Revelation not about doomsday
Many misguided or ignorant folks are praising Trump’s bombing of Iran as fulfilment of biblical prophecy and a sign that Jesus will soon return in triumph and slay all his foes.
Yes, in the twisted minds of many “evangelicals,” the Prince of Peace is actually a mighty warrior who will ride a white horse to bloody victory over the forces of evil.
To the extent that these people have the ear of Trump and his advisers, our world will be led deeper into this rabbit hole of perverted theology and perverse politics.
The image of Jesus on a white horse comes from chapter 19 of the book of Revelation, which is perhaps the most widely misunderstood and desecrated passages of scripture.
To put it bluntly, Revelation is not a book of “prophecy” as prophecy is usually mistakenly understood. It does not predict the future.
It offers no blueprint to the widely anticipated “end of the world” (which Revelation does not describe, though it does describe the purpose of the world.)
The “rapture” is cruel escapist fiction. (Try finding mention of it in Revelation. Not there.)
There is no “Antichrist.” (Try finding mention of one in Revelation. Not there. You can find ones – plural – elsewhere, though. And they look suspiciously like today’s purveyors of “End Times” nonsense.)
Revelation is not about the future. It’s about the perennial present. It’s not a preview of coming events. It’s an exposé of what’s already happening right here and right now and what will continue to happen until Jesus Christ returns in glory. It’s an appeal to followers of Jesus to remain faithful in the interim.
Revelation hucksters say they are taking it literally, and if you look at their work you’ll see that they take it literally only when that suits their purposes. Most of the time they read it magically so that it fits into their Ouija board prophecy charts.
Revelation was never meant to be taken literally, as John of Patmos hints more than 50 times in his account of visions he’s been given by God. If you read his account literally, you will misunderstand it terribly. But if you read it as a dramatic parable, as a symbolic exposé of how human systems oppress people and how God acts to save us from oppression by human empire, you will gain much from it.
Today’s Revelation snake-oil salesman want you to think that theirs is the historic understanding of Revelation. They lie. Their version of Revelation is less than 200 years old. It’s the invention of John Nelson Darby. Darbyism by any name is still heresy. Today it is poised to tip the world into disaster. If it does, it is truly a self-fulfilling prophecy.