REV 13

I know I haven't written in months but I've been busy. I am going to write much more often I hope. With that out of the way, I have been doing an in-depth study of Revelation for several weeks. The symbolism in the book is difficult no doubt. But I've always been amazed at how interpreters like to pick and choose what is symbolic and what is not. For example, 666 must be literally a number tattooed on the hand or forehead and the 144,000 must be 12,000 exactly from each tribe of Israel—no more and no less. Those same interpreters have no problem believing the "Woman" of chapter 12 is symbolic, though there is disagreement on who she is. The fact of the matter is good hermeneutics demand that the interpreter be consistent. If Revelation is apocalyptic (it is a mixed genre of course but no doubt mostly apocalyptic), then passages must be treated that way.

A great example is Rev 11:1-2. John is told to "measure the Temple. There are those who believe this means that John is to measure what will be the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. However, the genre of Revelation must determine interpretation. The Temple John is to measure must be symbolic, but of what? This morning I was reading chapter 13, John's vision of the "Sea Beast," and the "Earth Beast." In v. 6 the Sea Beast blasphemes God name and "His dwelling place, the ones who dwell in heaven." The two phrases in quotation marks are in apposition. The Sea Beast blasphemes God's dwelling place "which is" the ones who dwell in heaven. It is obvious that John is writing about not a place but people. There is no doubt that God is in Heaven, but as the Scriptures teach, He is omnipresent—He is everywhere all the time. But the NT particularly teaches that God indwells His people. Christians are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the special place where God resides in these days. Thus while Rev 11 leaves the question of the Temple open, chapter 13 sheds light on the imagery. Rev 11:1-2 then is a vision of God's protection of His people during the relatively short time in which the Gentiles will 'trample the city' [11:2]—or will persecute but not annihilate God's people.

To borrow from Robert Stein, genre determines the rules of the game. One cannot pick and choose how to treat the images of Revelation. They are ALL apocalyptic and must be treated that way.