The Book of Revelation and the Global Conflict In the Middle East
By William E. Hull, Research Professor
Samford University, Birmingham, AL
Note: This three-part sermon series was preached at the Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 2003. Dr. Hull notes that "he was driven by the thrust of the book`s message to wrestle with major ethical issues: national hubris in the first sermon, systemic evil in the second, and religious pacifism in the third.
Sermon Three: A New Heaven and a New Earth
Few things attract our attention like the suspense of an unresolved conflict. In every struggle the unspoken question brooding over the plot is, Who will be victorious? As we work through the Book of Revelation, particularly after a closer look at the way that the omnipotent God engages the satanic Beast, the outcome seems very uncertain, especially for the early Christians in Asia Minor. The Roman Empire was growing more antagonistic with each new Caesar. Overwhelming military, political, economic, and cultural power seemed to make it irresistible. The vast majority of the population had meekly surrendered to its sovereignty (13:4), and this mood of submission had made serious inroads into the seven churches addressed by John, all of which were struggling to survive. There was lovelessness in Ephesus (2:4), tribulation in Smyrna (2:9-10), heresy in Pergamum (2:14-15), immorality in Thyatira (2:20), spiritual death in Sardis (3:1), weakness in Philadelphia (3:8), and lukewarmness in Laodicea (3:16).
And yet the Book of Revelation exudes an attitude of confidence. Every one of these letters to the seven churches ends with a call to conquer (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). This confidence was grounded, not in some hope of future triumph, but in the fact that Christ had already conquered and was seated with his father on the throne of heaven (3:21). Because these embattled Christians could now experience in worship the glory of heaven through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the outcome of their struggle was no longer in doubt. They could fight in the certainty that the stranglehold of evil had already been broken by the death and resurrection of the Lamb.
Consider that such an incredible plot line had never been heard of in human history. Here was a tiny religious movement only one generation old, bereft of status, wealth, or legal standing, yet daring to challenge the world`s mightiest empire in a fight to the finish. Most ancient religions served to legitimate the state rather than to oppose it, but the Book of Revelation espoused a Christianity that transcended every political loyalty. How incredible that an exiled prophet on the Isle of Patmos, lacking any of the resources that make for earthly success, dared to trace the outworkings of a victory that had already been determined in a decisive battle fought on a hill called Calvary. Unless the Book of Revelation strains your credulity to the breaking point, you have not understood the audacity of its claims. Let us, in a willing suspension of disbelief, explore how John conceived of such an inconceivable triumph over evil.
The Conflict
The strangest thing about this ultimate struggle against evil is the insistence of Revelation that it is a war in which one side has chosen to fight without weapons. The depth of the paradox is seen in the apparently contradictory reference to "the wrath of the Lamb" (6:16). Here is at once an outraged but vulnerable Lamb pushed to its limit by the horror of evil. On the one hand, there is a wrath that expresses the divine revulsion over our human misuse of freedom. It is the Holy One`s recoil against everything we do that offends his love. There can be no easy tolerance or shallow compromise with the ways of the cosmic dragon and of his earthly beast. It should make our blood run cold to realize just how much God hates sin. But, on the other hand, we must ask what the Lamb does with this wrath, and the answer is that he allows himself to suffer unfairly in order to expose sin for what it really is. Unlike all his enemies, the Lamb is never violent, retaliatory, or vengeful. In contrast to the Caesars, whose towering rages were legendary, he is not a swaggering human despot wielding arbitrary power, but the Lamb is rather an innocent victim led to the slaughter (5:12). Like their Master, the followers of the Lamb were to abhor everything about the Beast, yet refuse to use his methods in opposing their enemies. Nor are we dealing here with mere symbolism. In the showdown precipitated by the Jewish War of AD 70, Christians in Palestine refused to become religious zealots and join their countrymen in the revolt against Rome, choosing rather the way of non-violence that left the outcome to God. This was not so much a political pacifism that refused to fight for one`s own country as it was a religious pacifism which refused to impose faith at the point of a sword as Rome was attempting to do in its growing insistence on emperor worship.
In the ancient world, almost every war was a holy war pitting the god of one nation against the god of another nation. Indeed, religious leaders often led the troops into battle carrying with them sacred objects designed to ensure the favor of a partisan god. By contrast, the recipients of Revelation were being encouraged to fight as the Lamb fought, allowing evil to exhaust its strength in unavailing attacks upon the people of God. That is why John`s "wrath" against Rome was expressed with words rather than with a sword. He was willing to expose evil in no uncertain terms, but not use coercion to control the outcome.
The problem with all of this, of course, is that, in our kind of world, the contest between truth and power seems always to be won by power. Lambs are simply no match for beasts, raising the specter of martyrdom which had taken the life of Jesus and was beginning to take the lives of his followers (2:10, 13; 3:2, 10). Already John`s readers were questioning the fate of those who had resisted Rome to the point of death. As the martyrs cried, "How long, O Lord, before Thou wilt judge and avenge our blood" (6:10), they were immediately given a white robe (6:11) which entitled them to stand before the throne of God (7:9, 13-14). Note here the alchemy of grace: robes washed in red blood become white as snow. Note also that, even though they had made the supreme sacrifice of life itself, it was not their blood that transforms but the blood of the Lamb.
