The Book of the Apocalypse

University Degree Linguistics, Classics and related subjects

Whitzman

The Book of Revelations is probably the most notorious Book in the New Testament; if not, in the whole bible. Prior to reading, one is uncertain about what to expect from the book as all that is known, is that it contains John’s revelatory vision. After reading it for the first time, one may be confused with its use of unusual symbolic language, and complicated themes. It has been said that the Book of Revelation is hard for people to read as they are not used to this kind of literature. Through the use of specific examples, the following essay will explain my own interpretations and will include my analysis of certain aspects of the Book.

To begin, as I had no idea what to expect, I must acknowledge that the Book of Revelations surpassed my expectations. Although there were parts that I did not enjoy due to confusion or dullness, a lot of it was quite unexpected. For example, even upon knowing that the Book was from the New Testament, in which Jesus is mentioned frequently, I was stunned to find out that Jesus was brought up quite a bit. Furthermore, I had known, prior to reading, that the Book would have a very apocalyptic tone, but my assumption was that it would proclaim awareness to the destruction of the world. My assumption was accurate, as the seven seals did contain much detail about the demolition of the earth; be it to mankind, the seas, the mountains, or to those that were, ‘unmarked’; but there was also a strong emphasis placed on Jesus’ portrayal. He was presented as victorious and in control over everything that had happened; therefore, I believe, that to have faith in the Lord, was the Book’s main purpose.

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However, as I continued to read, I became bewildered on what the original message of the book would be. My initial thoughts about the author’s purpose for the Book were that it was an attempt to convey to its readers the necessity to believe and worship the Lord. This was emphasized as those who did not believe, nor lived the way the Lord wished, would not be saved, and would be killed. It took me quite a few reads to arrive to a realization, that its purpose was much more than that. It was not only to announce that if one believes, has faith, and lives correctly, they will be saved, but also to announce that there is a necessity to believe in Him. This necessity is emphasized through the fact that it declared, that it will not always be easy to live this way. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life”.1 Life may be risked, and joys may be taken away; nonetheless, in the end, you will be granted permission to live with the Lord peacefully and happily.

There were also certain elements that stood out in my mind because they were easy to comprehend. The visions were certainly one of them. They enabled me to stay focused, and the imagery used to describe these visions made reading them more interesting and enjoyable. Nevertheless, the visions also allowed me to become aware of how fast life could change, as it did so rapidly during each vision. Initially, the reader is exposed to John, in which he sees the seven lampstands and is presented with the letters to the seven churches of Asia: “John, To the Seven Churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”2. This left me bewildered, as I wondered whether or not John was actually referring to seven buildings, in which people gathered for worship, or if he was referring to a community of Christians living in each city. Even upon reading it many times, I was left without an answer.

I also found that the second vision, which discussed the opening of the Seven Seals to be interesting and different than the rest of the text. What made it different was that it was written in a way that set it apart from the other chapters in the book. This is evident because I felt that I knew where the author wanted emphasis placed, as each seal was not given the same amount of text. It is clear that the first four seals are discussed very briefly, as each only had two or three versus each. Although the fifth seal was more intense, it still did not contain the same impact as the other two remaining. The sixth seal gave a strong eerie feeling, as it discussed, the earthquake, the sun and moon changing to the color of blood, the stars falling from the sky, and the destruction of all the mountains and islands. The concluding lines, “they called to the mountains and the rocks, "fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand”,”3 allowed the reader to recognize that although there was destruction on earth, there was hope for those who remained, as long as they repent they may still able to be saved, and ascend into heaven, this reinforces my proposal of the main focal point of the Book.

Finally, “the seventh seal was opened, [and] there was silence for about half an hour”4 nonetheless, when I read about the seventh seal, I was also silent for half an hour. This was because the story of the Seven Seals includes the story of the Seven Trumpets, which includes the story of the Seven Bowls. It became apparent to me that the story of the Seven Seals would never end. Another thing that never seems to end is the list of references relating to the number seven. When I think of seven, I associate it with being a lucky number. Humanity may think that this number is lucky because of it abundant use of it in The Bible. Humanity also seems to associate the number six hundred and sixty-six with evil, so religiously in fact a person may purchase and extra item at a store to prevent that number from appearing on their register receipt.

Another point that peaked my interest was how seven trumpets acknowledged the destruction of the earth, as trees and grass burned up, mountains were thrown out of the ground, creatures died, ships were destroyed, stars turned dark, and water became polluted. The fifth trumpet, allowed me to acknowledge, that even though it showed destruction, it also announced that the angels were forced to harm all of those whom were not worthy of ascending to heaven. In fact, the angels were given explicit orders to “only [harm] those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads”5. I felt that the discussion of the seventh trumpet, which also dealt with the Seven Bowls, could have made a good conclusion to The Bible itself, as it discussed the end of the earth, as it destroyed all of its’ remains. “The final trumpet turned the sea into blood, scorched people with the sun, and put the world into darkness” 6

Overall, as I have read other Books of the Bible, I believe that the Book of Revelations is an essential part of the New Testament. Furthermore, it is a necessity to be placed at the end of as it gives a much needed conclusion to God's revelation and of His plan for all human kind. Upon further reading, I realize that this book is not a revelation of the many visions of John; it is not a revelation of the Seven Seals, or the Seven Trumpets, or the Seven Bowls; it is not a revelation of the occurring numerology, be it the number seven, or even the mentioning of the number 666. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ bringing human history to a close. So, finally, as “the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying,” like my essay, “"it is done"”7.

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