Revelation: Apocalyptic and ProphecyJesus is Lord! Caesar is not …

Jonathan Numada, Ph.D.

The Apocalyptic World

The Apocalyptic Genre and the Book of Revelation

Revelation as Christian Apocalypse (ch.4-22)

Rev 1:1• Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Apokalypsis Iesou

Christou)

• Apocalypto → “Removing a cover”

John J. Collins:“Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it envisages another, supernatural world.” (Collins, Apocalypse, 9).

The Apocalyptic Genre and the Book of Revelation

Apocalyptic as a Genre

SYMBOLISM AND IMAGERY TEMPORAL FRAMEWORK

• Visions and Epiphanies • Creation

• Discourse and Dialogue • Primordial Events

• Otherworldly Journey • Interpretation of History

• A Written document/book • Present salvation through

knowledge

• Angelic Mediator • Judgment

• Human recipient • Eschatological Salvation

• In ANE cosmology, the world seen as a bubble of air in

water.

• Beasts like Leviathan or Tiamat dwelled in water under

earth; seen as agents of destruction.

• Sun goes in-and-out of water canopy to create day and

night.

• Temples were points of worship because deemed

(literally) closer to God(s).

The Apocalyptic World

• Water = “nothingness” (like Space)

• Multiple Heavens of graduated Holiness

• Sun usually in the first Heaven

Influence

• Paul claims to have “known someone” who ascended to the “third Heaven” (2 Cor 12:2).

• Some Jews claimed Moses ascended to Heaven to receive the Law (Gospel of John denies this—John 3:13-14)

The Theology of Revelation: It’s Historical Background

Historical Background

Date

• Domitian’s Reign (95-96 CE)?

• Year of Four Emperors (68-69 CE)?

• Temple (Rev 11:1-2) = Before 70 CE?

Riddle: 666 (Rev 13:18) = “Nero Caesar”?• Letters acted as Numbers (no separate number

system)

• נרון קסר (NRWN QSR) →

• ר +ס+ק+ ן +ו+ר+נ → 666?

• Before 68 CE (Nero’s Death)?

From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)

Major Views

• Preterism

• Historicism

• Futurism

• Idealism

Literary Devices: Series of Sevens

7 Seals 7 Trumpets 7 Signs 7 Bowls1 Sin: White horse →

Subjugation (6:1)

Nature: Burning 1/3 of Earth (8:6) Spiritual: The Woman (12:1) Nature: Plague of Sores (16:2)

2 Sin: Red horse → Violence (6:4)

Nature: Sea (Blood) (8:6) Spiritual: Satan Cast Out (12:7) Nature: Pollution of Seas (blood)

(16:3)

3 Sin: Black horse → Greed (6:5) Nature: Star → Poison Water (8:10) Spiritual: War between Satan and the Woman and her son (12:13)

Nature: Pollution of Fresh Water

(blood) (16:4)

4 Sin: Ashen Horse → Violence, Pestilence, Death (6:8)

Nature: Sun, Moon, Stars dim

(8:12)

Political: Beast from the Sea (13:1) Nature: Scorching Sun (16:8)

5 Martyrs: Call for Judgement (6:9)

Political: (?) First Woe → Locusts &

Torment (9:1)

Political: Beast from the Earth

(13:11)

Political: Inflicting the Kingdom of

the Beast (16:10)

6 Collapse of Nature: Sky (6:12) Political: Second Woe → Angels @ Euphrates → War & Death (9:13)

Eschatological/Political: Lamb on

Zion (14:1)

Political: Drying Euphrates→ War

(16:12)

7 Collapse of Nature: Earth (8:1) Political: Third Woe → Imposition of God’s Reign (11:15)

Eschatological/Political: Harvest of

the Earth (14:6)

Political: Destruction of

“Babylon” (16:17)

The Theology of Revelation: Its Historical and Social Context

Theology of Revelation

Apocalyptic

Assumptions:

• NT has a generally “apocalyptic” worldview

• God in Control of History

• Jesus the turning Point

• Life of faith an eschatological battle or struggle

Main Theological Themes

• Rome’s Power is Evil • Roman Cultural Systems, Religious

Systems, and Values are Evil

• Christians are Called to be

Faithful

• God is Just in the Face of Evil and

Suffering

God’s Power over History

• Everything has a Purpose • God controls ALL of Creation

• God’s Power Reflects his

Transcendence and Glory

• Christians can Trust in God’s

Judgment and Reward

From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)

Theology of Revelation: Looking Forward

Value of a Preterist Reading:

• Context to Symbols and Imagery

Three Levels to Reading Revelation:

1. Exhortation to Christians of its Time

2. A Prediction of what Discipleship can be Like

3. A Symbolic Anticipation of Future History

Canonical Function of Revelation:

• With Genesis, “book-ends” the

Canon

• Provides a “Telic” Reading of

History

• Makes Jesus the Center of

History

• Makes Jesus the Resolution of

History From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)

Theology of Revelation: Looking Forward

From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)

Revelation as “Social Identity Formation”

(a.k.a., What the Church is and What it’s About)

• Vision of the Public Face & Character of the Church

• Public Witness to King Jesus

• Publicly Faithful to Jesus

• Faithful Endurance of Suffering and Persecution

• Personal Commitment to Point of Martyrdom

• Church’s Cultural Engagement: Outward Weakness, Inward Strength

• NOT: Outward Strength, Spiritual Weakness

• NOT: Cultural Domination

Revelation

Message

JESUS IS LORD -- (Caesar is not)!

BEWARE FALSE

TEACHERS

• A Gentile Christian issues?

• Letters to the Seven Churches

• The boasting of the Satanic Symbols

PERSEVERE TO

THE END

• A Common Jewish-Christian Theme

• More of an issue for Jewish Christians?

• 2 Peter, Jude, Hebrews