Martyrdom was not a heroic reach for sainthood, or an effort to escape into a better world, but was the ultimate form of political protest against power structures seeking to usurp the place of God. The martyrs were willing to wager their lives that Rome was wrong. In refusing to accept the claims of those in control, they named them as a fraud. The martyrs knew that the books would not be balanced either by this world or in this world, but they viewed the world above as more real than anything this world had to offer. The logic of their ultimate sacrifice was well expressed by Jim Elliott, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."[i]
Does not the Book of Revelation gain contemporary resonance in its emphasis on martyrdom? Never before have so many Christians been persecuted for their beliefs. Estimates run as high as 200-250 million believers living today under threat of torture, rape, enslavement, imprisonment, or even death.[ii] Mass murders in Ambon and Indonesia, have swollen to genocidal proportions in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Nor is our immediate spiritual family spared this carnage beginning with the recent death of our own Martha Myers of Montgomery, cut down with two others at the Jibla Baptist Hospital in Yemen, soon joined by Bill Hyde in the Philippines and fourteen year-old Abigail Little in Israel.
Even though we enjoy a remarkable degree of religious freedom in this country, we cannot escape the question of whether, in a showdown with evil, we would be willing to die for our faith, certain of vindication in the world beyond. The very possibility of such a choice forces the question of why God would allow martyrdom to happen. Caird answers insightfully: "Why does God not cut short the suffering of his persecuted people? Sooner or later evil must be allowed to run its destructive course to a close. The answer is that God holds his hand, not willing that any of his creatures should perish, and as long as he does so the martyrs must suffer. Martyrdom, like the Cross, is the cost of divine patience."[iii]
The Conquest
In this messianic war with the Beast, John cherished no illusions that victory would come either quickly or easily. Even though Christ had triumphed over evil in his death and resurrection, and even though his followers were continuing to conquer in the witness of martyrdom, the final triumph of God`s kingdom would not come until the end of history. The stages in this great conflict were seen as somewhat parallel to the exodus in the Old Testament. You may remember that when the children of Israel were allowed to escape Egypt, there followed a long period of wilderness wanderings when they were beset by many foes. The redemption from slavery that began with the crossing of the Red Sea was not completed until the twelve tribes finally crossed the river Jordan and claimed the promised land. Just so, the early Christians would have to fight against the satanic trinity of the dragon or serpent symbolizing supernatural evil, the beast or sea monster symbolizing the imperial power of Rome, and the second beast or earth monster symbolizing the cult of emperor worship before victory would finally be theirs.[iv]
At last, in the great Battle of Armageddon (16:16), followers of the Lamb will find themselves up against all of the earthly power structures that oppose the Kingdom of God, whether they be political, economic, or religious. But there is an ironic note of hope even in this desperate struggle, for the greater the number of foes that converge upon the faith, the more opportunity that gives for faithful witness and loving sacrifice which can lead to repentance and faith. Tragically, all of the enemies of God will not choose to believe, but at least they will all have a chance to face clearly the ultimate alternatives of eternity, namely, whether humans are made for violence and enmity or whether they are made for forgiveness and reconciliation. As Paul put it (Romans 11:32), God condemns everyone who uses their freedom to serve the Beast, but he does so in order that he may have mercy on everyone who responds in faith to the witness of the faithful. His deepest desire is for a victory without any victims, however costly it may be.
If the first stage of conquest is the redemptive work of the Lamb, and the second stage is the faithful witness of his people, then the final stage is the triumphant return of Christ to earth when truth shall reign supreme. Then all will know that the cosmos is an incubator of justice, love, and peace, that deception, intimidation, and exploitation were never meant to control human affairs. Those who have learned to love the truth will welcome the coming of Christ, while those who have built their lives on lies will find their foundations swept away.
Closely connected to the coming of Christ will be the millennium, or thousand year period, which defines that final "day of the Lord" to which the prophets eagerly looked. Then the Beast will be seen to be defeated (20:3) and the martyrs will be seen to be triumphant (20:4), a state of affairs which will usher in the Kingdom of God "on earth as it is in heaven," for which Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:10). This symbolism provides a way of affirming that God is both creator and redeemer, that he is Lord both of this world and of the world to come, and that he will make a new earth as well as a new heaven (21:1), thereby removing the dualistic antagonism between the two realms.
It may seem strange that, when this millennium of earthly peace ends, the devil will be released and given a final chance to deceive the nations once again (20:7-8). This tells us that evil never learns anything, even if given a thousand years to brood in the prison of a bottomless pit. But, when the Beast resorts to its old bag of tricks, it can no longer prevail, even if it arouses the multitudes to fight, for the victory of the saints is now impregnable (20:9-10). In other words, Christ`s triumphant kingdom, both in heaven and on earth, is one that evil cannot overthrow even when given a second chance. Once the Lamb has finally prevailed, the Beast will never again have the upper hand. This was John`s way of saying that God`s redemption is eternally dependable!
