Revelations from Revelation 3: apocalyptic literature

If you've been following my posts, you should know that the Bible was not written to you, though you may certainly benefit from it. You should also be aware that The Revelation was not written in a style still used in modern times. For me, it is somewhat like modern art; though I may find it interesting, I struggle to draw any meaning from a series of random lines and dots. Many people are fascinated by the images in Revelation, and yet it does little to affect their lives. I want to help you be affected by this intense, challenging, and ultimately hope-filled letter.

Even without background, you should notice that the first three chapters of The Revelation are markedly different from the remainder of John's letter. Chapter 1 is an introduction, and chapters 2 and 3 are letters to seven specific churches. I will not discuss these first 3 chapters until we jump in to the text.

(Much of the following information comes from a book called "Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation," by Bruce M. Metzger, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, emeritus, at Princeton Theological Seminary.)

The title of the last book of the New Testament is transliterated from the Greek as Apokalypsis Ioannou, meaning Revelation of John. The genre of chapters 4-22 is generally referred to as an Apocalypse. John's Apocalypse may be the most famous example of the genre, but it is certainly not the only. Apocalypses are most common in Judaism from approximately 200 B.C. to 200 A. D. Other Biblical writings in a similar genre occur in Daniel, Isaiah, and Zechariah. That the genre is rooted in Judaism will become very important as we work through John's visions, because close to 3/4 of The Revelation's verses contain allusions to the Old Testament.

So, what features are common to these Jewish Apocalypses? One feature, pointed out by Metzger, is the frequent use of symbolism. The number seven has nearly always been associated with completion and perfection, and John uses it constantly. In chapter 6, scholars place great importance on the bow carried by the white horse's rider, because it would have immediately made John's readers think of the Parthians, who were well known for their use of the bow and arrow and for representing themselves with the color white.

Another feature of Apocalyptic literature is using descriptions of the end of time to demonstrate that earthly struggles are temporary. Paul, likewise, describes himself in Philippians 3:13 as one who is "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead," because, as he describes in v. 20, "our citizenship is in heaven." Paul echoed this in 2 Corinthians 4:17, saying, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory." In fact, you would certainly have difficulty finding a letter in the New Testament where immediate suffering is not contrasted with a hopeful future. Yet, no other New Testament letter spends 22 chapters emphasizing Christian hope and calling for endurance.

With all that said, we CANNOT simply read The Revelation is if it were a newspaper article describing events in detail. In fact, it is more similar to poetry than to a narrative story. John's writing is meant to inspire hope, to challenge you to endure, to demonstrate God's holiness in Judgment, to lead the lost to repentance, and to create lasting images of a glorious future. However, The Revelation is NOT a time-line of the "end times."

John is writing about a vision. Thus, his descriptions are "of symbols, not the reality conveyed by the symbols." (Metzger, p. 14) Much like the dreams that Joseph interpreted in Genesis, Ezekiel's valley of dry bones, and Peter's vision in Acts 10 of a blanket full of animals, John's visions represent something. Peter, for example, did not leave his room and tell the others that animals were going to begin riding in from the sky on blankets. No. He realized from his vision that even as a Jewish Christian, he was no longer restricted to eating kosher foods. That was the reality that the symbols conveyed. Likewise, we cannot read The Revelation and say that 4 literal horsemen will pillage the earth for a certain period of time, nor would we assume John believes that Jesus will literally turn in to a baby sheep.

Needless to say, John's Revelation leaves the reader with a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, we can take nothing at face value. But, with hard work comes reward, and I passionately believe that studying The Revelation is worth the reward.

In my next post, I plan to begin exegesis (drawing meaning "out" instead of looking for justification for what we ALREADY believe by reading our own ideas "in" to the text) of John's introduction.

-Matt