Source: Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (London; New York: T&T Clark: A Continuum Imprint, 1993), 238–337.
The Conversion of the Nations.wav
This podcast delves into the Book of Revelation, focusing on how it portrays the conversion of the nations. The author argues that understanding Revelation requires appreciating John's precise and subtle use of Old Testament allusions. Central to this is the interpretation of the sealed scroll in Revelation 5 and the opened scroll in Revelation 10 as the same document, revealing God's secret purpose for establishing his kingdom on earth, particularly through the suffering witness of the church. This challenges interpretations that solely emphasize judgment, showing how the church's martyrdom, modeled after Christ's, paradoxically leads to the repentance and worship of the nations, ultimately fulfilling the Old Testament hope for universal inclusion in God's kingdom, symbolized by the New Jerusalem and the fourfold phrase representing all peoples.
1. The Conversion of the Nations: A central theme in the book of Revelation, which the sources state is surprisingly debated among commentators despite its significance for the eschatological future. The sources argue that this question, including how it will happen, is at the core of Revelation's prophetic message. This theme is explored primarily through detailed study of John's Old Testament allusions. While some universalistic language in Revelation, such as "the inhabitants of the earth," consistently carries a negative overtone, referring to those who oppose God and worship the beast, the term "the nations" is more ambiguous. References to "the nations" sometimes align them with the powers of evil, showing them as having drunk Babylon's wine, deceived by sorcery, trampling the holy city, raging against God, and facing judgment at Christ's return. However, it is also stated that all the nations will worship God, a prophecy seen realized in the vision of the New Jerusalem. The sources explain that Old Testament usage influences these different portrayals. Revelation presents a seeming tension between the expectation that nations will persist in rebellion and perish under judgment, and the hope that they will be converted to the worship of God. The sources argue that the content of the scroll, a key to understanding Revelation's core message, reveals a strategy for the coming of God's kingdom that includes the conversion of the nations, achieved through the suffering witness of the church. This understanding is reinforced through images like the harvest, which is interpreted as the gathering of converted nations into the kingdom, and the song of Moses sung by the martyrs, which celebrates God's victory leading the nations to worship him. The vision of the New Jerusalem culminates this theme, depicting the nations walking by its light and bringing their glory into it, signifying their full inclusion as God's covenant peoples.
2. The Identity and Content of the Scroll: A crucial interpretative point highlighted in the sources is the argument that the sealed scroll seen in God's hand in chapter 5 is the same as the opened scroll in the angel's hand in chapter 10. The sources address the common scholarly view that these are different scrolls, explaining that this misinterpretation is often due to over-attaching importance to the use of diminutive forms of the Greek word for "scroll" (βιβλίον) in chapter 10 (βιβλαρίδιον). Evidence from contemporary literature, like the Shepherd of Hermas, shows that these terms were used interchangeably. The sources present several reasons for the identity of the scrolls, including deliberate literary links between chapter 5 and chapter 10, and the shared Old Testament background, particularly Ezekiel 2-3, where the prophet receives and consumes a scroll. Recognizing this identity solves the problem of determining the content of the chapter 5 scroll, which is otherwise unclear from the text alone. The sources argue that the scroll's contents cannot be known until it is opened, and it is too important to remain unknown. Based on the allusion to Ezekiel and the context of Revelation 4 (a vision of God's sovereignty), the sources conclude that the scroll contains God's secret purpose for establishing his kingdom on earth. It reveals how this kingdom is to come, building on the understanding from chapter 4 that it must come. The Lamb's worthiness to open the scroll stems from his conquest, which is the basis for the outworking of God's kingdom. The content of the opened scroll, given to John to prophesy, is considered the central message of Revelation from chapter 10 onwards.
