In 17:7-18 John interprets his vision of the Great Whore. This monster is a parody of Christ, event of the point of a future second coming. All of the symbols John uses to describe the enemies of God’s people – the monster, the abyss, the great city, Babylon, the great whore, the monster from the sea - actually describe the one reality – imperial Rome.
Identifying the various numbered kings in vs. 9-13 is a confusing and pointless exercise. Many have tried, even to identifying some of them with modern nations like Australia and China, which is certainly a false approach. The point John makes is that many nations will surely persecute the Christian faithful and in so doing will make war on the Lamb (vs. 14).
John saw these agents of persecution from the point of view of Christ who is ever the victor. Furthermore, his companions in victory will also be those who are faithful. Indeed, John believed that the victory of Christ over sin and death on the cross was the inaugural victory of God. It would be re-enacted again and again in his faithful followers in John’s time and thereafter until the end time determined by God alone.
Vss. 15-18 contains another prophecy describing the destruction of the great whore, i.e Rome. This appears to happen by the rebellion of client kingdoms which formerly yielded their power and authority to Rome. But this too is within God’s purpose. As Professor Caird noted, “the savaging of the whore by the monster and its horns is John’s most vivid symbol for the self-destroying power of evil. Every power which sets itself up against God shall in the end break itself on the Cross of his Son and the martyr witness of his saints. In the end, self-giving love triumphs.
Monday, January 12, 2009
THE LAST DAYS OF ROME
Whereas the seven bowls of plagues in chs. 15-16 gave a general outline of divine judgment, In chs. 17-18 John now begins a closer examination of the causes of Rome’s downfall (i.e. Babylon or the great whore as he called it.) The latter term refers directly to the three statues of the god Roma and assumes a relationship to the almost universal figure of a fertile Mother Goddess of Middle Eastern religious traditions.
In the Old Testament the Israelites met this same goddess in the fertility cults of the Canaanites in which prostitution played a dominant role. In John’s time, Rome’s supremacy over the ancient world and the required worship of the imperial cult could be similarly, although metaphorically described (15:2).
In vs. 4, John escaped into the desert in a trance, which was a place of security as the Exodus was for the Israelites. From there he could see the true bright colours of the seducer dressed in all her worldly glory. John may well have had a real appreciation of the grandeur of Rome. We still regard it as one of the great civilizations of the past. Then as now, faith is not easy in a seductive culture.
At the same time John also saw that it was full of obscenities and filth – i.e. its abominable idolatry and general immorality. The Greek word for obscenity is the same word sued in Daniel 9:27 and Mark 13:14 for the desecrating idol placed in the temple by earlier invaders of Jerusalem.
John had two counts against Rome: the idolatry diffused throughout the empire and the persecution of all who refused to participate in it (vss. 5-6). This figure in John’s vision is just the same old bewitching sorcerer in a new incarnation of supreme power to which we are all attracted.
In the Old Testament the Israelites met this same goddess in the fertility cults of the Canaanites in which prostitution played a dominant role. In John’s time, Rome’s supremacy over the ancient world and the required worship of the imperial cult could be similarly, although metaphorically described (15:2).
In vs. 4, John escaped into the desert in a trance, which was a place of security as the Exodus was for the Israelites. From there he could see the true bright colours of the seducer dressed in all her worldly glory. John may well have had a real appreciation of the grandeur of Rome. We still regard it as one of the great civilizations of the past. Then as now, faith is not easy in a seductive culture.
At the same time John also saw that it was full of obscenities and filth – i.e. its abominable idolatry and general immorality. The Greek word for obscenity is the same word sued in Daniel 9:27 and Mark 13:14 for the desecrating idol placed in the temple by earlier invaders of Jerusalem.
John had two counts against Rome: the idolatry diffused throughout the empire and the persecution of all who refused to participate in it (vss. 5-6). This figure in John’s vision is just the same old bewitching sorcerer in a new incarnation of supreme power to which we are all attracted.
