Please read the first 12 chapters of Revelation for Thursday's class.Do you find Revelation a difficult book? A beautiful book? Something of both? Cite a verse or two from the first 12 chapters that particular shows either the beautiful side or Revelation or the difficulties of figuring out this book.
16 comments:
The book of Revelation is a difficult book to understand due to the imagery that it uses. An example of this is 9:1-11, where John describes the events of the fifth trumpet, where a pit is opened and locust, acting like scorpions, would torture the people on the earth for five months, inflicting pain and preventing death.
Verses 7-10 is the really difficult part because it describes the apperance of these locusts, using descriptions such as "their hair like women's hair and their teeth like lions' teeth." These locusts have got to be big to cover all the features John describes.
Another difficult part of this is 9:20-21 where the people, after suffering through the seven seals and the first six trumpets, did not repent of their wicked ways, continuing to practice their idolatry, "therir murders, or their sorceries or their fornications or their thefts."
Despite the suffering they endured for their sins, they still are stubborn enough to continue in their sin, reject Christ, and risk eternal damnation for their actions and inactions.
Revelations is known as the "End of the World" story when God will unleash his unrestrained wrath on a world full of sinners. We do not know the hour, day, or year when this is to happen. Very similar to our own deaths, because we do not know when God is calling us.
This is a very difficult book to understand because it is full of symbolism that even scholar are not sure about and differ greatly on. However, the book does have some beauty to it. If you believe in Jesus and have your heart right, you will enter the new kingdom of Jerusalem. However, the end of the world is not the prettiest picture that could be painted.
3:18 is one verse where confusion sets in "I advise you buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed." What gold is he talking about? Is he not telling us that we should go out and trust in the Lord, but where do we find this commodity that he is talking about? If it was taken literally, it would mean me need to go and buy gold.
Finally, this book, written from a person's vision that he had and he questions it himself. I wonder how trust worthy this source is. There seems to be some distinct differences between scholars. I also wonder how all the symbolism was attached to the story. However, it does promise us a way to get to the promise land.
I particularly enjoyed and found beautiful the following famous lines, found in chapter 7, verses 15-17:
Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sites on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the cener of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
I think this definetally shows the beautiful side of Revelation. It's powerful and satisfying, it shows how people in heaven will no longer scramble for shelter or hunger or thirst; there will be no more sadness. I like that promise.
Rachelle Rasmussen
"Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother of Prostitutes, And of the Abominations of The Earth"
I find this passage interesting. The way I see this is the woman who is a prostitute is being condemned and punished for selling herself as a prostitute. She sits on a gruesome looking scarlet beast and people see this as being a bad thing.
Alex Mason
Revelations was particularly hard for me to understand, because it is hard for me to imagine and believe in something so powerful. Although, this is the point for truth and faith, I had a hard time comprehending the symbolism in some parts. I found one of the most compelling and beautiful verses in 5:4, I wept and wept because no one was found to open the scroll or look inside. In accordance with that verse the message in 5:6 is even more beautiful, Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne… I find this particularly beautiful, simply because of the intense images that it presents. Also, the illusion of the slain lamb illustrates compassion and the ultimate sacrifice. It reflects the vision of Jesus as a slain Lamb, the Lamb of God. This seems to illustrate the image of the beauty in Jesus’ sacrifice. An innocent and helpless land is the most powerful creature. It seems to show Jesus’ helplessness in trying to spread his word and the adversities he met. Jesus’ kindness and gentle demeanor is that of a lamb. It’s the ultimate symbol of purity and kindness, however, the image of a slain lamb, illustrates a tragically beautiful scene.
Kirsten Saunders
As an English major, I really like the imagery, metaphors, and other literary elements in Revelations. I especially think the early section about a vision of Christ is beautifully written. In this section, the writer says he turned to see a voice that was speaking to him and he saw the Son of Man. He describes it as "His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters." I never thought about Revelations as being beautifully written before, but with a close read, I see that it really is beautifully written.
Alyson Guthrie
One verse I found to be beautiful would be Revelations 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Even with all the judgement that is happening in Revelation this verse gives hope. That if you turn to God he will forgive you and you will not meet a doomed fate.
The book of Revelations is also beautiful in the fact that it talks on the redemption of the blood of Christ. An example of this is in Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
This verse is important because it lets us know that people who have sinned during the great tribulation will be saved by the blood of Christ. And that blood can be spread to us so no matter what we did in our past. God will
forgive our sins by the blood of Christ.
