Revelation 20

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Dec 7: Revelation 20

John’s series of visions continues into ch20. We begin with an angel who holds the keys to the great abyss. Satan is bound for a thousand years in this pit and much ink has been spilled over the years in an attempt to make sense of this period of time. My own belief is that we should not understand the millennium as something to be charted on a map, but rather we read it as a figurative expression for a period of time prior to the second coming of Christ. In apocalyptic writings, “a thousand” is often used to represent something vast, known only by God. Just as we do not press the 144,000 (12x12x1000) of Rev14 too literally, we should follow suit here as well. What John intends, it seems, is an affirmation of an apocalyptic stream in Jewish and early Christian thought.

From scholar Eugene Boring: “The prophets and seers of the OT had developed basically two different pictures to express the triumph of God at the end of history, which may be called the ‘prophetic’ and the ‘apocalyptic.’ In the ‘prophetic’ view, the world’s evil would be overcome and life would come into its own as it was intended to be in God’s good creation (Isa. 65:17-25; Ezek. 34:25-31). Prophetic eschatology understood salvation in continuity with this world and its history; this world would be the setting for eschatological bliss. In contrast, apocalyptic eschatology saw this world as already too overwhelmed with evil for redemption to occur from within it. The present world must pass away to make way for eschatological fulfillment in the setting of new heavens and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:12-13). In this frame of reference, the Messiah was not thought of as a this-worldly royal figure empowered by God, but as a transcendent figure who brings salvation from the other world. In apocalyptic eschatology, the final kingdom of God does not grow out of this world, but breaks into it from the beyond.”

In John’s vision here, we find these two streams culminating (much as they did in Isaiah’s theology, see Isa. 65:17). Rather than being either / or, John’s vision says it’s both / and. John, as we will see in the final chapter, envisions a final scene that hearkens back to the origin of creation: God communing with His creation in a new heavens and new earth, implying continuity with what we already know. And yet, John’s picture of the holy city is one of transcendence: it is lowered down from the heavens to dwell here, the catalyst of the final purge of evil and the restoration of all things.

Chapter 20 gives us two independent views of the defeat of Satan: his binding in the pit and his destruction in the lake of fire. The point is this: evil is not permanent. The Eternal God, in His goodness and mercy, will bring evil to an ultimate and fitting end. Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38-39) represent the powers of this world that seek to wage war with God. But the picture here is clear: God will overthrow systemic evil with an eternal victory.

The lake of fire looms at the end of the chapter as a severe warning. The book of life is opened, “and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done,” (v12). This scene of judgment is cosmic, encompassing all creation, great and small (v12). And the final words of the chapter ring in our ears:

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (v15).

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Revelation 19

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Dec 6: Revelation 19

Revelation began with seven letters to “the present” — letters to seven particular churches in Asia Minor. Beginning at 19:11, John closes out this work with seven visions of the future, the “end of all things”. These final visions do not represent a strict chronology but rather a series of pictures declaring God’s ultimate triumph at the end of human history. This is where our study of Revelation concludes.

With this series of visions beginning at 19:11, verses 1-10 are more fittingly read in light of the lament / praise of ch18. Read through these first verses of ch19 and you find rich expressions of praise:

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just…” (v1).

“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” (v5).

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” (v6)

These declarations answer the question Revelation poses all along: “Who’s in charge here anyway?” The answer from heaven gloriously declares that God has begun to reign, eternity bursting forth into our present condition of suffering and pain.

John envisions a wedding supper between the Lamb and His people, an ancient Messianic eschatological expectation for the Hebrew people. God’s people here are contrasted with the harlot of the previous chapter, the one who represents unfaithfulness and idolatry. The messianic table is prepared for Christ’s followers and the image calls to mind the words of Jesus who promises not to partake of the covenant feast until He presides over it with us in heaven (Luke 22; Matthew 26).

John’s first of these final visions begins at v11 with the image of Christ’s return, riding a white horse to make war and judge in righteousness (see Isa. 11:4). This is a vision of judgment, of Christ returning to right all wrongs and cleanse the earth of imperial tyranny and wickedness. His robe is dipped in blood, recalling the image of Isaiah 63 where God, the divine warrior, is red with the blood of his enemies.

In the closing scene of ch19, the vision extends to the final moment of judgment as the beast and the kings of the earth assemble armies for war against the Rider. But this battle is a swift one: beast and false prophet are captured and thrown into a lake of fire. Yet again, John has given us a vivid description of the Sovereign rule of God that will endure for all eternity.

