Revelation Study - Lesson 3

Week 3: What's With All Those Numbers?

Symbolism runs rampant in apocalyptic literature, so lets do a quick run through of what numbers can symbolize in scripture. This information will not only help us discuss what we find in apocalyptic texts as we proceed through the study, but will help us frequently in the future when we read your Bible. All of the information below was taken from one Web site (http://www.biblestudy.org/) on January 22, 2011, so all credit goes to this site. I have simplified the information and cut out quite a bit in order to simplify it and make it easier to read and remember. However, you will find a lot more information and examples at the Web site along with discussion of the examples. Some of these discussions are pages long. You will also find a discussion of quite a few numbers not represented here. This Web site seems to be a bit "fundamentalistic," so read with a wee bit of skepticism. Also, there are many more sites on the Web where you can reference more information. Keep in mind that anyone can post anything on the Web so you need to use your own discretion when giving credence to any of the information. So if you want more information on any particular number, you can either go to Biblestudy.org or follow the links provided.

Number One

The number one is a primary number and in most all culture symbolized unity or primacy. One symbolizes unity because it is not made up of other numbers, is a source of all numbers and is independent. Likewise with God. God is independent of all and all stand in need of the One. One excludes all differences and symbolizes harmony.

When it is written: "Hear, O Israel, the LORD thy God is one LORD," it does not deny the Doctrine of the Trinity, but it excludes absolutely another Lord: it excludes, therefore, all idolatry.

Hence the First Commandment declares "Thou shalt have NO OTHER GODS" (Exodus 20:3).

It asserts that there is in God a sufficiency which needs no other; and an independence which admits no other.

Number Two

While number one excludes all difference, the number two affirms that difference exists and there can be division. It is instrumental in the discussion of dualism (two sides or opposing forces, such as good vs. evil) and is therefore important in the Bible. It can stand for opposition, enmity or oppression. The second of any number of things always bears upon it the stamp of difference, and generally, of enmity.

Number Three

Three stands for what is solid, real, substantial, entire and complete. All things that are specially complete are stamped with the number three. In regards to scripture, completion becomes divine and therefore, three marks divine completion or perfection. Three has special significance in the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.

God's attributes are three - omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence.

Many other concepts embody the number three:

There are three great divisions completing time - past, present and future.
Thought, word and deed complete the sum of human capability.

Three is the first of four perfect numbers

• Three denotes divine perfection
• Seven denotes spiritual perfection
• Ten denotes ordinal perfection
• Twelve denotes governmental perfection

The word "fullness" is in scripture only three times, in connection with the three persons of the Trinity:

• The fullness of God - Ephesians 3:19
• The fullness of Christ - Ephesians 4:13
• The fullness of the Godhead - Colossians 2:9

Number Four

The number four is comprised of three and one (3+1=4) and marks what follows the revelation of God in the Trinity, namely, God's creative works, and the world. Creation is the next thing - the fourth thing, and the number four often references that which is created, symbolizes creation, and symbolizes man in his relationship to the created world. As a symbol for the world, it represents man's weakness, helplessness and vanity.

On the fourth day of creation, material creation was completed, so four is the number of the great elements - earth, air, fire and water; regions of the earth - north, south, east and west; divisions of the day - morning, afternoon, evening and night; seasons of the year - spring, summer, fall and winter; lunar phases. There are four "heads" of animal creation: the lion (wild beasts), the ox (tame beasts), the eagle (birds), and man (head of all). Three animals and one human make the 3+1=4 formula, seen in scripture.

Because it is the first square number it marks a kind of completeness called material completeness. However, because it is the first non-prime number and the first that can be divided, it can also mark division.

Number Five

The number five represents redemption and grace. Creation came under a curse with the fall of mankind and God is needed to redeem it (4+1=5). Redemption must follow creation. Five is significant in that weakness (4) is made perfect through divine strength (1) by grace (5).

Grace means favor. Favor comes in many forms. Favor shown to the miserable we call mercy; favor shown to the poor we call pity; favor shown to the suffering we call compassion; favor shown to the obstinate we call patience; favor shown to the unworthy is called grace.

Number Six

The number six has to do with man, and is the number of imperfection and destitution. Six can be 4+2 (man's world and division) and can signify man's enmity to God. Six can also be seven minus one, indicating man falling short of God's spiritual perfection.

Humankind was created on the sixth day and six days were appointed for humankind's labor. Therefore, the number six can also signify man's labor as apart and distinct from God's rest (on the seventh day).

The sixth Commandment relates to murder, man killing man.

Number Seven

The number seven is the number of spiritual perfection and is found often throughout the scriptures, especially in conjunction with the word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit. When found in conjunction with other numbers it contains meaning as well, as in fifty and seven or one hundred and seven, and seventy.

In Hebrew, seven is "shevah" and is from the root "savah," to be full, satisfied or to have enough. God rested ("shavath" - to cease, desist, rest) on the seventh day because God's creation was full, complete, good and perfect. Nothing could be added to it or taken from it without marring it. Another word from the root Hebrew is "shavagh," to swear or make an oath, especially an oath taken as an end of strife.

Instances of seven include Abraham's seven-fold blessing in Genesis 12:2-3; seven-fold qualification for service in Judges 6; seven miracles in John's Gospel (2, 4:47, 5:4, 6, 9:1, 11, 21); seven gifts in Romans 12:6-8; seven unities in Ephesians 4:4-6; seven characteristics of wisdom in James 3:17; seven words of Jesus from the cross (Luke 23:34,43,46; Matthew 27:46,43; John 19:26,28,30).