Margaret Schiley
The book of Revelation is a difficult book to read, though beautiful through some verses, there are a lot of difficult passsages...there's a lot of difficult passages in other books of the bible as well, but some things are just a curve ball thrown right at the reader. Warren pointed out alot of the weird things in chapter 9 that build this sense of difficulty. All of these stars and seals, the descriptions and quotes...it's really hard to grasp what's going on. This is why i think Revelations is more so a 'difficult' book.
-Landon Lawson
I found the book of Revelation both difficult and beautiful. The imagery used is diffult to understand but also fun in trying to imagine it. However, the book is also a little scary in all of the horrible things that will happen. I particularly enjoy 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
I feel this book was very hard to comprehend. It seems a lot more mystical then the rest of the New Testment, with all it's extraterestrial spiritual beings. The first passage that confused me was 2:17. The part that confused me was when John describes how when the victors will recieve a white amulet on which is inscribed a new name, "which no one knows except the one who recieves it." I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. Another part I had troubles with was 4:2-5. He describes the Spirit on a throne. That I understand, but the 24 thrones around it with elders sitting in them really confuses me. Who are these elders? At first I thought the Apostles, but that is only 12 not 24.
Eric Saathoff
Probably my Favorite passage from Revelations has to be Revelations 7:1, "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree." This verse shows how beautiful the poetry of the bible can be.
Revelations has always been a very poetic book to me, full of interpertations and less of the simple instructions found in the other books. The above verse for example is part of the seven bowls which bring about different changes and when they are finished seven angels blow their trumpets bringing destruction upon man.
This has always been my favorite section of the bible for its poetry. The images that it inspires in the imagination are amazing.
John Schirado
It must have been an amazing sight for John to envision what is written in Revelation. To follow along with all of the imagery is a bit difficult, but I think that some of the most beautiful descriptions of God are seen in the book of Revelation.
1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
1:17-18 "...I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne...
6:10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
These are just a few examples in all of Rev 1-12 that make this book an awe inspiring, fear of the LORD, beautiful book.
-Amber Eich
The Revelation to John, to me is difficult to understand, but at the same time, I guess, beautiful, in that it is the book of revelation. I chose chapter five, verses six through eight. The author depicts a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes. As I understand it, this is the Lamb of God. Since I do not understand what this imagery is depecting, it makes the passage inheritantly difficult to understand.
I think the book of Revelation is a difficult book. It is also a very provocative book. It's really hard to read it and not be awe struck.
There are sooooo many views on how to interpret the book of Revelation that I have decided that "nobody" knows! I do believe that the people to whom it was written so long ago probably had a better grasp on what it meant than we do today.
One of my favorite parts of the book of Revelation is the image of "One like unto the Son of Man" in Revelation chaper 1.
What an awesome description of the eternal Christ. He had a robe on reaching down to his feet and a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brillance.
If I had been in the presence of this particular (or any for that matter!) image of Christ, I would probably fall down like a dead person also. Awsome is he!
Donna Baskins
I thought that chapter 3 was a very vivid chapter, beautiful at times and then confusing at times as well.
If I were to pick a "beautiful" passage, that would be 2:10. I really like how it talks about suffering and how we are going to be tested by Satin and that if we stay faithful we will eventually be given the crown on life. If one was to take this literally,then I can imagine someone waiting for God to respond to their obedience. I think that the crown of life is something that we are able to attain at anytime. It's what makes or breaks the quality of our lives. So thats why I really like that passage because it reminds me at least to not only be faithful but know that the temptations are out their and giving into Temptations will not produce happinesss, but being obedient will.
Throughout chapter 2 and 3 there was one passage that was repeated several times, "He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." My interpretation of this passage is that we must learn to listen to Christ more often. Listening to him on a more frequent basis will inhance our relationship with him. However I don't understand why it is necessarily repeated so many times and I don't know if my interpretation is right.
-Maggie Madrid
Revelation 4:2-6. I cannot just choose a verse or two because chapter 4 talks about the splendor awesomeness of not only heaven, but also the “worldly” descriptions for the Lord. John couldn't possibly explain it any more detailed b/c words cannot describe our Lord's beauty. It says that a rainbow encircled the throne, wow doesn’t that seem beautiful? And then the elders, dressed in white with golden crowns; I can imagine that the crowns would be shimmering. And then finally, the sea of glass that John says is so clear it resembles crystal. I almost forgot, the 4 living creatures, we know are angelic beings. Granted they may sound strange, but anything created by God will be beautiful. I cannot wait to see these guys.
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