My understanding is that the whole thing was allegorical for the time's political climate to boost confidence among Christians that it'd all turn out in their favour in the end.
The Book of Revelations is one of the most difficult books of the Bible to interpret due to the complex imagery and figurative language. There is also an issue of authenticity. This has led some to interpret Revelations as a prediction of the future. Many people, traditionally fundamentalists, interpret the book as a prediction of the End Times and a guide on how to survive Armageddon.
More likely, however, is that Revelations is an early attempt by Christian scholars to comfort the masses during the Christian persecutions. The book was written during an era of unmitigated suffering and Roman oppression. The instruments of Roman cruelty become the various beasts. By crafting a story that discusses similar cruelty and encourages faith in the face of oppression, the early Christians were able to hold the community together.
This interpretation is also the Catholic interpretation. Also see this.
edited 29th Sep '11 6:50:52 AM by Pentadragon
Adveho in mihi Lucifer
Interestingly, there are many aspects in the story that are very similar to myths from ancient caananite mythology. The woman dressed as the Sun, for example.
A single phrase renders Christianity a delusional cult
cannot into space
4 main approaches to Revelations:
- It was metaphorical: The book was intended as encouragement, and is not intended to be taken literally at all. It was mainly intended as support for the Christians being persecuted.
- It was prophetic, but already happened: The book was a prophetic look into the fall of Jerusalem, and everything in it already happened. Some say Nero was the Anti-Christ.
- It is prophetic, and will someday happen: Various degrees of literalness, varying from "A beast will literally rise out of the sea with lots of horns and literally start marking people" to "the beast represents X and the sea represents Y and the mark represents Z", and these are the things that will happen.
- Some combination of the above: Usually people say a little bit of each.
Anyway, that is what people believe!
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It's Like Arguing on the Internet
I feel the sudden urge to point out that there is no book of "Revelations" in the Bible. It's Revelation, singular.
Somehow you know that the time is right.
Well, if you know me, you know my approach to the truth value of the bible.
But in the meta sense, it's most likely a metaphoric work about the persecution of christians under Rome, and because of its confusing nature, and placement at the very end of the bible, has caused several pointless doomsday prophecies over the centuries.
It's Like Arguing on the Internet
Anyway, to be more on-topic and less snarky:
I think it is mostly likely symbolic of the fall of Rome, rather than some kind of doomsday-end-of-the-world scenario.
Somehow you know that the time is right.
Damn you, master, I was going to say the truth behind revelations is that it's called revelation.
But to be less nit-picky, revelation is pretty flowery. If you take anything in it literally you're gonna be incredibly confused. If you try to understand the subtext, good luck.
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warrior93
I think that revelation is just a major case of plagragism of the old testment prophecies.
Place your past in a book burn the pages let them cook.
I changed accounts.
We already had a thread on this. I dunno where it is, but...
Anyhow, I would personally go with Jimmyman's second interpretation offered, if I was feeling religious. Since I'm not, I'm going to say that it was simple allegory intended to keep the Christians of the period going.
I am now known as Flyboy.
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
A beautifully written ancient history propaganda piece: It's essentially, how God will come to save their asses and kick everybody else's butt while the world burns in a blaze of glory. For some reasons, early Christians tended to believe that the world was about to end.
Quite lulz-worthily, some Christian sects have been believing that the world was just about to end for centuries straight, apparently without grasping the irony.
edited 29th Sep '11 3:50:58 PM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Lord high Xecutioner
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They believed that because Jesus said "I will return soon".
Also, Christians are great at reading the Prophecies in revelation and saying "Hey, these look like they line up with X, Y, and Z today!"
It is really kind of annoying. Personally I subscribe to the "Pan" theory, which states that "Whatever that book means, it will all pan out in the end." The only thing I can really conclude from the Bible is that eventually God will come back and kick butt. When? Where? How? Why? I don't know.
Go play Kentucky Route Zero. Now.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
The best part is Jesus will come back and show the world that he is the man.
cannot into space
Wow. Now I have this picture in my head of Jesus, standing on a cloud, riding a horse, saying "I am the MAN!".
He looks sort of like the old spice guy.
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Student Eternal
The Most Interesting Man In The World is God. Specifically Grandpa God.
edited 29th Sep '11 7:15:16 PM by Carbonek13
Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time. - Moondog
cannot into space
I like this theory!
He is: The most interesting God in existence.
I don't always drink, but when I do, I drink water turned into wine.
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Student Eternal
To stay on topic somewhat, as a native Bible-belter, I find it more than a little disturbing just how many Christians are really looking forward to Armageddon. They keep an eye to the news for anything that even looks a little apocalyptic and just can't contain themselves. I remember during the Israeli bombings of Beirut back in '07 (I think) and how my grandmother was saying it was just like Revelation.
What makes it worse is that many will end up voting for politicians on the basis that they think that they will effect world policy enough to bring about the end-times. "Sure the world will be thrown into chaos and untold suffering, but it's alright cuz Jesus is a'comin'!!!!!!!" Seems pretty un-Turn-the-other-cheekish.
A pretty cool religious text up until that last book.
Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time. - Moondog
Mystical Monkey Master
Beginning sucks, middle is ok, but the ending was shit.
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Is that cake frosting?
Really? I personally really like the beginning of Revelation, with the letters to the seven Churches, and the ending, with all that beautiful imagery.
But I did not particularly enjoy the middle part...
But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
Student Eternal
I meant the Bible in general, the New Testament in particular, but whatever...
Don't get me wrong, Revelation has some great imagery, gets pretty Crazy Awesome and is probably the most Metal apocalypse this side of Ragnarok, but "is this how you end a series, is this where we go from here?"
I guess peoples' insistence that it foretells the future kind of casts a shadow over the whole thing. Suddenly it becomes not the story of doing unto others as you would have done unto you, or loving thy neighbor, but an instruction manual on avoiding a future eternity of hellfire. The ultimate case of The Ending Changes Everything.
Or maybe I live around too many Bible-thumpers?
Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time. - Moondog
Revelation, or the Apocalypse of St. John comes from a much longer tradition of Apocalyptic Literature which was common for both the early Christians and Jewish folk of that time. In any case, it uses heavily symbolic language to convey deeper spiritual truth. The book of Daniel 7-13 also belongs there, as well as the Olivet discourse seen in Mark 13, Matthew 24, and Luke 21.
Other Christian writings in this genre are the Apocalypse of St. Peter, the Apocalypse of St. Paul, the Apocalypse of the Virgin. The Apocalypse of St. Peter is particularly interesting since it was written in the early 2nd century. I personally find them all quite interesting, if the imagery can sometimes be itself quite bizarre, I like hearing the history and the symbolism behind said imagery.
cannot into space
A lot of Christians look forward to the apocalypse because they think, "All those people who wronged me? You can Suck it, cause I get to rule and reign with the King while you get to BURN!"
This is not the correct, biblical, approach of love.
If you actually read revelation, you won't understand it. But the one thing that I think I can get out of it is that things get worse before they get better.
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continues from here
As I said early Christians and Jews refused to play by Romes rules.
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