Grace Lutheran Church

Baldwin, Michigan

The Revelations of St. John

The Book of Revelations remains one of the most controversial and misunderstood books of the New Testament. It is filled with dire prophecies of evil times to come, arcane symbolism, the end of the world. So, what does it all mean?

Revelations as a book is mysterious partly because it is a form of literature that we Americans rarely encounter. Much of the symbolism depends on a thorough knowledge and remembrance of the Old Testament. In that it resembles some British poetry like that of T. S. Eliot. Phrases and images are meant to bring to mind passages from other books and making those connections can be essential for understanding what is said. Most of us do not remember our Old Testament that much.

Revelations is also filled with symbolism and imagery, much of which is not a part of our usual expression. It almost seems to be written in a kind of code. That is actually not far off. Rome and the Roman government under some of the Emperors are depicted as bloody tyrants, persecuting God’s people. Which actually happened. By speaking in symbols, those not in the know could miss the political, anti-Rome agenda and the work could fly under the radar.

Many have tried to decode Revelations as though it we can find a definite timeline of our future. But that is not the point. Rather than telling us what year things are going to happen, it gives us a general outline to encourage us to face the hard times that all of us face.

A good commentary is very helpful to explore the symbols and references. But the basic message is clear. In a nutshell, things are going to be hard, bad things are going to happen, but hang in there, God is ultimately in charge and He will take care of us.

St. John was writing near the end of the First Century A.D. Although there had been some sporadic persecutions of Christians by Roman emperors, Nero comes to mind,  the major opposition to Christianity had come from Jewish believers who had rejected Jesus. That would change. Part of the purpose of Revelations was to get the believers ready to face the serious persecution that would come. There would come times when it might seem that the followers of Christ would be wiped out. So the message was that despite appearances, God was ultimately in charge and He has our backs. Our ultimate home will be in heaven and nothing could change that.

We live in a era where there are places around the world, especially where militant Islamists arein control, where Christians are being actively persecuted and may face death for their faith. In America we do not face those threats. Yet here, many have reject the Christian faith and ridicule believers. But we should not be discouraged. God is still taking care of His people.