I'd like to do a post on the book of Revelation, particularly on some of the hermeneutical guidelines that can help us avoid the interpretive pits into which we as contemporary readers easily slip. I thought it might be interesting to see what different people (if there are any of you out there!) have experienced in the way of troublesome and even dangerous readings of Revelation. I hope this won't encourage ridicule of different teachers (even if their last name is LaHaye!) but will serve as a bit of a runway for more positive reflection.
So what interpretive decisions have crossed your path and left you feeling exegetically exasperated?
I'll go first, first confessing my own sins and then mentioning a second interpretation not of my own making. First, picking up on Joel 2:31, several New Testament texts (for example, Acts 2:20; Rev. 6:12) mention something about the moon becoming like blood. For some reason I used to speculate that this might entail humanity colonizing the moon in the future and having a great war there, thus staining it with blood! The key word here is "speculated" (in the worst sense of the word). Lord, have mercy.
Yet that interpretive blunder at least didn't have all the negative ramifications of the popular one that I'll mention next. Many Christians have been led to believe that the "mark of the beast" (Rev. 13:16-18) consists of some technological device (a super duper microchip, etc.). "They" (whoever that may be) will be able to "track" those who receive the mark. Put gently, this is not a strong reading of the text....but more on why later. For now, what other things come to mind?
Human colonization of the moon...lunar wars...That is awesome! And I think it is probably in the Greek!!! Funny stuff.
ReplyDeleteOk, I will go next now that I have picked on you. Although, my example does not come from Revelation, but rather from the Book of Psalm 91.
I was taught (and used to think...ouch, Clint...what were you thinking...or not thinking!) that Psalm 91 was a description of what was happening in the Gulf War as that was going on in the early 90's. Here are the connections:
1) I was taught this in 1991 (Ps. 91!) as the Gulf War was happening.
2) "And under his wings you may seek refuge..." The wings stood for America (the proud Eagle) and the personal pronoun "you" referred to Israel who we had an obligation to protect.
3)"You will not be afraid of the terror by night; Or of the arrow that flies by day;" For anyone who remembers watching news coverage of the Gulf War, no doubt you remember the footage of missiles lighting up the night skies. Yep, thats right, I thought the terror of the night referred to such missiles, and as you might guess, "the arrow that flies by day" referred (obviously!) to the airplanes/fighter Jets.
So, there you go. I have confessed my sin...Steve, can you please do the absolution now!
Blessings
Clint
Hey Steve.
ReplyDeleteI'll just share that growing up, I was frightened to death of Jesus' return (doesn't that sound terrible!). More specifically, I was scared of the Tribulation. Being taught a strong "Late Great Planet Earth"/"Left Behind" interpretation of Revelation, I was so scared of what the future was going to look like. Mark of the Beast. The Anti-Christ. People disappearing... and cars crashing!
I would actually (remember, I was young) tell God in my prayers each night that I thought Jesus would come back tomorrow. You see, since no knows the day or hour, I thought doing this each night would "buy" me another day.
You know it's a messed up interpretation when you are not praying "Come, Lord Jesus come!" and instead "Stay, please Jesus stay!"
I think my upbringing was a result of a "scare tactics" approach to evangelism. "You don't want to be one of those left behind!"
I'm still recovering...