Scripture: Revelation 2:5 Series: 2022
Sparse sermon-prep research notes (Jan 2022) drawing heavily on Craig Koester’s Revelation commentary, anchored by Revelation 2:5’s call to remember, repent, and do the first works lest the lampstand be removed. The notes survey the history of interpretation, contrasting Augustine and Tyconius (Revelation as the church’s ongoing struggle between sin and grace through the present age) with Bede’s sevenfold outline of church history. A central concern is what Revelation means by what must take place soon, arguing Christ’s coming soon is not the end of the age but discipline of unrepentant congregations, and that Revelation looks for the final defeat of evil without being a set of predictions.’
Illustrations: augustine-millennial-conflict, sack-of-rome, tyconius-augustine-church-struggle, bede-sevenfold-history
Revelation Notes
Augustine pictured a situation in which the powers of sin and grace were engaged in ongoing conflict. On one level the millennial age was the indefi nite period in which the church had to contend with internal confl icts and external threats—such as the sack of Rome in CE. On another level the scenario characterized the situation of individuals. People entered the millennial age when raised to new life in baptism, yet they continued to deal with sin, since Satan was now bound in the abyss of human hearts everywhere, and the power of the Antichrist could be seen wherever people denied Christ by their words or loveless actions1
As noted above, Tyconius and Augustine established the practice of reading Revelation as a vision of the church’s struggle throughout the present age, which would end only with the resurrection and last judgment. Th at approach was modifi ed by the Anglo-Saxon scholar Bede (d. ), who thought the visions outlined the general fl ow of church history within the present age. He outlined Revelation in seven parts. Th e fi rst focuses on the seven ancient churches in Asia, which include traits of the church generally. Th e middle parts deal with the church’s many confl icts and triumphs, and the fi nal part envisions the future defeat of the Antichrist and glory of the church as New Jerusalem. Bede could also see the general shape of history in particular series of visions.2
The book conveys what is to take place “soon.”. Th is approach diff ers from apocalyptic writings that were said to have been written for future generations (Dan :; :, ; T. Mos. :–; En. :; Note on Rev :), and it means that the book was intended to be relevant for its original hearers. But a major question is what “soon” means, and Revelation’s history of interpretation has often focused on this question (Intro I). John does not say that “the end” must soon take place. The idea is more complex. Th e messages in :–: warn that without repentance, Christ will come “soon,” not to end the present age but to discipline each congregation (:). Later visions continue to complicate the sense of what “soon” means, since the scenes 3
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.2.5.ESV
Revelation looks for tte final defeat of evil, but those aren’t predictions