3. John's Precise Use of Old Testament Allusions: The sources repeatedly emphasize that John's approach to the Old Testament is not casual but involves "very precise reference" and "careful and deliberate exegesis of whole passages." This is presented as a major reason for the "misunderstandings and confusion of interpreters of Revelation." The author demonstrates this through numerous examples. For instance, the portrayal of the "inhabitants of the earth" draws on standard apocalyptic usage but adds a consistently negative connotation. The scroll's identity and content are illuminated by detailed parallels with Ezekiel 2-3. The measuring of the sanctuary in chapter 11 alludes to Daniel 8 and Zechariah 12, and the two witnesses are modelled on Moses and Elijah, with deliberate reversals of precedents from Esther. The song sung by the martyrs in chapter 15, although not using the exact words of Exodus 15, is shown to be a "careful interpretation" of it using the Jewish exegetical method of gezērâ šāwâ, linking it to passages in Jeremiah and Psalms that share key phrases or themes, thereby giving the song a universalistic meaning focused on the nations worshipping God. The vision of the New Jerusalem combines imagery from Isaiah 60 and Ezekiel 48, blending references to Israel and the church with the destiny of the nations. The fourfold formula for the nations is traced to Genesis 10 and Daniel 7, with variations in order and terms shown to be deliberate and meaningful, often reflecting the context and theme (e.g., linking to Daniel 7 in 10:11 concerning sovereignty, or contrasting the nations serving Babylon with God's people in 17:15). This detailed engagement with the Old Testament is shown to be fundamental to understanding Revelation's symbolism and message.
4. The Significance of the Church's Witness and Suffering: The sources argue that the scroll reveals that the establishment of God's kingdom on earth is not achieved solely through judgment, but also through the church's role. The church, constituted by the Lamb's conquest and drawn from all nations, is God's kingdom in a world that opposes God's rule. Chapters 4-9 show that judgments alone fail to bring humanity to repentance. Chapter 10-11, representing the revelation of the scroll's content, present a "more effective strategy." The church was redeemed from all nations not just for its own sake, but to witness to all nations. Martyrdom, depicted in chapter 7 and the story of the two witnesses (chapter 11), is not merely deliverance from the world but the culmination of the church's witness. The suffering witness of the church, alongside judgments, is depicted as being effective in bringing nations to repentance and faith. The story of the two witnesses, representing the whole church's prophetic witness, culminates in a striking reversal of Old Testament patterns where the slaughter of God's people leads to the conversion of their enemies. Chapter 14 elaborates on this, portraying the church as the Lamb's army achieving victory over the beast through martyrdom ("first fruits"), which leads to the "harvest" of the nations (gathering of converted nations). This demonstrates that the church's faithfulness, even unto death, is the means by which the nations are won from the beast's dominion to God's worship. This suffering witness serves as evidence against those who reject it, contributing to their judgment, but its primary intended effect is salvific for the nations.
5. Universalistic Terminology and Symbolism: Revelation employs various terms and symbolic structures to emphasize its universal scope, referring to the whole world and its inhabitants. The phrase "the inhabitants of the earth" consistently refers to those who are against God and worship the beast, and whose names are not in the book of life. Other terms like "the whole world" and "the whole earth" are also used in this negative context. In contrast, "the nations" (τὰ ἔθνη) is a more complex term, used fifteen times, and appearing seven times in the significant "fourfold formula" (every tribe and language and people and nation, with variations). This formula is seen as an "emphatic indication of universalism," referring to all the nations of the world. The sources dedicate extensive analysis to the variations and occurrences of this fourfold formula, showing that its structure is deliberate and reflects its Old Testament sources (Genesis 10 and Daniel 7). In its early occurrences (5:9, 7:9), it describes the church as composed of people from all nations. From 10:11 onwards, it shifts to refer to the nations themselves, often in the context of the beast's rule over them. The careful ordering of the terms and their pairing with other key passages (like 1:7, 15:4, 21:3) links the formula to themes of the Lamb's sacrifice, the worship of God, and the New Jerusalem. This intricate numerical and structural use of the fourfold formula underscores Revelation's core conviction that God's ultimate purpose is to win all the nations for his kingdom. Other universalistic references, like those associated with the Creator in 10:6 and 14:7, also contribute to this pervasive sense of the whole cosmos being involved in God's plan.
What is the significance of the phrase "the inhabitants of the earth" in Revelation?
In Revelation, the phrase "the inhabitants of the earth" (οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς or τῆν γῆν καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦντας) consistently carries a negative connotation. These are individuals who are guilty of persecuting God's people, are subject to divine judgments, oppose God's witnesses, are deceived by evil forces, worship the beast, and are corrupted by the influence of Babylon. Crucially, their names are explicitly stated as not being written in the Lamb's book of life. The phrase is often equivalent to "the whole world" or "the whole earth," emphasizing the universality of their opposition to God. While similar phrases appear in other apocalyptic literature, in Revelation, this specific term is reserved for those who stand in opposition to God and His people.
Does the term "the nations" always have a negative meaning in Revelation?