The Consummation
Once the millennium declares God`s determination to create a New Earth, then we are ready to be told how he also intends to create a New Heaven (21:1). When we ask what could be "new" about a heaven that is eternal, the answer is that now, for the first time since the Garden of Eden, it is in perfect harmony with God`s earth and includes all of the redeemed of the ages for whom the Lamb came to suffer and die. The only thing that surpasses John`s hideous description of evil is his beautiful description of heaven in the closing chapters of Revelation. He exhausts hyperbole to describe what God has always wanted to provide for his own. Images of precious and semi-precious stones are employed to depict a kingdom where the highest values are treasured and preserved rather than desecrated and destroyed.
In contrast to the evil city of Babylon, which was likened to a harlot, John describes heaven in terms of a holy city called the New Jerusalem, which will be the antithesis of Rome in his day. It has been helpfully described it as a place where earth is truly joined to heaven, where the people dwell together in harmony with God, and where they enjoy his presence without any of the barriers that kept the emperors at arm`s length from their subjects.[v]
This heavenly Jerusalem is to be open and inclusive (21:25), a place where all may gather for worship without temple walls to segregate one group from another (21:22). Supreme in this vision, as Kathleen Norris put it, is "a God who comes to be with those who have suffered the most in a cruel, unjust, and violent world. A God who does not roar and strut like the ultimate dictator but who gently wipes away all tears from their eyes`" (21:4).[vi] No other god in the ancient world did a mother`s work of drying tearful eyes.
Most of all, heaven will be a place of life. In pride of place are the tree of life and the river of life, showing that God is the giver of life. The river of life flows through the midst of the city where all may gain access to it, and on either side it nourishes the tree of life, bearing fruit throughout the year, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations (22:1-2). Here the "culture of death" spawned by sin is overcome by redeemed relationships that nourish a "culture of life" (22:3).
Looking back over this three-part series, we see that the Book of Revelation compels us to focus on one key issue: where is a power mighty enough to subdue evil yet gentle enough to leave us free? Through the centuries we have tried many solutions that did not work. War can bring victory to the powerful, but it leaves a legacy of bitterness and fear among its victims. Wealth can purchase influence and bolster reputation, but it causes jealousy to fester beneath the surface. Education can create a learned elite, but all too often the sophisticated exploit the ignorant for their own advantage. These options offer powerful temptations to America today because we are by far the strongest, richest, and most educated country in the world. Rome became an imperium mighty enough to conquer everything in its domain except evil. Let those who would turn America into a modern empire take heed!
The deepest insight of the Apocalypse is that evil can be defeated only by "the Lamb who was slain" (5:12). That is, we shall never finally subdue the Beast that ravages planet earth except by living and dying as Jesus did. That is as difficult a message in the twenty-first century as it was in the first century. But lest it be dismissed as hopelessly impractical, remember that this was precisely the strategy used by the early Christians to conquer the Roman Empire. For a quarter of a millennium, Rome did its worst to stamp out the Christian movement, accusing it of being atheistic because it would not deify the State, yet never once did the faithful fight back with force. At last, when pomp and power, intimidation and violence had done its worst, it was the followers of the Lamb rather than the Caesars who had won! Incredible as it may seem, they won without ever lifting the sword, without ever strutting in the marketplace, without ever exploiting the vulnerable. Mystery of mysteries, the Beast really was defeated by not being resisted. What John had to believe as an audacious hope, we may now verify as a fact of history.
Doubtless there are many of us who devoutly hope that in some remote future the kingdom of Christ will vanquish the kingdom of the Beast. But John would not have it so. His times were so desperate that he was impelled by a breathtaking sense of urgency to plead for radical change sooner rather than later (1:1-3; 22:20), which was the hardest possible time for change to come. Even though Rome was in total control of his earthly existence, he dared to ask for relief then and there without delay (10:6). There was nothing that Rome could offer that he yearned to possess even for a moment. And what about us? Are we ready-right now!-for every kingdom of this world, whether it be political or economic or social or religious, to "become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, that he may reign forever and ever" (11:15)? If we are unwilling to let anything in time and space stand between us and eternity, then let us cry with the prophet of Patmos, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!" (22:7, 10, 12, 20).
Footnotes
1 Cited by Jere Van Dyk, "A Noble Calling," Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2003, W-13.
2 Bennett, Ralph Kinney, "The Global War on Christians," Reader`s Digest, August, 1997, 51-55.
3 Caird, G. B., A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John the Divine, Harper`s New Testament Commentaries (New York: Harper & Row, 1966), 295.
4 Bauckham, Richard, The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 89.
5 Bauckman, 26-144.
6 Norris, Kathleen, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), 321.
