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Each day this month we’re looking closely at one of the 1:1 verses of the Bible – exploring what we can learn from chapter one / verse one of various Old and New Testament books.
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.”
Revelation is one strange book.
It features bizarre creatures, dazzling images, and fearful portents of heavenly and earthly events – all of which have been subjected to crazy theories over the centuries.
The British wit G.K. Chesterton once observed, “Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.”
During my years as a local church pastor, I had the opportunity to teach a number of midweek Bible studies. The largest turnout I can recall was on the first night of a three-month series on the book of Revelation. I couldn’t believe how many people had chosen to show up at church on a Wednesday night. I was pumped.
About 15 minutes into the opening session, however, it began to dawn on the crowd that I didn’t have the answers to all of their questions. I wasn’t going to pass out a multi-colored calendar linking current events to the end of the world, nor was I going to take a stab at the date of the Second Coming.
I could feel the air gradually going out of the room. The second week’s crowd wasn’t nearly as big.
So, what good is the book of Revelation if you can’t use it as a guide to interpreting today’s headlines?
Scholars have long debated the nature of the Bible’s last book. Do its fascinating names, numbers, and images describe events that happened exclusively in the first century? Are they pointing instead to happenings that are hundreds or even thousands of years in the future? Or are they entirely symbolic, proclaiming the unquestioned power of God and authority of Jesus for every generation?
It’s worth noting something remarkable about Revelation’s content.
Readers have long noted that its 404 verses are brimming with direct or indirect references to Old Testament texts. Scholars, in fact, have identified at least 505 citations or allusions to the Jewish Scriptures. Revelation quotes or alludes to an astonishing 28 of the Old Testament’s 39 books.
The Bible’s last book, in other words, is perhaps better characterized as a fresh look in the rear-view mirror than a crystal ball glance at the far distant horizon.
Look again at the first half of chapter one / verse one: “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
The word “revelation” translates the Greek word apokalupsis. We know the word “apocalyptic.” It’s both exciting and unnerving. It’s used to describe dramatic events like earthquakes, Wall Street meltdowns, and threats of nuclear annihilation. Does this mean we finally get to talk about some end-of the-world stuff?
Not exactly.
The word apoklupsis literally means “to uncover.” It’s hard to improve on Eugene Peterson’s thoughts in Reversed Thunder, his commentary on Revelation:
“Imagine a pot of stew on a stove. A person enters the house and becomes aware of rich aromas coming from the kitchen. The smells are inviting. He guesses at some of the ingredients. He asks others in the house what is in the pot and gets different opinions. The cook doesn’t seem to be anywhere around.
“Finally, everyone troops into the kitchen. One of the company takes the lid from the pot; they all crowd close and peer into it. Uncovered, the stew with all of its ingredients is exposed to the eye: Apocalypse! What was guessed at is now known in detail and becomes food for a hearty meal.”
An “apocalypse,” in the Bible, is a “revelation” – a sneak peek or a revealing, if only briefly, of what is really going on behind the scenes.
For all of the chaos and turbulence in human history, Jesus rules the cosmos invisibly. Many things may be wrong. But the day is coming when Jesus will set all things right.
If he wanted, God could share his playbook with us. He clearly has no interest in doing so. God is considerably more interested in our choosing to trust him – even if tomorrow brings a crisis no one saw coming. Even if we don’t know whether we’re still at the beginning of human history, or right at the end. Even if – perhaps especially if – we don’t have anything to go on except his promise that he will always be there for us.
The book of Revelation is a call to cling to Christ, no matter what.
On September 11, 2001, shortly before United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in western Pennsylvania, its 40 passengers and crew had learned through AirFone conversations that other jets had been used that morning as guided missiles.
They began to formulate a plan. The words of passenger Todd Beamer were later widely reported by the media: “Let’s roll.”
Less mention was made of 38-year-old Tom Burnett, executive of a medical research company, who called his wife and said, “All of us are going to die.” The passengers knew the reality of their situation. Then Burnett said something else. Everyone on the plane was going to die, but “some of us are going to do something about it.”
What wonderful theology.
All of us are going to die. But before we die, are we willing to do something with the incredible life that God has given to each one of us, even though we never know precisely what might happen next?
Perhaps it’s appropriate, as we conclude our month-long look at some of the Bible’s most memorable opening statements, to finish with the very last words of the Bible’s last book:
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21).
Jesus is in charge of everything.
Jesus is going to come again.
We can trust Jesus with all of life’s details.
Both today and tomorrow.
Amen!