This is the week leading to the last Sunday of the liturgical year, Christ the King. Therefore, it is appropriate to meditate on topics like the end of the world, the Last Judgment, heaven and hell etc. While the other books in the Bible spend one or two chapters on these topics, the whole book of Revelation talk about just these.
After passing judgment on seven churches, the heavenly scene switches to a royal court. God's throne takes the centre stage. He was described as:
And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian (Revelation 4:3a).
Jasper and carnelian were precious stones found in the decoration/covering of the King of Tyre in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13). But why did John describe God with these symbols? Did he want to load the sentence to remind the readers of the Garden of Eden.
Around the throne were 24 thrones. They were occupied by 24 presbyters. The question is who were these presbyters? Some scholars suggested that they were the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles. At first, this suggestion looks good. However, the identities of the 12 tribes of Israel were not fixed. The 12 apostles were no better. According to the Acts, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. Later, Jesus called Saul (Paul) to be his apostle. Does it mean there should be 13 apostles? Or the 11 apostles had made a mistake in choosing Matthias and therefore Jesus handpicked another one.
Revelation was written in time of persecution. The author was not able to write explicitly. He needed to encode the identities of some crucial individuals. Therefore, as readers, we need to decode his intentions and understand the text symbolically.
This morning while I was reading my prayer book in the LRT, the lady sitting opposite me took the courage to ask me about the languages of my book. It was all Greek to her. She was right. It was Greek and Hebrew. Half way into our conversation, she revealed to me that she was a Muslim. It was courageous of her to strike up this conversation with a total stranger. It was all because she was very concerned about how to impart Islamic precepts to her children. Islam was founded about fourteen hundred years ago. She found it hard to adapt Islamic teachings to this modern world. As a Bible teacher, I also encounter similar problems as hers. However, I think we are in a better position.
First of all, the Bible is a huge encyclopaedia. It is all-encompassing. You can find texts to support drinking and texts to object drinking. Indeed, this is probably the right way to describe truth. Truth should not be one-sided. You need to attack it, to describe it from both sides.
Secondly, since not all texts are of equal force, of equal importance, it is totally legitimate to study them selectively. I am sure we are able to find texts suitable for and relevant to today. It is admirable for people who are able to finish reading the Bible in one year. But I think it is more fruitful to select some books and study them in greater depth and leave some difficult books for a latter time. When I grow more knowledgeable, I will study them.
Lastly, like Revelation, some books are not meant to be read literally, but symbolically. These are golden opportunities to adapt these sacred texts to the needs of the modern world.
Dear God, bless us troubled parents and teachers. Help us speak to the needs of young people and apply these ancient teachings to this modern world. Amen.
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