“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’“
Revelation 4:1

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For the remainder of our “The Greatest Story” series, we will be in the book of Revelation. This title literally means “disclosure” or “unveiling,” and—believe it or not—this is what the word “apocalypse” means as well. Apocalypse means to unveil, to take the lid off something and show what is inside.

Apocalyptic literature was a Jewish and early Christian literature genre that we struggle to understand today. It relied on symbolism and pseudonyms to depict cosmic struggles between God and the ruling political powers of earthly empires in order to unveil the greed and oppression these empires used to hold power—and how deeply in contrast that was to God’s character and plan for His creation. In this genre, the corruption of human systems of power is revealed. The lid is removed so that we can see who we really are.

The deep symbolism and pseudonymity provided protection for the writer and readers who were speaking truth to deadly powers—but it was a thin veneer. As we might draw a donkey and an elephant behind two podiums and immediately know who we were mocking, these head-scratching bizarre symbols were an easy read for the early Christians. For them, Revelation revealed the truth about themselves and the realities of the Roman Empire in light of God’s revealed will for a just and compassionate society.

Of course, over time the weirdness of these books caused us to misinterpret the word “apocalypse” as “the violent end of the world.” But no. Unveiling is what it means, and unveiling is what this genre of biblical writing is here to do.

As much as I wish John had seen into the American Empire to unveil the truth about us, he did not. And yet, we have so much in common with the Roman Empire that there is still plenty to confront us in these pages—if we have the courage to listen.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • What is unveiled in the book of Revelation?
  • What do you think God would unveil about our own country and behavior in light of God’s will for humanity and creation?

Church Reading Plan: Isaiah 3-4; Hebrews 11