 Number Eight

E. W. Bullinger in his book Number in Scripture says of the number 8, "As seven was so called because the seventh day was the day of completion and rest, so eight, as the eighth day, was over and above this perfect completion, and was indeed the first of a new series, as well as being the eighth. ... EIGHT... is the number specially associated with Resurrection and Regeneration, and the beginning of a new era or order.

Number Nine

Nine is the last of the digits and thus marks the end, and can signify the conclusion of something, the end of man and the summation of all man's works. Nine is the number of finality or judgment..

Number Ten

Ten is one of the perfect numbers and signifies the completeness of order and perfection of divine order. It signifies a complete cycle. The number ten can be seen in the Ten Commandments (completeness and order), ten plagues, and multiple incidences of ten generations.

The Lord's Prayer has ten clauses that have significance in their placement in the prayer:

            The first, God's sovereignty.

            The second, Jehovah's manifested Name.
            The third, the realization of God's kingdom.
            The fourth first mentions the earth.
            The fifth, the gift of grace supplying our need.
            The sixth treats of man's sin.
            The seventh pleads for spiritual guidance.
            The eighth pleads for final deliverance from all evil.
            The ninth sums up the divine glory (3²), while
            The tenth completes the eternal cycles.

 Number Eleven

If ten is the number which marks the perfection of Divine order, then eleven is an addition to it, subversive of and undoing that order. If twelve is the number which marks the perfection of Divine government, then eleven falls short of it. So that whether we regard it as being 10 + 1, or 12 - 1, it is the number which marks, disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.

There is not much concerning it in scripture, but it does have significance when it appears, such as:

            Eleven sons of Jacob (disintegration and disorganization in Jacob's family)

            Eleventh hour (Matt. 20:6,9) (contrary to order and arrangement)

            Eleven apostles (disintegration of the Twelve)

 Number Twelve

Twelve is a perfect number and signifies governmental perfection. When found in multiples it has to do with rule.

There were twelve sons of Israel. Jesus was twelve when he was found in the Temple. The measurement of the new Jerusalem is 12,000 furlongs square while the wall is to be 144 (12x12) cubits (Rev. 21:16-17). The number of the sealed in Rev. 7:4 is 144,000, relating to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. There are twelve stones in the High Priest's breastplate, twelve spies and twelve stones taken out of the Jordan. There are many references to the number twelve in scripture.

Number Forty

Forty occurs frequently and is associated with periods of probation, trial or chastisement with sons or the covenant people. It points to the action of grace (5) usually leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8).

Examples include the Hebrews forty years in the wilderness and Jesus forty days of temptation in the wilderness.

Six Hundred and Sixty Six

If the number six is the number of secular or human perfection, then 66 is more emphatic, and 666 is even more so. Six sixty-six represents the "trinity" of human perfection or in other words, the perfection of imperfection; the culmination of human pride in independence from God and in opposition to Christ.

The number 666 is filled with deep meaning and more can be read about this number at biblestudy.com, but in Revelation, 666 marks the culmination of man's opposition to God in the person of the antichrist.

More Information On-line

Again, there is much more information concerning numerology online, but this should suffice to give us a little insight into some numbers we might run across in the near future. There is no way you could have read Revelation without noticing the amount of numbers it contains. Do they have meaning? Absolutely. Do scholars know what all of it is about? Actually, no. But it sure is interesting to think about.

 Next week we are going to start looking at two of the most ancient apocalypses, 1 Enoch and Daniel. We'll discuss 1 Enoch first. Since this book is fairly long (it is a composit text of five "books"), we'll pick out various chapters to read and talk about. If you would like to start looking at this book you can find it here.

Thinking About It

Find a few examples of numbers in Revelation and talk about what you think they mean or why they are used. Post your observations online and comment on others' observations as well. See if you can get a discussion thread going.

5 Comments

Person 1 said:

Hi Lynn Just wanted you to know I am staying with it. Just read week 3. Found it very interesting.

Person 2 said:

I love the information contained in this third week. The meanings behind the numbers in the Bible is something that has always interested and confused me. So now I sit with my Bible open to Revelation and I try to compare to the Numerology info I just read. I am first struck by just how many numbers are used within the book of Revelation. So I'm looking at Chapter 4 and trying to decipher what story all of those numbers are trying to tell me. I get the 4 creatures since that specifically was mentioned in the number four paragraph. Then I come to the six wings. I'm wondering that since these creatures will soon take part in releasing the four horsemen to start the second coming and deaths of many poeple, do the six wings symbolize the known imperfection of man? Then there are the 24 elders which I suppose signify the heavenly government, according the the website. Do I understand what the heavenly government would be? No. But I suppose just understanding why there were 24 is a start. So all of that information was sqeezed into the very small Chapter 4. Understanding there is a lot of numerology going on in every chapter, I'm skipping ahead to Chapter 12. So now we have this Dragon, trying to steal the Messiah. So this should be Satan, right? If so, why does this Dragon get to have 7 heads, seven crowns and 10 horns? Both of these numbers signify perfection, spiritually and divine order. Such an evil beast shouldn't get to be described with these numbers that should be reserved for God and all things holy. Moving on, something I had a question about when reading Chapter 7 and 14 was what was up with only 144,000 being saved? Interesting to know that 144 goes back to the number 12 (government perfection)but still doesn't explain to me why only 144,000 people will be sealed. Not very good odds for me! I think the only information I feel confident about is understanding why satan is assigned the number 666 (concentrated expression of human imperfection). Also interesting to note that the name of the antichirst name will add up to the number 666. I would be interested in studying that gematria stuff, but one confusing study at a time is all I can handle!! I sure hope that I am understanding something that I am reading, but I may be way off too. All I know is that if this blog doesn't spark any conversation, nothing will. There are more questions than answers in it. Please help me figure this out my friends!!! 

