Having discussed the use of symbolism in part three, we come now to the what many consider to be most difficult feature of the book to understand, the way the book is organized. Symbolism is relatively easy when compared to analyzing the book’s structure, at least to some.
IV. CONSIDER THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
Revelation is a notoriously difficult book to analyze structurally. There really is no parallel to it in the Bible. (It is acknowledged, by the way, that two other writings by John, the Gospel and the First Letter are difficult to outline).
There are three areas where we need to strive to keep the balance.
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Dr. Lowery will be a featured speaker at Ozark Christian College’s 2010 Preaching-Teaching Convention during Feb. 22-24. This year’s event is entitled “Unveiled: The Surprising Plan of God in Revelation.” Dr. Lowery will be speaking at the opening session at 4:00 PM on Feb. 22 as well as at a morning seminar on Feb. 23. More details and registration information are available at the link above.
In the second part we focused on the style of genres of the book. The form shaped the substance in a significant way. Closely related to the genre is the use of symbolism in the book.
III. CONSIDER THE SYMBOLISM OF THE BOOK
I know of no interpreter, denials notwithstanding, who interprets everything in Revelation literally, plain and unadorned. No one believes that Jesus is literally a door or a Lamb or that the Devil is literally a Dragon. There are those who say that anyone who does not interpret Revelation literally is denying its inspired message. This is a bogus perspective. Such accusers themselves do not practice such an approach to language. Once again, we must interpret a book of the Bible naturally in light of its genre. It was the nature of such apocalyptic works in the ancient world to use symbolism.
Rev. 1:1 as translated in the KJV highlights the use of symbolism: “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” He sent and signified it . . . Unpack one verb, signify. God signified it, that is, God made the message known in signs. As John revealed Christ through the signs in the Gospel, so Christ is revealed through signs in the Revelation!
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In part one we considered the historical setting of the book. The book must have meant something to the original recipients, and we must seek to know what it meant before we can know what it means. Part 2 focuses on the fact that the book must have been written in a style that would have been understood by those recipients.
II. CONSIDER THE STYLE OF THE BOOK
I am talking about genre. What kind of book is this? We have gospels, history, and letters, but what about this book? Where would Barnes and Noble shelve this book? It would have to create a new category. A genre mistake is made by many preachers. They read Revelation like a “Book of Acts” with a twist, a kind of “Book of Future Acts.” Revelation tells us in great detail what is going to happen, so we are told. And we can draw up our charts and we distribute our videos. But remember this: Every single person or school of thought or church group who has done this have been consistent…consistently wrong, from the Millerites in the 1840s to the LaHaye-ites in the twenty-first century.
A genre mistake is made because we ask the wrong questions and therefore we don’t get the right answers because we impose our agenda on this book. We don’t allow God to set the agenda with the literary form that he has chosen to reveal himself. The bottom line is this: A book must be interpreted naturally in light of its genre.
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“Critics are madder than poets…And even though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creatures so wild as one of his own commentators.”
G.K. Chesterton
How in the world does one preach the Revelation responsibly?
When we read this book we may, at various points, think we have picked up a demented copy of the National Geographic Magazine filled with grotesque creatures—a slaughtered Lamb standing, a dragon with its tail sweeping stars out of the sky, or a beast with seven heads and ten horns. Or we may think that we have been surfing with our remote controls and we have come upon the weather channel revealing a world gone amuck with lightning and thunderstorms and hundred pound hailstones and raging seas and fierce tsunami-like conditions. Or perhaps we may think we have picked up a jigsaw puzzle with 5000 pieces and we have no picture of what it is we are trying to piece together or a puzzle book with crossword puzzles and page after page of scrambled letters where we are supposed to circle hidden words or phrases. Or perhaps we may think that we have picked up a college level higher mathematics book with incomprehensible numbers and equations, with threes, fours, twelves and multiples of twelve, and tens and multiples of tens and times, time and half a time. Or perhaps upon reading through the book in one sitting we conclude that it reads like a poorly directed film whose director and editor did not know when and how to end the movie. Or perhaps we think someone has typed in the words “The End” on some apocalyptic search engine and we have come up with web sites never dreamed of.
