Hermeneutical Issues 5-20-10

Interpretive Perspectives Historically there have been four main perspectives for the interpretation of Revelation: preterist, historicist, futurist, and idealist. There is a great deal of variation within each and they are sometimes combined but in order to see the range of perspectives each will be summarized as a discrete perspective. The preterist view holds that Revelation is a prophecy of the fall of either Israel or the Roman Empire. If Babylon represents Israel the fulfillment took place in A.D. 70 and part of the purpose of the book is to encourage its first readers that apostate Israel would be punished. Equating Babylon with the Roman Empire assured the early Christians that their persecutor would be judged, and the fulfillment came in the fifth century. This interpretive scheme limits the message to the early Church and confines judgment to a specific time and place whereas Revelation speaks of universal judgment. The historicist view has many versions based on the historical position of the interpreter. For the historicist Revelation predicts the major events in the history of the world or the Church and the return of Christ is imminent. Symbols match historical realities ending with contemporary events. This approach fails for several reasons. The specific assignment of symbol to historical event is arbitrary and limited to the time frame of each interpreter most of whom disagree. In addition the perspective is generally limited to the Western Church and would have been incomprehensible for the first readers. The futurist view projects the prophecy beginning with Chapter 4 into the future immediately preceding Christ’s return. Dispensational futurism sees Rev. 1:19 as the interpretative key to the book, referring to the past (Ch. 1), present (Ch. 2-3), and future (Ch. 4-22:5). Based more on imagination than Scripture the future is laid out as: the restoration of the nation of Israel; the rapture; a seven-year tribulation; the antichrist’s reign; the evil nations assembling to fight over Jerusalem; Christ’s second coming; Christ’s millennial reign; the final war between Christ and Satan and his followers; and a new heaven and earth in which Christ and his followers reign. Modified versions do not hold to such a strict timetable or literal fulfillment scheme. For example, there may not be a pre-tribulation rapture. It is difficult to see how this futurist perspective intersects the life of contemporary readers let alone the first-century recipients. The idealist view emphasizes Revelation’s symbolic nature. Extreme positions make no connection with historical events but hold that it rather generically represents the essence of the struggle between good and evil, God and Satan. This extreme a-historical approach does not include a consummation of history or final judgment. A view that balances the pastoral, prophetic, and apocalyptic, elements as well as the linguistic, visional, referential and symbolic levels of the narrative gives a more adequate approach (see Literary Features). Taking seriously the historical context of the visions and their telling is essential, but the message is not just for the first century Church. The heavenly perspective reported by John through his visions speaks to the Church wherever it stands in history and draws it to its consummation. Throughout the book the hearer/readers are invited to glimpse the future from the perspective of the first century, from its own historical position, and in light of eternity. The kingdom of God constantly breaks into history so that time and eternity, earth and heaven are constantly drawn together.