Revelation is relevant. This is what I keep thinking about lately. It’s especially relevant when we interpret as it was meant to be interpreted. Once we put in the context of John’s readers and discover that he’s talking a lot about Rome with it’s arrogant and violent tendencies, then it start to make real sense. No longer do we have to waste our time on speculative matters. We can see how it fits in our lives today.
For instance, if historical forces like Rome and Nero represent the beast (Revelation 13), then it easily applies to our situation. We can safely say that evil is at work through historical forces; and that evil will want to keep us from loving God and loving others.
With that established, we can start to feel the urgency of the concept in Revelation 13. We need to recognize that we’re engaged in a battle. Here’s my logic: If God is love, and if we’re called to live in love and live out that love; and if there is evil, then that evil will want to keep us from God’s love. We’ve seen this time and time again in the church. Nationalism makes us arrogant. Consumerism stifles our compassion. Racism makes us mean and is used to justify violence. Individualism—I should have mentioned this one on Sunday!—keeps us from the fellowship that God desires for our lives. We can add to the list a variety of attitudes and disorders that keep us from God’s liberating love—living with regret, unforgiveness, lust, etc. etc. All of this to say that evil is still at work through historical forces. If we were to lift the veil of history we might see more going on than meets the eye. Therefore, we must battle every day to embrace his love and light
