By Rev. John E. Jackson
I want to make clear my intention, and my intention is to pour a clean glass of water for you to drink from biblically, spiritually and theologically.
This particular section on the book of Revelation demands a continuation because of the muddy theological lens that has shaped it for far too long.
I left off last week with the point that Revelation is not a book of Nostradamus-like predictions. Revelation is not a book describing the world being consumed by fire and evil forces trying to implant chips on the hands or foreheads of people to control them.
Revelation is not a book that should scare those who follow Jesus of Nazareth as The Christ. Revelation, however, should put fear in those who are elected officials and leaders of governments and corporations that impact the lives of the most vulnerable, in negative ways.
Revelation should cause those in positions of power who elevate money and profit at the expense of the working poor in this nation or any nation to be concerned.
Revelation is an Apocalypse, and the word apocalypse merely means to unveil, to uncover and to reveal. Revelation was actually a source of comfort to the most vulnerable in Roman society of the first century.
Black South African freedom fighter Dr. Allan Boesak wrote a book on Revelation titled “Comfort and Protest, The Apocalypse of John from a South African Perspective.” I also recommend reading “Can I Get A Witness? Reading Revelation through African American Culture,” by Dr. Brian K. Blount. These are just two timely readings on the book of Revelation to help the pouring of a clean glass of water.
We must understand the dominating tyranny of the Roman Empire in the writer John’s time to truly understand the Book of Revelation.
The writer John states in Chapter 1 that he was exiled on the prison island of Patmos “for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” That right there tells us so much about this book.
First the Caesars of Rome took on the title of “Lord,” “Son of God,” and “savior,” and they demanded that all under Rome’s authority or colonization were to worship them as a deity. People were to confess either in the presence of the Caesar or in the presence of his image. This was called “The Imperial Cult” of Rome.
By the way, if you closely examine the cult of the 45th president, you will notice similarities to the Caesars of Rome. The question and decision that John and the other believers in Jesus faced was to either bow and confess Caesar as Lord God and thus compromise their faith in Jesus, or confess Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior and face torture, murder in the coliseum or exile like John, or crucifixion like Jesus.
Study closely how the Jewish aristocracy manipulated Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. In John 19:12, Pilate is trying to release Jesus, but the Jewish aristocracy say to Pilate, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be King opposes Caesar,” thus Jesus was put to death as an enemy of the state. The Jewish aristocracy and religious puppets were in Rome’s pocket and wanted to maintain their privilege even at the expense of their professed faith in God.
Consider Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna in 166 A.D. He was threatened with being burned to death if he did not lift the incense to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. Polycarp’s last words were, “Eighty and six years I have served Him [Jesus] and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior [Jesus].” And as they lit the flames that would devour his body, he spoke these final words, “I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ.”
The book of Revelation is a condemnation of Rome and Caesar that was written in code to the seven churches that John had leadership in. Revelation is a condemnation of a government and its leaders for oppressing the poor, the destitute and marginalized.
It is also good news to those who feel powerless and voiceless, that God will intervene and bring about a change where all will enjoy the fruits of God’s abundant creation in this present life and not just the life to come.
The images and visions are part of the code (BTW in Revelation the dragon has seven heads, and please know that Rome sat on seven hills).
The problem is that the explanation of the code has been lost to history, thus people have now taken to twisting the interpretation of the book to influence people to be more individualized, seeking their own personal salvation rather than seeking the uplifting of all those who suffer policies that persecute those most in need in any society.
What’s up with the Church? The revelation of Revelation is that God through Jesus birthed the church to be an alternative and inclusive community of compassion, generosity, dignity, love and where there is an equitable distribution of resources for all people.
The Church was not created to be “pie in the sky when you die by and by, but it was created to be something sound, on the ground, by the pound, while we are still around.” And that right there is good news!
Be well, be encouraged, be authentic and be woke!
