The Message: The Happy Ending of the Bible
Revelation 21:1-6
Rev. Dr. Paul M. Ashby * May 2, 2010
Have you noticed how romantic movies always have happy endings? Now the movies do not start out that way; there is a sequence of developments about every 20 minutes.
The first 20 minutes - you encounter a person who at best is an irritating jerk and
at worst a blight upon all humanity.
Next 20 minutes – you realize your life is not perfect, and maybe you are not the
easiest person on earth to have a relationship with…maybe you are not the ideal
human being.
Next 20 minutes - you keep bumping into this irritating person and you run the
opposite direction as fast as you can.
Next 20 minutes - you are stunned when you plan a trip or event and guess who is
on the same plane, train, bus, boat, or walking tour of Art Deco architecture?
Next 20 minutes - you find out that you have things in common with this irritating
person that perhaps is not a blight to all humanity.
Next 20 minutes - the surprise of love and a wonderful happy ending. The ending
shouts the message -Love Wins!
Given the standard plot it is clear that love wins over against great odds and obstacles. Terrible struggles, pain and suffering happened prior to the happy ending. Ever since the days of ancient Greek playwrights, in a tragedy the heroic figure or romantic figure dies in the end. There is loss, grief and lament. In a romance there is struggle in the beginning, conflict in the middle, and joyful surprise in the ending. And yes, they lived happily ever after. What our Scripture text reminds us is that the Book of Revelation for all of its misuse - has a happy ending.
Close to 400 years after the birth of Christ, the church had a vote on which books would make it into what we call the Bible and which books would be excluded. The year was 397 C.E. in Carthage in North Africa. Bishops gathered to debate and vote on which books would be accepted into the New Testament. The most fierce and controversial debate was over a book called Revelation or the Apocalypse of John. About half of the bishops wanted the book in the Bible and about half said “no” we need to keep this book out of the New Testament. They were worried that the day might come when people misread this book, failed to see that it is symbolic, not literal, history and could create fear and confusion in the church.
A committee vote was held and this book of Revelation made it into the Bible based on one vote. Yes, one bishop changing his vote would have kept this book out of the New Testament. The ancient Eastern Orthodox tradition today will read a scripture passage from every book in the Bible at least once a year - except from the book of Revelation. It is never, ever read in church, in public for any service. It is considered that dangerous and open to misinterpretation. I agree fully with my Eastern Orthodox colleagues. Yet the lectionary text for today is Revelation chapter 21, the vision of a New Jerusalem. So against the wisdom of the ancients we take a look at Revelation in Protestant and Roman Catholic churches that follow the lectionary texts.
Right-wing Christians often focus more on Revelation than the 4 Gospels. Most dispensational, premillennial fundamentalists love the book of Revelation. They boldly attempt to fit its poetry and ancient 1st century symbolism into the news of the 21st century. What they miss is the most basic reality. When you write a letter, what do you put on the outside of the envelope? The address. And the address tells you what? For whom the letter is intended. The book of Revelation was not addressed to the churches of the state of Texas in the year 2010. No this letter is addressed to seven struggling churches in the years of horrible, bloody persecution under the reign of Roman Emperors. As Christ was the heart of peace, acceptance, grace, forgiveness and love, these rulers were the opposite. These emperors were the Anti-Christs. Biblical scholar Robert Conn writes:
Although the Romans tended to rule with an even hand, much depended upon the emotional stability of the emperor. Two, especially, stand out for their instability and violence: Nero and Domitian. Nero was notoriously vicious and was the first great persecutor of the church. Early tradition accuses him of the deaths of Paul and Peter. The disastrous fire of Rome occurred during his reign and, to counter a pervasive rumor that he had started it, Nero blamed the Christians. Horrible tortures followed. Although the persecutions took place mostly in Rome, word spread and Christians were badly shaken.
Domitian, coming to the throne thirteen years after Nero’s death, resumed the violence. Some forms of county- and emperor-worship had accompanied the growth of the empire, but it had never been a life or death issue. Domitian took it seriously. One of the main centers of his cult was the city of Smyrna, and we will see in the Book of Revelation (2:8-11) that Christians in that place faced a very difficult time.
So this letter of Revelation was addressed to seven churches including the church in Smyrna, where Christians were going through the great tribulation and barely surviving. Even worse, the Anti-Christs, the emperors, were demanding that Christians worship them. To take an oath or worship such emperors would be like taking on the mark of a beast. Revelation is a book clearly addressed historically to seven divided, fear-filled, persecuted churches in the 1st century.