BOWLS FULL OF WRATH
Another strange portent replaces the bloody scene of the last vision in 15:1-8 symbolizing the final denouément of God’s judgment. The sea of glass mingled with fire represents the chaos over which God established authority in creation. There are echoes of the Exodus too in the seven angels with seven plagues (vss. 1 & 3). Also prominent in this new vision are “the Conquerors,” i.e. the Christian martyrs who had died because they refused to worship the statue of the emperor (vs. 2). Their song (vss. 3-5) recalls the vision in ch. 5 when the seals of the great scroll were opened by the Lamb.
The final words of the martyrs’ song, “for your judgments have been revealed” (or alternately, “the justice of your decrees stands revealed”) signify that the death of the innocent martyrs bears persuasive witness to the redeeming love of God in Christ. In this respect Prof. George Caird noted that in Romans 3:26 Paul wrote that by implementing this decree God has proved to the world that God is “both just and justifier of anyone who puts his faith in Jesus.” For John, the martyrdom his friends suffered would bring a world-wide turning to God.
Vss. 5-8 recalls the scene in the desert where God instructed Moses to build an elaborate Tent of Testimony (Exodus 25-30 cf. Heb. 8:5) in which was to be placed the tablets of stone bearing the terms of the Covenant. The robes of the angels (vs. 6) invoke the priestly robes to be worn by Aaron and his sons (Exod. 28). In that story and at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (Exod. 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10), the priests could not enter the shrine because it was filled with the cloud of the glory of God. Here no one could enter the shrine until God’s judgment was accomplished.
The final words of the martyrs’ song, “for your judgments have been revealed” (or alternately, “the justice of your decrees stands revealed”) signify that the death of the innocent martyrs bears persuasive witness to the redeeming love of God in Christ. In this respect Prof. George Caird noted that in Romans 3:26 Paul wrote that by implementing this decree God has proved to the world that God is “both just and justifier of anyone who puts his faith in Jesus.” For John, the martyrdom his friends suffered would bring a world-wide turning to God.
Vss. 5-8 recalls the scene in the desert where God instructed Moses to build an elaborate Tent of Testimony (Exodus 25-30 cf. Heb. 8:5) in which was to be placed the tablets of stone bearing the terms of the Covenant. The robes of the angels (vs. 6) invoke the priestly robes to be worn by Aaron and his sons (Exod. 28). In that story and at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (Exod. 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10), the priests could not enter the shrine because it was filled with the cloud of the glory of God. Here no one could enter the shrine until God’s judgment was accomplished.
REAPING THE HARVEST
The climax to John’s visions approaches swiftly as he describes the reaping of the harvest of the Son of Man by angels from the heavenly temple. In the Old Testament harvest and vintage were frequently used as symbols of divine judgment, either of God’s own people Israel or of their enemies. John also believed that such a judgment was about to happen or had already occurred. He wrote about this to reveal the final choice confronting his fellow Christians.
In 14:14 the presence of “one like a son of man sitting on a cloud” is a figure drawn from the gospel tradition (Mark 13:27; Matt. 24:31) and earlier Hebrew apocalyptic literature. Vss. 15-16 indicate that it is Christ himself who is doing the harvesting (i.e. judging).
In vss. 17-19 another angel is bidden to join in the vintage harvest. The vine was a traditional symbol for Israel in the Old Testament. In the Gospel of John 15:1-8, the symbol is applied to the Christian Church. The location of the winepress “outside the city” refers to the place of the crucifixion. By using these several images John found a unique way of telling his friends that Christ who turned the tragedy of the cross into victory over sin and death can transform the shambles of their martyrdom into a glorious celebration of harvest.
Other important symbols can be found in this passage. The golden crown worn by the Son of Man (vs. 14), the three angels from the temple and the altar (vss. 15-18), and the river of blood (vs. 20) all represent the faith that the sacrifice of Christ himself and of the martyrs is God’s judgment that will ultimately establish God’s sovereignty which the martyrs will share with Christ. Puzzling as this may seem to us, it is a profound declaration of faith for difficult times.
In 14:14 the presence of “one like a son of man sitting on a cloud” is a figure drawn from the gospel tradition (Mark 13:27; Matt. 24:31) and earlier Hebrew apocalyptic literature. Vss. 15-16 indicate that it is Christ himself who is doing the harvesting (i.e. judging).
