Apocalypse! I think of erupting volcanoes. Plagues and pestilence. Starving people lining the streets. Armies on the march. Darkness across the land. And deception — a house of mirrors from which I cannot discern what is real.
But the root words for Apocalypse are Greek — and their translation doesn’t mean “Exploding Buildings” or “Destruction of the World”. Instead, “apokalypsis” (noun) means “revealed that which is hidden”.* The core of that message is this: if the mystery of that house of mirrors is revealed through Christ, then I no longer need to be afraid. With open eyes I can walk through it the way my Creator showed me to walk.
* Verbal form, apokalýptō.
The idea of Apocalypse is so durable, holding up over centuries, and across cultures, because there are so many layers to it. Those layers speak to us on a very personal level, while at the same time revealing secrets that exist in eternity, in our long relationship with God.
We find revelations in our own personal apocalypse: death, divorce, job loss. And we see revelations in the Biblical Apocalypse –- similar patterns of learned humility, trust, and deep commitment working out on a cosmic scale through time — the same as it works out in our own human heart.
The Futurist looks ahead to apocalyptic events that will happen in the future, prior to the return of Christ.
The Preterist sees events as they relate to the persecution of the early Church.
The Historicist sees a chronological series of events throughout history in an order that can be predicted if signs are interpreted correctly.
The Idealist takes the view that the Church is involved in a repetitive struggle through time. Babylon re-appears with a new face again and again throughout history.
The Eclectic Approach looks at Apocalypse from all of these angles at once, acknowledging that the Book has multiple layers of meaning stacked one on top of the other.
If there is a “Unified Field Theory” in all this, it is that this apocalyptic revelation of John has brought hope, comfort and a renewed determination to Christians for thousands of years. This book reveals that our walk with Jesus — as challenging as it may be — is the walk that we can trust in completely.
by Carie Grant
