in the front seat

The last of the four schools of interpreting John’s Book of Revelation is the spiritualist view.  Spiritualistic interpretation is a relatively new theory that tends to over emphasize symbolism.  The spiritualist believes that the book focuses on the struggles of all Christians in any age, not specifically the original readers, the past, or future.  Revelation is intended to inspire Christians being persecuted.  The spiritualist argues that looking for meaning in the past and constructing meaning is a future forward view is guesswork at best.  Any attempt at a literal interpretation is absurd.  Furthermore, any attempt to find such meaning may conflict with the spiritual meaning for which the spiritualist is searching.  This type of reading is inspirational, except it does ignore the fact that John’s book is written as a letter to be publicly read.  John wrote and sent this letter to seven specific Churches.  John also stressed t...

The futurist view is the modern extension of the historicist view.  It is wildly popular in the United States.  While it makes for great works of fiction it is questionable if it is Christian at all. The futurist divides the book of revelation into three sections.  Chapter 1: The Past Chapters 2-3: The Present Chapters 4-22: The Future In this view, John still sees visions and writing what he sees. The seven Churches are no longer regarded as seven actual Churches.  Instead, they represent the history of the Church is broken into seven different stages.  Laodicea, the dead Church, being the present apostate Church.  The climatic “final battle” between good and evil is interpreted quite literally.  The futurist holds that it will result in a world-wide nuclear war.  It will be at this time that Christ returns to usher in a 1000 Kingdom for his faithful followers.   This is followed by the creation of a new heaven and a...

The historicist view in contrast to the preterist view makes the message of John’s book relevant to the reader in whatever age it is being read.  Historicism teaches that the events described in Revelation chapters 4 through 20 describe the history of the Church from the time of the first century to the second coming of Christs.  This view is most common among conservative Christian Protestant denominations.  As a young boy this type of thinking was very exciting.  After all, it is the material of a good television special or a History Channel show about end time’s prophecy.  Wrapped into all of that speculative thinking is the highly creative task of re-thinking all of human history to match key world players and events with the apocalyptic imagery.  This is Dan Brown style fiction, interesting but inaccurate and definitely dangerous. As Catholics we must be on guard against this view and its promulgation.  This mode of interpretation was...

The word preterist comes from the Latin praeteritus meaning “gone by”.  As such this view holds firmly that John’s Book of Revelation was fulfilled at the time of it being written or shortly thereafter.  If this method of interpretation is true, then Revelation had enormous meaning to the first century Christians were facing or would face intense persecution.  John’s message was to “hold firm” and remember that God vindicates his faithful people.  This view was introduced by a Jesuit priest, Louis de Alcazar who wrote in response to the Protestant Reformation. This view challenged scholars to interpret events and images in the Book to coincide with events affecting the early Christians.  So the great conflict in the text between good and evil is a conflict between Christians and Rome and Jerusalem, i.e. Christians and the Empire and Christians and the Jews.  When viewed symbolically in its Hebrew form, the “mark of the Beast”, 666, is viewed a...

The Book of Revelation is arguably one of the most problematic books in the Christian Cannon for us to interpret.  Before anyone begins reading the Book of Revelation or any other apocalyptic literature like the Old Testament prophets Daniel and Ezekiel, or the New Testament “little apocalypses” in Mark 13, Matthew 24, and Luke 17, 21 one must understand the nature of the genre. We must keep in mind that writing is wiring, regardless of where we read it or the value that we place upon the document.  When we read a how-to manual we do so carefully usually stopping frequently to follow the steps involved.  Whereas a piece of fiction is usually read quickly, some (like my wife) read the end before reaching the plot intensifies. Biblical literature was written to an ancient people in an historical context using popular genres of the time, with images more easily understood in the author’s time.  Holy Scripture is considered inspired because it in more that h...

“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ” (RSV-CE Jn. 14: 6-7) This is the last of the seven self-identifying statements in John’s Gospel.  Chapter 15 is still part of the “Farewell Discourse”.  In this Jesus recalls Old Testament imagery that describes the relationship between Israel the vine and God the vineyard owner who planted, prunes, and nurtures the vine.  "Let me sing for my beloved a love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a...

“ I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. ” (RSV-CE Jn. 11:25-26) Some context and background is necessary to unpack the meaning behind this self-identifying statement.  First, Mary and Martha, longtime friends and supporters of Jesus believe in the then contemporary teaching of a final resurrection of the dead.  The common teaching was that the resurrection was God’s final victory, His vindication of the righteous.  Second, ancient Jewish burial custom required that the family keeps vigil at home for the first seven days after a person was laid to rest.  The spirit of the deceased person was thought to have left the body after three days.  Lazarus was in the tomb for four days.  This meant that he was really dead.    When Jesus tells Martha that her brother Lazarus will rise, he was originally speaking of the fin...

“ I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him. ” (RSV-CE Jn. 14: 6-7) The setting of this self-identifying statement is extremely important.  Jesus is dining with His disciples at the “Last Supper”.  He and they are well aware of His impending death.  The second part of this passage is central to the one of John’s themes, Jesus and the Father are one.  To know Jesus is to know the Father and know the Father one must know Jesus.  It is fitting those scholars count this chapter part of the “Farewell Discourse”.  Jesus is reassuring his closest followers that death is not the end, death is a path to the Father.  More importantly, Jesus is quite clear that He is the one way to the Father.  Without Jesus humanity would be cut off from the Father.  Instead, Jesus reveals the way, and that w...

“I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture… I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (RSV-CE Jn. 10:7,9,11,14) Chapter 10 begins what is known as the “Shepherd Discourse”.  John does not transition into this, instead he abruptly begins.  In John’s Gospel, this discourse marks a transition.  The conspiracy and planned violence against Jesus intensifies.  In this post I will address two self-naming statements of Jesus, “I am the Gatekeeper” and “I am the Good Shepherd”.  Unlike the previous statements, these two appear in the same chapter and are directly related.  In this discourse the meaning is...

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. "  (John 8:12) Light is a powerful symbol and practical necessity.  Without it, we wouldn’t have night time events.  In chapter 8, Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem during the feast of Tabernacles.  Large lamp stands were placed in the Temple Court to illuminate the way for pilgrims.  Light takes on a symbolic and theological image in this context as well.  We understand light as a reference to the darkness of sin, “ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it .” (1:4-5)  Looking further into chapter 9, we see that light is more appropriately juxtaposed with blindness.  Those who are confident in their own “light” (idea that they possess the wisdom to turn from darkness” are blind.  Jesus is the light...