2022/07/11

47. Structure of the Book of Revelation

The Gospel of Matthew described the wise men visiting from the East when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea in the time of King Herod. They asked Herod: "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). Herod, getting uneasy with the reason for their visit, did not realise that these words of theirs were subtly different from the prophet's words quoted by the chief priests and the people's scribes whom he had summoned: "For from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel" (Matthew 2:6). Then Herod "summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him'" (Matthew 2:7-8). However, they did not return to Herod but returned to their country following a warning in a dream. When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the wise men, he became furious. He, becoming suspicious, "sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men" (Matthew 2:16). Here, we can see that the characters – King Herod, the wise men from the East and Jesus' parents – each have their own principles of action. Herod, connected with the emperor and taking in the information of the dragon, had become a beast (cf. this blog № 44, № 45, № 46). On the other hand, the wise men, who had come to worship the newborn king of the Jews, seeing his star in the East, and departed to their own country being warned in a dream, had a worldview acquired through their search for truth. Jesus' parents, who left for Egypt by night and remained there until Herod’s death following the words of the angel of the Lord in a dream, had a worldview based on the words of prophecy as it is written in the Gospel: "This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son.'" (Matthew 2:15). Both the wise men and the parents, as the signs and words they each had received pointed to the very things drawn from their worldview, believed them and acted according to them with conviction. However, when Jesus grew up later, his parents encountered a situation where they "did not understand the saying which he spoke to them" (Luke 2:50). That happened because the parents did not yet have the worldview of Jesus Christ. Jesus came of age and injected his worldview into his disciples. Then the Holy Spirit descended and let them know the meaning of "the saying which he spoke to them." The first half of the Book of Revelation prophesies the formation of the New Testament and injects the worldview of Jesus Christ into the trainees. In the second half, the "blessedness" appears one after another and directs the trainees towards the formation of the Holy Spirit, accompanying them. This structure of Revelation reflects the flow of the Gospel.

Maria K. M.