Lynn said:

Compare the four creatures in Rev 4 with the description of the 4 creatures in Ezekial 1:5-10. Do you see any commonalities?
There are 24 elders. Keep in mind that 24 is 12+12. We now know that what numbers can be broken down into can be as significant as the number itself. That goes for the 144,000 as well. 144,000 is 12x12. What can you think of that is significant, that numbers 12?
As for the dragon, I would place a pretty good bet that it stands for satan. Compare what you observed about the dragon to what is written in Rev. 17:9-14 and Daniel 7:7,20 and 24. What do you think?
Understand that numerology is only a starting point. There is much more to the symbology than what the numbers can stand for. Imagery can represent a great many things, from satan to Jesus, to empires to apostles, from power to pride. Scholars think they have a handle on some of this imagery but haven't a clue about others, because they are specific to the context/time period in which they were written. We may never know what some of this stuff stands for and it is quite possible that what we think we understand is wrong. Ah...the joys of apocalyptic literature.
As for the 144,000, I'm not worried about the "odds." Why? Read Rev. 7:9. Since I'm not from one of the 12 Tribes as far as I know, I hope to be hanging with this group. I think I'd look rather appealing robed in white and waving a palm branch.
As far as more questions than answers, you may finish this study with just as many as you started it with. I just hope they are different questions than your initial ones.
You will hopefully have a good time looking at parts of Enoch, but I need to start writing that one or it won't get posted till Easter!

Person 3 said:

The numbers in Revelation are so interesting as well as confusing. I assume they are used so much in Revelation because they were important to the people of that time and that they would understand, maybe better than us (??), what they mean. I think the dragon symbolizes Satan - and it was pointed out to me in another study that perhaps he has 7 heads because he is trying to "copy" God. In addition to the 7 heads, there are three creatures (the dragon and two beasts), he marks his followers (like God) and he was "healed from a fatal wound" (like Christ). The good news is that he fails. There is on ONE God, the Alpha and the Omega! Amen!

Lynn, are you going to talk more about the difference between prophetic and apocalyptic? It helped me wrap my head around Revelation to know it is not prophesy. The "big picture" became clearer and the symbolism popped out even more I think.

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Person 4 said:

Interesting post, Lynn. I have, throughout the years, heard what some of these numbers are supposed to represent (perfect numbers, etc) but it's great to get a refresher. I have to confess that I have not been flipping back through Revelation as I've been reading your blogs, so it's great to read everyone else's comments about what they've read. Thank you all!

What I've realized as I read this and as I think about what I have read of Revelation: my first response to what is written is that it's prophecy and that it will one day come to pass as it is written. This is what I believed as I was growing up, and it's hard to get past that as a knee-jerk reaction when I think of Revelation. What I know and believe now, is that this was written for a specific group of people at a specific time as a message of hope. I do not necessarily believe this is what we should expect with the second coming of Christ, whenever that will happen.

Has anyone else had a similar (or opposing!) thought or reaction as they're going through and taking a different look at Revelation?

Revelation Study - Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Apocryphal Literature - What Counts and What Doesn't

"There is nothing better than imagining other worlds," and "to forget the painful one we live in. At least so I thought then. I hadn't realized that, imagining other worlds, you end up changing this one."1

Baudolino, one of Umberto Eco's interesting characters, can both learn any language within minutes and can lie like no one else. Baudoline doesn't lie to be deceptive, but lies because he can perceive what other people want to believe. People not only believe his lies, but his lies turn out to be true. In other words, because people want to believe his lies they become true because his lies contain vision, which inspires others to move and find it. "So by imagining other worlds, Baudolino transforms his own."2

In the same way as Eco's Baudolino possesses the gift of imagination and vision, apocalyptic discourse pushes the boundaries of imagination, and evolves from the human desire to change and reconfigure the world. Desire to change the world usually evolves from the pursuit of the answers to bothersome questions people have asked for ages: where is the world going, what will happen in the future, is there justice, is there purpose, is what we see and feel all there is, what is death and what happens after we die? We ask these questions as children and with time we learn to keep these questions to ourselves. Perhaps, in some way, we know we're not going to get a satisfying answer. But the questions never go away. Even into old age we continue to question the purpose of life and the nature of our existence. The ancient Jews and early Christians used apocalyptic discourse to address and explore many of these questions.3

I do want to point one thing out if it's not been made clear already. When modern day Christians say, "apocalypse" or "Armageddon" or any words along these lines, we think of The Book of Revelation (please note it is Revelation, not Revelations. No plural book, please). However, Revelation is not the only apocalypse. Apocalypses can be found in different books throughout the Bible, and constitute many religious books that were never included in our Christian canon (the writings, or books, in our Bible that are recognized as God-inspired and genuine, and therefore accepted). Some were written a long time ago, and still others were written after Revelation was written.

