The way of imagination

  “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord     and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.” Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,   singing, “We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,     who are and who were, for you have taken your great power     and begun to reign.” (Rev. 11.15-17)      As an apocalyptic text written during a period when not only the practitioners of “mainstream” Judaism [1] , but those new communities of Jews who followed (the resurrected/exalted) Jesus of Nazareth as Lord were also subjects of an “worldwide” empire ruled by one who claimed sole lordship over the earth (i.e., Caesar) and also had to contend with the fact that the homeland of Israel was under foreign domination, the book...

  “…I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet…   and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.” …the angel said to me…I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast…that carries her.  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction…   “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated… And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who …are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast… “The waters that you saw, where the whore is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages… The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 17.3-18)      It is commo...

  “I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth…One of its heads seemed to have received a death-blow, but its mortal wound had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast…they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” The beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.   It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.” (Rev. 13.1-7)      Rome: the best the world had to offer . Nero (reign: AD 54—68) inherited the empire which had been forged by Jul...

  “I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and… I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as …wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire…In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have t...

  “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being     coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One     and was presented before him. To him was given dominion     and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages     should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion     that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one     that shall never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7.13-14)      The Scriptures are clear – the Creator is King (e.g. Pss. 93—99).   Another thing is clear – Israel is the people of Yahweh, the one God (Ex. 19.1-6).   If these two statements are true, the historical circumstances of the people of God from (at least) the 6 th century to the 2 nd century B.C. place a giant question mark (and exclamation mark?) beside the double affirmation that there is...

  “As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,     and another shall arise after them… He shall speak words against the Most High,     shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High,     and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law; and they shall be given into his power     for a time, two times, and half a time. Then the court shall sit in judgment,     and his dominion shall be taken away,     to be consumed and totally destroyed. The kingship and dominion     and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven     shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,     and all dominions shall serve and obey them.” (Daniel 7.24-27)      Understandably enough, the J...