Old & New: Revelation - God's Persistent Promise (Week 1 - Revealing God's Faithfulness)

Siblings in Christ and fellow travelers on this journey of faith, today we are embarking on an exploration of one of the most misunderstood and often feared books of the Bible - the book of Revelation. I must confess that I have never read this book in its entirety. I’ve read bits and pieces of it, especially around All Saints Sunday. But, never the entire book. Are any of you like me?

When we hear “Revelation,” many of us conjure up images of fire and brimstone, cataclysmic events, or even that it’s some complex code to be deciphered. But, what if I told you that Revelation, according to its author, John of Patmos, is not really about unlocking secrets? Or predicting a terrifying future? What if it is, in fact, a letter of hope? A prophecy of faithfulness? An apocalypse (We’ll learn about that word in just a moment.) - an apocalypse that reveals God’s persistent love in the midst of challenging circumstances?

To accompany us in this exploration, it’s important that we read scripture. But, it’s also important that we carry with us a few guidebooks. I don’t know about you, but when I embark on a new travel adventure, I have a guidebook in hand. Usually one from Rick Steves. So, as we dig into Revelation, we’ll be using three commentaries, because it is important to understand how Revelation has historically been understood in the church. 

Two are specific to Revelation - one by Matthew Ian Fleming, a young theologian and graduate of Luther Seminary. A second is by Craig Koester, a long-time New Testament professor, also at Luther.  The third is a book on apocalyptic texts, jointly written by a former colleague of mine in Kentucky, Leah Schade, and her colleague at Lexington Theological Seminary, Jerry Sumney. Scripture and these three guides will accompany our journey through Revelation.

We begin our reading at the beginning, in chapter 1. 

The revelation of 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, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. --Rev. 1:1-4 (NRSVue)

The very first word, revelation, comes from the Greek word apokalupsis. It’s where we get the English word, apocalypse. When you think of apocalypse, what comes to mind? What are a few words or images that come to mind? What informs your understanding? In the Greek, apokalupsis means to unveil. Or to uncover. It’s about revealing what has always been around us, but perhaps gone unnoticed. Not about some hidden knowledge for an elite few. But a message intended for “his servants” - the text tells us. For all of us.

Many of our ideas about Revelation come to us from non-Biblical sources. Like John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Dante’s Inferno. Or in our own day, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown or the entire Left Behind series. These sources often treat Revelation as a code to be cracked. To unlock secrets, wealth, or some kind of historical meaning. 

But, at the beginning of the letter, it’s author John of Patmos tells us it is a letter. A prophecy. An apocalypse.

For many of us, our early experiences with theological concepts like “hell” were shaped by vivid images - images intended to instill in us a sense of fear. “Don’t do that, or you’re going to hell!” I can’t tell you how many times I said that to my brother growing up. Any of you have a similar experience? Were you taught about hell and the devil? Or maybe you grew up with a preacher - what we call a “hell and damnation” preacher? Did it intrigue you, scare you, keep you up at night, or motivate you to do right? 

These first impressions, innocent as they may be, often highlight an underlying assumption - a fear - about eternal punishment. It’s no wonder then that we often associate the book of Revelation with fear, terror, and a desire to scare people into good behavior. 

But a deeper reading of Revelation reveals something far different. It reveals God’s persistent promise through terror, and a revelation of the world’s beauty, awe, wonder, terror, oppression, and fear. God’s voice in Revelation is one of open doors. Of welcome for all. And of a promise to sustain creation. To truly unlock this vision of John, perhaps we can turn to the Psalms. Specifically, Psalm 139: 

7 Where can I go from your spirit?

Or where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning

and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me fast.

This psalm helps us understand the promise of Revelation - that God is present even in the midst of frightening and terrifying visions. It reminds us that God is always with us, even when we don’t see or hear it. Even when we don’t feel it.

Revelation is also a prophecy. We’ve talked about what prophecy means - not a prediction of the future, but a call to God’s people to return to faithfulness. In the Hebrew scriptures, prophets confront existing powers. They paint a vision of a new and different future. They call people back to God’s love and relationship. Think about apocalypic literature in our modern world - The Hunger Games or Mad Max: Fury Road, if you’ve seen them. These stories, while they are fiction, reveal truths about our present moment - about politics, about communities, or about a lack of care for creation. In the same Revelation reveals our priorities, the brokenness in our systems, the world, and in ourselves. It begins with our own self-reflection. Our own awareness of the things that distract us. Our own blind spots.

Think back to the killing of George Floyd. Think back to it before it became so deeply politicized. As, during the pandemic, we watched the recording over and over. Hearing him cry out for his mother. I’ve had many friends who are people of color. They often mentioned “driving while black” or “driving while brown.” I heard them talk about it. But, it wasn’t until I saw that movie and heard him cry out for his mother, that I began to understand my own blind spots on this issue. And, for the first time, really heard what my friends had been saying. 

Our own context - our own experiences - influence what we hear from stories, from scripture, from this book. As we read it, it will be important for us to consider our own backgrounds and perspectives. Learning about the context in which it was written - the Roman Empire and the persecution of the early church - this will help us understand how the text speaks to our moment. It will help to reveal the challenges of our world, but, ultimately, the promise of God’s sustaining love, healing, and preservation of all creation.

Jesus says, I am the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end. This tells us that all is held in God’s arms - not as some predetermined plan - but as God preserving us with love and lifting up all of creation. It is a love that preserves us through difficulties, that brings us together, and that sustains all that God has created. Revelation will reveal ways that we’ve participated in brokenness, too. Yet, it will also unveil how we can be formed into a people who love all of God’s creation. 

Think back to a time when you felt lost or scared. A time you felt far from home. When you look back now in hindsight, can you sense God’s presence and promise? Revelation is not mean to scare us into submission, but to awaken us to the profound and persistent presence of God’s love. It’s a call to faithfulness. Ultimately, it is a revealing of God’s unwavering commitment to us and to all of creation. And a reminder that even in the depths of Sheol, God is there. Guiding us. Holding us fast. Forever. Amen.