—simply

“John,” not “John the apostle” or “John the elder.” A reasonable in-

ference is John is already well known to the letter’s intended audience.

Or perhaps this John is being intentionally vague about his full identity,

confirming his status simply as a fellow “servant [slave] of God.”

As to the addressees, we read they are “the seven churches that are

“Make It So!”It is as if God, through the prophets, is painting a picture or projecting an image on a screen, and thereby inviting the people to enter into the scene, to live out the real-ity being presented, and through that lived-out activity, make the scene real.


in Asia.” This is evidently Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), inasmuch

as the “far East” (Japan or China, for example) did not then have Chris-

tian churches. But the puzzle begins: surely there were more than seven

churches in Asia Minor at this time. Why seven? And why these seven?

One possibility is these were the primary churches known to or by John

(say, as their founder or leading elder), or perhaps these churches were

simply regionally associated with each other, and they passed around let-

ters to each other from church leaders. If so, the number seven is inci-

dental to their main reason for being grouped together.

Another, more likely, possibility is the number seven is a more im-

portant feature. Rather than focusing on why these particular seven, we

should look to the number itself. We will leave this idea for now, but you

will find a thorough exploration of the number seven as an important

Revelation symbol in chapter two.

GospelThe book of Revelation is structured superficially as a letter; the message

is delivered by means of the apocalyptic genre style, and the content is

functionally a prose narrative prophecy. However, the message itself is

gospel. It is good news written to a people in great need of its message.

It is a message of hope emphatically urging its recipients to endure, to

persist in believing the message is true: God is here, with you, in the midst of

all your troubles.

It is a message pleading with its recipients to peel back the curtains

blinding them to its truth. The world-that-appears-to-be, is not. Don’t put

your trust in who (and how and what) appears to be in power and control, for the

source of that temporary positional strength is not long lasting. Trust instead in

the one who is behind and beneath and beyond everything that is good and right

and enduring.

What first appears to be a convoluted message is a relatively simple one

after all is revealed, for the message is repeated over and over and over

again. The symbols, numbers, and strange descriptions have numerous

connections to earlier messages with remarkably similar meanings in

strikingly similar situations. God is good. God is great. God wins. Go with God.

Those who focus on the eschatology embedded in this book often miss


the more dominant note, the one that makes the eschatology true: gospel.

The fact that this observation might be puzzling to some modern read-

ers is really not all that surprising, largely due to an essential mischar-

acterization of the term gospel. Gospel is not merely a genre or a literary

type. Gospel is in the end a message: it is an-

nouncing something vitally real and true.

The clearest comparison is the gospel of Mark,

the first verse of which gives the book its title

and message in a prelude of its contents: the

gospel of Jesus Christ. Nearly everyone can tell

you the word gospel means good news. But the

nature of gospel is the revelation of that good news. Both the Gospels and

the book of Revelation are all about delivering a message, revealing a

truth.

The essential truth revealed in gospel is two-fold. The empire of God

is here, and Jesus Christ is the Emperor. Or in terms more familiar, the

kingdom of God is here, and Jesus Christ is the King.

The implication of this message for its original audience—both in the

Gospels and the book of Revelation—is its appeal to the readers or listen-

ers to choose wisely which value system to adopt, which path to follow.

The book of Revelation is typical apocalypse, revealing the true world and

ultimate values visible only through the eyes of faith.

Faith is belief put into action. Both the Gospels and the book of Rev-

elation want the listener to act upon the message received. Salvation is

found in discovering the presence of God and actively participating in

God’s purposes. The book of Revelation, in revealing the presence of God

in Christ in our midst—the realm of God—is a thoroughgoing salvation

text. It repeats in myriad ways what God’s purposes are and how we as

God’s people are to participate in God’s realm.

There is a tragic irony in our history of misreading and misappropri-

ating the gospel salvation message of the book of Revelation. Reading a

time-stamped roadmap of future events full of conspiracy-laden night-

mares results in producing primarily fear. Fear, and its cousins of confu-

sion, mistrust, avoidance and apathy produce inaction.

Eschatology: theolog-ical study of the end of the ages and ultimate things, from the word “eschaton” [esh’-ka-tahn] meaning “last”


SUMMARYWhen we read for meaning, we look first for how the original “audi-

ence” (the first readers, or those listening to what is being read) might

understand the author’s intent. When we have a better idea of what the

message to the ancient audience is, we can responsibly attempt to draw

out lessons for our own day, time, and circumstances. A significant entry

point for doing this with ancient literature is to decipher clues from the

type(s) of literature involved.

• apocalyptic literature

The book of Revelation delivers its message by way of many viv-

id word picture symbols, including the use of numbers, sights and

sounds typical of ancient apocalyptic literature, and references drawn

from the Old Testament and other writing near in time to John’s own

work. The original audience would understand both the type of liter-

ature and its message.

• prophecy

When we write about the book of Revelation as prophecy, we’re not

really talking about John predicting the future (especially not the


Prophecy(Preachment) is the “purpose” of the message

Gospel is the “content” of the message

Apocalyptic is how message is “conveyed” (moved along)

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

distant future). We are talking about the kind of warning sermons

typical of most Old Testament prophets: projecting a picture of what

will happen unless there is a change of heart or action and/or a vi-

sion of the future that could come to be if the people of God become

engaged and partner with God in making it so.

• letter

The beginning and ending of the book of Revelation look very much

like a typical letter (piece of written correspondence) in the ancient

world written by a leader of the church, well-known to the recipi-

ents, who are members of various church groups in Asia Minor (an-

cient Turkey). However, the form of the letter is simply a framing

device, with everything in between the two ends reading less like a

letter and more like a fantastic or bizarre narrative.

• gospel

The overall message of the book of Revelation is good news for

Christian believers: Immanuel, God is with us. With this truth in

hand, John is urging his audience/readers to stand firm in the faith,

because God’s strengthening power will help them to endure many

things during difficult and tragic times. Of course, for the ungodly,

knowing that the holy God is ever-present doesn’t exactly come as

good news so much as it comes as a threat and warning.


STUDY GUIDE

1. John says what he says, but means what he means

In 1794, the Scots poet Robert Burns wrote the song that begins: “O

my Luve’s like a red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June; O my

Luve’s like the melodie that’s sweetly play’d in tune.”

Even though it was written well over 200 years ago, we can still

understand it. Try to explain its meaning to someone else without

using the poet’s own language or choice of words. Why does Burns

use these words instead of just saying it more plainly? How does this

concept apply to the book of Revelation?

2. don’t be afraid

Popular culture (like books and movies) turn the word apocalypse

into a synonym for total destruction. What examples can you name?

The original intended meaning of the word apocalypse is simply an

unveiling: a message that reveals what otherwise might not be seen

or understood. Why do you think that the term has been associated

with doomsday plots?

3. the time is near

What is your first reaction to reading that the book of Revelation was

written primarily for readers about 2,000 years ago, that its message

wasn’t necessary constructed with the 21st century in mind?

What kind of message is there for us today? How can we learn to

read and interpret to discover what God is saying to the churches in

our own time and place?


4. symbolic language

If you were writing a special letter to a friend (say, someone wrong-

ly imprisoned) to encourage them in some way—but you didn’t

necessarily want everyone (like the censors or jailers) to understand

everything you wrote, what kind of modern-day cultural references

(from books or television and movies) would you include?

How well would your friend understand your letter? How well would

someone in an entirely different place and time understand your

letter?

5. gospel

How fair is it to call something gospel that isn’t one of the four New

Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)?

If gospel is essentially a message that God is present among us, what

other kinds of things might be described as gospel? What kinds of

activities?

In what other ways do we use the word gospel?


Chapter 2

THE BOOK OF REVELATION AS IT INTRODUCES ITSELF

This chapter begins the in-depth commentary of the text of the book of Revelation.

For the best use of this volume, please read the text from the book of Revelation

indicated in the parenthesis following each section heading before reading the

notes and comments that follow.

WE’RE GOING TO USE structure as our first guide as we begin our study of

the book of Revelation. That’s because the first part of Revelation 1 con-

tains three sections that each act as introductions to the text. These three

introductions also include many important themes and images that will

be repeated later in the book. The first introduction provides something

like a title for the book; the second introduction reads like the beginning

of an ancient letter; and the third introduction begins the narrative that

we’ll follow through the rest of the book.


The First Introduction: the Titular Introduction (1:1-3)

The Revelation of Jesus ChristThe title of a book can be a great way to understand what the book is

about, and the way that the author is going to approach the material in

the book. If, for example, an author writing about the reign of Queen

Elizabeth II of Great Britain chose as the title, Six Decades of Grit and Glory,

then you have an idea how the book is shaped and what key ideas are pre-

sented. If the same book had the title Six Decades on the Sidelines, however,

you might begin reading with a different perspective.

Thus, one great way to start is to look at how the biblical authors might

title their own material. The ancient scrolls, letters, and “books” of the

Bible didn’t have formal titles, but sometimes the first lines introduce the

text in a way that functions as a framing-device kind of title. If we are to

gain insight into the author’s intent and meaning for the book of Revela-

tion, John gives us a lot to work with in the first two verses.

I have paraphrased and restructured these two verses as follows:

God gave Jesus Christ a message

—the revelation of Jesus Christ—

to show the People of God what must soon take place.

This message has been signaled

by sending an angel to John.

What follows is John’s testimony:

to the word of God, and

to the witness of Jesus Christ, and

to everything that John saw.

The first thing to note is the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus

Christ (1:1). We can use this as the “title” of the book of Revelation. This

is the only time in the entire book the word revelation (“apocalypsis”) is

used. But the word is used elsewhere in the New Testament, notably in

Galatians 1:12, where Paul is insists that the gospel message he is pro-

claiming came to him not through any human agency, not even from his

education under Christian elders, but through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul is doing something distinctive from the other church leaders in his


mission to the non-Jewish world, and his claim is that his interpretation

of Scripture and his mission are part of a revelation of Jesus Christ calling

him to service.

There is a nice bit of ambiguity in the original text underlying “reve-

lation of Jesus Christ” in both Galatians and the book of Revelation. Does

it mean “from Jesus Christ” or “about Jesus Christ”? English translations

will vary, and you will find examples of both. I prefer to leave it as “of”

because it can refer to both. What God has given to Jesus Christ to show

the people of God is both a message that comes from Jesus Christ, in the

sense that it is revealed through his embodiment of the message, and it is

a message about Jesus Christ, in the sense the gospel message’s content is

announcing the kingdom of God is now and here and Jesus Christ rules.

The AngelWho delivers this message forming the content of the book of Revelation?

The English word angel has connections to much older words which refer

to messengers or couriers; someone sent with a message, or on an errand.

An angel or messenger could also mean someone authorized to speak on

behalf of another person as an agent or representative.

The vision John has in the first chapter of the book of Revelation is of

an angel. Let’s look to the guide of the Old Testament texts to learn more

about the perception of angels at the time of John’s writing. When read-

ing from the oldest parts of the Hebrew Bible, it isn’t at all unusual to see

God portrayed in the stories as if in human form. Sometimes the story

writer seems to shift and portray this person as someone other than God,

yet still speaking as God’s agent-messenger: an angel. In very ancient

stories from the Bible, the text would go back and forth, and the writer

(and readers) would not be troubled at all. The meaning stayed the same

either way.

Many hundreds of years later, though, when the people of God were in

exile and living among people with different religious beliefs, they be-

gan to consider any direct contact with the Divine Presence as improper;

God would never get the divine hands dirty. When writing about God’s

messengers, they drew a much clearer line between portraying God—

without a body and very remote from human activity—and portraying


God’s agent-representatives, the angels, who had bodies that looked like

humans, and who were involved more directly in human affairs.

One neat thing in the book of Revelation is we get to see both kinds

of angels: the “is-this-a-divine-being-or-not?” angel, and the clearly

separate “angel-as-messenger/agent” angel.

The Immanence of GodThis is a good place to talk about how puzzling it can be to speak about a

non-physical invisible God who nonetheless is “with us.” Theologically,

we now say in the person of Jesus Christ the fullness of God is revealed.

The gospel of Matthew even supplies the name Immanuel, which means

“God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

When we are talking about Jesus Christ being a revelation of God—as

both the message from God and the message

about God, we can also use the more techni-

cal term of immanence. You see the similarity

to the name Immanuel? Immanence refers to

the immediate and near presence of God. The

Holy Spirit is likewise the immanence of God

and Jesus Christ. The fluid interplay between

language and imagery referring to God, Jesus

Christ and the Spirit of God in the book of Revelation is one of the things

John uses to indicate God’s actual presence among the people of God in

their times of distress and danger.

Show, Signal, Testimony-WitnessThere are parallel words in my earlier paraphrase that are functional syn-

onyms to revelation and they provide us early understanding of how to

interpret this material: show, signal, and testimony-witness. To show is to

demonstrate, to present in a way that is somehow also a performance, a

message shown through actions. This fits in well with the third section of

my restructuring above, where John is recording for playback all he sees.

Verse three of Revelation 1 also hints at the performance, the reading

aloud, and experiential aspect of this message.

We are used to thinking of parables as little stories with a key point,

Immanent: to “dwell within” or; very near, spatially and conceptually

ImmInent: “impending” or going to happen soon; very near in time.


comparing one thing to another in order to teach a moral lesson or high-

light ethical values. But these kind of moral comparisons were also made

by the prophets of the Old Testament when they acted out dramatic

scenes (see two examples in Jeremiah 13 and Ezekiel 4). This kind of

prophetic message in enacted parable could be non-verbal and interac-

tive. By drawing those who looked upon the actions into the drama, the

prophets helped them feel and experience the message at a deep level.

Any words following the actions serve to reinforce and apply the meaning

of the message, which is usually a warning or a plea to change behaviors

and attitudes.

To signal is to provide a sign. The Greek paraphrased as “signaled” is

the same word used in the gospel of John to describe what the other gos-

pels record as miracles. They are for John signs, pointing to and revealing

something true about the nature and character of Jesus. Signal is similar

to show in that respect, and both work well in the apocalyptic genre,

which often contains word pictures that must be interpreted using the

visual and auditory language of the senses. The visions John experienced

are recorded using many of the same word pictures the Old Testament

prophets used in their apocalyptic writings. Therefore, John is using the

visionary vocabulary when he writes in the apocalyptic genre to convey

this message.

However, learning to read the signs is not the same as trying to crack a

code. The message does not remain hidden away in secret ciphers, await-

ing some 21st century password to unravel a mystery unknown for 2,000

years. The message has already been revealed to John, and recorded in a

word picture language for God’s people, among whom we may count our-

selves, if we have the eyes to see, the ears to listen and a heart to learn.

The third near-synonym to revelation is really two related words, testi-

mony-witness, which recalls the single Greek word that has as its English

equivalent term, martyr. Originally, a martyr was one who had witnessed

something to which they testify. If, however, one is testifying to the re-

ality and surety of the resurrection—that is, if a person embodies their

victory over the fear of death by actually facing persecution to the point

of death—then that level of witness-testimony brings a new dimension

to the term martyr, one familiar to us today. This deeper aspect is already


present in these first few verses of the book of Revelation. Part of what

John is recording is the testimony of Jesus Christ, by whose life, teaching,

death and resurrection God is revealed.

To a people wondering Where is God? in the midst of terrible times when

evil seems to triumph, this “word from God” embodied by Jesus Christ

and experienced through visions by John is a God-centered message: God

is here! God has always been with you, remains in your midst even now, and will

always be present. As verse three says, those who hear, grasp, and keep

faith with this message will be blessed. It is God’s message through and

about Jesus Christ, revealed for and through the people of God, by way of

the visions the heavenly messenger communicated to John.

When we connect this central aspect of the content of the message—

demonstrating Jesus Christ’s embodiment of the presence of God—with

the method through which this message is being delivered—by means of

dramatic visual “sign-acts”—we recognize there is a strong correspon-

dence between the content of the message and the method for commu-

nicating the message.

A BlessingThe first introduction ends with what appears to be a blessing, and some

might imagine there could be some mystical benefit to be derived by

reading out loud the text of John’s written work. Just by reading out loud

(or at least, by listening to the reading), you will be blessed! But then we ab-

sorb the impact of the second half of verse three, and we realize that this

is something altogether different. While there is some measure of validity

to the concept that by reading and studying sacred Scripture we will find

our lives enriched and blessed, that is not what John is saying here.

This “blessing” verse leaves unsaid the other side of the consequences

of our actions, the ones clearly outlined in the Old Testament as “bless-

ings and curses” at the end of Deuteronomy, and reflected most boldly in

the New Testament letter of James. It is James who says faith—or “be-

lief” (agreeing to truth principles)—by itself is insufficient to participate

in the realm of God. Action is also required: acting on what you believe is

necessary (Jas. 2:14-17). For the prophet, both in the Old Testament and

here in the book of Revelation, this is phrased in terms of the prophecy’s


pictures of what will happen if the people reading (out loud or otherwise)

do not respond. John says blessings are for those who keep what is written

(1:3)—those who hold tight, embrace, take in and affirm the words and

then act upon them. Unspoken—for now—are the curses that will accrue

for those who do not keep the words.

The Time is NearJohn introduces the book of Revelation by saying what follows is a mes-

sage to which the people who read and hear it will need to respond. That’s

the what. Then he tells them the consequences of responding well to the

message. That’s part of the why. The final thought of this first intro-

duction repeats what he’s already said in verse one, and forms the when.

These are the first of many references to the immediacy and urgency of

his message. What he is writing down will be very relevant for the people

to whom he is writing. They need to act now in response to what soon

must take place, for the time is near.

: : : : : :

The Time is NearThe following are citations throughout the book of Revelation where the author indicates the nearness in time of the “action” of the visions. This is particularly relevant for understanding the nature of the book of Revelation as prophecy and gospel, and for indicating the original intended target audience. John is writing to people he expects to take action right away.

1:1, 3 what soon must take place; the time is near2:16, 25 I will come to you soon; hold fast … until I come3:11 I am coming soon; hold fast3:20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking6:11 told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete [of those who were soon to be martyred]10:6 there will be no more delay11:14 the third woe is coming very soon12:12 he knows that his time is short


17:10 he must remain only a little while22:6-7 what soon must take place; See! I am coming soon!22:10, 12 the time is near; see, I am coming soon22:20 surely I am coming soon; Amen: come, Lord Jesus!

: : : : : :

The Second Introduction: the Epistolary Introduction (1:4-8)

After the title-as-introduction of 1:1-3, John writes a second introduc-

tion in verses 4-8, which we will call the epistolary (letter or correspon-

dence) introduction. Check out the other letters of the New Testament

(in older Bibles they may be called the Epistles). The format of the book

of Revelation’s epistolary introduction is present in those other letters as

well:

• begin by identifying the letter writer/sender (“John,” 1:4);

• name the recipients of the letter (the “churches,” 1:4);

• announce a blessing (“grace” and “peace,” 1:4);

• dedicate the letter to a recipient (“to him who loves us and

freed us,” 1:5).

This second introduction also functions structurally within the book

of Revelation as a true introduction with important thematic elements,

words and phrases, and concepts to be repeated and developed more fully

later. The symbolic nature of these elements and their repetition serve as

guides to us. Let’s examine a few of them together.

The Number Seven

The first of these repeating elements is the number seven, used here in

reference to both the number of churches being addressed and the spirits.

The number seven is a significant ancient symbol, signifying a sense of

completeness and perfection. Seven fits well as a foundational segment

for the lunar calendar, itself a very natural means of marking the seg-

ments of a year. Ancient calendars for people in this part of the world

used seven in this way.

One other way I like to imagine the ancients calculating the rightness


of seven as a perfect number is through mathematics. Two other number

symbols (which we’ll explore a bit later), four and three, add up to seven.

Four, associated with the earth, and three, associated with the heavens

(skies), combine to create this holistic link between humanity and the

heavens.

: : : : : :

Seven: A Repeated Number Symbol Throughout Revelation 1:4 seven who are before his throne 1:12 seven golden lampstands 1:16 in his hand he held seven stars 1:20 seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches 3:1 seven spirits* of God and the seven stars 4:5 seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits* of God 5:1 seven seals 5:6 having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits* of God sent out into all the earth 8:6 seven angels [with] seven trumpets 12:3 7-10-7 dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his heads 13:1 10-7-10 beast [with] ten horns and seven heads and on its horns ten diadems 15:1 seven angels with seven plagues 15:7 seven angels [with] seven bowls full of the wrath of God 17:3 beast [with] seven heads and ten horns 17:9 seven heads are seven mountains; also they are seven kings *alternate translation: seven-fold spirit

: : : : : :

The “Seven-fold Spirit”Many have commented on the connection between the “spirits” of Isaiah 11:2-3 and the seven spirits (or seven-fold spirit) found in the book of Revelation at 1:4; 3:1; and 4:5.