In vss. 17-19 another angel is bidden to join in the vintage harvest. The vine was a traditional symbol for Israel in the Old Testament. In the Gospel of John 15:1-8, the symbol is applied to the Christian Church. The location of the winepress “outside the city” refers to the place of the crucifixion. By using these several images John found a unique way of telling his friends that Christ who turned the tragedy of the cross into victory over sin and death can transform the shambles of their martyrdom into a glorious celebration of harvest.
Other important symbols can be found in this passage. The golden crown worn by the Son of Man (vs. 14), the three angels from the temple and the altar (vss. 15-18), and the river of blood (vs. 20) all represent the faith that the sacrifice of Christ himself and of the martyrs is God’s judgment that will ultimately establish God’s sovereignty which the martyrs will share with Christ. Puzzling as this may seem to us, it is a profound declaration of faith for difficult times.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
ANGELS AND THE GOSPEL
We tend to think of angels as God’s messengers bringing good news, like the angels of Luke 2:8-14. That isn’t how John saw them. Instead, these messengers brought a message first proclaimed by Christ himself. It could never be replaced and so was “an eternal gospel. By his life, death and resurrection Christ had ransomed for God every human being who ever lived. The function of the martyrs to whom John wrote was to proclaim the same message with their lives and their deaths. That is the meaning of 14:6-7.
At the same time a second angel (vs. 8) declares that judgment has come to those who would destroy God’s purpose for creation. As in the Old Testament, Babylon represented all worldly powers marshaled against God. In this instance, John meant Rome which seduced other nations and peoples into believing in its absolute authority through worshiping the emperor.
But what if someone did not believe and continued to worship the idol? A third angel (vss. 9-11) describes what would befall them if they did not repent. John’s description of a life of eternal torment after death is almost beyond words. He is saying as best he could with references from Jewish apocalyptic literature what it would be like for those who rejected God’s offer of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. We must decide if this still confronts the unrepentant today.
Remember that John was issuing this dire warning and an urgent appeal to the faithful Christians of the seven churches to endure to the end (vs. 12). They might well be martyred for their faithfulness, but even so they would receive the eternal blessing of God. They would inherit eternal bliss and rest in God’s presence (vs. 13). He firmly believed too that their martyrdom would win many more converts to the faith.
At the same time a second angel (vs. 8) declares that judgment has come to those who would destroy God’s purpose for creation. As in the Old Testament, Babylon represented all worldly powers marshaled against God. In this instance, John meant Rome which seduced other nations and peoples into believing in its absolute authority through worshiping the emperor.
But what if someone did not believe and continued to worship the idol? A third angel (vss. 9-11) describes what would befall them if they did not repent. John’s description of a life of eternal torment after death is almost beyond words. He is saying as best he could with references from Jewish apocalyptic literature what it would be like for those who rejected God’s offer of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. We must decide if this still confronts the unrepentant today.
Remember that John was issuing this dire warning and an urgent appeal to the faithful Christians of the seven churches to endure to the end (vs. 12). They might well be martyred for their faithfulness, but even so they would receive the eternal blessing of God. They would inherit eternal bliss and rest in God’s presence (vs. 13). He firmly believed too that their martyrdom would win many more converts to the faith.
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS
Like most other New Testament writers, John often used Old Testament passages to make his point that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ. He did so again in 14:1-5 as he interpreted on Psalm 2 in this way. He envisioned the decisive battle between the hostile forces opposed to God and those who by faith share with Christ the task of reducing the rebellious world to submission.
The scene depicted Mount Zion on which were gathered the Lamb and 144,000 faithful. This military roll call was like the census of Israel’s twelve tribes in 1 Chronicles 4-7. Not preparing for battle, this army of God had already begun the song of victory (vs. 3). But no one could learn this song but those who had been martyred. Their song consisted of the agony and groans of their ordeal transformed by the mysterious power of the cross into the harmonies of heaven (vss. 2-3).