Why did Jews and Christians use this type of enigmatic writing? In part, it has to do with their understanding of the world around them, or their lack of it. We understand a great deal more about our physical world than the ancients did due to advancements in the sciences. We know why the earth shakes, why the moon turns red during an eclipse, or why there may be periods of drought or excessive rain. People back then did not understand the sciences as we do today, and therefore they turned to other ways of explaining the world and tackling the deep questions that perplexed them. They used the stars, observed the weather, and searched for order amidst the disorder of their world. They used biological models to explain things such as childbirth and death, and social models such as the workings of empire and the household. The also put trust in dreams and visions, considered "divinely revealed mysteries otherwise unavailable to mortals," 4 as revelations of truth. (The word apocalyptic is from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means "revelation.")

In America today, we associate "apocalypse" or "apocalyptic" with the end times, the battle to end all battles, the coming of the Antichrist, destruction, mayhem, and the Second Coming. For some Christians, this topic is a fearful one, and it is avoided out of the discomfort it causes. For others, the apocalypse is looked forward to because they eagerly await the Rapture which they believe will rescue them from the pain of this world. These Christians spend hours reading Revelation and other books of the Bible that they believe tells them about the end of days. For yet others, apocalyptic texts are viewed with suspicion and are avoided all together. By the end of this study you will hopefully be a part of a fourth group of Christians that understands The Book of Revelation and neither fears nor avoids it, but understands it and uses it as a springboard to action and mission. No matter which group you are a part of, apocalyptic texts continue to be viewed as having revealed answers to some of our own questions. We continue to believe they are truth revealed.5

Interestingly, revealed truth involves two ways of "revealing" that appear to contradict one another. First, as people tried to imagine what realities actually shaped human experience and destiny they used innovation, often through the use of mystical experiences or creative speculation. This religious creativity presented ideas such as history moving toward a final judgment, hope for victory over death via resurrection, and spiritual beings who serve both good and evil. These ideas were new ways of thinking and believing that appeared for the first time in Jewish literature.

Secondly, apocalyptic discourse must rely on authority or it becomes meaningless. If Revelation was not in our Bible would you consider it "Truth," or would you toss it aside as the ravings of a madman? Being in the Bible gives Revelation it's authority and we read it, discuss it, and consider it's revelation truthful because it is there. However, because the ideas these writers presented to their readers were so new, normal authority was not possible. Instead, they relied on the ancient's belief in mystical revelation. Writings such as 1 Enoch, Daniel and Revelation use authority derived from a visionary who travels into the heavenly realms to view mysteries and wonders.6 That obviously doesn't hold as much water today as it used to. If Revelation were presented to us as a new text, we probably wouldn't even finish reading it. But since we acknowledge its authority because it is part of the canon, we give it credence.

Most of us are familiar with The Apocalypse of John (The Book of Revelation) because most Christians have either read it or know of it. We know it is mystical, bizarre, unearthly and otherworldly, and not quite like anything we've ever read before. Like I said above, we may know there are other small tidbits of apocalyptic writing in other parts of the Old or New Testaments as well, but we tend to be unaware of the existence of other apocalyptic texts written by Jews and Christians not contained in the Bible.7 In a week or two, We're going to look at a few of these other texts for comparison. Before we go any father though, I want to define a few terms we will be throwing around during this study. Hang in there. Some of these may seem confusing, but things will get better after this:

Apocalypse - An apocalypse is a writing or text that belongs to a specific type of literary genre. This genre is a type of literature that usually contains, among other things, (a) a revelation or revealing "(b) by a supernatural being (c) too a human recipient concerning (d) cosmic mysteries or the future."
Apocalyptic eschatology - eschatology is a word that derives from the Greek eschaton, or end. Apocalyptic eschatology are beliefs that have to do with the end of things, such as the end of history or the end of the soul. It is the type of belief(s) found in apocalyptic literature, which in its simplest form, is "a pessimistic view of the human condition that requires decisive divine action for its resolution." In other words, is the belief that humans are so horrible there is no way we will dig ourselves out of sin and God will have to come and rescue us from ourselves. How this will be accomplished is defined and discussed differently in each apocalyptic.
Apocalypticism - Apocalypticism describes the "social contexts in which apocalyptic eschatology flourishes" and becomes the primary ideology of a group.
Apocalyptic discourse - the term discourse is used to describe how literary, ideological and social dimensions of a culture come together and form meaning. Apocalyptic discourse refers to the group of topics and ideas regarding the ultimate resolutions of things that form the basis of social understanding. It "should be treated as a flexible set of resources that early Jews and Christians could employ for a variety of persuasive tasks."8

Don't freak out too much on these terms. You can refer back to them if you need to.

Just a note on the term "apocalyptic discourse." The term "apocalypse" has limitations. These texts were written in very diverse social settings, in different time periods, and with very different purposes in mind. "Some apocalypses advocate new ideas or practices, as in Daniel, which argues for the resurrection of the dead. But others call for a return to traditional values." 9 "Assumptions concerning the present world and in how they imagine its resolution" differ as well. 10 The vast variety of apocalyptic texts, beliefs and societal contexts make generalizations difficult, and there are no absolutes. For every generalization there are examples that break the attempt to generalize. 11

Likewise, the social setting in which any one apocalypse was written is one of the most important aspects of the writing because it gives us clues as to meaning and helps us discover what much of the symbolism represents. Unfortunately, since meaning is often veiled and wild imaginings represent people or things that were well known at the time of the writing but remains obscure to us, we cannot understand some of the text's meaning. Of course, some meaning remains obscure because every social context has ideas or issues that are only relevant to that period, place or time. In the future, will readers of 21st century literature understand that "bad" means "good," or saying your life feels like Ground Hog Day means that every day seems the same?