A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist (Isa. 11:1-5 NIV).

The Isaiah list, as identified in this way, becomes the seven spirits, or the seven gifts of the Spirit:

1. The Spirit of the Lord2. The Spirit of Wisdom3. The Spirit of Understanding4. The Spirit of Counsel5. The Spirit of Power6. The Spirit of Knowledge7. The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord

This then would be the “seven-fold manifestation” of the Messiah’s ministry. In the early and ancient church, this was evidently an early observation. However, having acknowledged the long history of making this connection (that is, iden-tifying seven spirit descriptions in Isaiah), we must acknowledge that the correct way of counting in this list is one and six. That is, there is one Spirit that comes upon the Messiah (following the traditional messianic interpretation), and there follows six beneficial attributes flowing from the Spirit is anointing. Thus, it is not a list of seven; it should be punctuated this way: And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him: Wisdom and Understanding, Counsel and Power, Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord.

On the other hand, considering the fact that this verse in Isaiah had a long history of being interpreted as a seven-fold-ness, we might well give credence to the


idea that John had this idea in mind when looking for a way to describe the Spirit of God in heaven, the Spirit that Isaiah identified with the Messiah, the Spirit that the angel tells John will be present with the church, and in fact will be the means by which God knows the churches.

: : : : : :

Grace and Peace (1:4) These are two splendid words! Using our guide of common sense, we

already have a level of understanding as to their meanings. The word

grace has a long and storied history of use in the English language, some-

times reflecting well its ancient sense in the biblical languages, some-

times pushing the word into expressions whose meaning is more distant

from the original usages. Not long ago, it was common for people to “say

grace” before mealtime. Have you heard a person remark (perhaps a bit

sarcastically), “Well, look who’s graced us with their presence”? Ice skat-

ers and certain other athletes or dancers are often said to be especially

graceful. You no doubt can think of other examples.

This way of connecting beautifully fluid physical movement to grace is

a way of indicating that a physically graceful person evidently possesses

special gifts. Grace is thus a kind of a gift. When we in the church discuss

spiritual gifts, we access this same stream of thought: the Greek for this

word is “charis,” a gift we associate as coming from the Spirit of God.

Charismatic means to be moved by this spiritual gift. We might push this

thought one step further, saying people so gifted—either physically or

spiritually—possess within them, or at least by virtue of their putting

their gifts to work, a small sign or spark of the divine, evidence of the

existence of God. People who are supremely graceful in a particular way

seem to be gifted with something almost super-human, supernatural.

When extraordinarily special people—historically, people recognized

by the social structure as being royals—come into our midst, there is a

tendency to regard them as especially blessed or chosen by God. People

are graced to simply have such a person come into their presence. Many of

us might smirk at that now, but think historically, and you’ll find it to be

true. Now think about the visitation of heavenly beings or a divine person


“gracing you” with their presence. This gets closer to the ancient sense

of grace. Grace is equivalent with the divine presence itself.

Wouldn’t you want to “return thanks” or “say grace” for such a gift as

the presence of God, even if the only sign of God’s presence is the fact you

have been blessed with food and shelter? People throughout history have

paused before eating a meal to recognize what they are given is in some

measure due to the life-giving and sustaining presence of God in their

midst. To the extent we visibly and verbally acknowledge God’s presence

even in these very simple ways, we push back against the forces suggest-

ing God is not with us.

John begins his letter in this second introduction with the words “grace

and peace.” He thus offers the prayer that the recipients will be given a

sense of God’s presence in the midst of their circumstances. Grace to you ….

And peace. Knowing God is present among you is the beginning of sal-

vation. Knowing the presence of God throughout every aspect of your life,

in ways that restore and bring to life degraded and deadening experiences

or circumstances that might otherwise destroy —knowing the holy pres-

ence of God in your life in this holistic way—is holiness itself. Wholeness

and health, rightness and righteousness. These are all ways of expressing

the Hebrew concept of “shalom,” which is peace.

Fear not, be at peace, for God is with you. Grace and peace are integrally

connected. For many, perhaps, a visitation of the divine is considered a

gift, but it is surely frightful. The Gospels are full of the opposite mes-

sage: do not be afraid of the good news that God is with you. Fear not.

Of course, if you are an enemy of God, if you are among those who are

either actively working against the purposes of God or passively resisting

the restoration of the realm of God, then news of God’s presence is not so

good; there is reason to be concerned.

In this opening phrase of the letter-like introduction, John offers peace

to those who read and embrace his message. Align yourselves along the

pattern of Christ, order your lives along the lines of the path of Christ, set

the work of your mind, hearts, and hands to line up with the purposes of

Christ. Know that, despite appearances promoted by the God-opposing

powers, God is among you and will make all things new; know all will be

well.


Is—Was—Is to Come (1:4) The second introduction also provides us with the first instance of this

three-fold phrase, is repeated throughout Revelation:

1:4 [God] who is and who was and who is to come

1:8 Lord God who is and who was and who is to come

4:8 Lord God who was and who is and who is to come Almighty

11:17 Lord God who are and who were have … begun to reign Almighty

16:5 Holy One who are and were

17:8a the beast was and is not and is about to ascend

17:8c the beast it was and is not and is to come

17:11 the beast that was and is not goes to destruction

How do we to make sense of this phrasing? Let’s turn to our guide of

the Old Testament. The God of the Old Testament covenant, the self-re-

vealing God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the stories of the patriarchs,

when revealing the divine self to Moses referred to the divine name with-

out saying that it is a name: I AM. I am the God who is—in every place and

for all people—and I will be known in ways I choose, beyond the control

of others. I AM. The one who is. This “name” describes the God of the

covenants with God’s people. By referring to God in this way, John may

be making this connection. For it is in the story of the covenants and the

journey out of bondage God continually reminds the people of the divine

presence—I will be with you. It is a promise from the past, securing an un-

known future, centered on the eternal being in the present: the one who

is, who has always been, who always will be.

It is this God who is identified first as the source of the grace and peace

with whom John blesses his readers in this letter-like introduction. The

theme of the ever-present God proves to be an important one in Reve-

lation. This fact is reinforced by the second half of verse four, where the

source of grace and peace is identified also as the spirit-presence of God.


(The reference “before the throne” will be explored later, for now we will

just say this reference is a preview of later imagery in John’s writing.)

Verse five identifies the Messiah, Jesus, as the source of grace and peace.

All three are interwoven by the three-fold descriptor of “is-was-is to

come” and by the blessings of grace and peace.

The three-part character description adds dimension, when combined

with later parallel descriptions of the people of God who also “are, were,

and will be,” drawing humanity into the community of God. By contrast,

where God and God’s holy ones are later described as beginning reign, the

beast has a future set only in its own destruction.

The Faithful Witness and Firstborn of the Dead (1:5)We have noted the relationship between being a witness and the concept

of martyrdom. This theme runs throughout the book of Revelation. The

thematic repetition can guide our understanding. Many who, by virtue of

their stand with God and God’s purposes, suffer under the power of the

dominant earthly systems. By staying true, they witness to the powerful

presence of God in Christ, who is our chief and prime example of faith-

fulness, even to the point of death.

The resurrection is a signal of vindication: Jesus was vindicated by

God for living a life of obedience resulting in his death. The resur-

rection of Jesus Christ has been promised to all who endure, as Jesus

is called the firstborn of the dead (Rev. 1:5), the first of many who will

experience the resurrection life. Elsewhere in Scripture (1 Cor. 15:20)

his resurrection is referred to as the firstfruits of the promise to come,

a foretaste of glory.

It is by his death and resurrection—a theme portrayed in vivid images

of the conquering Lamb who was slain—that Jesus claims to rule in the

realm of God. His power trumps the rule of the “kings of the earth.” It

is vitally important we pay attention to the type of power that brings

victory.

Several thematic elements introduced so far are found in the “bless-

ing” portion of this letter-like second introduction. The following verses

comprise the “dedication” portion of the letter, and contain additional

thematic elements. The blessing section also constructs a trinity state-


ment, though in an unusual order: God-the Spirit-Jesus. The dedication

section continues with a focus on Jesus.

Freedom by His BloodAnother element in this second introduction hints at the means by which

Jesus Christ creates this new covenant people of God, the people whose

purpose is to reveal the realm of God. It is consistent with the gospel

accounts of the last supper covenant, sealed by the blood of Jesus. To him

who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood (Rev. 1:5b).

Many of us with years of familiarity with the church may immediate-

ly jump to conclusions regarding the meaning of these words—freedom

from sin and his blood—without pausing to see how John might be using

them. Rather than assume we already know what being “freed from sins

by his blood” means, we need to be open to what the text itself is saying

about these interrelated concepts. An important step is to ask: “Freed

from what? Freed for what? And freed by what?” This phrase actually con-

tinues: freeing us, he has made us to be a people with a purpose. We need

to be on the lookout for other references to the creation-salvation work

of Christ.

Kingdom Priests One of the more significant images in the book of Revelation is a descrip-

tion of the people of God found in the second introduction of Revelation

1 that is also repeated in Revelation 5: and made us to be a kingdom, priests

serving his God and Father (1:5-6b); you have made them to be a kingdom and

priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth (5:10).

These passages borrow their vocabulary from the Old Testament book

of Exodus: “but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation”

(19:6). This passage appears in the narrative as God is creating a people,

and in the act declares the purpose, or “job description” for this new

people.

Another statement in the Old Testament carries the same weight, but

a different expression: For you are a people holy to the LORD your God (Deut.

7:6). Compare this with two passages from the New Testament letter of

1 Peter: let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to


offer spiritual sacrifices (2:5); But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a

holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of

him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (2:9).

In the Genesis creation narratives—the first time God created a peo-

ple—we read also of a “job description.” Then

God said, “Let us make humankind in our image,

according to our likeness; and let them have do-

minion” (1:26). Dominion, ruling, care, and

control—all these things ring true again in

the Exodus narratives, letter from Peter (very

close in time to John’s revelations), and book of Revelation. God is cre-

ating a people for the purpose of governing creation. The people of God

are the means through which God exerts the divine presence in the realm

of God.

How are the people of God to fulfil this function? The answer lies in

the concept itself. The image doesn’t mean, “priests for God’s kingdom”

but rather, “a kingdom functioning as a priest.” To be a kingdom is to be

a community of faith. To function as a priest is to be an intermediary, a

go-between: mediating (or communicating and revealing) the presence

of God to the world. One of the key factors in the success of the project is

holiness. To reflect a holy God is to behave in community in holy ways.

To reflect the righteousness and justice of God is to act as a community

in ways revealing God’s righteousness and justice through right and just

actions.

: : : : : :

Three: A Number SymbolThe number three, as a number symbol, is generally recognized as referring to the skies (the heavens), and by extension to the prime heavenly resident, God. Therefore, John’s use of three as a number symbol broadly applies to qualities or attributes of the divine. Why is three associated with the skies? Perhaps, originally, because of the ancient concept of a three-tiered uni-verse: the waters (or, the abyss), below; the earth; and the skies.

Intermediary: a go-be-tween; communicating the message or purpose of one person (or group) to another, and vice versa


Some examples of the number three are obvious and simple. “Holy, holy, holy” is a key song descriptor of God. Likewise, the praise hymn to God: “glory, honor and power.” The “is-was-is to come” triad also applies to the Lord God, although there are variations that themselves are telling.

Some others are more subtle. The poetic descriptors of Revelation 1:5 have two sets of three marking out Jesus Christ as also divine:

1 2 3

the faithful witness the firstborn of the dead the ruler of the kings of the earth

who loves us and freed us from our sins and made us to be a kingdom, priests…

: : : : : :

Coming with the Clouds—the Son of ManIt’s not immediately obvious, perhaps, what the poem-like verse 1:7 is

saying, let alone how this word picture serves as a repeated thematic ele-

ment. Packed into these short lines are powerful concepts. Some of them

have been misread over the years, impacting how the entire message has

been received and acted upon. Structurally—as verse seven follows up on

verses five and six—this little song is expressing the fulfillment of God’s

recreation and renovation work through the agency of Jesus Christ em-

bodied in the people of God. It is in capsule form what we’ll see at the end

of the book of Revelation, a vision of the completion of the job, the end

(the aim) but not the end (because life continues).

Let’s take a look at this imagery to discover a guide to its meaning.

Verse seven quotes from the final verses of an apocalyptic section in the

gospel of Mark (see also Matthew 24:30), “they will see ‘the Son of Man

coming in clouds’ with great power and glory” (13:26) and Mark’s scene of

Jesus before the Sanhedrin, “‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right of

the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’” (14:62). Mark, especially,

records the phrase Son of Man as one of the primary self-descriptors of

Jesus.



We’ll have an opportunity in the next chapter to see from where these

quotations come and how John uses them to advance his narrative. It is

enough, for now, to understand that by making this reference early in

the book of Revelation, John is signaling this will be an important feature

repeated later in his account. The nature of the quotations are about the

fulfilment of the long-away promises for justice and restoration. Their

placement as the final aspect of the “dedication” section makes sense.

John concludes this section with So it is to be. Amen (v. 7)—an indication

that while all this is yet a preview, it is also an assurance of ultimate

completion.

Alpha and Omega This assurance that God will bring about the ultimate restoration of all

things is reinforced by the final word of the second introduction section,

combining “beginning and end” with “is-was-is to come” phrasing.

1:8 the Lord God/the I am the Alpha and Almighty the Omega

1:17 one like the Son I am the first and of Man (v. 13) the last

21:6 a loud voice from I am the Alpha and the beginning the throne (v. 3) the Omega and the end

22:13 the angel (v. 8) I am the Alpha and the first and the beginning the Omega the last and the end

The Alpha-Omega phrase is also an example of another interplay be-

tween language and imagery referring to God, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit

of God (including the ambiguous figure of the angel-messenger). It func-

tions to reinforce the idea that God is always present among the people of

God and with them in their times of distress and danger.

Structurally, the repetition of the Alpha-Omega phrases links the be-

ginning and end of the book. It is but one of many literary links John uses

to tie things together. Ideas introduced in the beginning (in one or more

of the three introductions), later return as prominent features in the con-

cluding chapters.

The Third Introduction: the Narrative Introduction (1:9-20)Whereas the first introduction to the book of Revelation was a thematic,

title-providing introduction, and the second introduction was the kind of

introduction you would have in an ancient letter, the third introduction

settles down into the narration of John’s experiences. We describe this as

a narrative introduction. By narrative, we primarily mean John describes

things that are happening, the “action,” so to speak.

Since the narrative of the rest of Revelation 1 connects directly with

Revelation 2-3, we’ll combine the comments about the content of this

narrative with the comments about the letters to the churches in the next

chapter. First, though, we are going to highlight one particular aspect of

this narration that opens up ways for us to discover meaning from the

overall structure of the book.

In the Spirit Visions (1:10-11; 4:1-2; 17:1, 3)The phrase “in the spirit” occurs four times in the book of Revelation. What

follows each of the first three occurrences is a new section of visionary nar-

ration (1:10-11; 4:1-2; 17:1, 3). The fourth occurence (21:9-10) functions as

a contrasting bookend to the occurance in chapter 17, and signals the end

of the entire drama. Because the narration consists of several scenes—very

pictorial, graphic word pictures—a helpful approach to capturing the sense

of the three major parts of the book suggested by the three in the spirit

occurrences is to think of an extended dramatic presentation in three acts.

1. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud

voice like a trumpet saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it

to the seven churches” (1:10-11, emphasis mine).

2. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet,

said, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after

this.” At once I was in the spirit (4:1b-2a, emphasis mine).

3. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to

me, “Come I will show you the judgment of the great whore….” So he


carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness…. (17:1, 3, emphasis

mine).

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven

last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the

wife of the Lamb.” And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high

mountain…. (21:9-10, emphasis mine).

Consider the rest of Revelation 1-3 to be “act one” of this dramatic reve-

lation. Revelation 4-16 forms “act two,” and Revelation 17 commences “act

three.” The following graphic illustrates how the book of Revelation can be

viewed as a dramatic account in three acts.



SUMMARYThe book of Revelation begins with three different kinds of introductions.

Each one in its own way previews the contents of the rest of the book.

• the first introduction (1:1-3)

The first three verses form something like a title for the otherwise

untitled book of Revelation. These verses give us a good idea of its

overall purpose: it intends to reveal Jesus Christ as the living wit-

ness to the powerfully transforming presence of God, spiritually ev-

er-present in the midst of the God’s people to aid them in the times

of approaching trouble.

• the second introduction (1:4-8)

The next five verses read like the beginning of a letter. They also con-

tain many words, phrases, and images to be expanded upon later in the

book of Revelation. These elements further reinforce the message of

God’s presence, and add a description of both the creation of the people

of God and their role in God’s continuing purposes. They are:

• the number seven

• grace and peace

• is—was—is to come

• faithful witness

• firstborn of the dead

• freedom by his blood

• kingdom priests

• the number three

• the Son of Man

• Alpha and Omega

• the third introduction

The remainder of Revelation 1 serves to introduce the main narrative

of the entire book, a drama in three acts. Each of the three major

divisions begin with the signal that John is “in the spirit”—which

means that what follows will be an account of the dramatic visions

constituting the majority of the content of the book of Revelation.


STUDY GUIDE

1. martyr-witness

The word martyr is a term that has taken on additional meaning

through the centuries, and may include shades of meaning today

not originally conceived in John’s time. With what uses of the word

martyr are you familiar?

What might it mean today to “embody” a living testimony of some-

one or something you have personally experienced?

What would it look or sound like? What kind of support or opposi-

tion would you find as a living witness in this way?

2. the number seven

The number seven shows up many times in the book of Revelation

(as well as elsewhere throughout the Bible) as an important number

symbol. Even if we only considered its place within the calendar we

could see why, since it is embedded in the rhythms of the year.

What are some of the other significant uses of seven in Bible? How

much do any of these uses still resonate with the way we schedule

and live our lives today?

3. grace and peace

We’ve identified grace as nearly synonymous with the divine pres-

ence and peace (as in “shalom”), signifying health and wholeness

and rightness (and much more). These two concepts form the pri-

mary gift of John’s introductory “blessing” in his letter. How much

more significance do these words have for you now that we’ve de-

scribed them this way?


What would it mean for you to receive a letter that began this way,

with the desire that God’s very presence would be so real to you as

to bring you all that is good so that all would be well? What would it

take for you to begin a letter to someone else like that?

4. kingdom priests

Christians can make the claim that they have been made free by the

blood of Jesus Christ. When we turn to the questions about free from

and free for, we conclude that we have been made free and been made

part of the people of God for a purpose: to be a kingdom (a commu-

nity of people living in the realm of God’s influence) functioning as

a priest (as an intermediary).

In what ways do you think John wanted the people in the church in

his own time to function as intermediaries? In what ways do you see

churches functioning in an intermediary role today?

How could the church represent God in speaking to those without

good news today? How much do interpersonal relationships (ethics

and morals) among Christians support or betray this mission?

Chapter 3

THE THIRD INTRODUCTIONAND “ACT ONE”

THE THIRD INTRODUCTION IN the second half of Revelation 1 is the be-

ginning of “act one,” with the first of the three great “in the spirit” vi-

sions. The first vision is of the angel-messenger announcing a revelation

for John to record and transmit to the seven churches. What John sees is

recorded for us as Revelation 2-3 and constitutes the collected messages

for those churches.

The Visions Begin (1:9-20)

Persecution, Kingdom and Patient-EnduranceOne of the more intriguing parts of the message appears here, at the

very beginning of the third introduction, where John observes the life he

shares with the people of God, the life “in Christ,” is shared in the context

of three linked ideas: persecution, kingdom, and patient-endurance (two


words represented by one word in Greek). How are these three concepts

linked? What draws them together? And what does John mean by this?

