The Revelation to St. John

The final book of our Bibles is by far the most misunderstood, misquoted, and generally abused or ignored book of the Scriptures. As we study the Revelation to St. John, we will place the book within its literary and historical context and envision how this extraordinary book speaks to us in the church today. Revelation is a liturgical book centered around worship. It tells us that evil is conquered, the saints are redeemed, and a new creation will be brought about not through the force of arms but through the blood of the Lamb and the testimony/martyrdom of Its followers. In preparation for the study, I am primarily using Dr. Michael J. Gorman’s Reading Revelation Responsibly and Fr. Lawrence R. Farley’s The Apocalypse of St. John. I will also be using Reading Revelation in Prison, a blog post by Richard Beck in “Experimental Theology”, the chapter on “The Meaning and Mystery of Wrath” in The Prophets by Abraham Heschel, the relevant portions of Her Gates Will Never Be Shut by Brad Jersak, The Writings of the New Testament by Luke Timothy Johnson, and the Commentary on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament by G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson. This lesson covers sixteen weeks.
(Easter/Summer 2022)

The Revelation – An Introduction

I hope that you will be able to join us on our journey into St. John the Divine’s vision and partake of the most extraordinary book in all of the Scriptures.
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The Revelation – Interpretative Strategies

Regardless of the interpretive strategy employed or the themes recognized, Revelation, like all of the New Testament, must necessarily be read within the context of Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection. The Church’s proclamation since the day of Pentecost is Christ crucified.
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The Revelation – Historical Background

For John, there can only be one God Worshipful King – a man who was crucified in Jerusalem rather than the man who sits on the throne in Rome. Revelation is his teaching.
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The Revelation – Oracles to the 7 Churches (pt.1) – Rev. 2:1-11

As we read through these seven letters, the challenge to us to see ourselves as being spoken to within these seven oracles. Continuously ask yourself how have I earned Christ’s commendation and how have I deserved his condemnation. Most importantly, however, see yourself as the recipient of the promises made…
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The Revelation – Demonic Locusts – Rev. 9

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star (Heb. Lucifer), son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! . . . But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit.”
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The Revelation – The Two Beasts (666) – Rev. 13

The subordination of our religion to the State or the exchange of worshiping God for worshipping the State or something more sinister is always easier to see in others than in ourselves. The challenge is to have and to cultivate the self-awareness as to whom we are following.
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The Revelation – The End is Nigh – Rev. 15

Once more, John’s vision tells us that the gospel testified to by the saints is the story of the Exodus written on a spiritual plane. John is simply telling his Gospel narrative with graphic visions instead of the more philosophical arguments of Paul or the story-telling parables of Jesus.
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The Revelation – The Bowls of Wrath – Rev. 16

The final act of God rendering recompense to his enemies begins now. All of the warnings and all of the intermediate punishments have been given. We are nearing the end of the opposition to God and to God’s people.
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The Revelation – Christ Victorious – Rev. 19

The judgment Jesus speaks is a warning of what the opposition will reap if they did not stop sowing seeds of rebellion. To reject Jesus’ words of life is to die. This image in Revelation is intended to be Christ’s last call for repentance.
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The Revelation – The End – Rev. 21-22, pt.1

This is the promised reality for us, the Bride of Christ. John gives us a vision of a redeemed and transformed creation from which all manner of evil and ungodliness are absent and the church is that beautiful, life-giving, at-one-ness with God.
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