Day 344

Amos 1:1–3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20

YESTERDAY WE BEGAN the book of Revelation —the final book of the New Testament. Revelation has captured the fascination of readers in ways that no other book has, and it has been interpreted through many lenses over millennia —some fantastic and some pragmatic.

Revelation self-identifies the author as John. Unfortunately, which John is not clearly specified. Traditionally, the accepted author has been the apostle John (who wrote the Gospel of John as well as 1, 2, and 3 John). This view has been questioned since at least the third century and continues until today. Based on the evidence, though, most hold to the tradition that the apostle John was probably the author.

If this is the case, the apostle John was banished to the island of Patmos, where Revelation was written. It is believed that Patmos was a Roman penal colony where criminals and political prisoners were exiled. The island sits in the Aegean Sea, between modern-day Greece and Turkey, not terribly far from Ephesus (where it is believed that John spent his elderly years).

Revelation is considered a work of apocalyptic literature. This is one of the reasons for the intrigue around it. The genre is highly symbolic, and the reader must discern what is to be taken literally and what to consider allegoric or symbolic. Because of the apparent subject matter —the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of a new era for humanity —interpreting Revelation can lead to widely diverse conclusions, as has been the case over thousands of years.

Some view the work from an entirely first-century perspective and thus conclude that the events in Revelation have already taken place. Others see the book outlining the chain of events beginning in the first century and lasting until the end of the world. Still others believe that the symbolism found in Revelation is timeless and describes the cosmic struggle between good and evil. Any of these views could be legitimate. Getting overly intrigued by the details and attempting to make them fit the times may prove unfulfilling, however —this has been the custom of nearly every generation, and everyone has been incorrect to date.

One thing is certain: The theme of endurance that has accompanied us through the New Testament is a fundamental theme in Revelation. It’s almost as if we’ve been following this theme all the way to Revelation so that we can see its irreplaceable role in the ultimate battle between darkness and light. Revelation conclusively tells us that those who stay faithful to the testimony of Jesus and endure until the end will be eternally victorious. As John said it, “They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die” (Revelation 12:11).

We will discover that endurance isn’t a passive or defensive posture. Remaining true when the entire world is against you is a powerful statement against deception. Deception is and has always been the greatest force set against mankind, as Revelation will reveal. We are to remain true and be a witness to the truth and a light in the darkness until the very end —and that very end, according to Revelation, is a new beginning.

MEDITATION:

The LORD is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.