So discourse indicates how meaning is constructed in any social context. "Over time, human groups build recognizable networks of " language, "cultural assumptions, and social relationships that" become traditions over time.12  For example, although the book of Daniel "has to argue for the resurrection of the dead as a religious innovation, by the time of Jesus some Jewish groups (such as the Pharisees) believe in the resurrection while others (such as the Sadducees) do not. And while Paul struggles to help his audiences understand the resurrection in letters such as 1 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians, its sacred logic seems self-evident to him. Of course the risen dead have bodies, Paul insists. (How could they not?) But obviously those bodies must not be identical to the decaying flesh in which we now live; they must be "spiritual bodies" (1 Cor. 15:35-54; cf. 1 Thess. 5:23)." 13 Today, Christians take these things for granted. So in summary, "apocalyptic discourse involves the intersection of ideas, values, and social contexts" that give power to the texts. 14

TOPICS OF APOCALYPTIC DISCOURSE

The topics of apocalyptic discourse is what makes this literary genre so distinctive and that also provides it with such energy. Being familiar with that various topics will help us to recognize them and how they are used in various texts. 15

1. Alternative worlds is one of the most distinctive traits of apocalypses, whether in regards to time (such as the age to come) or space (as in the heavenly realms). The present world we live in is not recognized as being the ultimate reality. Rather, it looks toward an alternate reality where the righteous prosper and the evil is punished or abolished. Many are interested in both historical and cosmic matters. Either way, the expectation is that the way things are is not the way things are supposed to be, and the way things are doesn't reflect the ultimate resolution. 16

2. Visions and/or auditions ("heard visions," so to speak) from God and addressed to the visionary are the ultimate source of revelation. All the classical literary apocalypses are narrations of these visions. Usually these experiences are accompanied by traumatic physical manifestations such as trembling, fear, exhaustion and prostration. These visions were considered "revealed truth. 17

3. Heavenly intermediaries, often angels and sometimes even God, serve as guides and interpreters for the dreams and visions who explain the vision and clarify the vision's significance for the audience. In the formal apocalypses there are other heavenly voices, such as choruses of heavenly beings, that comment on the significance of what the audience is shown. 18

4. Intense symbolism drawn on earlier traditions or myths with which the audience would have been familiar. Using this symbolism links deeply-held values to their contemporary situations. For example, foreign imperial powers are often referred to as primeval monsters. This intense symbolism can intensify the persuasive effects of the text, and can provide some literary license19, as well as embolden the author.

5. Pseudonymity is when a work is attributed to a fictitious author, and is a characteristic of all classical apocalypses except for Revelation and the Shepherd of Hermas, an early second century Christian apocalypse. They draw on prominent heroes from antiquity to deliver the revelation. This helps to give authority to the work. For example, 1 Enoch, one of the earliest apocalypses, "is attributed to a mysterious person from Earth's primeval history." 20

6. Cosmic catastrophe always comes before final deliverance in historically oriented apocalypses, predicted by events such as "war, violence, apostasy, persecution against the righteous, and even cosmic distress." 21 Usually the faithful suffer as well as everyone else. 22 (Note: Apostasy is the total rejection of Christianity by a baptized person who, having at one time professed the Christian faith, publicly rejects it. It is distinguished from heresy, which is limited to the rejection of one or more Christian doctrines by one who maintains an overall adherence to Jesus Christ) 23

7. Dualism is evident in all apocalypses. Dualism is occurs when things are understood or explained as having two opposing principles. For example, philosophers talk about dualism of mind and matter, or mind and body; theologians talk about good versus evil. has to is where things are explained by two opposing principles. 23 Dualism is used to evaluate everything in the apocalypse, including people, institutions, events, loyalties and beliefs. For example, people appear as either righteous or wicked. People live in the present, evil age and anticipate either the age to come or the heavenly realm. Rarely do these texts discuss the possibility that people could fall somewhere in the middle, although, since repentance is often called for, many indicate the possibility that people could move from one end of the spectrum to the other. In Revelation, members of the audience are invited to repent, but denies that people outside the Church will experience mercy. 25

8. Determinism is the belief that either the course of history has been determined by God, or that God knows its outcome. It can be seen on the cosmic level, where there is an announcement of the fate of powers or political forces, or on an individual level, where a person's judgment is previously determined. Although determinism can be seen in almost all apocalypses, there is often a small crack in the absolute, because most call people to repentance or toward higher levels of faithfulness. This call implies that people can respond and the cosmic plan could be changed. 26

9. Judgment and the afterlife are key concerns, and addressing these topics raises fascinating questions. Do only the righteous survive death, or do the wicked survive as well? Do people move to their fates right after death or do they wait for the end time and all are raised at the same time? What, exactly, survives death and what type of body is there? These questions serve purposes: "promises of the afterlife and threats of judgment can at once inspire faithfulness in the present, comfort those who lack hope, or even frighten people toward repentance." 27

