Dear Pastor: Do you believe we are living in the End Times, like it says in Revelation?
– Sincerely, Apocalypse Now
Dear “Apocalypse Now:”
This is a very complex question, but I thank you for asking it. It is difficult to answer easily because you have a couple of different things packed in one little sentence. The first part is regarding “the end times” and what people usually mean by that, and the second is “like it says in Revelation.”
Your question is an important one, and how we answer that question and how we interpret “the end times” and Revelation has huge implications and ramifications in our world today. It has gone beyond just mere opinion and become a life or death issue, especially in the Middle East. Because of the importance of this, my response will be a bit lengthier than normal, and I will actually need to respond in two parts – the first to clarify what Revelation does and does not say regarding the end times, and the second, why it matters what we believe about this issue. To give fair warning – this will probably upset many readers who have clung to certain interpretations regarding this issue as it will challenge some very popular beliefs in modern American Christianity. Not everyone will agree with me, in fact, I expect many to disagree with me. Such is the nature of having opinions on matters.
Part One: The “End Times Script” vs. Revelation
Most American Christians, when they speak of “the end times” are referring to a “system” that doesn’t actually follow Revelation, but rather, it pieces together bits of scripture throughout the Bible in order to create a “roadmap” or “script” that spells out events leading up to Christ’s return. It pulls bits of scripture from Revelation, Matthew, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Daniel, Joel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Jeremiah, etc. and does some interesting theological gymnastics in the process. The system then takes all these scripture pieces, along with their various interpretations, and tries to put them together to create this “timeline of events,” much the same way you might put a jigsaw puzzle together. This “system,” which was invented in about 1820, took hold in America following the Civil War and has been made popular in more recent years by authors like Hal Lindsey (“Late Great Planet Earth” back in the 1970’s) and by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins with their “Left Behind” series. This understanding of the end times has come to dominate American religious thought.
Basically – it proposes that for the past 2000 years, God has called a “time out” between fulfilling Daniel 9:26 and 9:27. The “sign” that God is about to start the clock ticking again was the founding of the nation-state of Israel (believed to be fulfillment of Ezekiel 36-37 regarding Israel’s restoration) based on a very obscure and loose interpretation of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24 regarding the fig tree. Hal Lindsey proposed that the tree represented Israel and when it sprouted leaves, that meant Israel had been restored (never minding that Jesus never said the tree represented Israel or hinted that was his meaning, but merely stated that when one sees a budding fig tree, know that the Kingdom of God is near – a statement Jesus frequently used to describe the fact that His very presence had brought the Kingdom of God near to all who encountered him). The founding of the nation-state would then be followed by the rapture, and seven years of harsh tribulation among those who were “left behind” to suffer intense persecution, the rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem so it can be trampled and desecrated by the anti-Christ (a term which never appears in Revelation), before the bloody and violent battle of Armageddon.
The question none of the proponents of this system seem willing to ponder, however, is what would happen if one of their jigsaw puzzle pieces is in the wrong spot? (Though it should be noted that Hal Lindsey has had to frequently and quietly alter parts of the scenario throughout the years as world politics and events have shifted over time. His own predictions regarding Christ’s return have utterly failed but that doesn’t seem to stop people from still lending credence to his views.) Should even one of these pieces of their prophetic puzzle be out of place, it would drastically change the picture.
When I was about 28, after having read several of the Left Behind books, I decided to go back and re-read Revelation on my own. Something that jumped out at me right away was this: there was no rapture. I was raised on rapture theology and this whole end-times system. I just assumed it was somewhere at the beginning of the book of Revelation. I soon discovered it wasn’t. It was an imported idea from Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4, and upon a careful reading of these texts – the entire idea became even more questionable as the 1 Thessalonians text claims the resurrection happens before the so-called “rapture” and in the Matthew text – to be “taken” was a bad thing. People disappeared and were “taken” by the Romans all the time for judgment, never to return – much like the Nazi Gestapo of World War II. Plus, those who were “swept away” in the flood were those who were being punished by God’s judgment. Thus being “left behind” was the far more preferable option – quite the opposite of what rapture theologians teach. Their view embraces escapism from the trials and tribulations of this world… which Jesus himself states won’t happen. “My prayer is not that you take them from this world, but that you protect them from the evil one.” – John 17:15
So I began to ask the question – if the rapture isn’t in Revelation, what else isn’t in Revelation that I just assumed was there? Truthfully – to begin breaking down every flaw in this theology would take far too long. Others have written books that cover it far more in depth than I will here (suggested reading on the topic is at the end of the article). The mere fact that the entire system hinges on there being some kind of cosmic “time out” in between two verses in Daniel in order for any of it to make sense is shaky at best. Suffice it to say – it has a lot of problems and I began to realize it really doesn’t hold up against careful Biblical examination.
Because if you stop trying to plug all these other pieces of scripture into Revelation and just read it as its own work, a somewhat different “scenario” emerges. That’s not to say Revelation doesn’t draw on other scripture. It does. In fact, it assumes a basic knowledge of the Old Testament in particular – drawing heavily on scenes and images from Israel’s history: events, cities, empires, and people that had great symbolic importance in their overall story. Plagues of Egypt, the Valley of Jezreel, Babylon, the prophets Jeremiah and Elijah, Jezebel, etc. Revelation draws on all these past events to say something about the present and the future of God’s people.
