Revelation for the rest of us

I finished this book a couple weeks ago. It was so good, and in a similar vein to Shane Claiborne's 'Rethinking Life.' 

There's really not a better way to describe Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call To Follow Jesus As A Dissident Disciple than how Amazon does it...

See how the Book of Revelation can be read as a book of discipleship, challenging Christ-followers everywhere to live as hopeful agents of resistance and transformation.

The last book of the Bible frustrates and frightens many people with its imagery and apocalyptic tone. Popular interpretations rely on fear and politicization and often lead to pride and alienation of others. Is this really how we were intended to read John’s Revelation?

In Revelation for the Rest of Us, Scot McKnight with Cody Matchett explore the key message of Revelation and how it:

• Calls us to be faithful and hopeful witnesses to Jesus.
• Stimulates our imagination to see the world through the eyes of God and excite our faith.
• Challenges us to stand against the militarism, economic exploitation, oppression, and injustice of worldly authorities.

McKnight addresses the popular misconceptions about the book, explaining what John means in his use of the images of dragons, lambs, and beasts; and how the symbolism of Revelation spoke in the days of Rome and still speaks powerfully to the present day—though not in the way most people think.

You’ll learn to see the Book of Revelation in a fresh and hopeful new way. Drawing from the latest scholarship, the authors present an understanding of Revelation for anyone interested in deepening their personal study of the Bible and strengthening their faith as dissident disciples who can discern the presence of "Babylon" in our world and learn to speak up, speak out, and walk in the way of the Lamb.

I will say, it got a little "heady" in the middle, and I had to stop and just read through the book of Revelation itself as a refresher. I recommend doing that before starting the book! By the end the authors are very pointed and clear about exactly what/who they are referring to though. They hold nothing back and I appreciated the candor.

Basically they're saying Revelation is not about some fictitious "end times" and we need to get over how it's been misinterpreted for the past 50 years or so by fear-mongers and publishing companies (trying to sell books and movies). Revelation records a timeless battle between two cities: Babylon and new Jerusalem, and John is showing us the way to live as followers of Jesus in the present "Babylon."

They describe a dissident as "someone who takes a stand against official policy in the church or state or both, who dissents from the status quo with a different vision for society... a person of hope, someone who imagines a better, future world, and then begins to embody that world." (pp. 15 & 17)

Babylon became for Jews and early Christians the most graphic image, metaphor, or trope for a city filled with arrogance, sin, injustice, oppression of God's people, and idolatry. And Revelation shows us the two opposing forces: They call Babylon "team dragon," and the new Jerusalem "team Lamb." 

The only secret you need to reading Revelation, they say (p. 97): "this book is about the Lamb's final, complete defeat of the dragon and its Babylons and the establishment of new Jerusalem... The book is not about finding joy in unbelievers getting their comeuppance, but about the defeat of the dragon and the systemic evils in Babylon." 

In a nutshell, on p. 185:

How does one live in a world that is

anti-God,

devoted to opulence,

consistently opposed to the way of the Lamb,

full of itself and intent on being impressive,

protected with the might of its militarism,

aiming to become the international power,

living on the precipice of constant internal betrayals,

driven by economic exploitation of anyone and everyone,

structured into a mysterious hierarchical system of power and honor,

and at the bottom of it all is driven by arrogance and ambition?

If you are like so many Americans who have given in to christian nationalism and your politics has replaced your faith, you best hold onto your butts if you want to tackle this book. Shoot, I don't even consider myself such, and I found myself challenged, but in a good way! 

If you want to take your faith in Jesus seriously though, I recommend reading this book so you can begin to see the beauty and hope found in John's Revelation and the life of a Jesus follower.