We observed in the last chapter that one central aspect of the “job de-

scription” of the people of God—signaled by the phrase “kingdom”—is

to reflect the presence of God, to reveal the living God in Christ on this

earth, and thereby function as a mediating body between the heavens

and the earth. In this three-word reference, “kingdom” is central. One

intriguing possibility is, for the people to whom John is writing, a signif-

icant means by which they make the kingdom visible is by their patient

endurance in the midst of persecution. John says he shares in this task

with them, but in an even greater way, those who patiently endure in this

time of trouble (which they are all experiencing or can expect to experi-

ence very soon) share this task (patient endurance) with the resurrected

presence of God in Christ.

: : : : : :

Endurance vs. EscapeSometimes the structure of John’s repeated words and phrases is compact and clear. Other times the repetition extends across the entire book of Revelation, and the effect is not so obvious. It can be helpful to make a list of repeated refer-ences to see John drawing together the entire book by the use of related words and phrases.

The following quotations from Revelation affirm a central concept: repeated words and phrases are an interpretive guide. John anticipates the people of God will endure great trials, and they should not expect to escape them. A primary emphasis of these passages is the call to remain faithful to the revealed message. No one should expect to avoid the trials to soon follow, but everyone should put their faith in God and follow the example of Jesus as the path to lasting life.

1:3b “and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.”

2:3 “I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.”


2:9-11 “I know your affliction…. I know the slander…. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life…. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.”

2:13 “I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me.…”

2:19 “I know your works—your love, faith, service and patient endurance.…”

23-28 “… and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. But to the rest … who do not hold this teaching … hold fast to what you have until I come. To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works … to the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.”

3:1-5 “I know your works … you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death…. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it and repent. You have still a few … who have not soiled their clothes … they are worthy…. If you conquer, you will be clothed like them.”

3:8-11 “I know your works…. you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…. Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming…. I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have…”

7:14b “they … have come out of the great ordeal.…”

14:12 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of [to their faith in] Jesus.”

16:15 “Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed [keeps his robes], not going about naked and exposed to shame.”

21:7-8 “Those who conquer will inherit these things…. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted … their place … is the second death.”


22:7 “See I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy…”

The concept of endurance (rather than escape) is extended and reinforced in the fol-lowing quotations from Revelation, which contain a form of the Greek word referring to the ideas of testimony and witness (from which we draw the English word martyr). We can see from the repeated use of these related words throughout Revelation that John is connecting the idea of testimony-witness to the reality of suffering and even death. In fact, patient endurance and remaining faithful to the reality of the realm of God through suffering is the means by which one conquers evil.

1:2 “who testified [martyreō] to the word of God and to the testimony [martyria] of Jesus Christ…”

1:9 “I, John, your brother who shares with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance … because of the word of God and the testimony [martyria] of Jesus.”

3:14, 19 “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness [martyrs].… Be earnest, therefore, and repent.”

6:9-11 “…I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony [martyria] they had given; they cried out … ‘how long?’ … They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete … [of these] who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.“

11:7 “When they have finished their testimony [martyria], the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.”

12:11 “…they have conquered him [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony [martyria], for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.”


12:17 “Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony [martyria] of Jesus.”

17:6 “And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses [martyrs] to Jesus.”

19:10b “You must not do that [worship me]! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony [martyria] of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony [martyria] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

20:4b “I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony [martyria] to [of] Jesus and for the word of God.”

: : : : : :

John’s Worship ExperienceJohn is in exile, worshipping God on Sunday, the first day of the week, the

day the early church referred to as “the Lord’s day” to remember the day

of the Lord’s resurrection. Inasmuch as resurrection is a regular element

of Revelation, it may not be such a coincidence that John takes the time to

tell us which day it is as the action begins. John is in worship, probably a

very deep, ecstatic worship experience, and he gets “carried away.”

Carried away. We can understand that two ways, can’t we? In times of

purest and truest worship, many will report the sensation or experience

of something “beyond” themselves. In worship, you get beyond yourself;

the experience is beyond you, outside of you. It’s more than you: it’s a God

thing. You experience the presence of God, and you feel the very Spirit of

God inhabiting the place where you are, even inhabiting and transforming

who you are. These are rarely very long or extended experiences, so we

tend to hold on to them and seek after them. Even a brief time of worship

allowing you to focus on God’s presence, and forget about yourself, can be

a kind of ecstatic experience. You don’t have to “get carried away” and do

wild things; it can be a relatively quiet and simple moment.


As John’s visions begin, we are signaled that this is something oth-

er than an ordinary experience by the phrase “in the spirit” and by the

extraordinary sights and sounds John recounts. While we say “vision,”

these trance-like and ecstatic experiences were both visual and auditory,

sight and sound. In this way, John is similar to

the Old Testament prophets, who, filled by the

Spirit of God, moved to speak or act in ways

conveying a message. John is transported from

his ordinary way of seeing things to God’s re-

vealation of an extraordinary reality. He can report to God’s people what

is of lasting importance.

The Appearance of the Son of ManIn his worshipful reverie in the spirit, John’s vision begins with the sound

of a trumpet-loud, attention-grabbing voice. The voice tells him to re-

cord the messages for the seven churches (we’ll explore these messages

in more detail in the following section on Revelation 2-3).

John hears something—something loud and startling, in this case a

voice he describes as a trumpet—and he turns to see whose voice it is.

This happens repeatedly in these visions—John hears and turns to see.

Using our guide of emotional intelligence, we deduce the sound is meant

to draw out from the reader a reaction, like surprise or fright.

John describes a sight quite unlike what one might expect or connect

with the sound; this is no trumpet-playing person in a tuxedo. In the

midst of seven golden lampstands, John sees one like the Son of Man (Rev.

1:13), a reference we need to investigate. The gospel writers often quote

Jesus referring to himself as the “Son of Man.” An entire book can be

written about what Jesus meant and what we are to understand about this

phrase. We often read in the Gospels of Jesus using this self-referential

phrase in the context of physical vulnerability and human weakness; yet

there is an unmistakable sense that there is more to the picture. There

will come a time of setting things right-side-up, when justice uncovers

what is true and valuable all around us.

In its most simple use, prior to Jesus, the phrase Son of Man literally

meant human being, a person. Think of C.S. Lewis’ Aslan refering to the

Ecstatic: [ek-sta’-tik] to be outside oneself, to be “moved” somewhere else


human children as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. When the prophet

Ezekiel uses this phrase (see Ezekiel 2.1 as the first of many examples),

the Hebrew is “ben adam,” meaning son of a human (or simply, a human

being). The phrase in Ezekiel is used by God to refer to the prophet. But

later, like in the book of Daniel, the phrase gets tied together with the

hopes for the Messiah. It’s quite likely Jesus was using the phrase in its

messianic sense. This phrase is best processed through the lens of the

Gospels even more than through the Old Testament passages.

The sight is full of other symbols that we can begin to put together to

discover some meaning. Many of the elements in this fantastical picture

are reused as introductory visuals in the seven mini-letters that follow.

This ties the speaker here, in Revelation 1, with the message of Revelation

2-3.

The Message to the Churches (2:1-3:22) Revelation 2 begins the letters to the churches. Before we move on to

reading the content of the letters, it is good to look first at how to ap-

proach this section of Revelation.

Portraits of God’s PeopleA popular end-time theory from the past century was constructed using

the seven churches as representatives of different time eras. The central

characteristic of each church matched a description of the time era with

the relationship between God and humanity. The key factor in that theory

is that God had established different rules or means by which God would

relates to humanity, with the seventh church or era standing in for the

present (modern) age.

While that construction is quite imaginative and popular, it over-reads

the symbolism in the book of Revelation in general, and in Revelation 2-3

in particular. There simply is no warrant in the text to say this is John’s

intent. Nothing in the book of Revelation indicates the message John de-

livers for God has anything to do with discreet ancient periods of time or

some far-flung future era.

On the contrary, ample evidence contained in the book of Revelation

demonstrates John’s message is primarily directed toward his own people


in his own time. The message was a very current message for them. The

beauty of the Bible, of course, is that we can discern in its pages timeless

truths and messages relevant for people of any era, including our own.

This kind of discernment requires discovering the principles embedded in

the messages initially written for other people. It’s the principles, or the

eternal truths, that have continuing relevance, and not the time-specific

or culture-bound mode of delivering the principles that should matter for

the Bible interpreter.

A better way to approach Revelation 2-3 is to step back and look at the

structure of the book of Revelation. It has a triadic structure: three major

sections containing parallel elements signal us that we should search for

meaning by comparing and contrasting the parallels. Of particular sig-

nificance in these chapters is recognizing in the overall triadic structure

what we can identify as “portraits” of the people of God. In each section

there is one or more opportunities to read, from the heavenly perspective,

how the people of God ought to be, what they ought to be doing, and how

it is the people of God function within God’s overall purposes for creation.

We saw this already in Revelation 1:5-6, when God’s people are called

to be kingdom priests. This priestly function—acting as intermediaries

and as God’s caretakers of creation—is a consistent Bible theme. Conse-

quently, it is one of the key themes of the book of Revelation.

In this first major section, the letters to the seven churches form the

first portrait of God’s people. Failing to recognize the role of the indi-

vidual messages to the seven churches within this larger purpose of the

book of Revelation is failing to appreciate the meaning and value of the

book itself.

We spoke earlier of the number seven as a symbol of completeness and

perfection, and how in its “mathematical” construction, seven also ex-

tends to us a sense of linking the heavens and the earth (as a combination

of the earthly “four” and heavenly “three”). One more extension of this

holistic or “the whole world/universe” meaning is the use of the number

seven to represent universality.

With that in mind, how should we then interpret the messages to these

seven churches? As a portrait of the people of God, we might reasonably

determine these seven churches represent all churches and the messag-


es show us a spectrum of how well God’s people are doing in fulfilling

their job description. The prophetic nature of the book of Revelation—

the preaching message—paints a picture of a potential outcome for both

those who heed the message and thus gain a reward, and those who do

not heed the message and thus receive the curse.

Furthermore, each of John’s critiques of the individual churches ac-

counts for its historical nature and setting. I find comfort, knowing that

God actually meets us where we are, as we are; God knows us. The mes-

sage to each is appropriate to each, understanding its challenges as well

as its opportunities. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of evaluation. True,

eternal principles are there, and universal truths that apply to everyone,

everywhere, in all time. It’s also accurate to say, as representatives of the

whole people of God, these seven churches receive a message shaped to

who they are.

We have in these seven church micro-letters a representative sampling

from across the spectrum of responses to the gospel. In this collective

portrait, we begin to see the varying degrees to which God’s people suc-

ceed in being witnesses to the presence of God in their midst. There are

strong churches, weak churches, and middling churches, rated on a scale

of consistent belief and covenant fidelity.

Angels In chapter two, we referenced that within the Bible the concept of the angel can carry fluid meanings, often shifting back and forth from indicating God’s messenger in human form and a literary represen-tation of God’s own divine self. The reference in this part of the book of Revelation to the seven stars [which] are the angels of the seven churches (Rev. 1:20) bring one more dimension to our understanding of the biblical use of angels. The theologian Walter Wink has writ-ten about the “powers” of our world, and his concept of angels is very helpful here. Instead of conceiving of the angels as heavenly be-ings who are appointed or assigned to a church in each city in this section, the angels embody the collective reputation of the congre-gations (the sum total or accumulated and compounded effect of all the individual and collective actions over time that have resulted


in the personification of the character of that place, something of a symbolic stand-in for that congregation of God’s people). This helps make sense of why the letters are addressed to the angels, and bring added dimension to the earlier picture (1:12-20) of the figure holding the stars (which are the angels!) in his hand.3

The Polemic ToneLet’s turn to the guide of structure for some insight. As a general frame-

work, each of the messages to the seven churches contain the following

elements, although there is some variation among the seven:

• a brief description of the “evaluator” (whom we met in the first

part of “act one,” as the subject of John’s first vision);

• words of commendation (how well the church is doing the job

they have been given);

• words of warning (the central prophetic aspect: this is what

will happen if); and

• some concluding comments that often have the shape of a

promise, usually the promise of God’s continued presence

(remembering that for those who are righteous, God’s presence

is a beautiful thing; for those who are not righteous, God’s

presence is burdensome and burning).

Some of the evaluations and the language used may seem a bit extreme

to us now. But this is where our guide of ancient texts like the Old Tes-

tament, and especially an understanding of the nature of the apocalyp-

tic genre, can help. Remember, one key characteristic of the apocalyptic

prophet mindset is the stark contrast between good/evil, right/wrong, for

us/against us. In the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles, there

are similar, though not quite as extreme, evaluations and comments. Very

few kings came close to living up to the standard of following God’s own

heart like King David. Most of the kings were rated evil, in fact. Others

were rated as mostly good, though not complete in their zeal. The good/

evil rating is based on how thoroughly they fought against the worship of

other gods, or perhaps worshipping God in places other than the temple

in Jerusalem.


Closer in time period to the writing of Revelation, another group whose

primary measure was zeal recorded prophetic material later recovered

among the Dead Sea Scrolls. They trumpeted their rejection of the Jerusa-

lem temple and the High Priest’s collusion with Roman power. They con-

sidered their own separatist and isolated community as an embodiment

of a living temple in exile (though still in the

land of Israel), awaiting a time when the purity

of the temple in Jerusalem would be restored.

The insights we gain from using our guide of

other ancient texts from this time period help us understand the strong

language and harsh tone of some of John’s letters.

In these letters to the churches, we find some prime examples of the

polemic often characterizing apocalyptic literature, with lines sharply

drawn and leaving no room for subtlety or differing opinions. They are

also passages that could easily mislead a 21st century reader who doesn’t

carefully consider the dynamics among the people of God in the late first

century.

In that period of time, the community of faith we now identify as

Christians could reasonably have been considered a part of the multifac-

eted expression of Jewish religious groups. The cities throughout greater

Near East Asia, including here in Asia Minor, were full of the refugees

and remnants of the center of religious practice in the Jerusalem temple,

which had been destroyed relatively recently. The cities now had thriving

Jewish populations with multiple expressions and interpretations of the

faith.

In the decades since the death and resurrection of Jesus, the mission

work of Paul increasingly brought Gentiles into the mix, and many of

the conflicts between the various groups contained elements we could

describe as sibling rivalry. A century or more later, clearly defined groups

emerge: Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity. But for now, there were con-

tinual struggles (we can glimpse hints of these factional struggles in the

Gospels, most especially in the gospel of John). Who has the right to de-

fine the authentic expression of the ancient Israelite faith, now that the

temple and its priests are gone? The “sibling groups”—Jews (and their

Gentile converts) who follow their rabbi Jesus, whom they proclaim Mes-

Polemic: [po-lĕm’-ĭck] a strongly worded attack on those opposing you


siah, and the Jewish (and their “God-fearing” Gentile congregants) who

are not persuaded by Jesus’ apostles and their followers—are each vying

for legitimacy.

One key factor in this dynamic involves Roman rule and concepts of

loyal citizenship and religious propriety. Some cities John wrote to were

also very loyal Roman colonies, with many temples, and there was a high

expectation that all residents would follow civic tradition and swear alle-

giance to Rome and its emperor by offering sacrifices to him and the gods.

To do otherwise was considered both disloyally unpatriotic and atheistic.

Everyone was expected to participate, and if you didn’t you might not be

able to conduct business or otherwise make a living. Rome had granted the

Jews a waiver of sorts, though, essentially allowing them to perform token

actions promising loyalty but falling short of worshipful reverence. Jews

could find greater acceptance and participation in society and commerce in

this way without fear of arrest and punishment.

This issue fuels the polemic tone of the book. As we read the words to

these believers, we begin to understand how they are on the losing side of

some of the “sibling” struggles, and are either already suffering for it or

likely will very soon. Evidently, those in power positions in many of these

Jewish religious and social circles are not Jesus followers. Under threat

of expulsion from the officially sanctioned Jewish group, the smaller and

socially weaker group of Jewish Jesus followers receive words of comfort:

it is they, not the others, who are the authentic and faithful Jewish peo-

ple of God. For example, in the letter to Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11), John says

their assembly is righteous, and those who oppose them and threaten to

remove their protection from Rome are a synagogue—or assembly—of

Satan, the deceiver; it is the devil who motivates them to such action.

(As an aside, we should remember that while John also uses words in

Revelation that reflect a polemical perspective, we understand when he

writes about “the Jews,” he does not mean all Jewish people, and certainly

not the Jewish people who followed Jesus, but the religious leaders who

oppose Jesus’ own interpretation and embodiment of the ancient Israelite

religion. We must not allow the sharp tones of this very old polemic to col-

or our own language and characterization of any particular Jewish group

today.)


The absolutist thinking of the apocalyptic genre is reflected in the book

of Revelation for the first time here in these church micro-letters. We’re

not suggesting that John is following the same agenda as the writers of

Kings or Chronicles, or reflecting the mindset of the writers of some of

the Dead Sea Scrolls. Simply, these messages to the seven churches read

in the early part of Revelation contain strong evaluations, and the basis

of the evaluations is similar to those found in the other sources, where

purity of devotion is an underlying theme.

For example, note the reference to Jezebel (Rev. 2:20; 1 Kings 16–

2 Kings 9), which speaks of an improper mixing of religious loyalties. This

theme is prominent in the later chapters of the book, and picks up on Old

Testament concepts and metaphors of God and God’s people in a cove-

nanted marriage relationship. There, fidelity to God’s ways is portrayed as

marital fidelity. And the opposite is true: adultery. In the Old Testament

idolatrous/unfaithful Israel is portrayed as a whore (see Isaiah 1; Jeremiah

2-3; Eekiel 16, 23; and the book of Hosea). For John, “Jezebel” functions

as a shorthand reference to this equation of idolatry=adultery (see also the

contrasting translation of 2 Kings 9:22b in the NRSV and the NIV).

Reading the Letters to the Churches TodayIn the following material, you will find a brief sketch of each city. Each

includes a paraphrase of the city’s letter that seeks to express the central

meaning of the letter by interpreting the many layers of references to

Old Testament figures and stories, apocalyptic imagery, symbol numbers,

and other word pictures woven throughout Revelation. Be sure to read the

letters from your Bible before reading the paraphrases.

After each paraphrase, you’ll find a short list of background elements, so

you can continue your own research, reading, and reflection of how John

is recycling a fantastic array of concepts in constructing this portion of his

message. One “takeaway” from observing the many connections through-

out Scripture and within the book of Revelation is to recognize how very

much like the rest of the Bible this book is; it’s not so strange after all.

Ephesus (2:1-7)Ephesus was a seaport city, the largest in the area, and considered a natural


starting point for a circulating letter. The church there is an older church,

a second generation of Christians with ties to the founding leaders of

early Christianity (as well as continuing followers of John the Baptist),

with a strong association with some of the apostles, especially Paul. The

city’s temple, dedicated to the goddess Artemis (a.k.a, Diana Ephesia),

also functioned as something of a civic bank, complete with Ephesian

coinage featuring Artemis in the guise of a fruitful tree. The ancient ruins

of Ephesus are near the modern city of Selcuk.

Ephesus The people of God are signals of light to a world in dark-

ness, evidence of the living God who has set them ablaze and fuels them

in a passionate embrace of love. Hear the words of the one who is contin-

ually at hand to care and watch over this project of shining a spotlight on

what is true and false: I need you to know it’s my role to ignite new flares

wherever they’re needed and replace the ones whose flames are flagging.

As the chief of the lighthouses around here, it’s you I’m speaking to

first because you’re starting to flicker. Oh, it’s not because you haven’t

been busy doing good and consistently calling out those who perpetuate

patterns of violence and evil. You’ve even followed good advice to check

which teachers are in accord with the Spirit of God and which are fanning

flames on their own dime. No, in all of these things and more, you have

been solid, not melted in the face of opposition and tough times. This is

not why I’m worried about you.

It’s because your eyes are growing dim, your passion for pointing to

God as the first source of all of life and love has waned, and you seem

forgetful of your signaling job. It is the reason you’ve been created for

this good work you’re doing. Good things unattached to the source of all

good have limited value. You used to be at the top of the hill, open and

unafraid; now you’re at the foothills picking up shiny rocks and setting

them in pretty rows. Put all that stuff aside and check your fuel levels,

then get back to it the right way. Otherwise, when I do my regular rounds

again, it’s your switch I’ll be flipping off. I do not want to turn to some

other place to get the job done.