10. "Ex eventu prophecy (prophesy after the fact) results from the combination of pseudonymity with determinism." 28 Okay, I challenge you to wrap your brain around this one. Lets see if I can explain this... Apocalyptic literature usually attributes authorship to someone who is known within the culture to give it authority. If it attributes authorship to someone, it uses their setting in history as well. For example, if I were to write an apocalypse and wanted to make Abraham Lincoln the author, I would need to make the setting in the first half (give or take) of 19th century America to make it believable, since that is when and where Lincoln lived. In my text, I could have Lincoln make a "prophesy" concerning anything up to the present time, and that prophesy would appear accurate because the events he would be prophesying about have already occurred. If I put a prophesy in Lincoln's "mouth" about anything that happens in my future, it could possibly be right if those specific events actually unfolded in the future. However, more than likely, future events prophesied by Lincoln would be wrong because we obviously cannot see the future. When issues like this appear in apocalyptic literature, it helps scholars figure out when the actual text was written. So although "ex eventu prophesy" sound like some deep, confusing idea, it's actually pretty easy. I write a text and the person in my text is someone in the past who prophesies about events that occurred after that person lived, but occurred before I wrote it. Obviously, the prophesy would be accurate. There is a little bit more to this, but don't worry about it. We are actually going to discuss this later using the vision of Daniel 10-12. If you don't get it now, I think when we use an actual example you'll understand it.

11. Cosmic speculation is seen in some apocalyptic texts, while others have more interest in history. Many "texts reveal the identity and activities of the sun, moon, and stars, including explanations for natural phenomena such as the rising and setting of the sun, the passing of the seasons, and the origins of storms and other remarkable events." 29I Other texts are more interested in heavenly beings, their roles and names, and other cosmic mysteries. This attempts to convince the audience that the chaos of today really does fall under a larger cosmic order. It also lends authority to the author, who has been given special privilege to view realms normally excluded to mortals. These writings attempt to justify certain "technical arguments," such as which calendar is correct. "(The calendar represented a major point of contention among some ancient groups.)" 30

These 11 topics are some of the most prominent literary devices in apocalyptic texts, but there are more. Most texts include some, but not all, of these features. Nevertheless, these topics present a good starting place in any analysis or reading of an apocalypse. 31

Thinking About It

If you've read Revelation, you can probably pick out most of these features. As you review them, see if you can find some of the in the text of Revelation. Make comments on line about where you see what, or which ones you don't see at all. Also, don't be afraid to comment on the reading, or any thoughts at all you might have about apocalyptic discourse
******************************************

You will notice in the Notes section below that I am drawing heavily upon one source, a book by Greg Carey titled Ultimate Things: An Introduction to Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic Literature. I believe it follows a logical outline of study and presents various apocalypses to look at. In other words, it does not focus on the Book of Revelation alone, but looks at apocalypses as a literary genre. If you would like to order this text, feel free to do so. I've not asked that you purchase it because it is not the easiest book to read.



 
NOTES

1Umberto Echo, Baudolino (New York: Harcourt, 2002), 99.
2Greg Carey, Ultimate Things (St. Louis: Chalice, 2005), 1.
3Ibid, 1.
4Ibid, 2.
5Ibid, 2.
6Ibid, 2-3.
7Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testamant, 3rd ed., (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2004), 464.
8Carey, 3-5.
9Ibid, 4.
10Ibid, 4.
11Ibid, 4.
12Ibid, 5.
13Ibid, 5.
14Ibid, 5.
15Ibid, 6.
16Ibid, 6-7.
17Ibid, 7.
18Ibid, 7.
19Ibid, 7-8.
20Ibid, 8.
21Ibid, 8.
22Ibid, 8.
23Apostasy. Dictionary.com. Jan. 19, 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com>.
24Dualism. Dictionary.com. Jan. 19, 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com>.
25Carey, 8.
26Ibid, 8-9.
27Ibid, 9.
28Ibid, 9.
29Ibid, 9-10.
30Ibid, 10.
31Ibid, 10.

 4 Comments

Person 1 said:

Great piece of writing Lynn! i'm currently re-reading Revelation. what intrigues me the most is the use of intense symbolism and destruction. how many earthquakes and floods and fires can our earth really stand? how many beasts with 7 heads can there be? why the number 7? i know it was something to do with being the "perfect number"??? right? why? as i was reading through Revelation i find it's destructive nature fascinating. call me a hopeful pessimistic, i just long for an intense cleansing...maybe i'm portraying that "cleansing" unto myself...maybe i'm "earth" in my mind and know subconsciously (but if i know i know subconsciously doesn't that make it conscious thought?!?)i need such an extreme set of judgments to right myself. who knows. anyway, thanks for clarifying some of the terms and ideas of apocryphal writings. very interesting!

Lynn said:

Thanks,
I wanted to do a section on biblical numerology so since you commented on it here, I'll do that for next week. Like you, I think the symbolism is fascinating once you get into it, and is a confirmation that these people were just as imaginative as we are, even though they don't have TV and the internet. Perhaps they are even more so. I wonder what drives it all - fear, anger, justice? I also think we all crave cleansing. Just wish it would stick around awhile after you experience it!

Person 2 said:

Wow, the blog had a lot of amazing and difficult information to process. I really did my best to reread what I have done so far in Revelation looking for the "Topics of Apocalyptic Discourse". Like Person 1, and I am sure everyone else, there is a ton of Intense Symbolism-lampstands, stars, beasts, horsemen. The best fictional authors couldn't think up this many strange creatures! I was also caught up in the numbers and look forward to learning what they all symbolize. I found some interesting visions in Chapter 9. Actually, they were scary visions and it makes me feel like I really need to do more, becasue I don't want to be one of those left behind to be tortured for 5 months by horselike locusts!!!!! I'm sure there was more "topics" to be found, but that's as deep as I could get into all this now without being totally confused and frightened. Looking forward to being one of those people described in the first blog as having a healthy understanding of what Revelation means for us.

