Looking into the Revelation

LOOKING INTO THE REVELATION

Why is a look into this book so important today? Some contend the book is to obscure to be understood. .Since its highly symbolic language lends to itself to fanatical interpretation many people have avoided it all together.

Martin Luther said that in this book there is only images and visions and thus would have denied this book a place in the New Testament. He found the book offensive, because he could not find Christ portrayed in it as He was in other parts of the New Testament. John Calvin must have had doubts about the worth of the book for he ignored it in his commentaries. Some modern scholars such as C. H. Dodd see the book primarily as an adopted eschatological work. A theology that treats death, resurrection, immortality, and the end of the world, and final judgment as found in the Bible as truth, but to obscure on the teaching of Christ and sub-Christian in its teaching about God. Other scholars have a different view. After a life time of study on lasting things R. H. Charles came to see this book as very important. Even though it uses Jewish categories it is seen as extinct Christian. For instants in the fifth chapter of Revelation it is noted that the redemptive acts of Christ, the Lamb of God constitutes the turn or apex of the ages. Even the second coming of Christ and the millennium on earth are seen as a continuation and fulfillment of the kingdom of grace and glory inaugurated in the first coming of Christ. Furthermore the judgments of God or seen as repetition of Israel’s experience in Egypt. The anti-Christ like Pharaoh resisted God and oppressed His people. Therefore the anti-Christ calls down on himself and his cohort’s judgments like the plagues of Egypt. As in the book of Exodus the crucial event is not on the plagues, but the redemption which Israel experienced. Obviously the emphasis upon the judgments in the book of Revelation is more intense and prolonged than in any other New Testament writing. John saw the Church then and in the future facing the anti-Christ and his war to defeat the churches of the living God.

For John sin would bring judgment unless the churches repented, and returned to the eternal truth of the gospel. H. B. Swete sees the book of Revelation as a needful compliment to the rest of the New Testament. Like H. B. Swete many devoted scholars now affirm that the book of Revelation is the crown of the Bible. It should be read in conjunction with the other New Testament books, but the other books are incomplete without the book of Revelation. It also needs to be read in conjunction with the book of Daniel and other Old Testament passages. Today there is new interest in the book of Revelation, and it has aroused interest among Christians, because people are more and more interested in knowing what the latter days will be like. The demonic forces manifested in history and especially in our day are of great concern for many believers. The human experience through all of this is of great concern. Questions like if there is will the church have to go through it? There are several views on the subject and I will deal with them later. Evil is being seen in our time as being rooted in a super-human personality [Satan] and his demonic cohorts. This personal power of evil exceeds the wit or strength of man to over come him. It is ironic that there are those who deny the reality and activities of the personal power of evil. Just as appalling is the manifestation of demonic forces of witchcraft, wars and oppression among those who call themselves Christian. The plaque of evil is rampant today even among churches. Surely the Lord’s return cannot be far off. According to the book of Revelation evil is so radical that it can only be overcome by the mighty judgments and intervention of God. There is other reason why there is interest in the book of Revelation. What will happen to the church or what will we be doing when Christ reigns.