Now listen, it’s not all lost. You can still get going in the right direc-

tion, and not only because you’ve done it before, but because you are, in


fact, doing good things! It’s simply that I want you to do the right things,

the right way, and for the right reasons. You already know this, don’t

you? You were the ones, after all, who rejected the teaching of that group

who thought good work could be fueled by bad desires. You already know

consuming tainted food ends poorly. The truth will dawn on the people

really in touch with what the Spirit is saying in all of this, and everyone

will know it because they’ll have glowing faces and bright eyes—they get

it! And they’re the ones who will continue consuming the ultimate good,

the fruitful life itself.

Background Imagery, Symbols and Textual Connections

2:1 seven stars and seven golden lampstands See Revelation 1:12, 20 and Zechariah 4:2.

2:1 “seven” as a symbol See the discussion of this number in chapter two of this book.

2:2 [false] apostles See 1 John 4:1-3 and 2 John 7.

2:4-5 first love/first works Jesus said that his disciples would be known by their love, by loving one another (see John 13:35). This is also strongly emphasized in the epistles of John. Love is action, of course, and often an active decision to counter “natural” tendencies; love in action is the definition of good works.

2:5 the lampstand in the tabernacle (and later the temple) The lampstand was designed to appear as a tree with branches, a likely reference to God’s presence in the garden now abiding in the tabernacle (see Exodus 25:31-40 and 37:17-24). See also the “tree of life” below.

2:5 figure walking among the lampstands There is the sense of God’s presence walking freely among Adam and Eve in the garden; what at first was a comforting and life-giving presence turned into something they hid from when they sinned.


2:6 Nicolaitans An otherwise unknown group. Perhaps John is working on some kind of pun or play on words, because the Greek word for conquer is “nikaō”— so maybe the Nicolaitans don’t have the real winning argument!

2:7 tree of life There are at least two strong biblical associations with this tree: in the Genesis narrative there was another tree, whose fruit was forbidden to eat, and whose consumption promised death (Gen. 3:3), a legacy left for all humanity. However, at the re-creation of all things, as portrayed at the end of Revelation, there is a tree whose fruit brings healing to all nations. The “tree of life” thus carries associations with eternal life (immortality). John wants his readers to abide in God’s fruitful presence both in this age and for the age that follows (see John 15:1-7 and Proverbs 11:30).

Smyrna (2:8-11)Smyrna was also an early and well-known seaport city (and was, in-

cidentally, Homer’s hometown) with strong loyalty to Rome, including

many temples of the emperor cult’s guardian deities. It was home to an-

cient Olympic-like games. The church here is regarded as relatively weak,

though it has apostolic connections: a disciple of the bishop John named

Polycarp, was martyred there in the second century. This city today is

modern Ismyr, where a church dedicated to Polycarp still exists, though

it is maintained primarily now for tourists.

Smyrna I’m going to pull back the curtain here and tell you

something about life and death. Everyone dies; but not everyone dies

forever. Birth is a beginning and death is an end, but new beginnings

transcend even the end. My very existence is the embodiment of this

reality, so believe me—because I have been on both sides of that equa-

tion—the ultimate source of all life will sustain and re-enliven you too,

no matter how dead things seem to be right now. There’s a richness and

bounty that can’t be measured in coins or controlled by the one who lays

claim to property deeds.


Not only have I personally experienced pain, suffering, and the worst

that evil can bring, I am even now present among you to see and know

what’s happening to your little assembly of believers. I hope my testi-

mony about the ultimate source of life will help you endure through this

next period of time (which will not go on forever, even if it seems like it in

the midst of it all). It is going to get worse in the short run, because that

other assembly has a false front, an upside-down sign to the entrance of

their gathering place. It says they are faithfully following God’s covenant

in word and deed, but they are deceived and are fooling themselves if they

think they’re on the right track by how they talk about you. Their accu-

sations will remove the last bit of earthly protection you have and land

many of you in jail.

But remember this is not the worst that can happen, and even it will only

be for a limited time. You could be sentenced to a life imprisoned by hate

and greed, spouting envious lies that come back to sting the snakes that

spew them, to die and die again. Stay true to your experience of good and

right, and even if you are killed by those in competition for power and con-

trol, I promise you your present life will be topped off with the full mea-

sure from the source of life itself. Staying steady on the true path to this

life will be your crowning achievement. Everyone who is in tune with what

the Spirit is saying in all of this need not be afraid of the present pain and

threat of death: there’s a greater life coming; one not touched by death.


2:8 first and last, who was dead and came to life Jesus survived life’s worst enemy: death; if he is among you, death itself is not to be feared (see also Revelation 1:18 and 21:4-5). He alone has the power and right to convey immortality.

2:9 spiritual wealth and strength See 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 2 Corinthians 6:10 and James 2:5.

2:10 ten days This is one way ancient writers indicate a fixed period of time, in the sense of a complete period, and not forever (see Daniel 1:12-15).


2:10 “ten” as a symbol Signifies human completion: two hands full of fingers is ten.

2:10 crown See 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 4:4; 6:2 and 14:14.

: : : : : :

A Selection From the Martyrdom of Polycarp 16b-17a (Mid- to Late-second Century A.D.)In the number of these was this man, the glorious martyr Polycarp, who was found an apostolic and prophetic teacher in our own time, a bishop of the holy Church which is in Smyrna. For every word which he uttered from his mouth was accomplished and will be accom-plished. But the jealous and envious Evil One, the adversary of the family of the righteous, having seen the greatness of his martyrdom and his blameless life from the beginning, and how he was crowned with the crown of immortality and had won a reward which none could gainsay, managed that not even his poor body should be tak-en away by us, although many desired to do this and to touch his holy flesh.4

: : : : : :

Pergamum (2:12-17)Pergamum (also referred to as Pergamon) was briefly a provincial capital

city following the breakup of the empire of Alexander the Great, and it

continued later as a regional governing center fiercely proud of its sta-

tus as protector of the emperor cult, loyal to the Caesar. It boasted many

magnificent temples dedicated to various Roman deities including Zeus,

whose temple was fronted by a grand altar that survives in museums

today and is considered to be an important example of sculpted art. The

city had a library as large as the most famous and grand libraries of that

part of the ancient world, and produced goat skin parchment. The area

was also known as a center of medical advancements, attached to the cult

of Asclepius, serpent god of the healing arts (you might note the snake


intertwined as part of the symbol for pharmacies even today), as it was

home to thermal water medical spas. It was also famous for and justly

proud of its white marble buildings, which must have shown brightly on

its hilltop domain on the coast of the Aegean Sea. The ruins found there

today are near modern-day Bergama in Turkey.

Pergamum Let me remind you about the dual message of the proph-

ets of old: hope of relief from opression for those who are following God’s

ways, and words of warning for the people of influence and power fol-

lowing other paths and leading others away from constancy and loyalty to

God. What I have to say is going to cut some of you both ways.

On the one hand, I know what it’s like where you live. There are all

kinds of great looking temples and impressive altars made of fine white

stone, the library is world-famous, the healing centers with their signs

of snakes draw crowds from all over. It’s very hard to not be drawn into

worshipping the seemingly superior powers everyone gives credit to for

keeping them alive and well. Of course, once upon a time the people of

God were given a bronze snake to lift up on a pole to effect healing, but

that was a temporary stand-in measure at best, one God eliminated long

ago. He’s now lifted up the true source of life. Why pay homage to crea-

tures or created objects instead of the Creator? But you haven’t given in

and been unfaithful in your pact with God; you’ve maintained a solid wit-

ness to the reality that life is not found in communing with false hope.

Even when one of your own was killed for this kind of defiance in that

snake-pit-loving place, you didn’t break ranks and run.

On the other hand, some of you are playing with fire, teaching compro-

mise with the system is necessary to get along in the world. A long time

ago—when the wayfaring people of God were still in the desert and hadn’t

yet reached the Promised Land—a neighboring king hired a false prophet

to curse them and keep them from finishing the journey. That backfired,

of course, but later some of those sojourning men were persuaded to pair

up with the local women. They got in bed together, and then got in bed

with their foreign gods, too, dedicating festival food to the spirits of the

idols; filling body and soul in the same breath.

That’s what the other group in your area has been doing. You just can’t


consume evil and not feel the heartburn afterwards. The false prophet—

and the people in the desert who went in step with him—felt the sting of

the sword. If you don’t deal with the misleading teachers in your midst,

I will come there myself very soon and anyone who hasn’t turned away

from this kind of covenant infidelity will also feel its bite.

If there is anyone there who really wants to understand what the Spirit

is saying in all of this, then pay attention and take steps to make it right.

I promise those of you who follow through are going to be fed by a satis-

fying sustenance few ever set eyes on. You will be finer than the building

blocks in that gleaming white city of yours. Those who are wiser than false

prophets get it—the kind of first-hand knowledge those who seek after

God whole-heartedly will find.


2:12 sword See Revelation 1:16; 19:15 and Isaiah 49:2.

2:13 Antipas Otherwise unknown; it is significant, though, that this individual is noted for being a witness in the most literal aspect of martyrdom.

2:14 Balaam and Balak The more well-known story is found in Numbers 23-24, but Numbers 25 (and the reference in 31:16) is more apt (see also the New Testament reworking of Balaam as a symbol in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 11).

2:14 food sacrificed to idols There is a strong connection to the story of the young men in Daniel 1 who refused to consume/be consumed by the diet at the king’s table (a probable signal of commitment and loyalty) throughout these letters. In 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, Paul’s message is fairly clear when he says idols have no power, and therefore buying meat from the public butcher shops—though they routinely dedicated their product to idols—presented no real danger. Simply eating this food was not participating in idol worship, yet public participation in ritual meals (especially when this secured one’s economic livelihood


or civic standing) represents another level of consumption/being consumed—a depth of engagement one should shun (see also Acts 15:29).

2:15 Nicolaitans See the reference under Ephesus (p. 62).

2:17 manna See Exodus 16 and Numbers 11 (and Numbers 21 for a snake reference in the same context of complaining about food in the desert). The “hidden” manna may be a reference to the element of the story recorded in Exodus 16:33; see how this is reworked in Hebrews 9:4. In 2 Baruch 29:8, an apocalypse written around the same time as the book of Revelation, there is a similar treatment: “And it will happen at that time that the treasury of manna will come down again from on high, and they will eat of it in those years because these are they who will have arrived at the consummation of time.”5

2:17 white stone While some contrast this with the supposed dark stones local to Pergamum, the buildings were more likely constructed from white marble. Some others have theorized that different color stones (black or white) were used in voting, or as an entry token of citizenship. There is also the possibility of it referring to an ancient midrashic descriptions of manna. However, the best and simplest sense is to understand the color white as an indicator of purity, as this association is made throughout the apocalypse.

2:17 new name If the white/purity connection is accurate, then it’s possible that the meaning is the people themselves will be like stones, constructing the new holy temple of God, whose holy and unspoken name the temple/people of God have inscribed upon them. This would be in contrast to those who bear the name or symbol of all that is not holy (compare this with Revelation 19:12; see also Isaiah 62:2 and 65:15).


Thyatira (2:18-29)Ancient Thyatira is associated with modern-day Akhisar. Thyatira was

never a great city within the empire; it was settled as a colony for retired

soldiers who were given citizenship and a place to live as retirement ben-

efits. There were numerous trade guilds here, an important part of the

ancient economic system since guilds functioned as official licensing au-

thorities for skilled occupations, and their ceremonies included the public

honoring of the gods. These trades included most prominently the pro-

duction of fabrics, notably purple-dyed garments if Lydia’s occupation in

Acts 16:14 is any indication. One of the city’s chief deities was Tyrimnos,

associated with the sun god Apollos, recognized as a son of Zeus, as was

the emperor, who was also afforded divine status. Coinage from this era

included the figure of Apollo Tyrimnos; other coins honored the emperor

Domitian’s son, who died in childhood in 83 A.D., picturing him atop a

globe with seven stars, a signal of his own deification.

Thyatira Since there are many sun worshippers where you are, you

probably already know there is no hiding in the shadows on a cloudless

day. I don’t need any second-hand foggy mystical musing to know what’s

going on, because I can see clearly through closed-door deceptions and

veiled-off backroom dealings. There’s no fooling me, and you can be sure

I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to be weak-kneed or get itchy feet

and walk away from trouble. After I shed light on your situation, everyone

will see I am no pretender to the throne. I’m the real deal, one raised up

by God for this purpose.

First some good words: not everything is falling apart with you. In fact,

you’ve made progress since you began, and you’ve walked a long road

with great stamina, embracing the law of love and walking in the steps

of the master servant. All this is to your credit. However, there is one big

source of trouble among you, and I aim to look it straight in the eye. I’m

letting you know now I want you to do the same.

It’s like that queen long ago, the one the king married to make a pact

with another kingdom, the one who moved in not only with all her clothes

and furniture, but imported her foreign god and temples and priests. They

all started to crowd out the space for faithful worship of the living God,


and the king’s apparent blessing gave the people the idea that God didn’t

mind when they hedged their bets by declaring love pacts with other gods.

The source of all that is good and holy sent a prophet to have a showdown

with these seducers and their multiplying spiritual children. You remem-

ber when the fire fell? You would think that would settle it. But some

people never learn.

So it is where you are. It’s like a deceitful woman in the proverbs, with

sweet sounding words on the lips, bringing the kiss that kills. When you

bring such a person into your bedroom, don’t be surprised when you don’t

wake up. The reward is its own punishment. You simply cannot lift the

cup and toast the darkness and not be swallowed up in despair. Don’t be

deceived by thinking you can drink deeply of devilish spirits and not have

it soak into you, body and soul.

Time’s running out on this one; there’s already been plenty of time to

learn the error of this woeful way and turn it around. Everyone’s decisions

will bear fruit one way or another; it won’t take x-ray vision to see what is

so easily revealed. If you’re already on the right track, then speak the hard

truth now: it will serve to shatter what is already crumbling, and rescue

those who have been misled. I’m not asking for anything more than for

you to keep to your commitment to God’s love first and always. Those

who drink from the true Spirit of God should heed these words, and be

assured, with fidelity comes a place of honor in the sunshine that heralds

the dawning new life.


2:18 Son of God See Psalm 2, which is important for the last part of this message as well.

2:18 flaming eyes and bronze feet This links back to the earlier description in Revelation 1:14, and derives from Daniel 10 and Ezekiel 1. The effect is one who sees all (searching hearts and minds; see Jeremiah 17:10) and who is not easily moved or controlled by others.


2:20 Jezebel A noted symbol of corruption and greed, and the ill-effect of impure religious devotion. The story of Jezebel and Ahab runs from 1 Kings 16:31 to 21:29 (and her end is told in 2 Kings 9:30-37), with the height of the confrontation of the followers of Baal found in 1 Kings 18.

2:27 iron rod, clay pots See Psalm 2, where the enthroned and anointed one conquers.

2:28 morning star This image is linked later to Revelation 22:16. It is an image from the resurrection promises in Daniel 12:2-3. See also Philippians 2:15. The goddess Venus, honored by Rome as a symbol of sovereignty and astrologically identified as the morning star (though a planet), was claimed as an ancestor by the Julian emperors.

Sardis (3:1-6)Now associated as the modern location of Sart, Sardis was once a famous

and important city, but at the time of this writing its fame no longer

shone. It was built on the top of a hill, which provided excellent military

defenses, since it was almost impossible to break through the city walls

on three sides. It was, however, vulnerable to a night attack from the

back part not guarded by the steep hillsides, and especially vulnerable to

sudden surprise attacks masked by a false sense of security. This proved

true at least twice when it was overrun by just such unexpected attacks

centuries earlier, by both Cyrus and Alexander the Great. As with many,

if not all, of these Asia Minor cities, there was a Jewish settlement there,

part of the refugee migration from Jerusalem and Israel.

Sardis “The living God in your very midst brings wisdom and

understanding, counsel and knowledge, power and incredible awe at

the glory of the transforming divine presence.” That’s something folks

like you might put on a painted plaque and hang over your door, but

since I know how you really are, it wouldn’t serve as an authentic sig-

nal inviting others to experience something worthwhile inside. Instead,


it would be a mocking memento, promising treasure but delivering trin-

kets.

I’m saying all this to shake you up, rattle your bones, and blow the

cobwebs out of your ears. Maybe this warning will be met with a good

response and you’ll take stock of your storehouses. The announcement of

the presence of the living God is a good gift in full measure: it gave you

life, once! Can you recall it? It’s time to realize stumbling down this path

you’re on right now is getting you nowhere, and fast. If you can turn it

around, then renewed life awaits you.

Yet most of you there persist in keeping up appearances, all front-porch

pretty and side-door shiny. You won’t even know it when I come through

the back door and take away what little you have left. Everyone will see

that you’ve been empty pretenders all along. You’ve been slumbering in

last night’s rumpled housecoat not knowing the party invitation said to

wear your Sunday best. There are some of you who not only dress the part

but whose heart is in the right place too. You haven’t partied with pigs

while humming kum-ba-yah choruses.

If any of the rest of you can still hear what the Spirit is saying in all of

this, then you will take down the tacky touting signs, repaint inside and

out, and fill your spaces with good work and good will. Those who do,

will stay on the invite list, and I promise you, I will personally show them

around and introduce them to the founder of the feast and patron of all

that is good and holy.


3:1 seven spirits and stars Links back to the earlier imagery from Revelation 1; a reminder this message comes from the very presence of God, from the throne.

3:1 alive/dead Refers to deceptive appearances. An echo of Matthew 23:27.

3:2-3 wake up, remember and repent See Ephesians 5:8-14. This resonates with the need to live up to one’s calling (see Matthew 5:15 and Luke 11:33).


3:3 threat of sudden return and accounting This has various connections to the gospel parables; each suggesting the need for consistent and continual obedience, thereby alleviating or eliminating any anxiety about being found unprepared. It links with Revelation 16:15. What is striking is, whereas the thought of Messiah’s return brings joy to some, it reverberates as a threat to others.

3:4 soiled or clean robes This imagery once again links sexual defilement with idolatry in all of its various forms; we will see later this includes participation in systems of evil, including economic injustice. Washing to make one’s robes clean is done by participating in the death and resurrection (a.k.a. the blood) of Christ the Lamb (see Revelation 5:9 and 7:14) and/or by suffering martyrdom (see Revelation 6:9-11). The concept of priests remaining pure and undefiled has a long history, including the aspect of purifying by sprinkling blood. In the Mishnah Middot (law and commentary concerning the temple in Jerusalem until the first century) there is a note that the Sanhedrim would meet to judge priests’ fittedness for temple service. Those disqualified were clothed in black; the others were dressed in white and permitted to enter to serve (compare with Zechariah 3:1-5).

3:4 dressed in white In addition to the above, there is the connection to the next section of John’s apocalypse, where the elders are dressed in white. In Matthew’s version of the parable of the feast, it is a wedding banquet, and one must be properly dressed (Matt. 22:1-12), so there is perhaps a suggestion of bridal garments in this emphasis on white robes.

3:5 book of life/roll book See Exodus 32:32; Daniel 12:1 and Psalm 69:28. Isaiah 4:3 perhaps is more helpful in its less literal rendering of the concept of being counted among the living. To be blotted out of the book, then, is to lose out on the gift of immortality and suffer final permanent death.


3:5 confession See Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8. Note that in John’s letter here the element of confession is not merely verbal but a sign of loyalty constructed by one’s actions (good work); for more on this, see Matthew 25:31-46; 7:21 and Luke 6:46 (and perhaps as well, Romans 2:13 and James 1:22).

Philadelphia (3:7-13)In contrast to other places, the city of Philadelphia was not very defensi-

ble, built as it was on the plains. It was conquered by every invading army

and was occupied in a rotation through the shifting powers in history. As

you might imagine, such a place would have a difficult time maintaining

the size and strength of any institution or tradition over a long period of

time. In addition, the area suffered from frequent earthquakes. Imper-

manence was the expectation, due to a revolving door of occupiers and

masters. Yet the city of Philadelphia remains populated in modern times.

Ancient and medieval Philadelphia is now known as Alasehir.

Philadelphia O saints! My dear, dear people. Every would-be super-

power uses you as a doormat. The religious doorkeepers have kicked you

to the curb. Everybody who is anybody in this perverse system that con-

trols things these days has erased you from the pages of respectability. I

know it seems you have been relegated to rule only the rubble.

How I wish you could see what I see! I know what all the others don’t:

while it seems that everything you build comes to nothing, each good

deed, loving gesture, and kind word—every time you act in a way that

reflects who and how I am—constructs a palace they could only dream of.