Vs. 4 has a somewhat unusual reference to an ancient practice in Israel’s traditional struggle for survival. War was initiated with religious ceremony and so consecrated as holy war. Soldiers were required to maintain sexual abstinence as did Uriah in the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). To John this meant that the Christian martyrs would maintain their purity by resisting any association with the imperial cult required of all Roman citizens.
In so doing, the Christian martyrs would follow Christ wherever he went, even to death. They would share his royal and priestly office so that through them he may complete his redeeming work. Thus they would be offering themselves as the first fruits of the harvest representing all living things, so redeeming the whole. John is not saying that only they would be saved out of the world. Rather, they would be as Jesus, the lamb without blemish, in their unwavering loyalty.
The scene depicted Mount Zion on which were gathered the Lamb and 144,000 faithful. This military roll call was like the census of Israel’s twelve tribes in 1 Chronicles 4-7. Not preparing for battle, this army of God had already begun the song of victory (vs. 3). But no one could learn this song but those who had been martyred. Their song consisted of the agony and groans of their ordeal transformed by the mysterious power of the cross into the harmonies of heaven (vss. 2-3).
Vs. 4 has a somewhat unusual reference to an ancient practice in Israel’s traditional struggle for survival. War was initiated with religious ceremony and so consecrated as holy war. Soldiers were required to maintain sexual abstinence as did Uriah in the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). To John this meant that the Christian martyrs would maintain their purity by resisting any association with the imperial cult required of all Roman citizens.
In so doing, the Christian martyrs would follow Christ wherever he went, even to death. They would share his royal and priestly office so that through them he may complete his redeeming work. Thus they would be offering themselves as the first fruits of the harvest representing all living things, so redeeming the whole. John is not saying that only they would be saved out of the world. Rather, they would be as Jesus, the lamb without blemish, in their unwavering loyalty.
THE MONSTER FROM THE LAND
Whereas the first monster represented the Roman proconsul, appointed annually from Rome, the second monster represented a local council of civic and religious authorities administering each community of the empire. One of the council’s responsibilities was to foster the worship of the emperor by erecting a statue of the emperor then in power. This is the context of the time ca. 95 CE when Domitian reigned and John composed his cryptic visions.
The image of the emperor John so vividly condemned “had two horns like a lamb’s but spoke like a dragon.” Its lamb-like appearance heightens the parody of Christ that John envisioned. In other words, it represented a false Messiah, even to the point of working miracles and deceiving the general populace in many other ways.
One of the most popular superstitions of the time held that Emperor Nero (54-68 CE), who had committed suicide, had not really died but would return from the east. In 88 CE a pretender in Asia had actually claimed to be Nero. Another popular philosophy of this era used magic, mysticism and mathematics to further impress the common people. These informed the symbolism John used to warn his Christian community of the dangers they faced.
Specifically the mark of the monster and the number of its name (vss. 16-18) referred directly these popular beliefs. Every Roman commercial document and coin bore the mark or the image of the reigning Caesar. The number 666 was a cryptogram that must have appealed to John for some symbolic meaning. Although many have tried to decipher it, no one has yet done so. Traditionally, the number is thought to refer to the legend about Nero’s return.
The image of the emperor John so vividly condemned “had two horns like a lamb’s but spoke like a dragon.” Its lamb-like appearance heightens the parody of Christ that John envisioned. In other words, it represented a false Messiah, even to the point of working miracles and deceiving the general populace in many other ways.
One of the most popular superstitions of the time held that Emperor Nero (54-68 CE), who had committed suicide, had not really died but would return from the east. In 88 CE a pretender in Asia had actually claimed to be Nero. Another popular philosophy of this era used magic, mysticism and mathematics to further impress the common people. These informed the symbolism John used to warn his Christian community of the dangers they faced.
Specifically the mark of the monster and the number of its name (vss. 16-18) referred directly these popular beliefs. Every Roman commercial document and coin bore the mark or the image of the reigning Caesar. The number 666 was a cryptogram that must have appealed to John for some symbolic meaning. Although many have tried to decipher it, no one has yet done so. Traditionally, the number is thought to refer to the legend about Nero’s return.
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