Coming Soon: The Vision Begins
Last week there was another meeting of “The Oratory of St. Arnoldus“. This meant that Kevin and I visited a new bar, cracked open our copies of Coming Soon, and dug into the final book of the Bible, The Apocalypse…
Servants of the Servant of God
In the fourth chapter of his book, Dr. Barber examines the first twenty verses of John’s apocalypse. It begins thus:
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
This repeated use of the word “servant” brings to mind Isaiah’s Suffering Servant, one of the primary lenses through which the Early Church understood Jesus and His mission:
The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. – Acts 3:13
John begins by identifying both himself and the hearers of this book as the “servants” of God. The Church is Christ’s Body and therefore Christians who imitate Christ and share in His sufferings and are “servants” too. John himself was no stranger to suffering, having been exiled on the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel. He is now graced with this vision, a message of hope for persecuted Christians everywhere, servants of the Most High.
Talked To By An Angel
As with many things in the Book of Revelation, Jesus’ behaviour is consistent with the Old Testament’s testimony of Yahweh. When God spoke to people prior to the coming of Christ, he often did so through an angel:
And the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush… 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God – Exodus 3:2,6
Likewise, now glorified in Heaven, Jesus speaks through his angel:
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ…made…known by sending his angel to his servant John
This, and all the other parallels between Yahweh and Jesus, point towards Christ’s divinity.
Mass Revelation
John then pronounces blessing on those who (a) “read” (b) “hear” and (c) “keep [obey]” the revelation he received:
3 Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.
Where is the Bible “read” and “heard”? In the Eucharistic Liturgy! Even by the third verse, the liturgical nature of this book (CCC 1137) is on full display.
History or Eternity
John then goes own to address seven churches in Asia (the area around modern Turkey):
4 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
It’s not secret that there are a lot of wacky interpretations out there about the Book of Revelation. Many of these interpretations go off the rails early on because they fail to recognize first and foremost that this document has a specific historical context. This is where our exegesis must begin.
Having said that, this inspired piece of Sacred Scripture still speaks to the Church today. It is therefore possible to understand these seven churches as representing the whole Church. This interpretation is grounded in the fact that the number seven is symbolic of wholeness and of covenantal relationship.
The Seven Spirits in the Sky
One of the first head-scratching moments in the text is the reference to the “seven spirits”:
4 … 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
If we look at these verses carefully we see that “grace…and peace” come from three places:
1. The Father
“…from him who is and who was and who is to come…”
2. The Son
…Jesus Christ the faithful witness…
3. The Holy Spirit
“…from the seven spirits who are before his throne…”
What we actually have here is a reference to the Holy Trinity. It would appear that the “seven spirits” refers to the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Blessed Trinity is referred to in this way because, as mentioned above, the number seven is symbolic of completeness, but also holiness. The Holy Spirit is therefore the complete, perfect, holy spirit.
Priest, Prophet & King
The description of Jesus is noteworthy:
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
Each of these descriptions in some way reverse the fall of Adam:
1. Prophet (“…faithful witness…”)
The first description of Jesus raises again the theme of persecution. The word used for “witness” is “martyr”. Adam, loving his earthly life more than supernatural life, feared suffering and refused to become a martyr. In contrast, Jesus did not shrink from martyrdom, from death. Jesus continued in His Passion what he had done for all eternity, pour Himself out in love to the Father. It is through this sacrifice that we enter into the life of the Trinity.
2. Priest (“…first-born of the dead…”)
The first-born sons who were originally the priests of Israel (Numbers 3:44-45) and therefore this phrase has priestly connotations. Likewise, Adam was called to fulfill a priestly role within the Garden, to till (“Abad”) and keep (“Shamar”) the garden, the same duties assigned to the priests of the Temple. Adam failed in his duties, whereas Jesus was faithful.
3. King “…ruler of the kings of the earth…”
Adam had a kingly role, naming the animals and having dominion over the garden. However, Jesus is the true king. Even though it may appear that Caesar is in charge, Jesus still reigns.
Like Jesus, through our baptism, we have a share in these roles as priest, prophet and king.
Cloudy References
The next couple of verses allude to two passages from the Old Testament:
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
John speaks of one “coming with the clouds”. This is a reference to Daniel 7 where Daniel sees a vision of God in Heaven, he sees “one like a Son of Man” receive the Kingdom and gives it to those who persevered through persecution. The reference to to those who “pierced him; and all tribes of earth will wail” is a reference to the Prophet Zechariah where the people mourn for the Davidic king, repeat and turn back to God.
Both of these references point towards Jesus. He is the “Son of Man” of Daniel’s vision and He is the son of David who was “pierced” and who causes the world to mourn, spoken of by Zechariah.
First and Last
Jesus then refers to Himself in terms comparable to Yahweh:
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
This alludes to the “I AM” revelation to Moses at the burning bush.
Tribulation & the Kingdom
The theme of persecution returns once more:
9 I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
The “tribulation” described here was mostly likely a not an imperial persecution, but a popular local persecution by the people, imitating the Emperor in Rome and the Jews in Jerusalem. The “kingdom” John refers to is the main theme of Jesus’ ministry, the fulfillment of God’s promises to David. The kingdom is a covenant family, present in the Church and the Sacraments.
Sunday, Sunday
Next, John tells us about the day on which he received His vision:
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Per′gamum and to Thyati′ra and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to La-odice′a.”