I’m telling you this as the one who has the entry pass to the greatest space

of all, a glorious realm of unbreakable beauty. The door to that place will

always be open to you. Is it possible that you could not only imagine living

there some day but also experience a measure of the gracious presence of

God right now? O how such a thought would transform you!

All those curb-kicking face smashers will be on the outside looking

in—they already are and yet no one seems to understand it. It is you I long

to embrace with soul-restoring power. Within my arms you won’t feel the

pain coming to overwhelm the rest; few will endure then as you already


have, passing the test by patiently enduring scorn when shut out of every

decent and humane shelter.

Hold on to this hope. Don’t let go of this “peek inside” of what is real

and of lasting value. When you don’t give in to join the violence and op-

pression of the so-called powerbrokers, you put another feather in your

cap, a sure and fitting thing to wear when the great and glorious realm

is revealed for all. Everyone will see it then, and what I know now will be

known to all: you have been helping to create this space, building strong

towers of peace and justice, beacons of grace and mercy, gardens of lov-

ing kindness and restorative righteousness. Can anyone discern what the

Spirit is saying in all of this? This is good news!


3:7 holy one, faithful and true/key of David, open doors The poetic imagery here reflects Isaiah 22:22, where God anoints a new king and promises him a secure seat on the throne as the legitimate heir to David. Keys are obvious symbols of ownership and entry/access.

3:7-8 door opened The promise is that nothing will block their access to God’s embrace. There is also an aspect of being offered entry to the knowledge of God (as with Revelation 4:1).

3:8 kept word/not defiled name An important aspect of the entire book is holding fast to the “word” of God in the sense of the embodied “testimony” of Jesus. To defile connects to “taking the Lord’s name in vain,” i.e., living in such a way as to debase or bring shame upon the name you claim. This links also to Revelation 20:4 and 22:7.

3:9 synagogue John uses the word “ekklesia” (called-out ones) to refer to authentic Jesus followers. See the earlier discussion in this chapter for more on the “sibling rivalry” aspects of this polemic language.


3:10 kept from trial Embedded at the end of the Lord’s Prayer is the desire to avoid the tremendous stress and pressure to turn away from the Jesus way. This small group in Philadelphia has proven themselves, so perhaps their immediate reward is to avoid the worst of what comes for others. Yet it is not consistent with the entirety of John’s apocalypse to suggest believers in general were then (or are now) promised complete protection from, or to be physically removed from, this danger. Rather, the promise is one of sustaining power for one’s spirit and will in order to faithfully endure to the end, even to the point of death (see also the prayer in John 17:15).

3:11 coming soon As opposed to the other letters, this message is a comforting promise, not a threat.

3:12 pillar in the temple A rich image reflecting the quality of being built up into a spiritual house. See especially 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19. See also 2 Kings 25.

3:12 name See Isaiah 56:5 and 62:2, where outsiders are brought in.

3:12 new Jerusalem This links to the great imagery of Revelation 22.

Laodicea (3:14-22)The city of Laodicea was named for the Emperor Antiochus’ wife, Laodice.

There was a medical school here known for its Phrygian eye powder,

and the region also produced soft black-sheep wool clothing. It was a

central judicial district for the tri-city area, which also included Colos-

sae and Hierapolis. Hot spring mineral water from Hierapolis ran across

an aqueduct system to Laodicea; mountain springs from Colossae may

well have flowed down to them as well. The wealth the city accumulated

from its industry made it self-reliant; when an earthquake devastated the

city, they refused outside help, even from Rome, to rebuild. Today only


remnants of aqueducts and ruins of amphitheatres mark where ancient

Laodicea once stood, nor far from the modern-day city of Denizli.

Laodicea When the one who returned love for hate was killed for

challenging cycles of retribution, God, who is the foundation and source

of our being, said in vindication, “That’s it!—that’s the way to live!” The hu-

man embodiment of God’s agreement completely revealed all the Creator

of all intends to be and do. This one now speaks to you of true healing so

you may bear all things.

As it is now, you make a mockery out of the potential all around you for

doing real and lasting good. So I’m going to correct your eyesight right

now and enable you to get a glimpse of how upside-down your lives are.

You think you have all anyone could ever want with a life of ease and lux-

ury, but you are wrapped up in wispy knots of spider thread, exposed to

biting winds that erode and soaking storms that bring rot and spoil. All

the while, fine durable garments lie unused, but within reach. Take your

medicine and look at what you’re doing!

A neighboring village has hot springs for soothing worn-out lives;

your other neighbors live among cold mountain streams for refreshing

the dispirited. It’s as if you borrow some of each but delay their use so

long that none of it does any good, leaving everything in a condition no

one would want to consume, like weak tea, stale bread, or runny ruined

sweets. You claim you understand and know what you’re doing, but you

clearly don’t. Let me fix that. I don’t want to give up on you, and I don’t

want you to give up seeking after life. That’s why I’m telling you all this.

In fact, I have been telling you this for quite a while, but you keep

shutting me out. But I’m still at it. I’m still here. I know how to live a life

glowing with goodness, a testimony to the source of life within, a way of

living that shouts out to everyone that God is here! Won’t you let me in

and allow me to give you what I have? The one who communes with the

divine desires to commune with you.

If there is anyone who feels the reverberating message of the Spirit

in all of this, then open up your eyes, ears, soul, and mind—turn back

from your barely-there living and embrace the place of my invitation. The

realm of God is so much greater than you can imagine, and there is a role


for you to play within it, if only you will. The one who dwells with the

divine desires to dwell with you.


3:14 the Amen, etc. Similar to the letter to Philadelphia, the opening imagery expresses the speaker is the “faithful and true” witness. It conveys the sense of divine confirmation and approval, or perhaps the final note and finishing touch of a project from a master builder.

3:14 creation This is best understood in terms of the imagery from Revelation 1, where the resurrection inaugurates new creation. Combined with the preceding idea, we see all things made new through the person of Jesus Christ. See also Colossians 1:15-18 and Ephesians 2:10.

3:15 lukewarm Hot springs may bring therapeutic healing, cold water refreshment and rejuvenation.

3:17 reversals of appearances What is being revealed is the sorry state of the people from God’s perspective, in contrast to their reputation among those who don’t see with gospel eyes. See John 9 for this idea in narrative form.

3:20 knocking on the door The invitation to participate in the things of real and lasting value echo many biblical messages. See Isaiah 55, for example, and the contrast between the two beckoning voices in Proverbs 8 and 9. This also links to Revelation 19:7-9. Further, in the imagery of the groom calling to his bride, there is an echo of Song of Solomon 5:2.

3:21 place/throne The act of being raised together with (or in) Christ. See Ephesians 2:5-6


SUMMARYThe action of the narrative begins with the third introduction, what we

have called “act one” of the book of Revelation, comprising the first of the

“in the spirit” visions and the letters to the angels of the seven churches.

• the third introduction visions

Many of the elements from these visions, especially the description

of the figure first appearing to John, will be repeated and extended

in the following letters. There is a repeating and consistent theme

developing, a message connected to the imagery of the opening

chapter, and distributed throughout the rest of John’s message in

increasingly graphic ways, to refine and define a basic message. This

theme involves the presence of God in the midst of God’s people.

• the letters to the churches

We have described these letters as constructing the first of the por-

traits of the people of God. They paint a picture of the range of

responses to the “job description” of being intermediaries, a king-

dom-priest function.

What do we know from reading these micro-letters? In all of what

John has said so far, here is a list of what we can say he meant to be

understood:

1. The life-giving divine presence is always in your midst.

2. Those in covenant with God are called to bear witness to

this reality.

3. Attitudes and actions reflecting loyalty to powers not

aligned with God are considered idolatrous infidelity.

All will be judged by (held accountable to) this standard.

4. The realm of God and those who abide in it will be granted

immortality: eternal life. By contrast, the realm borne of

evil and those who profit (and are sustained) by it will

die a permanent death.


STUDY GUIDE

1. endurance vs. escape

The theme of faithful, patient endurance is found throughout the

book of Revelation; meanwhile, there is nearly no hint at all of

Christians in John’s time escaping trouble, even the kind of perse-

cution that leads to death. Where do you think the idea of escaping

trouble comes from?

While we might reasonably avoid confrontations that force us to

make a choice regarding our loyalties, this isn’t on John’s agenda.

Neither is forcing the issue, as some might imagine that one lives

in such a way as to be a noxious influence, especially when not

living in societies where Christianity is in the minority. Of course,

most of us live in Christian-majority cultures, and since we are

called to be salt that heightens the flavor of God’s presence (and

not be salt in wounds of an already hurting world), we need to be

cautious about adopting a posture of persecution that doesn’t re-

ally exist.

Do you see evidence in today’s world of Christians confusing the

issues and missing the point? How can we reasonably stand up for

Christian convictions and yet not be a source of added hurt and

pain for others?

2. angels of the churches

The letters aren’t technically written to the churches, but rather

to the angels of the churches. Although, in essence, they’re really

the same thing. The angels are symbolic representations of the

sum total of the reputations of the church congregations in each of

the cities. When John describes the character of each church, he is

essentially describing the character of their angel, who might be in

danger of being replaced!


How does this understanding of the interplay between the sym-

bol and the reality it represents shape your reading of the book of

Revelation?

How might John describe the angel of the church where you are?

What would it mean for God to replace the angel of your church?

3. letter paraphrases

We’ve presented a commentary on the seven micro-letters com-

bining historical data from each of the cities with the background

connections to the many symbols, all wrapped around a paraphrase

seeking to embody the meaning of the letters. How has this pre-

sentation affected your understanding of what John means when

he reports on these visionary messages?

How has this allowed you to see the many biblical connections

(including with the New Testament themes) in the message of the

book of Revelation? In what ways are you able to find yourself in

the text?

4. covenant fidelity

At many points in the commentary we talk of covenant fidelity,

that is, faithfulness of the people of God to reveal together the

saving presence of God to others. (See Jeremiah 7:23 as a prime

example.)

How well—how faithful—has the church been in this regard over

the centuries? What specific actions make up the responsibilities

that continue today, to be living witnesses to God’s transforming

presence?


Chapter 4

“ACT TWO” BEGINS

The Heavenly Temple and the Throne Room (4:1-5:14)

THE SECOND REFERENCE TO being “in the spirit” follows the trumpeting

door opening entrance and it signals to us the beginning of “act two.”

This is the major part of the book, in terms of quantity of content. The

content of this part of Revelation will unfold in three parallel, though un-

equal, streams of visions, symbolic messages, and announcements.

Setting the SceneJohn sets the stage for the next part of the drama, Revelation 4-5. The

apocalyptic form is full of dramatic visuals, loud sounds and vivid de-

scriptions. Everything is overdrawn, bigger than reality. The over-the-

top expression suggests a theatrical setting and is actually appropriate

and helpful. You don’t want to miss the point of the drama, especially

from the back row seats.


Imagine you are in an ancient Greek-style open air theatre set into

the contours of a hillside and you’re looking from your spot in the cheap

seats down the sloping sets of benches onto the stage where the action

takes place. If you’re John, or John’s listeners, you get a personal invita-

tion to an up-close view of the performance from a very special vantage

point. The actors playing the parts of the gods in the Greek dramas had

crane-like machines to lift them in and out of the action, allowing them

to “fly,” god-like, around the scene. In this sense we get the invitation.

The trumpet announces the start of the drama and we are lifted up to the

stage itself, where the throne is positioned.

Nearly the whole of the book of Revelation is told from this perspec-

tive—from God’s eyes. And where is God, but in heaven? This conclusion

is reinforced by the other details John includes: the emerald rainbow, jas-

per and carnelian, and the two precious stones associated with the high

priest’s breastplate. So John is revealing for us the heavenly perspec-

tive—what is valued, worthwhile, and true from God’s point of view. We

shouldn’t push the “heavenly” imagery too far. Don’t let the take-away

message be that John is giving us a tour of heaven, as if the following

wonders give us any real insight into the geography of heaven. No, it is

not of heaven that he writes, but from heaven.

RainbowsTwo Old Testament passages help us draw out the meaning John may intend to convey by including the image of the rainbow here in Revelation 4.

The first is in Genesis 9:13: “I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” We read and understand this Genesis “bow” as a rainbow. That makes sense: when we look into the sky at a certain angle during a rain shower when sunshine is also present, we see a rainbow.

Yet the Hebrew word used in the Genesis text and in the Ezekiel text we’ll look at next is otherwise always a reference to the an-cient weapon of warfare, the bow-and-arrow type of “bow.” Look


at these two examples from elsewhere in the Old Testament: He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; … he has poured out his fury like fire (Lam. 2:4); You brandished your naked bow, sated were the arrows at your command (Hab. 3:9).

These texts use the same Hebrew word, and the plain sense is that the author means a weapon of warfare. When read in the context of the story of the flood and the covenant with all of creation in Genesis 9, we understand God is setting aside the weapon of de-struction, and the rainbow will now become a sign of the renewal of life promised in the covenant.

One possible meaning John brings into the scene in Revelation 4, is this connection between creation and covenant at the hour of ceasing from destruction associated with judgment. In the midst of the fearfulness of all that follows, there is the promise of re-newed life, hope, and the calming of fears.

A similar example from apocalyptic literature is found in Ezekiel 1:26, 28: And above the dome over their heads there was some-thing like a throne, in appearance like sapphire.… Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

This is a close parallel to the image of God on the throne we find in this chapter. In Ezekiel, the first description of the divine pres-ence that appears to the prophet as he is among the exiles. It is a frightening scene, and one wonders whether this awe-inducing vision will bring more judgment and pain.

The brilliant radiance of the rainbow in the picture in Ezekiel is almost the only signal of hopefulness. This hope is borne out in the message that follows. All the terrors of judgment and destruc-tion filling the rest of Ezekiel’s message must be tempered by this


sign, an affirmation of God’s presence among those still in exile, and a promise of renewal and return.

Look at the book of Revelation passage again now, in 4:2-3: and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.

Taken together, the two Old Testament passages lend John, in this image of the rainbow, the symbolic language of hope rooted in God’s covenant with the people of God. While this divine heavenly image is threatening, the threat is directed toward those who op-pose God. The people of God can rest in the covenant relationship, and not fear.

Cast of CharactersWay down in front are the good seats, the places of honor. In the ancient

Greek theatre, these seats were reserved for local dignitaries, maybe the

patrons of the arts, the bigwigs in town. In our scene, there are twen-

ty-four reserve seats for the “elders.” These elders are dressed in white,

wearing crowns of gold. Using the guide of word pictures as symbols,

what does this make you think of? White for purity, maybe, or a sign of

their cleanliness, or wearing Sunday best? The crowns certainly suggest

royalty. Maybe they’re like Olympic champion athletes, each dressed as

victors of the games. In any case, the overall sense is that they’re some-

one special, these elders. They are in the honored positions, arranged

around the throne at the front of the stage.

The meaning of “twenty-four” is more obvious, suggesting the twelve

tribal leaders of ancient Israel and the twelve apostolic leaders of the

reconstituted people of God. The message here? The ruling elders encom-

passing all of God’s people, under both the old and new covenants, are

with God in this heavenly setting.

Earlier we noted the voice John compares to a trumpet. Something

striking and loud. Around the heavenly throne of God is lightning flashes

and sounds of thunder—similar to the “Mt. Sinai” experience (Ex. 19:16-


19). Reading with your emotions, and perhaps putting yourself into the

drama, how do you respond to these elements? Big booming sights and

sounds. Attention getters, for sure, but perhaps also just a touch fright-

ening as well? Awe inspiring?

The prelude will begin soon, with the dedicatory sacrifice found in Rev-

elation 5, and now the audience is hushed, silenced by the might of the

flash and crash. The lights come on: one more signal that this is God’s

dramatic message (remember the connection between the seven lamps

and God’s Spirit?). Our attention is directed to the sea of glass, the or-

chestra pit. In the ancient Greek theatre, there was just such a space,

covered with gleaming tiles. (Very little of these tiles remain in the ruins

found today because of their value to conquering armies and thieves.)

In our orchestra pit, we have our musicians, a four-part chorus start-

ing off the set with a song. Don’t be put off by the fantastic descriptions

of these four. They are wearing masks representing the four classes of

creatures: wild animals, domesticated animals, humanity, and the crea-

tures of the air:

Around the throne were four living creatures, and they were covered

with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion,

the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth

was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings

and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings (Rev.

4:6b-8a NIV).

Notice the parallel images found in the following Old Testament passage:

[A]nd in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In ap-

pearance their form was that of a man but each of them had four faces

and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a

calf…. [T]hey had the hands of a man. Their faces looked like this: Each

of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the

face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of

an eagle (Ezek. 1:5-10 NIV).

:: :: ::


Four: A Number SymbolThe four cardinal directions or compass points (north, south, east, west) and the four classical elements (earth, wind, fire, water) form intuitive connections between the number four and the earth itself. The biblical references to the four corners of the land (such as Isaiah 11:12 and Ezekiel 7:2) find resonance for John as he writes in Reve-lation 7:1 of the four corners and the four winds. What he means is simply all the earth, the whole world.

This ancient poetic-pictorial concept, reflected in the Bible, of a flat-tened, four-sided earth covered by a dome of the heavens and un-dergirded by the deep abyss is odd to us now, but it would be quite natural to the ancients, including John’s audience. That is, if they thought of the cosmos at all—it’s much more likely their descrip-tions of four corners of the land simply reflected their experience of the world.

There is also a great tradition in later church history of associating the four gospel writers with these four creatures in the throne room scenes of Revelation 4-5. In illustrated copies of the Bible, in icons, and in stained glass windows and other ornaments of churches, these four images appear: Matthew as the human figure, Mark the lion, Luke the ox and John the eagle.

:: :: ::

Then, like call-and-response antiphonal worship, the opening lines of

the chorus of four is met with resounding lines sung by the twenty-four.

The three-fold song of the four is matched by a three-fold song of the

twenty-four. Remember the number three symbolizes the divine. When

symbolic numbers are found in songs, they can reflect the character and

origin of the singers, and also the quality and character of the one being

sung about or to.


1 2 3

Creatures holy holy holy who was and is and is to come

Elders glory honor power

The Sacrifice

The stage is set, the lights are on, and the prelude music has your atten-

tion. Revelation 5 opens with the delivery of the sealed script. The drama

won’t proceed until it has been properly presented, received, and opened

to reveal the unfolding scenes.

In its beginning centuries before John’s visions, the ancient Greek the-

atre had an intricate connection between the performance and the worship

of the god recognized as the local area’s divine protector and sustainer. The

pageantry and celebration of the work for the stage were all dedicated to

that god. The festival would begin with an appropriate sacrifice to the god.


THE ANCIENT GREEK THEATRE

In our scene in Revelation 5, this sacrifice appears in a dramatic mo-

ment setting up some narrative tension. There appears, from John’s ini-

tial and still-limited earthly perspective, to be no one authorized to open

the scroll. He is mistaken. The one who embodies the sacrifice is also the

one who will reveal the message.

In a neat description of irony, a Lion is announced, but a Lamb appears.

What does this contrasting imagery suggest to you? A lion is fearsome

and powerful while a lamb is its seeming opposite. What might John mean

by saying the conqueror comes as a lamb?

This Lamb is also described in a typical apocalyptic, symbol-filled way,

with seven horns and seven eyes. Horns symbolize power and strength,

and eyes are suggestive of heightened perception. The fact that each is

multiplied by seven brings to bear the qualities the number seven car-

ries as a number symbol. The comment about the seven-fold spirit again

brings us back to the recognition of the pervasive divine presence from

Revelation 1.

The ResponseNotice what happens when the Lamb takes the scroll. The chorus and the

dignitaries, the four and the twenty-four, all of earth and heaven, rec-

ognize the rightness of this moment and fall down in worship before the

Lamb. In this worship, they are each said to “carry” the prayers of the

saints in golden bowls of incense. What might this mean? One possibility

is the saints (the people of God) are in the presence of God via prayer.

And they sing a new song. New! I like the idea that with the appear-

ance of the one who has conquered death there is the impulse to sing

something new—as if in recognition of new life, new hope, a new sense

of purpose and the courage to carry on. Did you notice the number in this

song? The song states that the blood of the Lamb has ransomed saints

from every:

1 2 3 4

tribe language people nation


The plain meaning of each of these near-synonymous terms is simply

reinforced by the symbolic meaning of the number four: all the saints of

the world. God’s work in Christ is comprehensive; it is all-inclusive for

all of humanity; it is complete.