Person 3 said:

Symbolism seems to be what sticks out to me the most thus far. All of my questions Lynn, were in regards to the "7" as Person 1 previously pointed out. I currently found myself still stuck on, why these "7" churches? Why the "7" angels, and if they were "angels" were they physically angels sent to lead the church, if so then how could they stray? Or is the text just referring to them as angels, but really they are the leaders of each church and it is just referring to them as angels for religious authority. None the less, this read was quite in-depth and a lot to digest, and I definately will have to re-read it as I read Revelation for comparison.

Revelation Study - Lesson 1

I've decided to pull the study I was writing on Revelation over to this blog.  That way, if anyone is interested in reading it they can.  Originally, this study was presented on a private blog and offered to members of the church.  About a dozen people signed up, but by lesson 10 or so, no one was longer completing the readings of commenting on the blog.  I do not know if that was a failure of the lesson material, writing, form of presentation, of not meeting as a group every week, or something else.  This was frustrating for me because I was researching and writing each lesson so it was very time consuming on my part.  I stopped writing and posting when people quit the study.   Since I would still like to complete the study I am presenting it here so I have easier access to it and I'm hoping that seeing it here will encourage me to finish it.  If you decide to read it, please feel free to leave comments and I will try to answer questions as best I can.
Note: I have not changed the lessons and they still appear as if directed to an on-line class.
I have copied the comments.  Someone may find them helpful.
Also, in reformatting, all sub-scripts and super-scripts have reverted to "normal" size.  I refuse to spend hours reformatting back to what it was.  Sorry about this, but that's life.

Lesson 1 - Apocraphyl Literature and The Book of Revelation

Welcome to Gravel Hill's newest Bible study. With this type of on-line study, Gravel Hill is exploring new ways to reach people, to help them learn and think about what they really believe, and then to find ways to take these new ideas and turn them into real-world missions in the name of Jesus Christ and his Church. This first study may be a bit slow or rocky as we all learn how to maneuver and navigate in this wonderful world of electrons, but I believe, after a fashion, we will all find it has become second nature.

Obviously, an on-line study is much different than one that meets weekly to discusses readings and issues face-to-face. Meeting with others in the "real world" gives us the ability to immediately respond to others' comments and questions and to get immediate feedback to our own. Body language and voice intonation, a huge part of the communication process that we rarely think about, can help aid understanding as well as help to avoid misunderstandings. These additional clues help us to understand others' tenor of emotion and when they are unavailable, it becomes easier to misunderstand or misinterpret what someone is trying to convey through the written word alone. These are issues of which we must all be conscious.

How is this study going to work? Every Wednesday I will post a lesson, or "blog." These lessons will consist of researched ideas, such as writings paraphrased from scholars, quotes or articles, linked readings from other on-line sources, or anything else that might be useful in exploring or shedding light upon our topics or discussions. Some things you will agree with. Some things you may absolutely not agree with. Some things you may find so extremely different from anything you have ever considered that you will not be able to accept them. That's okay. The idea is to learn, to understand what scholars are saying about biblical and faith issues today, and to perhaps discover that there may be more than one way to think about scripture, about belief, and about living out your faith. If a Bible study simply parrots everything you've learned to date then perhaps that study hasn't been doing what it should be doing to you, for you and in you. If a study doesn't stretch you, I'm not sure why you would bother to continue with it.

Once you've read the material you will be asked to comment on the article. If the post ends with some questions, you will be asked to discuss them. Everyone's comments will be open for everyone else to read. In that way, you can comment on something on one day, and go back later to comment on someone else's comment about your first comment, and so on. Comment once or comment often. This is the way we will discuss the readings. I will check the comments periodically and enter into the discussion if need be, but please don't be afraid to comment. No one should think your comments are "stupid" and you should not think you are making a fool of yourself. This is a learning environment and this is how we all learn. It really does hold true that if you want to ask something or make some kind of response, more than likely someone else is thinking the same thing or something close to it.

Some of you might want to know how long this Bible study will continue. Unfortunately, at this time I do not have an answer for you. Running this initial online study was decided upon by the staff of Gravel Hill and this process is as new for me as it is for you. At the very least I expect to be "meeting" for eight sessions but my guess would be it will take more than that to complete a thorough study. I will keep you posted as we go along. We will certainly be done before May.

What This Study Is About

For many of us The Book of Revelation is intriguing, interesting, and for the most part, indecipherable. For some of us it is scary as well. As a child, Revelation terrified me so much that I refused to read it and would have excised it from my Bible if I could have. Laying in bed at night I vividly remember staring out of my window toward the northeast, the direction of New York City, and waiting for the first flash of a nuclear weapon going off. For some reason I was convinced that an atomic bomb exploding over New York City would initiate the first phase leading to the "final battle" and the Second Coming of Christ. I was convinced that all my family would be taken in the Rapture and I would be left alone to fend for myself. I would plead with God to forgive my sins so I would not be alone when the rest of my family was taken away. This was pretty strong stuff for a youngster and I remember this fear from a very young age. All of this fear was directly related to what I thought I knew about Armageddon, the Rapture, the Final Judgment. Perhaps some of you can relate to this experience.

