The revelations of Revelation: The book that fits, even when it does not

Abstract

The revealing nature of crisisThere is nothing quite like a crisis to expose the deeply held preconceptions that shape each one of our beliefs, that drive our behaviour and that, ultimately, shape our understanding of the world and our place in it. When that crisis is a seemingly uncontrollable pandemic engulfing the whole world, then it is not only our personal strengths and weaknesses that are laid bare, but also the fragile and (oftentimes) dysfunctional strings that hold our societies together. Now, whilst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has and continues to reveal the many cracks that exist in our personal lives and in our societies, for the purposes of this article, I will only be focusing on one -our obsession with, and misuse of, the Book of Revelation. Its words and symbols have entered into everyday vocabulary to give expression to human hopes and fears, and human aspirations and tragedies. In an age of upheaval and transformation, they evoke a vibrant response in the minds of men and women.Whether you are watching or reading the news, browsing your social media feeds, or listening in on or participating in conversation, you will quickly find that all of these are dominated by themes taken directly from the Apocalypse:• COVID-19 is the beginning of the end of the world (the real one this time) and of God's final judgement. • The antichrist has variously been identified as Donald Trump, Bill Gates (who is also viewed as Satan himself, depending on who you talk to), the World Health Organisation and China, amongst the most prominent. • Doing things like obeying health and safety regulations put in place by wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and adhering to lockdown regulations where applicable are eitherThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has again confirmed our obsession with, and misuse of, the Book of Revelation. Of course, this is definitely not the first time that Revelation's themes and imagery have been pulled out and used to try and explain the current situation. In fact, the Book of Revelation is well-known as 'the' book of the New Testament where information about the present as well as the future can be found. Unfortunately, in situations like these, people simply do not bother to draw from the reservoir of experiences on which the author of Revelation naturally expected his hearer or reader to draw. This phenomenon is made worse by the fact that the primary study of the text has moved into the academic institution and, by inference, away from the faith movement. This may make earnest scholarly biblical study of the Apocalypse seem irrelevant to the general concerns of the faith community and the world. But the Book of Revelation does provide an indispensable resource for helping Christians conceive of their place in the contemporary world and meditate on the role the church is to play in a modern, secular society. John's Apocalypse is not a mere nostalgic trip down memory lane; it is a form of anamnesis or recollection -in recalling or performing the narr...