God’s people are declared here a kingdom and priests to serve God and

reign on earth (the theme from Revelation 1). The angel band of innu-

merable voices is underscoring the worship of God’s people, affirming the

description of the people of God as the kingdom of God.

Here is a good moment to reflect again on John’s purpose in identifying

the saints in this way (to seek the reason God’s people are God’s people),

which is to be God’s intermediaries. And to ask, why? To what end is this

message? One strong possibility for including this kind of passage early

in the apocalypse is to encourage God’s people to continue in this role,

and to recognize they are not alone in this endeavour to be God’s visible

kingdom. All of creation, heaven and earth, is supporting them.

The script has been delivered. The sacrifice has been made, and we

acknowledge the appropriate response to the divine presence is wor-

ship. Then John looks and sees—no: John looks and hears! I love it

when John messes with our minds by mixing up the sensory input.

Looking implies a search for something, while hearing implies receiv-

ing in a new way.

By the way, where I have described “innumerable” voices singing,

the Greek text in Revelation 5:11 has two different words translated into

English in various ways, including “myriads of myriads and thousands

of thousands,” but sometimes, “ten thousand times ten thousand and

thousands of thousands.” You get the sense that John is reaching for the

biggest number imaginable, and we shouldn’t try to pin him down to

exact numbers.

The song goes on to include the number seven as a symbol of perfection

when it says that the Lamb is worthy to receive:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

power wealth wisdom might honor glory blessing


The final song of Revelation 5 is interesting in its expansion of an ear-

lier song. The original four-part chorus excludes the creatures of the sea

(because things associated with the abyss, the depths of the seas, were

considered in ancient times to be connected with danger, evil and death).

This combined choir is now even more inclusive: every creature in heaven

and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them (Rev.

5:13). Is this a signal that the new song is also a victory song? That what

we’re experiencing is the redemption of even what was once considered

evil? That the reversal is now accomplished? The response to this choir:

by the four, “Amen!”; by the twenty-four, worship.

The entire scene carries strong overtones of temple worship, with the

elements of blood sacrifice and incense, even the concept of the prayers

rising to the heavens. This is in keeping with the Greek theatre concept

we’ve been building on in this chapter: the entire audience is drawn in

as participants in this festival honoring God, and all of heaven and earth

join in the singing.

We should pause here and note one significant aspect of this and oth-

er repeated elements in the book of Revelation recall the temple sacri-

fice-worship of ancient Israel. John intentionally draws upon Old Testa-

ment images of the temple and tabernacle throughout his book to make a

point about the immediacy of God’s presence. Later, the early church (es-

pecially in the Eastern Orthodox tradition) take these Revelation scenes

to shape their worship likewise, including how the church space itself

is built and adorned. It is one more way of embodying the message that

worship on heaven and earth is united.

SUMMARYAs “act two” begins with the second of the “in the spirit” visions,

John presents us with a view of the heavenly temple and a throne room

scene, where all of creation worships God. In this scene and from this

place, the resurrected Christ—symbolized by the voice of the Lion of

Judah embodied in the Lamb that was slain—is depicted with the au-

thority to initiate the revelations that follow: he is speaking and acting

in God’s name.


• throne room

When we take into account all of the imagery from the throne

room scene (and combine it with the Greek-theatre insights) we

understand the overall message of the book of Revelation is given

by God. It is a view of ultimate reality and godly values conveyed

to us from the heavenly perspective. This remains true even while

the scroll-seal visions that follow tell a story of human violence

as experienced from the earthly perspective.

• worship

The proper response to being in the presence of the divine is wor-

ship. The twenty-four and the four acknowledge the presence of

God (though God is not otherwise visually represented in the vi-

sions) and sing; the songs tell the story and give us added mean-

ing.

1. A song with three repeated elements is about the

divine, as the number three represents the sky, the

heavens and God who dwells there.

2. A song with four elements tells us the singers are

from earth, representing earth and/or are singing

about things pertaining to earth.

3. A song with seven elements is about completion. This

is an especially appropriate kind of song to sing when

the attributes allude to God and the completion of

God’s purposes.


STUDY GUIDE

1. Greek theatre drama

While the text does not explicitly make the connection between the

throne-room scenes and the Greek theatre, enough parallel ele-

ments are present to suggest John may want us to read it this way.

This is especially true when we consider the theatre was dedicated

to the patron god and the drama performance dedication included a

sacrifice to the god.

What other parallel elements can you discern between the typical an-

cient Greek theatre and the opening scenes of Revelation 4 and 5?

What other forms of media did God use in the past to convey mes-

sages to the people of God in ancient times? What forms can God

use even today?

2. songs and numbers

The totality of the message John has for us is not found in number

symbolism. Rather, number symbolism reinforces the message and

carries it in lyrical and poetic ways.

Try this: say, “God is perfectly holy,” and then say, “holy, holy,

holy.” What difference is there?

And this: say, “everybody,” and then say, “all tribes and languages

and people and nations.” What emotional and experiential knowl-

edge can be derived from these cascading words?

3. Lion and Lamb

One of the interesting things John does is to have us respond to a

voice by looking and seeing something (or someone) very different


than what the voice might otherwise suggest. This is the case in

Revelation 5 with the voice of the Lion and the image of the Lamb.

We understand from this the way the Lion conquers is through the

sacrificial life of the Lamb.

If the message of Jesus Christ that is being revealed is that God does

not conquer by violence, then where do the violent images of God

come from?

How might we begin to interpret these other biblical scenes in ways

that are more consistent with this newer revelation?


Chapter 5

THE SCROLL SEALS ARE OPENED

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE: the scene has been set for this big drama and

“act two” is ready to unfold. Almighty God has a message to deliver—one

revealing from the heavenly perspective that which is of ultimate value

and significance, an uncovering of God’s purposes so the people of God

can properly align themselves with what is good and right and true in

this present life.

This is an important message; for the viewing audience, it’s the script!

The rolled-up scroll containing the message has been sealed with multi-

ple seals. Think of thick wax pressed with the signet ring of a sovereign

ruler. Fortunately for all of us, one with equal authority to the Author has

arrived to open the seals.

That is the scenario we face at this point in the drama: each seal broken

open in turn will reveal, scene by scene, this important message. Be-

cause it is apocalyptic material, though, we’ll need to rely on our guides

to make sense of it all. The primary guide we’ll look to for help in this


chapter is John’s use of Old Testament imagery. In these passages, John

is not only recycling word pictures, but he’s also adapting and extending

significant themes from the Old Testament.

The First Four Seals (6:1-8)Imagine something like a 3-D animated pop-up book: each turn of the

page triggers the illustrated characters to spring into action, leaping off

the page to dramatize the story. That’s a bit like the experience John has

here when the one authorized to open up the message for us—the Lamb

that had been slaughtered—breaks the first seal. Congregated around the

throne room, where John had been lifted up to view the drama, are the

twenty-four elders (representing God’s people, the tribes of Israel and

the apostles of the church), and the four living beings (representing the

whole of earthly creation).

With the opening of each of the first four seals on the scroll, one of the

four beings calls out and there emerges a horse and rider. Each of the four

horses is a distinct color. That’s what John says—but what does he mean?

Fortunately for us, the use of colors signals us to treat them as symbols.

The most direct understanding of each color is also relatively clear, using

common sense and emotional cues.

The color white, along with the image of the crown, has been used be-

fore (see Revelation 4:4), primarily to indicate a sense of victory, but also

a sense of purity and undefiled focus or intent. The image of the bow and

the repetition of the word “conquer” signal that this first horse and rider

symbolize warfare, the captain of the conquering army (horses in general

may be seen as virtually synonymous with the power of armies; see the

poetic symbolism in Psalm 20:7 and 68:17).

Red, and the intensifier “bright” or “flaming,” suggests the fresh and

violent flowing of blood, a common feature of warfare. Where some might

conceive of armies at war as being largely contained to battlefields (and

perhaps negotiating an end to conflict), this passage tells us that the vi-

olence of war can cross such “civilized” boundaries and spill over to the

rest of the non-combatant population. More than war, then, this horse-

and-rider represents total anarchy and chaos.

The use of black (the color of rotting or spoiled food) is accompanied


by the image of the scales, and the shouted phrase is about wildly infla-

tionary prices for basic staples like grain, but protection for more luxury

goods like oil and wine. This is a symbolic statement about the spreading

violence of war—economic imbalances and war profiteering—with the

violence disproportionately hurting the poor.

Green is enhanced by the modifier “pale” to indicate a sickly green

graphically linked to death. The rider of this horse is the personification

of death. Since death in these cultures is followed by burial in the grave,

so too is death always accompanied by its steady partner, Hades, in this

drama. (Hades was an ancient poetic-pictorial reference to the place of

the dead: the grave.) All order has broken down, and John summarizes

the devastating ways war brings death and its accompanying send-off to

the grave by a phrase loosely quoted from Ezekiel 14:21 speaking of the

sword, famine, plagues and beasts.

:: :: ::

The Significance of Four A beautiful coherence of the value of four as a number symbol is found in these first four seals. As the fourth seal is broken open, the fourth of the four living creatures calls into action the fourth horse and rider, who utilizes a four-fold means by which war and its geo-metrically expanding consequences bring one-fourth of creation to the grave. (One-fourth should be understood not as a quantifiable number or an exact statistic like 25%, but rather as a sizable, though limited portion.) The number four is fittingly associated with the earth: the horrors inflicted by these four horses and riders are from the same plane as the earth, each in its way a product of human vio-lence manifested in war.

:: :: ::

This is what John has said; we have begun to understand what he means

by the use of these symbols and the Old Testament background passages.

John means to tell us something about the devastating and dreadful re-


lationship humanity has with the violence of war and its natural conse-

quences. It is a complex relationship: we despise war and decry violence.

We recognize the injustice of the weakest and least able to defend them-

selves are the ones who suffer the most. Yet we turn to war over and over

again, sometimes explicitly in an effort to vanquish evil, even as we also

acknowledge those who wield the weapons are ultimately consumed by

them as well. When evil in the human heart is given full reign by our will

and decisions, there seems to be no limit to the ensuing damage. As with

many other things, we reap what we sow. God’s judgment in this case

is simply to give humanity over to its own way, our just due (see Ezekiel

33:10-20).

This can be very unsatisfying to us as readers. We want to know why

John has told us these things. We turn to the Old Testament background

themes to begin to formulate a framework for how we might read what

follows. Let’s take a look at the parallels between Revelation 6 and the

book of Zechariah.

:: :: ::

ZechariahThe Old Testament book of Zechariah was written to the people of God who had returned to the “promised land” after exile in Babylon. Similar to other material concerning this period—Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi—the prophet Zechariah speaks to a partial community who had returned to the land but who were still experiencing some-thing of a spiritual exile. It is thick with themes of repentance and covenant fidelity, warnings that God would continue to purify the community, and the promise of the restoration of a holy remnant in a renewed city of God, where the presence of God would be expe-rienced with an unparalleled immediacy and intensity. The second half of Zechariah contains poetic descriptions of a great messianic ruler, from which the New Testament gospel writers gleaned much. Zechariah’s first half is rich with apocalyptic visions and Revelation 6 mines this territory.

:: :: ::


Zechariah 1 and 6 both contain apocalyptic elements important to Rev-

elation 6. These two Old Testament chapters are the first and last of a se-

ries of visions Zechariah reports in response to God’s call for repentance

and restoration. They serve as a stark reminder that all are judged ac-

cording to their actions—in other words, measured by the extent of their

fidelity to the covenant (see also Ezekiel 14, which itself is a reflection of

older texts such as Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26). In Zechariah 1, we

read of several colored horses with riders—red, sorrel, and white—and

learn they are sent to patrol the earth. They report back that the whole

earth is at peace, which distresses the Lord because Israel is suffering

while all the other nations are at rest. The suffering of the people of God

is expressed in a plea for relief that John will also record in Revelation

6:10: How long? How long must we wait for justice?

In Zechariah 6, we again read of colored horses and riders, this time

with chariots. In between these two chapters there is a series of visions

serving as a response to the plea for relief. Each of these intermediate vi-

sions warn the other nations that God will bring a devastating judgment

upon them, even as God prepares to restore Jerusalem. This series of vi-

sions ends in such a way as to suggest a pause in the action, or maybe the

end—a resolution of the problem of their suffering at the hands of others.

Even though some people of God remain in physical exile (in the land that

is “north”), God offers words of comfort and a promise of the enduring

divine presence in their midst as well.

We understand by this that at least one set of horses has gone out to

execute the threats of judgment in order to answer the pleas of those who

are suffering and to judge those who have caused the suffering. The hors-

es and chariots in Zechariah 6—red, black, white, and dappled gray—

have a slightly different function than those in Zechariah 1, this time as

more of a battle force than merely reconnaissance. It is the black horses

moving out to the north in particular that bring a sense of peace and rest

to God, signifying their devastating work of judgment has at last brought

justice to the exiles.

All of the Old Testament links we have identified include a righteous

remnant of God’s people who have been purified through the trials of

exile; it is God’s plan to renew the covenant promises with the people


in order to restore them to Jerusalem, the land of Israel, and to be ev-

er-present among them. Like nearly every other covenant promise, it

is conditional upon action; only the righteous remnant will receive the

blessing. There is consequently a significant theme of repentance at-

tached to these Old Testament passages that finding correspondence in

John’s visions. Repentance also connects to the nature of true worship

and covenant fidelity—what it means to faithfully reflect and bear wit-

ness to the presence of God.

For those who remain opposed to the purposes of God (both within the

covenanted people of God and in the nations outside of this covenant), the

promised blessing of God’s renewed powerful presence is experienced as a

threat. In the face of what appears to be stubborn resistance—even after

repeated visitations of disaster described by the violence of war and so on—

God continues to appeal to humanity to relent and repent. This is how we

might well read what is underlying the visions in Revelation 6: increasing

attempts to provoke a deaf and blind people to action, combining the plea to

repent with the promise of lasting life, even in the midst of death.

The Fifth Seal (6:9-11)

With the opening of the fifth seal, we hear an echo of the Zechariah 1:12

cry of “How long?” as the martyrs—the faithful witnesses who have been

killed—cry out. It is a question asked but not yet answered, not com-

pletely and not here. There seems to be two questions. The first is im-

plied: why has this happened? It’s a familiar question to us as well, in the

face of tragedy or seemingly random violence. Why? We remain puzzled

and dismayed, especially when “bad things happen to good people,” and

we demand to know why. The second question, “How long?” may be un-

derstood another way: Is it worth it? “We remained faithful even to the

point of death,” these martyrs seem to be saying. “We were promised

vindication and justice at the resurrection and restoration of all things,

but how long must we wait for it?”

There is no direct answer. Instead, they are given white robes, an el-

ement that we identified in the letters to the churches as a sign of pure

devotion and unsullied covenant faithfulness, which is also associated


with victory. They have conquered, yet they must wait. There is yet more

death to come to creation before they see their choice to be faithful and

true vindicated. In this they model the Lamb, whom God vindicated by his

resurrection. These martyrs are also among those who were slaughtered,

and they rest now at his altar of sacrifice (a sentiment found as well in

Romans 8:36; this passage also parallels Revelation 20:4).

The Sixth Seal (6:12-17)

The Day of the Lord and the Sixth SealWe have already referred to the period in the history of God’s people when the southern kingdom of Judah (with Jerusalem as its capi-tal) was defeated and its leadership carried off into exile, along with much of the population. This separation from the “land of promise” and an extended period away from the temple and its performance of ancient religious ceremonies forced many to rethink their under-standing of the covenant promises. Formerly, it seemed as if a de-scendant of David would rule on the throne in Jerusalem forever, no matter what. In exile, the conditional nature of the covenant came to the front, as an explanation of why they were defeated: remaining in a state of God’s blessing depended on continued obedience to their part of the covenant, too.

This rethinking continued after the return from exile through the reoccu-pation of the land and the halting efforts to rebuild both the Jerusalem city walls and the temple. Two related concepts developed from these periods that are relevant for us. The first is the fuller development of what much later biblical scholarship called the Deuteronomic perspec-tive, a stream of influential thought by those who recorded and edited their history narratives and collections of prophecies. This perspective is embedded in the law codes and speeches (most notably in Deuterono-my 28-30) promising blessings for obedience and curses for disobedi-ence. The primary curse was the punishing judgment of invading and conquering armies, which in effect nullified previous blessings.


After exile there were periods of time when the people in the land had their own rulers until Greece invaded and defeated those who had conquered Jerusalem. The interim period of Jewish kings did not last, and then, by the time of Jesus, Rome ruled the land. Through it all the questions of delayed justice piled up, regardless of who was on the throne. The rich continued to oppress the poor; covenant law was ignored. The prophets, both before and after the exile, warned of impending judgment and called for repentance.

The sense of delayed justice led to the creation of the second con-cept relevant for us: the coming day of the Lord and the Messiah who would lead the heavenly armies to bring both judgment and justice. We read of both expectation and dread of the great and terrible day of the Lord throughout the writings of the prophets. Their vivid and often apocalyptic descriptions predicted the end of one age—this present age of injustice where evil and the unrighteous appear vic-torious—and the beginning of a new age where evil is vanquished.

These ideas continued to build through the time of Christ and be-yond. Many so-called messiahs appeared on the scene, and their fol-lowers also used the language of the older prophets to predict the coming judgment. John the Baptist used this apocalyptic language, as did Jesus and his later followers. In the decades following Jesus’ death and resurrection, when Rome had destroyed the temple and once again the people were dispersed in foreign lands, the longing for the day of the Lord grew to enormous heights. God’s anointed one would bring an end to this evil age and restore all of creation to rightness and goodness.

In advance of this end and new beginning, there were many calls for repentance and a return to covenant fidelity and obedience—and in-creasing disagreement about exactly what obedience consisted of. Various Jewish groups (including the Jesus followers) claimed this language. By the time John wrote the book of Revelation, use of the words and images of the prophets were widespread. Therefore, John


only needs to lightly allude to the phrase “the day of the Lord” in Revelation 6:17 to paint a picture of what the opening of the sixth seal of judgement and justice meant: the end of one age and the resto-ration of all things at the start of the new age.

:: :: ::

We have noted Revelation 6 is heavy with earth-number symbolism

(the number four). We can say now this series of visions detailing the

opening of the scroll seals are descriptions reflecting the experiences of

someone in the position of the earth, looking up to the heavens. (In the

second of John’s three visions each portraying the end of the age, the

telling is reversed—the action falls from the heavens downward.)

Acts 2:19-20 (quoting Joel 2:30-31) speaks from this earth-person

perspective, like someone looking up at the portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below… [to see that] the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

The crucifixion and resurrection scenes of Matthew 27-28, speak also

of darkening skies and earthquakes. Perhaps it is fitting, then, that the

slaughtered Lamb opens the seals in like manner. We see here the word

pictures of what elsewhere is described as creation waiting to be set free

from its bondage to decay … groaning in labor pains (Rom. 8:18-23), the time

of re-creation set in motion by the return of the Resurrected One.

The concept of re-creation is strong throughout the Scriptures. It is al-

ways spoken of in terms of order and chaos. The beginnings of creation in

Genesis are described as order drawn from disorder; creation by means of

separation and drawing lines of distinction. When the world had crossed

those boundaries, the flood hit the reset button and all creation was set

back in order (Gen. 6-9). Other tales also apply: the collective hubris of

the people in Babel sparked an intentional dispersal of humanity into cha-

os and mutual unintelligibility (Gen. 11). Conversely, we read in Acts 2

about the restoration of humanity as “all the world” once again hears one

message.

The picture of a disordered world crossing into chaos is what we see in

the background text of Isaiah 24, where all distinctions between hierar-


chies of people are threatened with obliteration (v. 2) and all sources of

pleasure and joy are removed as the city of chaos is broken down (vv. 4-13).

In Isaiah 34, the wild overcomes civilization (vv. 11-15), even as the host

of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll (v. 4). We are seeing

the same as the sixth seal is opened: earthquakes rattling the foundations

of the world, the lights in the skies turning away from casting light, even

the heavenly hosts (the stars, like angels or the heavenly hosts/armies)

thrown down from their heights as if the heavens themselves are being

rolled up and tossed away. The time is ripe for vindicating justice to put

an end to it all and restore creation to a state that is new, right and good.