Read as it’s own work, the story that emerges from Revelation is vastly different than the script that’s been laid out by this system. For starters, “Left Behind” type theology usually ignores the first five chapters of Revelation. It forgets that when John wrote down his visions, he was sending them to seven churches – real, living, breathing congregations that existed in Asia Minor at that time and faced a myriad of challenges. Like the epistles of Paul and other New Testament writings, letters were usually written to inform congregations about pressing matters that existed in their day and time. In this case, John uses a type of “picture language” that was common in his day (known as “apocalyptic writings”) that frequently utilized symbols and imagery to convey the nature of something than just outright stating what it is. In fact, he took his cue from Jesus, who frequently used parables with metaphors and images to convey the meaning of his teachings regarding God, the Kingdom of God, and the nature of God. So it only stands to reason that John’s message actually had some meaning and point to the people he was writing to, and was not some obscure vision that had no relevance to his time and place and the church just needed to sit on it for the next 2000 years before it would make any sense.
Contrary to most modern understandings, God’s ultimate way of dealing with the world in Revelation is not by destroying it. Rather, God destroys “those who destroy the earth,” (11:18) and those who make war with Christ and his followers (19:18). While the earth itself undergoes affliction, ultimately, God recognizes that destruction is not how repentance will be brought about. Destruction is not what brings people to faith but rather faithful witness is the means through which people are brought to repentance and give glory to God (11:13).
Thus Revelation’s prophecy serves not as a set-in-stone road map to destruction, but instead as a warning to people that living in rebellion to God leads to conquest, war, strife, economic upheaval, suffering, oppression and death. In the face of that destruction, however, stands God’s ultimate promise of Christ, of redemption and the triumph of God’s word over the destructive forces in the world. Readers discover promises of God’s kingdom coming to earth and dwelling on earth (Revelation 21); life together in a renewed world, not a destroyed world. It’s interesting to note that in Revelation 21, the nations have not been destroyed and have not disappeared – but rather they now stream to God’s holy city in order to be healed by the leaves of the tree of life. The nations “will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”
Furthermore, Revelation is not written in a concrete, linear fashion. Events in the episodes of judgment don’t fit neatly on a timeline, nor were they intended to. For example, in the Trumpets, the first trumpet blows and all the grass of the earth is burned up. However, by the fifth trumpet, the demonic locusts are unleashed and told not to harm the grass. At the end of the sixth seal, the sun has been blotted out, and the stars have all fallen to the earth, yet, by the trumpets, they’re back in their celestial orbits, business as usual so something bad can happen to them again. Furthermore, John flip-flops the events of Ezekiel 38 & 39 in his re-telling, making it clear his intent is not to try and follow any sort of chronology.
Rather, it’s written in cycles of visions that are designed to both threaten and reassure. Every time the vision spirals down to the earthly realm, the visions threaten our security by challenging us with images of horsemen, plagues, violence, hardship, persecution and death. Yet as soon as the mayhem and destruction seems like it’s about to reach a cataclysmic crescendo, we’re transported back up to the heavenly throne room, where we experience not only a reprieve from the disasters, but we are placed in the presence of God, the lamb, and the heavenly chorus that continually reminds us this is where God is wanting to bring us – into his presence.
The threats and the assurances both serve their own purposes, and depending on which of the seven churches you identify with will dictate how you read Revelation. If you’ve been complacent and compromising with the forces of evil in the world that oppress and act violently, the bottom loops of the visions should make you feel a bit unsettled and disturbed. If you’re one of the churches undergoing persecution, however, the heavenly visions bring you great comfort and hope.
In this way, Revelation seeks to strip away any false senses of security we might have when it comes to the worldly realm while continually pointing us to the festive and joyous scenes of the heavenly throne room. Peace and security lies with the lamb, not with the earthly beasts.
While we seek to keep the images and events in their proper context, knowing that it had meaning and significance to first century readers does not mean that Revelation is contained safely in the annals of history. Instead, modern readers should recognize that the book is intended to communicate a message to everyone who reads it – no matter when or where they live. Revelation reveals timeless truths that transcend across the millennia. But by addressing how the original audience would have heard it helps us to better understand how it addresses our modern situations as well. Like in John’s day, there are a wide spectrum of readers – from those who live rather comfortably in America to those who live under intense persecution in the Middle East, China, etc. Where you are coming from will determine how its message is received; whether it threatens and disturbs you – or provides you with comfort and promise. It’s threats are as real today as they were two thousand years ago.
Revelation seeks to provide assurance in the midst of despair – reminding us always that Christ will triumph in the end, even during the most difficult of times.
Ultimately – the question Revelation is posing to Christian communities is this: Who do you really belong to? God and the lamb, or Satan and his beastly systems of the world? John draws very harsh and clear distinctions for people not because the answer is so clear to us in daily life, but because for many in both his day and our day today – it is sometimes difficult to separate that which is from God and that which is not. Beastly systems are around us all the time and are seductive, and aptly portrayed by a harlot, because they are dressed up to seem appealing and feed off our innate human desire for power and wealth. But in reality, the garish image of the harlot, drunkenly riding her pet beast, reveals the true nature of these systems and their self-destructive tendencies. How they easily confuse and lead astray many a Christian by offering up excuses and justification for oppression and tyranny and swaddles them in scriptural references – much the same way the devil utilized scripture to try and tempt Jesus.
Under most circumstances, I am usually one who says “but, you know, the Left Behind people might be right and we can agree to disagree on our interpretation.” And indeed – perhaps they are. However, if they are wrong, about any part of their script, the world will suffer greatly from the ramifications of this theology – and indeed, it already has.
In part 2 of my response, I will address why it matters what we believe about the end times. Check back next week.
(For more in-depth reading on this topic, two excellent books are “Revelation and the End of All Things” by Craig Koester, and “The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation” by Barbara Rossing).