One of the core principles of the Protestant Reformation was an emphasis on the "perspicuity" of the Bible. Or to put it another way, the Reformers were earnest about the "see-through-ableness" of Scripture. They taught that while understanding the Bible was a communal activity spanning generations (tradition was not excluded, it simply was not an ultimate authority), it didn't take a secret decoder ring, spiritual guru, or special degree to understand its basic message. By the "due use of ordinary means," the average person could discern the important messages of the Bible.
For the record, I support the principle of perspicuity in the main. However, the book of Revelation tests that to a degree because without certain prerequisite knowledge of ancient history and the Bible, it would be easy to miss much of what it has to say. I'm often reminded of what a famous baseball legend, Leo Durocher, said about baseball - "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." You can legitimately enjoy the experience and keep the score, but miss the strategic nuances and decisions that give you a fuller appreciation of what you are witnessing.
Allow me to say it very plainly. Without a fairly robust understanding of the whole Bible - especially the prophecies of the Old Testament and of Jesus Himself in the Gospels, Revelation is going to be very murky waters. I have no way of covering all the necessary Biblical ground to illustrate this point in this blog. Suffice it to say that Revelation draws upon images and concepts from the whole Bible and if those are relatively unfamiliar to the reader, they will fail to catch the full weight of its message. Many attend, but few understand.
Some years ago I had a writing coach who told me I should use my "best stuff" upfront to try and compel readers to continue their journey with me. I'm not sure I've always followed her advice, but I'm going to try and put it to use here. I want to make the case (not original to me), that one of the main structures of the vision of Revelation is rooted in Leviticus. And by extension, Revelation becomes a fulfillment of prophecy outlined by Moses in the Torah.
You may remember that Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch - the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Leviticus is a notoriously difficult book for modern day readers and the reason many people quit on their annual Bible-reading plan. It is a book that gives details of the sacrificial system and holiness codes for Israel. We would do well to have a blog series on Leviticus, but alas, that is not our mission here.
Towards the end of Leviticus, Moses starts to wrap up the instructions with a reiteration of the special national covenant between God and Israel. Keep in mind that there was a very real sense in which Israel was the covenant bride of Jehovah and the covenant law was their marriage certificate. In Leviticus 26, Israel is given explicit covenant blessings for obedience and covenant curses for disobedience. The basic message was - if Israel persevered in God's law and did not "commit adultery" with other gods, they would be fruitful in the promised land. But if they disobeyed and played the harlot (Lev 20:15), the covenant would be broken and Israel would be spewed out of the promised land and dispersed into the world. The Mosaic covenant was never unconditional. It was always conditioned upon Israel's obedience and repentance.
Fair enough, but so what? It turns out that Leviticus 26 outlines the covenant curses for disobedience in a very interesting way. It doesn't simply list random curses. No, it announces four sets of seven-fold curses. Just for the record:
Leviticus 26:18, "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins..."
Leviticus 26:21, "Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on seven times more plagues, according to your sins."
Leviticus 26:23,24, "And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins...."
Leviticus 26:27,28, "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury, and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins..."
But what do the covenant curses in Leviticus have to do with Revelation? Well, it turns out that one of the major structures of Revelation is that it includes four sets of seven-fold judgments. The first set of judgments are on seven churches because judgment starts in the household of God (1 Pet 4:17). The second set of seven judgments are released with each of the seven seals that are opened on the scroll. The third set of seven judgments are unleashed with seven trumpets. And the fourth set of seven judgments are realized by the pouring out of seven bowls. This takes us through almost the bulk of Revelation - all the way through chapter 16 of 22 chapters.
So what does this suggest to us? I believe it suggests that Revelation is not merely a text dealing with the epic struggle between good and evil, although that struggle is real. I also believe it suggests Revelation is not about judgments that are yet to come on the world-at-large. Instead - what it suggests is that Revelation had something in view - the fulfillment of the curses of Leviticus that would mark the end of the Old Covenant. Israel had committed spiritual adultery perpetually to the point that God would divorce them and take on a new bride (how Revelation ends). Therefore, Revelation is not primarily about a judgment in our future. It is about judgments that have already come to pass... on Israel. Revelation is God's divorce certificate to Israel and the announcement of His new bride to be - the church of Jesus Christ.
It's going to take more Biblical evidence to make the case for this and I'll do my best. But this is an important place to begin. One of the first principles of perspicuity is the so-called, "Rule of Faith," that Scripture interprets Scripture. This rule can be misused and abused, for sure. But in this case, I believe an understanding of the covenant curses in Leviticus 26 are a critically important place to start in interpreting Revelation.
To sum things up:
While the main message of Revelation (Christ is and will be triumphant and Christians can take heart in that) can be understood without a deep knowledge of ancient history or the Bible, having prerequisite knowledge is important to understanding the book in greater detail.
Leviticus 26 outlines the covenant curses for Israel as four series of sevenfold judgments.
The curses of Revelation follow a structure of four series of sevenfold judgments.
Therefore, the curses of Revelation are not primarily concerned with the world-at-large, but with Israel.
The end of Revelation highlights the new bride of God - the church, who comprises the new people of God (Jew & Gentile).
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