Indeed, when we open this last book of the Bible we experience a collision of sounds, smells, and sights. The book assaults our senses. We see a funeral procession, a wedding celebration, a brothel, a homecoming, a banquet, a dance; we smell incense and we see falling stars; we taste bitter waters; we see storms on the horizon and a childbirth; and we feel the winds of judgment; and we hear beautiful praise choruses or dire warnings too horrible to contemplate.
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Briefly, friends, two things:
- On Monday, Dr. Bob will kick off a five-part series entitled “Trying to Keep Your Balance: Preaching the Revelation.” It is intended to give preachers, students, and readers of Revelation some guidelines for understanding and communicating the message of the book responsibly. Lots of good ideas are forthcoming, to be sure.
- If you’re viewing rlowery.com on an iPhone or mobile device, we’ve activated a “theme” that enables you to read the blog more easily. If you haven’t accessed rlowery.com on your iPhone, now’s a great time to try it.
Thanks for being a part of this work. Feel free to leave a comment or question at any time.
In the thirty-four years I have served at the seminary in Lincoln, Illinois I have had what I describe as two and a half sabbaticals. The half-sabbatical was taken from May, 1982 through August, 1983 when I worked on my Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was a whirlwind of a sabbatical because I tried to squeeze in as much study as possible. The second was granted to me from June, 2005 through the end of that year and the result was my first book, Revelation’s Rhapsody: Listening to the Lyrics of the Lamb. I believe it was my first true sabbatical where I had time to recharge and write without feeling under pressure to produce. The third began in June of 2009 and ended on December 31.
What I did on my second full sabbatical can be answered in three short sentences: I prayed. I played. I planned. Read more…
Note: Dr. Lowery first published this unusual meditation on the Christmas story three years ago. It is still as relevant now as it was then–probably because the story itself speaks to us as it did to its original audience some 1,900 years ago. Look for new content on the site beginning the second week of January 2010. Have a blessed Christmas–Michael.
The Christmas story occupies approximately thirty-one verses in Matthew whereas Luke’s devotes seventy-four verses. Because of these verses people have constructed pageants and plays and have composed carols and cards. Poets and preachers along with artists and authors, ancient and modern, continue to stir our hearts.
Many of us have heard the stories of Matthew and Luke so often that perhaps we have become numb to their beauty. On the one hand, perhaps the story needs to be rescued from either the contempt of so-called biblical experts who deny the reliability of Scripture. And on the other hand, perhaps the story needs to be rescued from the sentimentality of people who either follow Jesus or barely know of him.
Year after year, decade after decade, and century after century, the same cast members have been assembled each December: sleepy shepherds and wandering sheep; a wandering star and exotic (three!) wise men; blaring trumpets and singing angels; an expectant mother and waiting husband. This year children of all ages will march across the stage and act out their parts. The same cast members are found in our carols and are beautifully portrayed on cards.
But one little word unites these images and individuals. It is often over-looked and omitted from the newer translations. And yet it appears six times each in Matthew’s and Luke’s renditions: Behold! It serves as either a word of comfort or challenge, exhorting us to lift up our eyes and see the world from a different perspective or encouraging us in hard times.
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Volume 1 of Dr. Lowery’s commentary on Revelation, Revelation’s Rhapsody, is now available in paperback format. You can still purchase copies of the hardcover at “collector’s prices” on Amazon. As of today, one new hardcover is available for $193.54. Plus $3.99 shipping. Or you can order the paperback directly from College Press or by calling Mr. Books, the LCU campus bookstore, at 217-732-3168 ext. 2224. The paperback is significantly less expensive than $193.54 and it makes a great Christmas gift.
I had my fourth meeting with the oncologist on Thursday, December 10. After talking it over with Marilyn, she thought we needed to update you on my health issues. We have appreciated your concern, and we hope that the information I share below is appropriate and will guide you as you pray for us.
Dr. Bretscher informed me that there are four stages in the spreading of carcinoid tumors. Because the tumors are now in my liver, I am at stage four, the final one. Evidently by the expression on my face, she could tell I was a bit surprised! She encouraged me to keep in perspective that the cancer is very slow growing and that it is unique with regard to how fast it spreads in an individual. Since there is no way to say how rapid the tumors will spread, this means stage four can last for a considerable period of time, and in fact, it usually does. She would not, however, provide a calendar of any kind because of the nature of the disease and because of its unique impact on each individual. She reminded me that it took nearly three years for the cancer to move from the mesentery to the liver, and therefore it may take a considerable period of time before it spreads to other organs.
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