When I was in my twenties I worked as an engineer on power station construction projects. On one occasion a colleague was overseeing the construction of a concrete foundation for a very large fan. The foundation was many metres long and approximately rectangular. Unfortunately, after pouring the concrete, it was found that the foundation had been oriented at 180 degrees to its correct position. In principle the fan and the electrical wiring could still have been installed and everything would fit. But the fan would not have connected to the rest of the plant!
The point of this little story is that getting the initial orientation correct is really important. In our case, I feel that checking our orientation to Revelation warrants a little more time.
Over the past two millennia theologians have seen four main ways to ‘orient’ Revelation. Having chosen a particular orientation, they have been able to get the details of the interpretation to fit. I feel that the correct orientation is the futurist view. My main reason for thinking this isn’t so much about the details of Revelation as about how Revelation fits the big picture.
In my previous Reflection I quoted from a passage in Daniel which tells us that ‘a son of man … came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom … an everlasting dominion.’ But this didn’t happen by a snap of the fingers. First, another kingdom has to be removed. Daniel says of this other kingdom (7:26): ‘But the court shall sit in judgement, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.’
Jesus tells us the same thing in Luke 19 in the Parable of the Talents. We all know this as a story about using our gifts and resources well. But there’s a bigger story too:
A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return ... But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.” He was made king, however, and returned home.
When the king returns, were the subjects who didn’t want him to be king still present, or had they mysteriously vanished? Of course, they were still present, and the king ‘removes’ them (19:27).
So, the wider context of the Bible story is that Jesus returns as king of the whole earth, and as we see in both Daniel and Luke, those who do not wish him to be king have to be dealt with.
I believe this is what Revelation is about. Revelation uses symbolic language which can fit other events in history. But if, in our understanding of Revelation, we don’t see Jesus returning to take up his kingship – and dealing with those who oppose him – then our understanding of Revelation doesn’t fit the big picture.
However, as Daniel tells us, the court must sit. There must be a proper process.
In Revelation 4, John is given a vision of the future – ‘what must take place after this.’ He sees a throne and the king and the king’s retinue. It’s a court scene – a royal court, rather than a law court – but when we had kings, the king heard cases. He sees twenty-four elders and they’re clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. This court is the highest authority, the equivalent of the UK Supreme Court. He sees flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder. Those gathered say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.’ It’s awesome and impressively righteous.
Then, in chapter 5, John sees a scroll in the right hand of God. A decision has been made. What could the scroll signify? In Revelation, John regularly quotes from Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Each prophet either wrote or was given a scroll, and they were all scrolls of judgement. Given what happens as the seals of the scroll are opened, it’s clear that this scroll also contains a judgement.
So, in his vision, John sees the moment when judgement is given. The time for God to deal with those who do not wish his son to be king has come. But the scroll is not opened all at once…
Have a good day!
Simon
