To the recent surge of messages of urgent salvation, and to the words of the book of Revelation and their meaning, I feel it is vital to look at it from a historical perspective.
The apocolyptic tradition among Jews, and later the Christians began more or less after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Many residents of Jerusalem (note I did not say Jew, there were competing faiths at the time) were executed. Others were taken away to slavery. The Jewish religious leaders of the time pondered and discussed why God had turned on them. This period as well as the following generations saw many gloomy prophets and some of the most difficult reading of the current Bible.
About 40 to 60 years later the Persian conquered Babylonia. Many Jews were taken farther east, but over time most of them were released and allowed to return to Jerusalem. This freedom was short lived due to Greek domination (time of the Maccabees. Had the Greeks been more benevolent there may not have been a great uprising, but they instead desecrated their temples and were generally a pain to them. They revolted and won. Maccabees happens to be a wonderfully readable Old Testament book. Unfortunately, the protestants have decided to omit it from the Bible.
Not all books were intended to be literally interpreted. Daniel is one of them. Long ago it was not always wise to tell stories or write about what is directly around them in literal terms. The Book of Daniel was formulated about the time of the Maccabees, probably intended to talk about that time. But the tale takes place During the time of Babylon and King Nebuchadenezzer, a tale to relate to the present moment at the time. The deeper truths are to be discovered. Jesus spoke in code with parables.
Satan is a late comer to the Bible, and is always a minor character. During the Persian occupation Zoroastrianism was the state faith. In the Z’an faith there are two Gods. One good, one evil. The story of Lucifer and his angels being cast out of heaven? Likely borrowed from Greek mythology.
After the expulsion of the Greeks the New Jewish homeland made a poor alliance with Rome, who soon annexed them. As caretakers of Israel they were more benevolent than the Greeks, but many Jewish sects still felt they were an outside tyrant. Many were looking for a new warrior to release them as prophesied from the past. Among others Jesus stepped up. But his message was peace. He was no warrior.
Stories of coming apocalypse were common at the time. Many of the Essenes took to hiding in caves along the Dead Sea (writers of the Dead Sea scrolls) in anticipation of this. When the Romans came, they confidently faced them in battle, expecting divine victory. They were wiped out.
The book of Revelation was written with similar imagery. The multi-headed beasts? There are multi-headed beasts on the ancient castles of Babylon (I saw them on PBS). The problem with trying to tie them to current events are that the passages are written in such vague imagery as to be very widely interpreted, and many generations between the Roman Empire and now have seen it as the end time. The writer(s) of Revelation were making references to the Roman empire and felt that the end was very near-in their lifetime. Jesus himself told his apostles he was coming back, and implied that it would be very soon.
Rome persecuted the Christians, their leaders were the beast. Constantine made Rome Christian in a political move. Rome is now holy. Rome fell. But this time religious leaders were not crying about how God had turned on them. One of them, I do no remember his names, wrote something like Empires come and they go. This has no effect on the kingdom of God. Even Jesus said to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesars. Render unto God that which is Gods.” This has been the biblical mandate for separation of Church and State.
The book of Revelation was not always a popular book in the past. It almost did not make the cut. Even during the Protestant reformation Martin Luther, and others, felt it should be removed.
Personally I feel it is much better to live by the principles of your faith rather that freaking out on Revelation. Even “The Late Great Planet Earth” has had to be revised.
Other than that, take what you want and give a message. This is an opportunity to discuss it without harping on Heaven or Hell or the end of times. Expand your mind.
