Further Revelation

My blog about the U.S. group which relates the book of Revelation to Donald Trump seems to have attracted a lot of positive interest. Last night the man himself gave further insight into the matter with an election “debate“ in which he bullied his way through giving no opportunity for rational engagement.

Revelation, the final book of the Bible, was subject to considerable debate when the church looked at which books would be “canonical”, or approved. There are wonderful chapters and others which are perplexing. The writer, John, is in exile because of the heavy persecution which the Christian believers were suffering and it is not difficult to see that his writing about conflict and final victory stems from that. It fits all too well with the Trump perception that what he considers American values are under attack and that he is constantly being misrepresented by sinister forces.

John’s vision is one which encourages the persecuted churches to remain faithful and to trust God. The first seven chapters represent the glory of Christ taking his place in the heavenly realms, and assures us that “There was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb”. It is a glorious, widely-embracing perception of God’s love and salvation. Chapters 19-22 end the book with a further affirmation of God’s victory, best summed up as “Behold, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more”(21.3-4).

Between these chapters there is the portrayal of a cosmic struggle, with intense apocalyptic imagery. For people going through heavy persecution by a seemingly all-powerful empire whose emperor is regarded as a god, the battle portrayed must have felt supportive, couched as it is in imagery which they would have understood. Whatever we may make of these chapters, they are about the struggle of God’s people against evil (and they do contain shafts of light) but they are represented in a way which Christians have struggled with from the beginning. Many times people have looked at the wars and evils happening in the world and taken them as signs of the end of the world – and let’s face it, such events can feel like that, even more than Covid-19 – but they have misunderstood the nature of the writings. We should note that in Mark’s Gospel Jesus says “If anyone says to you at that time ‘Look, here is the Messiah’ or ‘Look, there he is’ do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mk 13.21-22). It appears that it is, indeed, all too possible.

As an exercise, we could look afresh to note that there are verses in Revelation which could also be taken to refer to a current world leader, though in a different way. In chapter 13 the dragon (the evil one defeated by St Michael and his Angels – Tuesday was their feast day, the day immediately before the debate/debacle - can this be mere coincidence? ) - gives authority to “the beast” who “in amazement the whole earth followed…. They worshipped the dragon for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast saying ‘who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’ The beast was given a mouth with haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months’ ( Rev 13.3-5).’ Suspiciously close to the period in office of a US presidency, perhaps a haughty one at that, one whose followers think he can do no wrong? could it be???…… Emphatically No, tempting as it is, because the whole idea of applying Revelation to current world events is foolish and dangerous, at least to our own psychological and spiritual well-being and quite possibly for the world around us.

I am sorry  and concerned that people are being misled by people reading into the Bible the idea that a specific politician is the only way to follow. Not least because, as I said before, two friends have taken this movement seriously and I will probably never be able to communicate with them again. Amid the confusion of our times, let us hold on to the eternal love of God and the victory of Jesus over sin and death, and knowing that God cares for us so much that he gave his Son, let us pray “Come, Lord Jesus”.

 

 

Lord Jesus, come to people who are fearful of the future, to reassure them that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Lord Jesus, come to those who are confused about the way to live, show them how to see our world from a  truly divine perspective.

Lord Jesus, come to those who would seek to do injury to others to try to force change in an evil direction.

Lord Jesus, come to us all, daily, with the warm embrace of your love, the assurance of sins forgiven and the hope of eternal life and peace in your kingdom.

Your kingdom come. Amen