Who knows where children obtain some of their fears? But I do know some of mine came right out of the pages of the book I loved so much, The Bible. These were pretty weighty fears for one so young, and yet after speaking to others, I realize that I was not the only one who was negatively impacted emotionally by the predictions in Revelation.

What is so indecipherable about Revelation? Where do we begin? It is filled with talk of other places, heaven and hell, battles where huge populations are slaughtered, descriptions of many headed and many horned creatures, seals that when broken result in chaos, bowls poured out, trumpets blowing, cosmic battles and heavenly armies, a sun turning black and a moon turning blood red, war, famine and death. These are all relayed to us in highly graphic descriptions that are equally highly symbolic.

Since the writing of The Book of Revelation, also called The Revelation of John, Christians have claimed that the events described in it would happen in their own day and time, and that the beginning of these events could be seen in the world around them already. Most of us have heard the rumors claiming the Antichrist is already alive somewhere in the world. Just about every modern day president has been accused of being the Antichrist. Many television preachers use air time and reap dollars preaching about the Battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming, speaking in ways and lending their support to anything that will bring the Battle and the Second Coming about more quickly. One such preacher is John Hagee. You are invited to view his ideas concerning the prophesies in Revelation as they relate to the world here. Revelation may fill us with many questions but one thing we do know is that despite Christians' claims through the ages that the events of Revelation would happen in their lifetimes, so far, none of them has been right.

In the following weeks we will take a closer look at The Book of Revelation, but we will begin by looking at topics such as what makes a writing apocryphal, protoapocryphal writings, apocryphal texts other than Revelation that are not in the Bible, other apocryphal texts in the Old and New Testaments, how Revelation got into the Bible and other "revelations" didn't, and finally, we'll take a closer look at Revelation itself.

Thinking About It

This week you are asked to take your time and read The Book of Revelation. It may take you awhile so just read a few chapters every day. Write your feelings, thoughts and interpretations, or whatever else you would like to share about Revelation in the comments section of this blog post. Read each others' comments and talk to one another about them online. Next week, we'll start to look at what makes a text "apocryphal." 

10 Comments

Person 1 said:

My husband and I have only read the first four chapters of Revelations, and I am already overflowing with questions regarding what we have read. Shall I wait until we begin the open discussion of Revelations?

Lynn said:

I'd hold off on the questions. We are going to try to cover a fair amount of stuff, but we will not actually be starting with Revelation. I simply wanted everyone to read Revelation as a review, since it is not a book most of us spend much time with and so people can reflect back on it as we proceed. We will be trying to cover it in a while, as best we can. Hopefully we'll answer questions then, and if not, ask away! 

Lynn said:

I changed my mind. Put all your questions here - that's what this is all about, and although your questions may not be answered immediately, it'll give me an idea what everyone's questions are and what I need to try to discuss later.

Person 2 said:

So I had to play around a little to get the follower thing up to even be able to post a comment here. So anyone who may be having trouble needs to sign up as a follower (with the option of following publicly or privately) by clicking on the link below the followers headline. Email Lynn if you are having trouble :)She will love hearing from you all! Off to read Revelations!

Person 3 said:

Hey Lynn! Just read your blog and will start reading Revelations tonight. Just wanted u to know that I'm here.

Person 4 said:

I'm here too- better late than never! I have read Revelation in the past through Disciple, but there's still so much of it that's beyond my understanding. Look forward to new discoveries...

Person 5 said:

I've also read Revelation before, both in Sunday School classes and in Disciple. I don't understand it all and have many questions but try to "be not afraid" and focus on the hope that can be found there. Ready to learn more...... and start reading.

Lynn said:

Here's just a comment about the blog itself. I would really love it if people could use photos of themselves so those of us who don't know one another can learn to recognize each other. This will help at church, when we see one another, to say hello and perhaps start a conversation.
It would alos be nice if everyone could write a short entry about who they are, what they are interested in, their families, whatever, just so we can get to know each other a little. I really want this study to help us build relationships, at least as best we can in this setting.
Thanks!  

Person 6 said:

Ok, so I'm really late, but I finally figured this out. I saw your last post about telling something about ourselves, so I'll do that at the end. I still have to figure out how to add a picture. Anyway, I just started reading revelations and I'm already confused and a little nervous about what I may find. That's really where I'm at right now, not very deep, I know. Anyway, for the folks who do not know me..(information deleted)

Person 7 said

I just got a gmail account a few weeks ago.I finished reading Revelations.It's so confusing with all of the symbolism in this book. Hopefully by the end of this class I'll have a better understanding about the end times.

Video: The Bazaar 2010

Here is the video from the 2010 Annual Holiday Bazaar at Gravel Hill Church:

Video: All Saints - 2010

All Saint's is a special day to recognize the saints that have not only gone on before us, but to recognize those in our midst as well as those who come after us.  For those who have lost loved ones, Gravel Hill tries to pay respect to those loved ones, and we always acknowledge members of the church who have died during the year. 

This is a video used for worship on the Sunday we celebrated All Saint's Day during the year 2010.  I have blurred the images of the youth and children because there are too many of them to obtain permission from all of their parents. 

Video: Easing On Down The Road

Here is a video to tell church members how valuable some people believe the van is, because it picks them up for church every week.  Remaining in worship with your church family is so important, especially when one moves to a care facility and can no longer drive.

Video: Community Day 2010

A Community Day 2010 "thank you."