In the 20th & 21st century there has been a spread of Rapture theory propaganda through the Bible belt. The idea of the Rapture was invented by an odd obscure amateur Bible teacher named John Nelson Darby in the 1830’s. If you study church history, none of the great theologians even mention anything close to a Rapture theory. It’s not in Augustine, The Cappadocians, Ambrose, Anselm, Aquinas, Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, John Wesley, Schliemacher, or any of the great mystics like Teresa of Availo, John of the Cross, Gregory of Nyssa, or Catherine of Sienna. Frank Schaeffer, the author who will speak at the Annual Meeting of the Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, shares this reflection in his newest book:
The evangelical/fundamentalists -- from the early 1980’s until the election of President Obama in 2008, the Religious Right as it informed U.S. policy -- are in the grip of an apocalyptic Rapture cult centered on revenge and vindication. This End Times death wish is built on a literalist interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Too bad.
This weird book was the last to be included in the New Testament. It was included as canonical only relatively late in the process after a heated dispute. The historic Churches East and West remain so suspicious of Revelation that to this day it has never been included as part of the cyclical public readings of scripture in Orthodox services.
Given that Revelation is now being hyped as the literal -- even desired -- roadmap to Armageddon, it’s worth pausing to note that it’s nothing more than a bizarre pastoral letter that was addressed to seven specific churches in Asia at the end of the first century by someone (maybe John or maybe not) who appears to have been far from well when he wrote it. In any case, the letter was not intended for use outside of its liturgical context, not to mention that it reads like Jesus on acid.
My problem is that evangelicals interpret Revelation as a tragedy. It’s all death, destruction, massacre, plague, hellish beasts and Antichrists rising from Rome. The world ends with the destruction of human life on a scale beyond imagination and Jesus leads an army to defeat the evil armies at the Battle of Armageddon.
It is nothing like the Jesus of the Gospels. In Revelation, Jesus is beyond all recognition. There is no sense of mercy, forgiveness, grace, or compassion. In the Gospels Jesus cuts everyone some slack and forgives even his executioners. Jesus of the Gospels tells Peter to put away the sword - his way is not the way of violence, war and blood. In Revelation things get ugly. I personally dread even mentioning the book for fear it will be misconstrued and misunderstood.
But if you read the book all the way to the end it stuns you because it has a happy ending. It is a romance not a tragedy and the end to the romance is a wonderful, blessed union with the Living, Loving Heart of God. If Revelation was a romance movie it would go like this:
First 20 minutes - Seven churches are in crisis; they have forgotten that compassion and love are the
heart of the church - each of these congregations has lost focus.
Next 20 minutes - The world is turned upside down when a holy being opens seven seals on a
scroll and each of those seven seals release wars, famine, plagues, and mass destruction.
Next 20 minutes - Archangel Michael and an army of angels to battle with an enormous red dragon
with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its seven heads - its tail swept 1/3 of all the stars
out of the sky and slammed them on the earth. Obviously this is all wild symbolism, not accurate
astrophysics. I hope they do not turn this into a 3-D movie. Next comes a beast out of the sea that
looked like a leopard with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. Then come seven angels with
seven bowls overflowing with God’s wrath. In a romance movie this is where people tell the
annoying suitor “to drop dead or go to a place of rigorous external torture.”
Next 20 minutes - The Fall of the evil empire of Babylon and joy breaks out in worship and praise.
In a romance this is that twist from “I cannot stand you” to “I cannot live without you” - You are the
sun, the moon, the stars, you are my everything. I cannot live without you.
The romantic conclusion is love wins. Yes, against all odds and armies, love wins. It’s shocking, but it’s going to be a happy ending.
So here is the reason for this odd book.
Seven churches are suffering and struggling to survive.
The evil empire in Rome is killing Christians everywhere.
Even two great witnesses, St. Peter and St. Paul are executed in Rome.
The Emperors are truly Anti-Christ global terrors seeking to destroy Christians.
There is going to be a time of intense tribulation - it will feel like the world is ending. Some will die in war, in prison, in places of horrendous pain and grief.
Even angels will have to be sent into battle before the fall of the New Babylon - The Pagan Roman Empire.
But keep your hearts open to God, to love, to endure these coming tribulations.
Why? Because God’s Love will conquer all obstacles. Revelation chapter 21 urges us to wait for the coming of a God-given New Jerusalem. The words are those of a love poem:
I saw the Holy City, a New Heavenly Jerusalem
It is given as a gift
given as a bride who is dressed in beauty for her husband
And I heard a loud voice from God’s throne declare:
“Now God will dwell with humanity.
There will be no more separation.
God’s love will live within us.
We will be children of God and dwell in God’s presence.
God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
God will end all death, all mourning, all crying, all pain
for the old order of power has come to an end.”
What is this? It’s a love poem with a happy ending. And if you doubt this odd story is a romance, listen again for the poetic imagery:
“a New Jerusalem is given as a gift, given as a bride who is dressed in beauty for her husband.”
Yes, even the book that should have never been voted into the Bible has a happy ending. It was the message that a persecuted group of Christians needed to hear. I suspect if made it by one vote because of its heart of hope. It tells us no matter what happens in the pains of life - in the end - love wins. AMEN.