When we look at the list of the elements of creation found in Revelation

6:12-14, we see the appearance of an interesting number:

1 2 3 4 5 6

earth sun Moon stars skies every mountain and island

This last one needs explaining, since it appears at first to be two ele-

ments, not one. But the grammar suggests differently. The word “every”

or “each” preceeds two related examples: mountains (the most prominent

earth feature on dry land) and islands (the most prominent earth feature

in the seas). It’s a single category of the most prominent earth feature

sub-divided into those bounded by land and those bounded by water.

The list of six is significant only to the extent that the next verse also

comprises a list of six, a classification of humanity likewise to be dis-

solved:

1 2 3 4 5 6

kings magnates generals rich powerful everyone: (business free and leaders) slaves


We need to comment on what this mass of humanity is doing as creation

falls apart. Unlike some people in the background text of Joel 2:30-32a,

where in the context of the prophet’s call for repentance everyone who

calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, this group of people do not call to

the Lord for salvation, and will consequently not be saved. They are able

to correctly interpret what’s going on at the end of the present age, but

intuitively know they are on the wrong side of the “forces for good” ver-

sus “forces for evil” equation. They choose to hide, an echo of the actions

in the garden where Adam and Eve attempt to hide from the presence of

God.

These are the people who choose to follow the idols of their own mak-

ing, who look to creation itself as if it were a god, instead of looking to

the Creator and Sustainer of life. This aspect of potential idolatry is firmly

fixed in the covenant:

• Deuteronomy 4:19: And when you look up to the heavens and see the

sun, the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray

and bow down to them and serve them.

• Jeremiah 8:1-3 tells of the people whose bones shall be spread

before the sun and the moon and all the hosts of heaven, which they

have loved and served, which they have followed, and which they

have inquired of and worshiped.

• Amos 5.26-27: You shall take up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your

star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; therefore I will

take you into exile.

Therefore, we link the two lists of six. The goodness that God says is to

be found in and throughout all of creation has been worshipped, replacing

participation in the ways of God. By their choices, those belonging to the

second list prefer death over life. They realize, too late, there is no hiding

place from the presence of God (see Psalm 139:7), and their attempts to

escape in caves or beg the mountains and rocks to fall upon them are all

futile (see Hosea 10:8). Instead, they will face the judgment—their ac-

tions judge them already—and taste first death, and then the death that

ends them.


(By the way, this second mention of “mountains” within the space of

two verses in Revelation 6 gives us clear license to interpret these things

in pictorial, metaphorical ways. It makes no logical sense to suggest that

there will come a time when mountains are literally collapsed into noth-

ingness, and then imagine that whole populations of unredeemed people

flee to the mountains that no longer exist.)

We have come to the end of Revelation 6 and the sixth seal—a picture

of the end, the great and terrible day of the Lord that will bring justice at

last, which the ungodly cannot withstand. So who is able to stand firm?

Those who have been sealed with the Spirit of God. It’s this picture we

see next, as the scroll-seal visions continue. This second portrait of the

people of God we encounter in the book of Revelation, and its place within

the sequence of the seven seals is the subject of the next chapter.

SUMMARYThe scroll is opened and the first six seals are broken, revealing a series of

visions that John records. The first four are visions of expanding human

violence resulting in chaos. The fifth is a scene of martyrs asking for final

justice. The sixth is a scene of judgment falling upon the ungodly. Taken

together, we have six pictures from the end of this present age. The in-

auguration of the age to come awaits the seventh seal.

• horses and riders

Both the colors of the horses and their riders, and the sequence of

ballooning violence, tell the story. War is followed by civic chaos

and famine, then death and the grave reaches everywhere.

• Deuteronomic perspective

The system of blessings and curses appear to be operating in

John’s thinking here. Those who respond to God’s call to cove-

nant in continued faithful obedience will find soul security; those

who do not, will not.

• delayed justice

This system of justice sounds good, but many people experience a


different reality, at least in this life. Understandably, then, there

is a regular cry for justice and the consequent development of a

theology of delayed justice; or rather, justice which will vindicate

only after the grave, in the resurrection.

• natural judgment

The “wrath” of God is described here as a consistent kind of nat-

ural judgment, wherein people shape their lives by their choices,

and then the shape of their lives is recognized for what it is.

There is no need for a superimposed judgment; what follows nat-

urally is either life or death.

• purifying the remnant of the faithful

A key theme amid all this violence is the concept of repentance

and restoration, or the hard lesson that trials bring strength (see

Romans 5.1-5 for another view of this theme).


STUDY GUIDE

1. the number four

The number four is a strong symbol, naturally connected to the

earth. The text includes references to the ways we relate to the earth

including the number four (like the four directions of north, south,

east, west). Can you think of other ways we naturally think about

life on earth that connect to the number four?

What does your intuition tell you about how and why John uses this

number symbol?

Do you think living in an increasingly technological world has less-

ened any of the natural connections we might otherwise feel to the

number four? Or do we still fundamentally rely on this primitive

way of relating to the earth?

2. the colors

Colors can be symbols, too, but like numbers they are not always

consistent (and so shouldn’t be read like codes to be cracked). How-

ever, if we read them using common sense and a bit of emotional

sense, then their reinforcing message is clear enough.

How well do the colors of the horses and riders correspond to the

meaning of the vision in which they appear? If you were writing a

message of violence and death, what colors might you choose?

3. How long?

It’s been about 2,000 years since John wrote these words. Over the

centuries many individuals and groups have found creative ways

to redefine concepts like “soon” and “the end”—always depicting

their own time as the last days. Part of the impulse for doing this


comes from the reality that we still have not seen what we thought

we would when reading the book of Revelation.

What does this say about the ways we read what John wrote? How

much do we read into the text?

How might we more responsibly interpret John’s message, and

thereby find a more authentic set of principles by which to live?

What do you think some of these principles are?

4. the day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible there is a sense that one day, the delayed jus-

tice will find ultimate and full voice, as God sets all things right,

chaos is returned to order, and death is vanquished. This is the

scene we see at the end of each of the series of visions.

Yet it is not quite our experience, but it does remain a part of our

theological vocabulary. We still affirm the belief that one day all

will be set right. In some smaller measures, we do see justice and

rightness prevail.

Where do you experience the setting of things right? By what means

does this happen?

How have you incorporated into your faith the sense that the day of

the Lord is not here yet? How have you shaped your activity on the

reality that the kingdom of God is “already but not yet”?


Chapter 6

THE FIRST PICTURE OF THE END OF THE PRESENT AGE

WITH THE DESCRIPTION of two additional visions, plus the seventh scroll

seal opening, we experience through John’s eyes the culmination of the

first of three cycles of seven, each, in their own way, painting a picture of

the end of the present age.

A “Parenthetical” Vision, in Two Parts (7:1-17)Let’s return to our metaphor of the 3-D pop-up book. Stand the book

upright on its short edge so it forms two sides of a triangle. The open

pages are facing each other, and the pop-up images are now popping out

toward the middle, and some are touching others on the facing page. Try

it with this book, and imagine the scenes coming out from the pages and

interacting with one another. This may help you to make the conceptual

leap from how we normally read written material to how we ought to be

reading and understanding the relationship between Revelation 6 and 7.

Normally we would read Revelation 6 and then read Revelation 7 think-


ing, naturally, that the visions being described in chapter seven follow

chronologically after the visions described in chapter six. I want you to

think about the relationship differently here. Part of chapter six is before

seven, but now—with the book upright and the pages facing each oth-

er—chapter seven is also before six. (Note: I am using the sense of the

word “before” in two ways; both preceding in time and in the presence

of, as in “standing before the king,” which means you are in the king’s

presence, not ahead of him in line.) Parts of Revelation 7 need to be read

now as foundational to parts of Revelation 6.

We naturally think of the various scroll-seal visions as occurring se-

quentially. But when John says, at the beginning of Revelation 7, “after

this,” or “after these things,” we err in thinking this vision also follows

in sequence after the ones he has just told us about. John sees multiple

visions during the course of these six seal openings and cannot describe

them simultaneously, so he describes the scroll-seal visions first and

then he tells us two interlacing visions found in chapter seven. It’s not as

straightforward as saying that the order of the visions as they appear to

John (or the order in which John’s attention is drawn to them and there-

fore how he reports them to us) corresponds to the logically historical or

narrative order. How can we know this is John’s intention?

Two things guide our understanding that John means for the reader or

listener to draw this conclusion. The first is the logic of the events he de-

scribes in these visions. At the beginning of Revelation 7, angels are com-

manded to hold back the four winds to prevent any damage to the earth

“until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads”

(v.3). But Revelation 6 begins with the four horses and riders unleashing

damage upon the earth without any mention of the marking of the righ-

teous. This alone signals that these two visions are not reported to us in

the sequence the narrative logically demands.

The second is the phrase “after this,” which introduces each of the

two Revelation 7 visions (vv. 1, 9). We ran across the same “after this”

phrase at the beginning of Revelation 4 (v. 1). The phrase didn’t cause us

any problems there, because it seemed logical to assume the throne room

scene vision occurred in a period of time after the visions described in

the letters to the churches. The phrase “after this” simply functioned as


a different section marker—it worked to distinguish one section of the

book of Revelation from the others.

In Revelation 7, the phrase “after this” functions as a different kind

of section marker—it distinguishes one vision in this section of the book

of Revelation from the other visions. Another of our guides—background

texts and their intended meanings—lead us to understand the “paren-

thetical” nature of Revelation 7. Notably, in the Old Testament back-

ground text of Daniel 7, “after this” functions as a shorthand narrative

signal to distinguish the visions; it’s a separating phrase, not a time-se-

quence phrase. Daniel 7:1-8 records visions in a dream of four winds

stirring up from the sea four beasts, which Daniel describes as four dis-

tinct-looking creatures. Twice, in 7:6 and 7:7, the phrase “after this”

introduces a distinct creature. As in Revelation 7, the order Daniel is re-

porting them to us is the order in which he sees them, not necessarily a

time-sequential order.


Therefore, we should think of Revelation 7 as containing two parts,

with each containing a “parenthetical” vision setting up a section of the

narrative in Revelation 6 to give it added meaning. Revelation 6 has three

natural divisions: 6:1-8; 6:9-11; 6:12-17. With the interposition of Reve-

lation 7’s two sections, the narrative sequence would then read like this:

(7:1-8); 6:1-8; 6:9-11; (7:9-17); 6:12-17.

7:1-8 Angels hold back the “winds” that will damage the earth until the righteous are marked/sealed.

6:1-8 The “winds,” identified here as the horses and riders, are released to bring their respective destruction upon the earth in the first four seal visions.

6:9-11 Sealed with protective power for perseverance, the righteous who are faithful unto death (like the sheep following their shepherd) are portrayed asking, “How long?” in this fifth seal vision.

7:9-17 The portrait of the martyrs is expanded here, as is the prescription for “rest” given in the fifth seal vision where the altar is now seen as the throne. Their plea for vindication is coming and is even now described. They are the ones who have withstood the destruction of the first four seals, and who now stand in the presence of God, something the unrighteous cannot do.

6:12-17 The unrighteous, along with all of creation, are portrayed in this sixth seal vision as falling to the destructive power of the “winds.”

The Revelation 7 visions function as an interlude and form a portrait

of the people of God. In Zechariah’s visions of the horses, a similar pause

in the action comes at the point in the narrative where God satisfies the

cries of the people and brings vindicating justice (by way of the horses

and chariots) and rest to the people of God. So, too, does Revelation 7

pause the action of the scroll-seal sequence, allowing us to comprehend

the visions’ message: God has brought justice at last.


The First “Parenthetical” Vision (7:1-8)The “four” in this first parenthetical vision is once again a signal that

we’re still thematically within the set of earth experience-perspective

seal visions. This time it is four angels who are told to hold back the

winds of the earth (think the four cardinal directions or the poetical four

corners of the earth; see also Jeremiah 49:36). The winds—or spirits—

would otherwise wreak havoc upon the earth, so before this happens, the

righteous must be sealed for their protection. Again we logically conclude

the four horses-with-riders bringing destruction upon the earth are one

and the same, thematically, as the four spirit winds being temporarily

prevented by the four angels from causing damage (see again Zechariah

6:1-8; and then contrast this with the life-giving spirit/wind imagery of

Ezekiel 37:9).

The apparent fifth angel who rises to command the other four to re-

strain the judgments should be read like the figure in the beginning of

the book of Revelation, for this is God the Son, once again portrayed as an

angel. How do we know this? Because this figure ascends from the rising

sun (or the east, a place associated with new life, and a likely reference

to the resurrection), recalling the imagery of the return of the Messiah.

More importantly, this figure carries the seal of the living God. The Lamb

who was slaughtered also carried the authority of the seal in order to open

the seals. So too does this figure carry authority either to open—initiate

the action—or to delay, and hold back the angels (see a slightly different

take on this kind of language in the mini-apocalypse sections of Matthew

24:4-31 and Mark 13:24-27).

At this point we need to make sense of the value of sealing the righ-

teous, or marking them on their foreheads. If sealing these people means

physical protection from the dangers of the judgments to fall upon the

earth, it doesn’t seem to do any good; the very next scene is about how

many of them die as martyrs! What good is the sealing? As with the sim-

ilar references in Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22, the sealing is

viewed as a down-payment, a first-installment, or guarantee of life after

death. The marking or sealing is an anointing with the Spirit of God. It is

essentially the same as if God were present in and on your person. But it’s

not as if the seal alone will prevent anyone from rejecting God’s pathway


and turning away from God. Just as with any covenantal promise, this too

is conditional upon continued obedient faith.

So again, we ask what good is this sealing? The value is—in reference

to the final question asked in Revelation 6:17, “Who can stand?”—the

seal enables and empowers one to stand firm in the face of trials, to resist

the temptations to turn away from covenant promises in order to vainly

attempt to gain self-protection. It is a way of strengthening a person’s

resolve to be selfless and live sacrificially in order for others to learn of

God’s saving presence and power. To stand means, ultimately, to stand in

God’s presence, “before the throne” so to speak, and know you have been

faithful to the very end; you have remained in a state of salvation coming

through great trials with faithful obedience. No one can do this without

God’s power. The seal provides the power.

:: :: ::

Ezekiel 9 and the Mark of Protection Ezekiel 9 appears in the middle of a lengthy vision where the prophet is shown by the Spirit of God the extent of idolatry present in the land of promise, in the temple, and throughout the covenant people. At this point in time, the primary religious and political leaders have been captured by the Babylonians and sent into exile. The remaining elders, believing the presence of the LORD has also left them—and therefore God is no longer present to see them—turn away from worship of God is lead the rest of the people into actively worship-ing idols and foreign gods, even within the confines of the temple. In this chapter, the prophet is given a window into the impending judgment: emissaries will be sent to slay every wicked person. Before this slaughter commences, Ezekiel hears in the vision that the few remaining faithful citizens of the city (those who mourn over the cur-rent state of covenant disobedience) are marked on the forehead, a sign sparing them the fate of the executioners.

In this sense, the sealing in Ezekiel resonates with the marking over the doors with the blood of the Passover lamb in the Exodus narra-


tives. This connection plays out in a larger way in the book of Reve-lation with the plagues in the trumpet visions. It’s enough for now to remark that the lamb’s blood is connected to the description of the faithful people who washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

:: :: ::

The seal may also be a form of natural judgment —not a judgment

needing to be supernaturally imposed, but rather superimposed natural-

ly—the result of obedience showing through and revealing whose they

are. The seal thereby functions as a martyr-witness sign. However, the

unrighteous also reveal whose they are. While the righteous can stand,

the unrighteous cannot. (In a similar way, this “visible” imagery func-

tions in harmony with the parable of building a house on the rock or the

sand as an indication of who hears and obeys versus who hears and turns

away.)

:: :: ::

Psalms of Solomon 15:6, 9-10 The following is a quote from this early (first century B.C.) Jewish work: “For God’s mark is on the righteous for (their) salvation. [T]hose who act lawlessly shall not escape the Lord’s judgment … for on their fore-head (is) the mark of destruction.”6

:: :: ::

We now come to a very prominent image in the book of Revelation: the

vision of the 144,000. In our search to discern what John means, we will

be relying on our guides, especially number symbols and Old Testament

background texts. Many interpretations of the book of Revelation suggest

this figure signifies the total number of people who will be rescued from a

period of great trials by being whisked away from the earth prior to a spe-

cial period of violence and chaos. We should remember this material we’re

reading is rich in symbolism, and this figure of 144,000 can hardly be an

exception. We should also remember apocalyptic symbols shift and change


their meaning, based on the context of the passage in which they are found.

In addition, misguided interpretations of Revelation almost always

concern themselves with the timing of the return of the Messiah rela-

tive to the time of great trials. However, it is not helpful in our effort

to discover meaning to try to lay out a timeline in which some people

escape trouble in a miraculous removal from the earth, because the text

of the book of Revelation simply does not bear such a reading. Both the

immediate context of this passage and the larger indicators throughout

the book suggest just the opposite: the people of God who are faithfully

living out their covenant promises in such a way as to reflect the presence

of the living God among them ought to expect trouble, and ought not to

expect to escape it (see “Endurance vs. Escape” on page 48). Our task is

to identify the symbols and try to make sense of them. The first thing we

can do is make observations by leaning on our guide of numbers and their

symbolic meanings.

The most straightforward understanding of 144,000, as a number, is to

recognize it consists of twelve groups of 12,000. Mathematically, twelve

is a square root of 144 (that is, 12 x 12) and you probably already know

or suspect twelve is an important number. Just as two other important

numbers, three and four, add up to a third significant number symbol,

seven, they also—when multiplied—yield the significant number sym-

bol twelve. In this case, twelve simply and obviously reflects the “twelve

tribes” in the list that follows. 1,000 is an odd figure in ancient Greece,

one not really used as a number but rather as signifying an amount great-

er than the largest one needed in their counting system (usually 800 or

900). Elsewhere its sense is more like “myriad” than a specific number.

Ten is also a cube root of 1,000 (that is, 10 x 10 x 10), which may bring its

own simple significance numerically (utilizing the number three). Since

we know that both ten and three are important numbers, we experi-

ence in the multiplication the ideal sense of completeness. Combined, we

can understand the significant number twelve is being multiplied to the

maximum; each of the 12,000 is therefore not an exact sum, but a sym-

bolic figure—the completeness maximized for each of the tribes named.

It’s not any more complicated than that—an idealized and super-perfect

portrait of the covenanted people of God.


An additional curiosity comes in observing the list of the tribes itself,

for it doesn’t match any of the ways the tribes are recorded in the Old

Testament. Actually, we must say that within the Old Testament there

are many passages recording the names of the twelve tribes, and there

is quite a bit of variance in the order and identifying of the tribes (and

sometimes even in number!).

:: :: ::

Twelve TribesIn the narrative describing Jacob’s two marriages and his couplings with his two wives’ maidservants (Genesis 29-30), the twelve sons of Jacob—whose names the tribes identify—are listed simply in their birth order, from Reuben, the firstborn, to Benjamin the last. No other motive or ex-planation is needed to understand why the sons are listed in this way.

In the genealogy list of Genesis 35:23-26, however, the sons are listed in four distinct groups: first, the sons of Jacob and Leah in birth order, again with Reuben, the firstborn, heading the list; then the sons of Jacob and Rachel in birth order; followed by the sons of Jacob and Ra-chel’s maidservant, Bilhah, in their birth order; and finally the sons of Jacob and Leah’s maidservant, Zilpah, in their birth order. This kind of listing follows a natural grouping, but places the favored wife, Rachel, in the middle rather than at the end, highlighting the prominence of her children over the others.

When Jacob blesses his sons in Genesis 49, there is yet another order given, though Reuben still begins the list and Benjamin ends it. In fact, the birth order of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (the first four oldest) are the same in these first three lists. In between the oldest four and youngest two, however, there is a jumbled order, and very nearly a reverse birth order of these sons. The poetic descriptions of the sons indicate possible reasons for this change, but also reflect the later realities of the namesake tribes: some were more prominent than others, and the blessings provide a reason why.


In the tribal-clan genealogy or census list of Numbers 1, once again Reuben, the firstborn, is listed first, and Judah is now third. Levi is left off (for reasons explained in the text, since this tribe will not inherit land but occupy cities and also play a central priestly role), and Jo-seph’s two sons appear in the list to replace both Levi and Joseph.

