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.
For many, the Book of Revelation is a locked room at the end of the Bible—a place of terrifying beasts, cosmic battles, and fiery judgment. Its imagery of plagues, bowls of wrath, and the infamous mark of the beast has led most to see it as a confusing and frightening blueprint for the end of the world, focused on destruction and condemnation.
But this common perception, fueled by centuries of speculation, misses the book's central and surprisingly hopeful message. Beneath the dramatic visions lies a carefully constructed story not about the exclusion of the many, but about the ultimate inclusion of all. This post, drawing on the insights of biblical scholar Richard Bauckham in his book The Climax of Prophecy, reveals five surprising takeaways that reframe Revelation as a profound story about the conversion of the nations and the triumph of God's kingdom through witness, not warfare.
A common reading of Revelation assumes that the book divides the world into two camps: a small, faithful remnant of believers and the vast, doomed mass of humanity destined for destruction. But a closer look at the book’s specific language reveals a stunning nuance.
The author, John, makes a careful distinction between two groups. He consistently uses the term "the inhabitants of the earth" to refer to those who are unrepentant, worship the beast, and are hostile to God’s people. This group is indeed judged for its rebellion.
However, he uses a different and more ambiguous term, "the nations" (τὰ ἔθνη), to describe the rest of humanity. Revelation portrays this group with a dramatic tension that is key to its entire plot. On the one hand, the nations are frequently aligned with evil, shown trampling the holy city and raging against God. Yet on the other hand, it is these same nations that are prophesied to one day worship God and are ultimately seen walking in the light of the New Jerusalem. Their potential conversion is not an obvious outcome but the central problem the book resolves. Far from being doomed, the struggle for their allegiance is the whole point.
But how God planned to win this struggle for their allegiance was a secret—one He sealed in a mysterious scroll.