3 - Ways of approaching the Book of Revelation

Summary

Introduction

In the next three chapters, I turn to the Book of Revelation. My particular concern will be to analyse the way in which the dimensions of space and time are used in the text to develop the theological argument. I shall consider this in detail in Chapters 4 and 5, but first I examine in this chapter three important ways in which interpreters have approached Revelation. In section 3.2 I consider different ways in which the text has been treated as a resource for reflection on the development of human history. The seer is profoundly concerned with human history. However, his concern for history stems not from an attempt to provide a speculative chronology of the future or to discern abstract principles at work in the course of history. Rather, he provides a spatial and temporal framework within which to address the present situation of his readers. In section 3.3 I consider various interpretations of the rhetorical situation and impact of the text. My conclusion is that the seer aims to evoke a practical response from his readers to the threats which he perceives from the enemies of Christ. He achieves this by revealing hidden dimensions of reality, both spatial and temporal, to demonstrate the true nature of the readers' situation, and therefore to exhort and encourage them. In section 3.4 I turn to the recent debates about the genre of the text.