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Revelation 18

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Dec 5: Revelation 18

Revelation 18 is both a lament and a hymn of praise. John borrows much of the language and imagery of the OT lamentations that lament the sins of Israel and the desire for Babylon’s judgment (see, for instance, Ps. 137:8 and Isa. 21:9). John takes the well worn biblical genre of lament and turns it on its head, this time giving voice to those who have been seduced by the empire’s sensual and economic benefits.

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (v1). As with the prophets of old, John announces what is sure to happen as already having occurred. Babylon / Rome is being shamed, proven to be a false reality. The voice calls out, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins; lest you share in her plagues,” (v4). This is a final word of grace, an opportunity to leave Babylon before it is eternally too late. We recall the words Jesus spoke to the seven churches at the beginning, many of whom have accommodated Rome’s provocative call. The great city is a dwelling place of pride: “…in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow and mourning I shall never see,’ (v7).”

The kings of earth and the merchants come late to the realization: Rome represents false hope. Power, economic trade, sensual pleasure…these are not the sum of human existence. “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more,” (v21). “No more” is the refrain from heaven, announcing Babylon’s demise. We should hear in this God’s final answer to the cry of His people: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10).

Heaven’s answer is final.

No more is Babylon.
No more are her seductions.
No more is her jubilation.
No more is her bloodlust.

What follows, as we shall see, is the pinnacle of praise.

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Revelation 17

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Dec 4: Revelation 17

In 16:17-21, John envisions the seventh bowl pouring out wrath on “the great city” which he describes as “Babylon”. We perceive this to be a reference to Rome, an allusion that draws on exilic prophetic tradition in Babylon and conflates it with the present Roman empire.

An angel calls to John: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,” (v1). This is the same angelic utterance that we find at 21:9 as John envisions the Bride of the Lamb, the holy city of the new Jerusalem. Here we find a stark contrast between prostitute / Babylon / Rome and the bride of Christ / new Jerusalem. Both women are beautifully adorned, but the prostitute is not interested in fidelity. The kings of the earth are intoxicated by her sexual immorality (v2) and they drink deeply from her cup of abominations (v4). And the prostitute is herself drunk, the blood of the martyrs dripping from her lips (v6).

John’s angelic guide explains the deeper reality of the vision. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction,” (v8). This is a parody of the true God “who is and who was and who is to come” (1:4; 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5). Rome liked to declare herself an “eternal city” and “eternal empire”. But John’s vision tells an alternate story, a Gospel truth: Rome will always fall, and only God will reign eternal.

Many have tried to determine precisely when John wrote Revelation based on his description in v10 — there are seven kings, five have fallen, one is, and there’s one more to come. I think this misses the point. I believe John uses the number seven here to indicate the total number of Roman emperors (15 in all, from Julius Caesar to Hardrian in AD138). Again, the point here is that Rome is not eternal, but she is simply a part of human history, all of which will be brought to completion / fulfillment by God, the One who “has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled,” (v17).

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Revelation 16

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Monday, Dec 3: Revelation 16

Chapter 16 continues the vision that began in the previous chapter, describing the bowls of wrath poured out by seven angels. Each of these bowls represent some sort of “plague” (15:1), which, as we noted earlier, alludes back to the Exodus narrative. As in Egypt, these plagues are to be understood as God’s judgments. Human rebellion has infected and enslaved all creation. In order for the world to be renewed (as we will see at the end of Revelation), it must first be judged.

The images of judgment are especially vivid here: boils and sores upon those who bear the mark of the beast; seas and rivers of blood; a scorched sun, charring the earth and all who curse the name of God and refuse to repent; darkness; lightning; earthquakes. John is pulling out all the stops. We should understand this as a description of cosmic and complete judgment at the hands of God. We sometimes ask ourselves, “Who’s really in charge here? Is God sovereign? Will He right all wrongs in the end?” With these images, John is giving as an emphatic answer to our questions.

It is also worth mentioning that those who suffer these judgments are fully culpable, bearing the mark of the beast, refusing to repent, refusing to give God glory (v2, 9, 11). Those who worship the beast and give in to his seductions will receive the ultimate end to which these choices are directed.

Emerging out of these plagues is a voice: “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (v15). This takes us back to the words of Jesus spoken at the beginning of Revelation. But this comment is right at home here, reminding us to live faithfully amid troublesome times. We live in readiness. We orient our lives toward this future reality — God’s final and ultimate act of judgment and, consequently, redemption. The voice of Jesus reminds us of this, just as surely as it reminded John’s original audience.

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Revelation 15

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Nov 30: Revelation 15

Chapters 15&16 form a unit in Revelation, a vision of seven angels with seven plagues. These chapters form John’s most thorough use of Exodus imagery in the book of Revelation. The plagues here can be linked with the plagues of the Exodus. The people of God are assembled “beside the sea of glass” (v2) to sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, calling to mind the image of Israel singing to God on the banks of the Red Sea. Listen to their song:

“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed,” (v3-4).