Another blessing list is found in Deuteronomy 33, where the political realities of later years invade any sense of history the earlier narratives provide. These are clearly tribes now, not sons. Once again, Reuben is first in the list, though Judah has now jumped to second. Simeon is missing altogether, and Issachar is paired with Zebulun. It’s hard to discern whether Joseph is separate from his own two sons or if they are one group. For these reasons, the list could be read as containing either 11, 12 or even 13 tribes!

We should understand from these observations that the way a list such as the twelve tribes is presented is influenced by various factors reflecting some kind of an agenda, often to promote the prominence or importance of one or more tribal clans, or to emphasize a certain viewpoint or theme. When we turn to the list in the book of Revela-tion, we should expect the same.

:: :: ::

One tribal list seldom observed is found in Ezekiel 48. The northern king-

dom had been conquered and sent into exile never to be seen again. The

southern kingdom likewise conquered and sent into exile, though a small

number will return. In Ezekiel’s apocalyptic visions, God announces the res-

toration of the righteous remnant representing all tribes from both historic

kingdoms to the “land of promise” (see the enacted parable of Ezekiel 37:15-

28). In a passage reminiscent of the original instructions for land division

we read about in the Pentateuch, Ezekiel 48 names the tribes who would

receive a portion of the land, presumably roughly equal in size, at least as

much as the east and west boundaries (the sea and the river) allow. Each

“portion” is like a symbolic element, with each restored tribe receiving a


horizontal strip from north to south (with a portion reserved midway for the

priests and newly restored holy city). None of it describes any recognizable

historical map of tribal allotments that came before, and there are no realis-

tic divisions of the people into tribes at this point in time.

The “agenda” for Ezekiel is to present a portrait of the complete resto-

ration of the ancient Davidic kingdom consisting of twelve tribes, howev-

er unrealistic such a political map might have been in Ezekiel’s own time.

Nothing lost would stay lost; all would be restored, renewed, recreated.

In this way, the tribal list finds resemblance to the list in Revelation 7,

offering guidance in discovering meaning. John’s vision here presents

an idealized list of tribes, with equal representation among an imagined

restored “chosen people” of God.

There are twelve tribes in this list, but which twelve? Who’s in and

who’s out? By noting these details, we can also get closer to John’s in-

tent. Dan and Ephraim are both missing, while Manasseh (the other half-

tribe) and Joseph enter in as full tribes, and Levi is once again allotted a

spot. Why exclude Dan and Ephraim? The answer may lie in the history

of the northern kingdom of Israel, which is often poetically referred to

as Ephraim (just like the southern kingdom is called Judah). The north-

ern kingdom’s reputation in the Old Testament history accounts is of a

thorough-going bent towards idolatry. They even set up a rival temple

to the one in Jerusalem, and had a second major site of worship in Dan,

the farthest northern border of the kingdom (see 1 Kings 12:29-30 and

2 Kings 10:29). In the book of Hosea, Ephraim and Judah are accused of

adulterous idolatry, though it is Israel (the north) that comes in for most

of the abusive judgments, and Judah does not retain the same reputation.

Judah, in fact, makes the top spot in the Revelation list, once again rein-

forcing the messianic nature of the apocalyptic literature; recall the Lion

of Judah. This emphasis connects to King David, from Judah, which is also

the region of Jerusalem’s location (see 1 Chron. 5:1-2 for an explanation

of why Judah replaces Reuben in priority on the list).

In summary of this portion, we can point to the notion of the tribal list

as a census, an accounting of the people of God. We note in this regard that

the most likely reason to take a census is to count your fighting force, your

army. Following this idea, we have in this specialized twelve-tribes list


of Revelation 7 a portrait of the people of God perfectly arrayed for battle,

twelve ranks of twelve-squared times ten-cubed soldiers.

The Second “Parenthetical” Vision (7:9-17) This second vision of Revelation 7 is again a portrait of the people of God,

but this time from a different perspective. While the census list created

a perfectly structured 144,000 in appearance, this time the people of God

are described using a different system, one that is no less symbolic or

significant. As in an earlier narrative of visions (Rev. 5:5-6), John hears

the description of something here in Revelation 7 that—when he turns

to look and see—turns out to be very different than what has been de-

scribed. In the earlier chapter, John heard about the Lion of Judah and

turned to see the Lamb that had been slaughtered. This time, John hears

the description of the 144,000 and turns to see something else instead.

But like the earlier example, the two are one, with what he sees embody-

ing what he has only just heard about.

The portrait this time is said to be a great multitude, numbering a

crowd so vast no one can count. As opposed to a heavenly host of saints

found in the earlier portrait, this one reflects the reality of the earth per-

spective, reflected in the song they sing, which is the same song from

Revelation 5.

1 2 3 4

Revelation 5 tribe language people nation

Revelation 7 nation tribes peoples languages

This universal collection represents the people of God from throughout

history and from every possible group on earth. It is as if now at last the

covenant promise—to bless all nations—is finally ringing true (see Gal.

3:26-29, interpreting Gen. 17:4-6). This time, instead of being arrayed

for battle, they are adorned with symbols of victory because the struggle

is over. The white robes and the palm branches are things belonging to

a victorious army. This image is similar to the one found in 1 Maccabees

13:51, where the Jewish soldiers march into Jerusalem after defeating the


Greek oppressors “with praise and palm branches,” singing “hymns and

songs,” rejoicing at the defeat of their enemy.

:: :: ::

A Selection from 4 Ezra 2:33-48I, Ezra, received a command from the Lord on Mount Horeb to go to Israel. When I came to them they rejected me and refused the Lord’s commandment. Therefore I say to you, O nations that hear and un-derstand, “Await your shepherd; he will give you everlasting rest, be-cause he who will come at the end of the age is close at hand. Be ready for the rewards of the kingdom, because eternal light will shine on you forevermore. Flee from the shadow of this age, receive the joy of your glory; I publicly call on my Savior to witness. Receive what the Lord has entrusted to you and be joyful, giving thanks to him who has called you to the heavenly kingdoms. Rise, and stand, and see at the feast of the Lord the number of those who have been sealed. Those who have departed from the shadow of this age have received glori-ous garments from the Lord. Take again your full number, O Zion, and conclude the list of your people who are clothed in white, who have fulfilled the law of the Lord. The number of your children whom you desired is full; beseech the Lord’s power that your people, who have been called from the beginning, may be made holy.”

I, Ezra, saw on Mount Zion a great multitude, which I could not number, and they all were praising the Lord with songs. In their midst was a young man of great stature, taller than any of the others, and on the head of each of them he placed a crown, but he was more exalted than they. And I was held spellbound. Then I asked an angel, “Who are these, my lord?” He answered and said to me, “These are they who have put off mortal cloth-ing and have put on the immortal, and they confessed the name of God; now they are being crowned, and receive palms.” Then I said to the angel, “Who is that young man who places crowns on them and puts palms in their hands?” He answered and said to me, “He is the Son of God, whom they confessed in the world.” So I began to praise those who had stood valiantly for the name of the Lord. Then the angel said to me, “Go, tell my


people how great and many are the wonders of the Lord God which you have seen.”7

:: :: ::

The palm branches also bring to mind a picture of the Feast of Taber-

nacles with the people waving palm branches and shouting praises. The

festival was in remembrance of the exodus journey and God’s provision,

described in Leviticus 23 (the palm branches are mentioned in verse 40,

and the connection to the exodus in 23:43). The people construct booths,

mini-tabernacles, and live in them for a week to re-enliven the mem-

ory of the provision of God in the wilderness, which included the bread

(manna) and water. Most significant is God’s very presence in the holy

tabernacle—a word that simply means “dwelling” but has the conno-

tation of mobility (in contrast to the fixed nature of the temple). All of

these themes reoccur here in Revelation 7. In fact, there are echoes of the

exodus everywhere, beginning with the 144,000 census as an image of the

reconstructed tribes.

Like the grand entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem that coinciding with

the Feast of Tabernacles, the people here also shout praises to God and

to the Lamb, a song that repeats the Revelation 5 refrain from the twen-

ty-four elders and the four living beings in the throne room. The sev-

en-fold song of the refrain is even a near word-for-word repeat, substi-

tuting “thanksgiving” for “wealth”:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Revelation 5 power wealth wisdom might honor glory blessing

Revelation 7 blessing glory wisdom thanksgiving honor power might

If this second part of the portrait of the people of God is also an army,

like the first part, where is the battle? And how do they conquer? All evil

is self-defeating; there is no life in it. There is a battle, but it is a battle

of the will, heart and mind, a battle the saints fight to remain faithful

and true. They suffer, many of them, during the great ordeal when evil

is unleashed through the human violence described in the opening of the


first four seals. The obstinate evil-doers among them are defeated as

described in the sixth seal. They are victims of the four-fold means by

which the four horses and riders “conquered”—and now we can see that

the first rider, in white, is but a parody of the true King. The violence of

war, chaos, famine and disease: these are the armies of death and the

grave, Hades, and they conquer all who join them.

While many speak of the “wrath of God” as if the Lord needs to

bring judgment and punishment upon those who do wrong, it is really

the natural kind of justice—slow, sometimes, but ultimately sure—

that catches up. It’s the kind of justice that promising you reap what

you sow, and sowing the seeds of covenant infidelity will reap you your

own destruction, in the end. For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the

whirlwind (Hos. 8:7). God’s wrath is to stop holding back the winds of

the earth, and allow them to finish what the human heart has started

(see also Hos. 8:4).

The multitudes of saints in the second parenthetical vision join those

seen by John in the fifth seal. They conquer the same way the captain of

their army, the Lamb, conquers: not by inflicting violence upon others,

but by bearing witness to the giver and sustainer of life (see Mark 8:34-

35). They are faithful to the end, and many unto death, but it is not death

that lasts forever; all the promises from Revelation 2-3 about resurrec-

tion are theirs to claim. Their suffering is like the Lamb’s suffering, their

blood now mingled with the Lamb’s blood.

The Lamb becomes the Shepherd, and leads them to good pastures and

still waters. We slowly get the sense, as we read more of John’s poetic

descriptions, the echo of so much of Scripture: the Lamb is leading them

into the heavenly throne room, a space like the place for making sacri-

fices in the temple. It is enough for us to know that for them the famine

has ended and disease is no more, the violence of war and chaos is gone,

and they are sheltered under the throne, just as the martyrs in Revelation

5 are sheltered under the altar.

There is more in store. For our guides (in this case, the many scriptural

references) indicate the Exodus 19:6 promises to make the saints into a

kingdom of priests, mentioned again in a new context in Revelation 1:6

and 5:10, is being fulfilled here. The primary Old Testament references


from Exodus 29 involve the ordination scenes of the priests, who put on

their robes and are sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice.

The Seventh Seal (8:1-5)While it might appear that nothing is happening when the seventh seal

is opened, the silence reveals a great deal. There are at least two ways we

can make sense of it. First, with respect to our emotions, we can recog-

nize that in the presence of God, the righteous are seen standing—that

is, not afraid—and singing in God’s heavenly temple. By contrast, then,

the unrighteous are last heard wailing in the face of imminent judgment.

Therefore, we might well discern the seventh seal simply continues the

action of the sixth seal.

Second, we can rely on our Old Testament texts as a guide for mean-

ing. Numerous texts illustrate that in the presence of God sinners are

commanded to keep silent. There is no real need for God to pronounce

judgment; it has been done by their own actions and attitudes. In the flow

from seal five to six to seven, we see this silent judgment scene is the cul-

mination of the cry for justice. The wicked, and especially the adulterous

idolaters, silenced by the final death and the grave, where none speak

any more.

:: :: ::

Silence in the BibleOld Testament imagery indicates silence means judgment, especially of the unrighteous.

The dead remain silent:Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord, for I call on thee; let the wick-ed be put to shame, let them go dumbfounded to Sheol [the grave] (Ps. 31:17 RSV).The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence (Ps. 115:17 RSV).


Those judged unrighteous sit in silence:Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms (Isa. 47:5 RSV).The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have cast dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the maidens of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground (Lam. 2:10 RSV).

There is silence surrounding the wicked dead: “The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day,” says the Lord GOD; “the dead bodies shall be many; in every place they shall be cast out in silence” (Amos 8:3 RSV).

Silence before the Lord in the temple:But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him (Hab. 2:20 RSV).Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling (Zech. 2:13 RSV).Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests (Zeph. 1:7 RSV).

The last quotation (and perhaps the one before it as well) references the concept of the day of the Lord in terms of the culmination of all things bringing ultimate justice.

:: :: ::

The next part of this seventh seal scene confirms we are in the heav-

enly temple (an idea we derived from the consecration of the martyrs

as priests in Revelation 7), as the angels there lift up the prayers of the

faithful as a sacrifice of praise (which itself is an old and familiar met-

aphor; see Psalm 141:2, for example). Then, in an action reminiscent of

the exodus plagues, coals from the altar’s brazier are flung to the earth,

initiating the second cycle of visions. The first cycle largely reflects the

consequence of the violence initiated by human activity affecting all of


creation and the inhabitants of earth. This last vision concludes in a con-

sistent fashion with its number symbolism, as the four-fold sensory el-

ements (thunder and lightning, tremors and earthquakes) would have us

understand.

Many commentators have tried to “empty out” this seventh seal,

thinking it does nothing more, narratively, than set up the second cycle of

the seven trumpets. And while it is true that seven angels are each given a

trumpet (the shofar), they are not pictured as actually blowing the horns

just yet. More significant for our purposes, we’ve been able to make the

case that silence is itself substantial. Far from being the lack of noise or

activity, the silence is full of meaning.

What the reader of the book of Revelation will encounter next is a sec-

ond, and then a third, cycle of visions, though they will cover the same

ground. They, too, portray the coming day of the Lord and the end of this

present age. The nature of these visions, which include a lengthy string of

“extras,” bring a new set of challenges for us as interpreters.

That will await volumes two and three of this commentary.

SUMMARYAs we come to the end of Revelation 7 (and have crept into 8), we note

the completion of the seven scroll-seal visions. We conclude at the end of

Revelation 6 we are seeing the enactment of the day of the Lord. The par-

enthetical visions and the final seal opening confirm this cycle portrays

the end, the judgment of all humankind, with the fitting reward of life or

punishment of lasting death.

• the first parenthetical vision

In a vision of the twelve tribes, a census of the army of 144,000 is

an idealized picture of the restored people of God.

• the second parenthetical vision

In a second vision, the battle concludes, fought on God’s terms;

the number of martyrs is added to because the people of God have

fought as the Lamb has fought. The battle is decisive and the

martyrs are given their answer at last.


• the seventh seal

We’re at the end of the telling: “end” as in “the last part” of this

series’ perspective and “end” as in “this is the point of it all.”

The silence is interpreted as judgment before God—before whom

all are silent. The prayers for vindication have been answered.

• forehead markings

The seal of God’s presence upon the foreheads of the righteous

provides power for enduring trials that would otherwise weak-

en faith. Being sealed does not protect from physical death, only

ultimate death. We need to say also, it is the already-faithful

who are sealed; the sealing does not make them believe, it only

strengthens their resolve to persevere. The ungodly are marked

by a lack of faith, or rather, marked by their trust in something

(someone) other than God for their life and health.


STUDY GUIDE

1. three cycles of seven

We described the shape of the book of Revelation as consisting of

three parallel series of visions that retell the same story (though

only one series is featured in this volume). Each in its way presents

a picture of the end of the present age and an inauguration of the

age to come. The visions are not meant to be read as consecutive

timelines, but as three distinct expressions of the same theme of

ultimate justice and restoration. If we could “see” them simultane-

ously (as three facets of the same gem) we might succeed in getting

the holistic message.

How does understanding the structure of the book of Revelation aid

your ability discern the message John intends for us to receive?

2. the number twelve

The number twelve (and it’s double, twenty-four) shows up as a

prominent number symbol more than once. We read about it in the

opening sections of Revelation 7, it appears again at the end of the

book of Revelation. Besides being a multiple of three and four, the

number twelve is most naturally associated—within the Bible—

with the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles.

If John simply means “the people of God from the Old Testament

and the New Testament,” then why not say so? Why write “twen-

ty-four” instead?

What other instances of the number twelve do we encounter in life?

How helpful might it be to include references to the rhythms of life

into our reading of this material?


3. 144,000

The census list of the once again restored people of God is idealized

in numbers using creative number symbols. We tend to make a lot

out of this arrayed army of God, but its basic meaning is much sim-

pler. We also fail to recognize the way the “fight” is modeled on the

Messiah: self-emptying and without violence. They win by dying.

Why do you think we focus so much attention on trying to deter-

mine a modern-day identity of the 144,000?

What might it mean for us to model our own posture—towards life

and death—on Jesus’ attitudes and actions?

4. vindication or revenge

Throughout human history there is a troubling mix of these two

concepts: it is one thing to call for vindication, to wish for justice

to bring to light the rightness of your way even if it has cost you. It

is quite another to want to actively seek revenge. One is expressing

faith in God to set things right, the other to following a path of vio-

lence to an unknown end.

Recall again how the 144,000 “fight.” Why do you think John does

not actually depict war scenes?

Where do you see the mixing of vindication and revenge in our world

today?

5. resurrection hope

Ultimately, Christian hope rests upon our affirmation of the resur-

rection: because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, so will we

who are in Christ.

Where do we see resurrection hope being expressed in the book of

Revelation?

How often does it appear as a promise? How often as a portrayal of

its realization?


VOLUME ONE SUMMARY

THE BOOK OF REVELATION is framed as a letter communicating by way

of the apocalyptic genre a preaching message whose content is gospel.

John writes a gospel message: God in Christ remains ever present in the

midst of the people of God, in order to strengthen their resolve to faith-

fulness. John writes in line with the prophets of old, whose two-edged

message of hope for the oppressed and warning to the oppressors is de-

signed to provoke a response.

These prophetic messages were, like John’s apocalyptic visions, vivid

word pictures of what might happen. According to the type of response,

the future would either be better or worse. The people of God are invited

to join God in creating the future. Salvation is in this: first, to be aware


of the presence of God, and then, to align with the purposes of God and

thereby participate in them. The sustained continual obedience of the

believers is John’s aim.

The many apocalyptic images and symbols John uses are not a code to

be cracked, as if there is an obscure hidden message. John’s original au-

dience understood them (even if their persecutors may not have absorbed

their importance), due mainly to the high number of Old Testament ref-

erences they contain. We also can learn to understand John’s meaning

with a little practice and help from our guides.

The primary message of Christian hope is embodied in the resurrected

Jesus Christ. By his resurrection, God vindicates the way Jesus chose to

live and die. His way of living and dying give witness to the real power of

God operating in our world. We too can know and witness to this power

by how we live, even in the face of extreme pressures. We do not invite

violence against us, but we do not fear death; the grave has no more pow-

er over us. Neither do we practice violence; we are convinced to conquer

as Jesus conquered.

A significant element in the book of Revelation is the assessment of

how well the church communities measure up to the high standard of

covenant fidelity—faithfulness in their relationship with God—to be me-

diating, healing, reconciling communities. Part of the fulfilment of this

role in participating in God’s larger purposes must come through refusing

to participate in systems of evil. Part of it comes through promoting the

vision of wholeness and holiness, of final justice and the restoration of

all things.

God’s seal upon our lives is a mark of covenant fidelity. It provides power

to endure. It is a sign of the certain gift of life after first death. God is with

us, empowers us, and works for our ultimate good.

As we look ahead to the rest of the book of Revelation, we will read

a repetition and amplification of the message so far. John repeats the

essence, but multiplies the imagery. At the end, we will experience a

beautiful scene portraying the people of God as a city, coming down from

the heavens to earth, in whose midst, God will dwell forever in an imme-

diate (unmediated) way that brings healing and restoration to all people

everywhere.



NOTES 1 James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume One: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1983), 528-29.

2 Ibid., 693-94.

3 Walter Wink, The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium (New York: Doubleday, 1998), 3-4.

4 J.B. Lightfoot and J.R. Harmer, ed., The Apostolic Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1984), 208-09.

5 Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume One, 631.

6 James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume Two: Expansions of the “Old Testament” (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1983), 664.

7 Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume One, 527-28.

Documents

St. John at Patmos—Gustave Doré