Drawn to revelation
It is not surprising to find oneself drawn to “the Revelation from Jesus Christ … to his servant John” (Rev 1:1) at a time such as this. To be sure, the Revelation is a strange book with bizarre creatures and indecipherable episodes re-imagined and re-purposed from an ancient vault of Biblical apocalyptic imagery. And, as GK Chesterton so aptly put it; “Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creatures so wild as one of his own commentators.” Yet instinctively we sense, if the reader would “heed” (1:3) the words in this book, navigational directives will emerge by which to surmount tumultuous times. Herein lies the allure of the apocalyptic.
Consider the following excerpts in sequence.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying; “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Straightaway, I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and One sitting upon the throne … (Revelation 4:1-2)
This enticing scene presents itself immediately following the letters to the churches in Asia Minor. Clearly what is in view is a heavenly scene referencing the court-room of Daniel 7, a setting in which all truth is unveiled concerning kingdoms, and in particular, the enigmatic ascendency of that character of all characters, the Son of Man. As the reader continues, curious details emerge within the throne room itself including the reappearance of a peculiar scroll, left sealed and unopened for an appointed time ever since it conspicuously presented itself in the visions of Ezekiel, Isaiah and Daniel …
And I saw in the right hand of the One on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll, and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the scroll, or to look into it. And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, or to look into it: and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah [cf. Gen 49], the Root of David [cf. Isa 11], has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.” And I saw in the midst of the throne (and of the four living creatures), and the elders, a Lamb standing, as slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll, and to open its seals: for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men and women from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:1-10; cf. vv.11-14—what must be the pinnacle of Christology in the New Testament.)
Taking leave of this breath-taking cacophony of praise, the Revelation swiftly moves to introduce the reader to the infamous four horsemen of the apocalypse in chapter 6 with devastation in their wake, until at the breaking of the fifth seal, John records:
Thanks [Otto](/team/otto_bam). Here is a hug.