The particular story of Israel now serves as a microcosm for a more universal scene. God is praised by His people — a Kingdom comprised of members of “all nations” (v4). Rather than assembling on the banks of the Red Sea, we will gather on the shore of the heavenly sea to sing this song of victory.

One interesting note: v2 may also be translated “standing on the sea of glass”, which brings to mind an interesting idea. The people of God have been engaged in a conflict with the great sea monster, and this struggle has occurred “on his turf”, so to speak. But the scene of this victory song is precisely the place of this great struggle. Rather than watching safely from the banks of the Red Sea, Lamb-followers are bolstered by the image of resurrection: the faithful standing over the waters of the sea, a biblical representation of cosmic evil. In the end, we will sing victory, praising the God who faithfully sees us through even our most difficult times.

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The Great Debate

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jason

Major League Baseball distributed ballots this week to the BBWAA Hall of Fame voters and this upcoming vote is the one we’ve been anticipating for several years. PED suspicion / confirmation surrounds many of the first timers: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa in particular. These are players with gaudy numbers and unprecedented accolades: Bonds, a 14-time All Star, 8-time Gold Glover, 7-time MVP, the single-season AND all-time home run king; Clemens, #9 all-time in wins, #3 all-time in strikeouts, 11 times an All Star, 7-time Cy Young award winner, with an MVP and an All Star MVP award to boot; and Sosa, the only player with 3 60 home run seasons under his belt, a 7 time All Star, #8 all-time on the HR list.

And yet, it is highly doubtful that either of these three will garner enough votes for election on this initial ballot. Baseball writers have long extolled the virtues of being a “first ballot” Hall of Famer, implying that the “late” elections of recent players like Bruce Sutter and Jim Rice somehow relegate them to “lesser” status among baseball’s royalty. I seriously doubt these same writers will bestow the “first ballot” honor on any of these three. Eventually, baseball is going to have to figure out what to do with these guys and their numbers (along with Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire, Jeff Bagwell, etc.).

But that time is not now.

For now, the vote will simply be “No”. “Not now.”

That being said, it’s looking like Craig Biggio, of all people, is the one bona fide shoo-in on this year’s ballot. I’ve heard some of the talking heads blather on about how Biggio doesn’t “feel” like a Hall of Famer to them. I don’t know what these morons are talking about; look at the guy’s numbers and it’s clear he belongs. In his latest edition of Historical Baseball Abstract, sabermatrician guru Bill James ranked Biggio as the 5th greatest second baseman of all-time, and that was while he still had a half dozen good years left in the tank. Without a doubt, Biggio belongs in the Hall and he deserves to go in on the first try.

If I had a vote, I’d also cast my lot for Tim Raines. I’ve written about him before (in this space actually, where I commented again about the whole notion of someone “feeling” like a Hall of Famer). Raines is probably remembered for the final few years of his career, when he was basically a platoon player. But the first half of his career was brilliant. Might not be enough to get him in, but I’d like to see it.

Of course, there are a few other players out there who will merit consideration. I think Bagwell gets in eventually, and maybe even Fred McGriff. But for now, come January 9th, there’s only one name you should expect to hear: Craig Biggio.

When it happens, I’m hoping he’ll feel like a Hall of Famer.

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Revelation 14

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Nov 29: Revelation 14

John’s visionary sequence continues as he witnesses the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, the location of Jerusalem and the temple. With him is a vast number — 144,000 strong, with the name of the Father and the Lamb / Son on their foreheads. Sealed as they are, these represent something of an army of the faithful, aligned with the Lamb against the dragon and his beasts. 144,000 is not to be interpreted literally, but rather it symbolically represents the totality of the people of God: 12 tribes x 12 apostles x 1000 (Revelation’s numerical representation of greatness). These are assembled to sing a new song before the throne (v3), a new song by a new people living in a new covenant in a new creation. These have not been defiled, but represent chaste virgins. This is another metaphor to describe the faithfulness of the people of God, in stark contrast to the wanton lifestyle of Babylon’s residents.

An angel appears with an “eternal gospel” (v6), proclaiming, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water,” (v7). Rome was often heralded as “the eternal city” and the emperor’s actions were known through the empire as “good news” (or “evangelion”, the same word we use for “gospel”). In John’s vision, he is testifying that there is only one eternal city, the city of God; and there is only one eternal gospel, the good news of the victorious Lamb.

