The 'Beasts' In John Of Patmos' Apocalypse An Exegesis Of Rev 13 And Pastoral Application In The Contemporary African Context
Date
2003
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse is not a "mystery book". It is neither a
book of the past (irrelevant to our 2l st century world) nor a book narrating "terrible
events" that will take place in the future. John of Patmos' Apocalypse is neither a "very
difficult" book nor a "dangerous one".
What did John of Patmos intend to do by making use of a kaleidoscopic imagery
as we find it in the Book of Revelation? The answer is just very simple. He simply
intended to convey a faith-message to the Asia Minor Christians. John of Patmos'
Apocalypse shows us his profound understanding of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus
Christ and how this mystery is to be lived in daily life of the Christians. What John
writes is 'the gospel of the Risen Lord'. The whole book is to be interpreted in the light
of "the Lamb that was slain, and yet standing" (Rev 5:6), a faith-message to the
Christians about Jesus Christ and his Paschal Mystery. This faith-message is still
relevant indeed for us Christians today. However, quite a lot of people today, even
pastors and theologians, seem to completely ignore the relevance of the biblical
apocalyptic to our contemporary world, particularly in the African context.
When John of Patmos wrote his Apocalypse, the Christians of Asia Minor,
whom he wrote to, seem to have been undergoing terrible trials in a hostile environment
to their faith. Roman pagan rulers favored those who were loyal to Roman authority
and, in the face of tribulations, many Christians chose the way of least resistance and
gave in to the pagan rulers' demands. That was also an environment of power-hungry
and money-thirsty people, who in order to have all the possible advantages in this world chose to compromise with Roman authority, an attitude that John of Patmos perceived
as a surrender to the forces of evil.
John of Patmos' underlying questions in his Apocalypse are basically three: (I)
Who is in control of the world, the worldly powers as represented by Rome or God? (2)
Who is to be worshipped, God or the 'Beasts'? (3) What is the meaning of the evil at
present? Will evil last forever, or the final word belongs to God?
In this essay, we are going to tackle these three questions through John of
Patmos' beast-symbolism as it is found in chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation. The
reason for our choice is based on the fact that Rev 13 is indeed the core of the entire
book. Besides, quite a lot of Christians today, especially in Africa, seem to be
disconcerted. Thus, as Rev 13 motivated the Asia Minor Christians in a critical
situation, today's Christians, especially in the African context, might find in it
motivations from winch their life may draw invincible strength and unshakeable faith.
This essay has three chapters, with a short introduction and conclusion for each
chapter. In Chapter One, we will deal with historical context/background questions
related to the biblical apocalyptic, with a specific reference to Rev 13. In Chapter Two,
we will focus on literary context questions related to Rev 13, with particular attention to
an extensive exegesis of the chapter at stake. This exegesis will indeed contain a lot of
information and details that will enable us to unveil "the mystery" of its apocalyptic
beast-symbolism. In Chapter Three, we are going to bring out the faith-message (theology) of Rev 13 as it was intended by the author, and we are also going to see how
this message can be articulated in the present-day crises facing the Church in Africa.
Description
Keywords
Beasts, John Of Patmos', Apocalypse, Rev 13, Exegesis, Pastoral Application