The “Lord’s Day” is the day Jesus rose from the dead, the day of the Eucharist, but also the day of judgement. The “trumpet” mentioned ties these themes together since:
1. The trumpet was as a notice of judgment (Zephaniah 1:14,16)
2. The trumpet was liturgical instrument (Ezra 3:10)
Reading Revelation Through Daniel
Like Daniel, John turns and sees a “voice”, one like a “son of man”:
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, …
The term “son of man” was Jesus’ favourite means of describing Himself and He used it throughout His ministry (it’s only used once outside of the Gospels and Revelation). In Daniel 7, the “son of man” receives the kingdom from God (“the Ancient of Days”) which he, in turn, gives to the saints, something which Jesus did throughout his ministry:
…[Jesus] he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” – Luke 4:43
The vision of Daniel 7 is fundamental to understanding the Book of Revelation. In his vision, Daniel saw four beats, each representing an earthly kingdom:
1. Babylonian
2. Medo-Persian
3. Greek
4. Roman
It was during the time of this final kingdom that Daniel said the “son of Man” would come. This does much to explain the intense messianic hopes of the Jewish world at the time of Christ. Both Peter and Paul travelled to Rome in the hope that the final beast would be transformed and become the manifestation of the Kingdom.
These lamp stands are the Menorah, the seven-branched candlestick seen by most in contemporary culture at the Jewish celebration of Chanukah. The Menorah was originally in the Jerusalem Temple, in the “Holy Place”. However, John has not entered the earthly Temple, but the heavenly temple…
Dressed for the Job
Jesus is then described as follows:
…[He was] clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast;
These sound rather like a Catholic priest’s stole and chasuble. They are the vestments of the High Priest:
These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a girdle; they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. – Exodus 28:4
Here is Josephus’ description:
“[The high priest] puts on that which is called Machanase, which means [something that is tied]….Over this he wore a linen vestment…. This vestment reaches down to the feet” – Antiquities of the Jews
Jesus’ description sounds rather similar to the description in Daniel 10:
5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz. – Daniel 10:5
The theme of Christ’s priesthood is found throughout the Gospels and most explicitly in the Book of Hebrews. As we see, this theme is picked up again in Revelation.
Describing Jesus
John continues to describe Jesus:
14 his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; …and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Much of this has similarities with Daniel 7 and Daniel 10:
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the noise of a multitude. – Daniel 10:5-6
The parallel between the “sound of many waters” and “noise of a multitude” is made clearer later when John describes a “multitude” as sounding like “many waters”.
Interestingly, the description of Jesus’ face (“shining in full strength”) is the same phrased used in the Greek version of Judges 5:31 (the Septuagint, or LXX) which describes a divine warrior. This theme will be picked up again shortly.
Star Gazing
John now goes on to describe the objects associated with him:
16 in his right hand he held seven stars…
What do these “seven stars” represent? We find “seven lamps” elsewhere in the Old Testament:
And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps which are on the top of it. – Zechariah 4:2
And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. – Daniel 12:3
The Book of Revelation itself later identifies these stars as “angels”:
“...seven angels of the seven churches” – Revelation 1:20
In his book, Dr. Barber offers another source of imagery for the seven stars – Roman coins. Roman Emperors used this symbol as a symbol o their political power. If this were the imagery implied by John, it suggests that Jesus, holding the stars in His hand, is the true power, the true King of Kings.
Sharp-Tongued
As well as the stars, we are told about a sword which comes from, of all places, Jesus’ mouth:
…from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, …
This appears to be an allusion to the Prophet Isaiah and the theme of covenant judgement found in the Pentateuch:
“[The Messiah]…will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth“ – Isaiah 11:4
“…look, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in hand” – Joshua 5:13
“And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant…” – Leviticus 26:25
We have spoken already about the judgement which fell on Jerusalem in AD 70 when both the city and the Temple were destroyed.
Priest and Warrior
Given this Old Testament background, we see that John is presenting Jesus as both priest and warrior. Although these two concepts seem unconnected to us, there was a strong correlation between the priesthood and battle in Jewish history, such as at the Battle of Jericho when the attack was proceeded by a liturgical procession.
We find this pattern appearing again and again in the Book of Revelation. All the events on earth are proceeded by some prayer or liturgical action by angels and saints in Heaven. This should remind us where there is true power and what really shapes history
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. – Psalm 146:3
John’s Response
How does John respond to meeting Jesus?
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, …”
This is the same response as Daniel and Joshua. Even though John was the “beloved disciple”, close to Jesus, he falls on His face. It is worth noting that Jesus lays his right hand on John, the hand which we were told contained the stars. This underscores the symbolic nature of the book!
Jesus describes Himself
Jesus then describes Himself using descriptions well-known to those familiar with the Old Testament:
“…I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
God calls Himself “the First and Last” in Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). The use of the phrase “I am…” relates to divinity. In John’s Gospel we find seven such sayings:
1. …the bread of life
2. …the light of the world
3. …the door
4. …the good shepherd
5. …the resurrection and the life
6. …the way, the truth and the life
7. …the true vine
Likewise, in Revelation, there are several “I am…” sayings:
1. …the alpha and the omega (x2)
2. …the first and the last
3. …the one who searches mind and heart
4. …the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star
Jesus says that he is “alive for evermore”, a phrase found in both Daniel 12:7 and 1 Enoch 5:1.
The Divine Commission
Jesus then commands John to write about what he says. These will be (a) present things (Chapter 2-3) and (b) future things:
19 Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter.
It is in this section that we are told about the meaning of the symbols described earlier:
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Again, this alludes to the Book of Daniel since it too speaks of “mystery”, in fact it’s the only Old Testament book which speaks of it.
Although John explains that the “stars” are “angels”, the exact meaning of “angel” is somewhat debated since it literally just means “messenger”. Some have argued that these “angels” are bishops of the churches addressed. However, it should be noted that John doesn’t give us any indication of this. Either way, it points to the issue mentioned above and the same idea which we find again and again in Revelation, that the Church isn’t simply earthly, but heavenly.