Another angel appears to trumpet victory: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,” (v8). In John’s day, Babylon / Rome was alive and well. To declare her downfall was to speak folly. Yet, fitted with the lenses of heaven, we see that God has already defeated these imperial powers, stripping them of their seduction and shaming them for all time. The victory of the Lamb knows no bounds! Babylon has fallen!

The saints are encouraged to endure, as a voice from heaven offers one of seven beatitudes found in Revelation: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (v13). Death, still an inevitable part of the human experience, is transformed to blessing. For to die “in the Lord” is to die in peace.

The final image of this chapter focuses on judgment, taking the motifs of harvest and winepress directly from Joel 3:13. Once again, John is clearly identifying the church’s present situation as fulfillment of the great stream of prophecy in Israel’s history. But even this time foretells of even greater glory to come.

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Revelation 13

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Nov 28: Revelation 13

Revelation 13 offers up a vision of two beasts. The first calls to mind the vision of Daniel 7:1-8, where four beasts represent four successive world empires. In John’s vision, this seven headed beast is a composite representative of all the terror Daniel’s beast conjured (the fourth of Daniel’s beasts possessed four heads, thus John’s seven headed creature is seen as a culmination of all imperial opposition to the people of God). The beast symbolized Rome, to be sure, but it also symbolizes more. As Stephen Smalley wisely notes, “The beast is a symbol of the perpetual deification of secular authority.”

This beast makes war against the people of God, and in John’s day one entity looms as the greatest threat in this vein: Rome. One of the heads of the beast has a mortal wound; Nero, upon his ouster, stabbed himself in the throat in AD68. But the myth of Nero Redividus developed — that Nero hadn’t really died at all, that he would return with an army of Parthians to reclaim his throne. By stabbing himself in the neck, Nero — the first emperor to persecute Christians — parodies the Christian belief in the Lamb of God, whose death brings atonement and life eternal. The blasphemous names atop the beast are representative of such arrogance: the emperors of Rome referred to themselves as “Savior” and “Lord” with great frequency.

Most startlingly of all, perhaps, is John’s assertion that the beast (Rome) is a tool of Satan. The dragon gives authority to the beast; in John’s day, the emperor cult was alive and well, as seen in the phrase “Caesar is Lord”. John very clearly links those who participate in the imperial cult as worshipers of Satan. We should be on guard against similar winds of adoration in our culture, aware that we could likewise be seduced by the siren song of the dragon.

A second beast emerges in the next scene, a figure who resembles a lamb but speaks the words of the dragon (v11). This beast parodies the Lamb by marking his followers, “so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of the beast,” (v17). In 7:1-8 (and also in the next chapter, 14:1-5), the Lamb of God marks His followers, sealing them for eternity. Here, the beast marks human society, indicating worshipful loyalty. The economic allusion seem to again point toward Rome; the empire’s seduction is always commercial, at the very least. The scene closes with the cryptic reference to the mark of the beast, 666, which is likely (in my opinion) a reference to Nero and the corruption / oppression for which he stands.

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Revelation 12: Already and Not Yet

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Nov 27: Revelation 12

Beginning with ch12, John gives us three chapters worth of visions that take a comprehensive view of the times in which the church lives: from the birth of Jesus until the end.

Ch12 opens with a cosmic scene: a pregnant woman, pursued by a great dragon. The woman gives birth to a child which the dragon seeks to destroy. But this royal child is swept away to heaven while the woman takes refuge in the wilderness. Several of the images are easy enough to decipher: 12:9 flat out tells us the dragon is Satan; the ruler-child is clearly Jesus; but, in my opinion, the mother who gives birth to the child should be expanded beyond Mary, the physical mother of Jesus. In this cosmic scene, the woman is wearing a crown of twelve stars. Twelve, in John’s motif, is the mark of the people of God. Furthermore, Isaiah and Jeremiah frequently refer to Israel as a woman in childbirth. The Messiah is not merely “Mary’s boy”; He is the royal lineage of Israel, the fulfillment of Israel’s promises, law, and prophecy. And in light of the new covenant Jesus brings us into, we should understand the woman as a composite of spiritual Israel / the church; the wilderness to which she flees is the context we find ourselves living in while we await the return of the royal child who has ascended to the heavens.

The final scene of this chapter emphasizes the “already but not yet” element of New Testament eschatology. The victory of Christ is heralded as a present reality in v10: “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come…” And though we believe the forces of evil and darkness have ultimately been defeated ALREADY, we also acknowledge that we live in the midst of conflict — the defeated dragon will seek to take down as many as possible in the midst of these NOT YET times. And so we wait as a mother bereft of child in the wilderness while the dragon does his worst…yet we also take refuge in the wings of eagles (Ex. 19:4; Isa. 40:31), deliverance coming to us even in the present.

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