BEMA Episode Link: 183: Revelation — Seals from Scripture
Episode Length: 21:16
Published Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2020 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine some of the context behind the seals of the scroll that are opened and what happens when they are, taking note of the apocalyptic chaos that ensues.

Discussion Video for BEMA 183

Transcript for BEMA 183

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 183: Revelation - Seals from Scripture

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 183 - Revelation: Seals from Scripture Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Revelation 6-7, focusing on the seven seals and their connection to Hebrew Scripture

This episode examines the symbolism of the seven seals in Revelation 6-7, demonstrating how John drew extensively from Hebrew Scripture to communicate with his first-century audience. The discussion emphasizes understanding Revelation not as future prophecy but as apocalyptic literature written to encourage persecuted believers in the first century. The hosts explore cultural context from the Greco-Roman world, identify textual connections to the Hebrew Scriptures, and challenge modern readers to reconsider how privilege affects biblical interpretation.

Key Takeaways

  • The four horses of the apocalypse originated in Zechariah 6, not Revelation - John was remixing existing apocalyptic imagery
  • First-century readers would have immediately recognized the cultural references to Roman conquest, gladiatorial violence, grain shortages, and earthquakes
  • The number 144,000 is symbolic (12 tribes x 12,000), representing the complete community of God’s people with no one missing
  • Revelation was written to real people experiencing real persecution, not as a coded message about distant future events
  • Modern Western readers struggle to understand Revelation because we mistake loss of privilege for persecution
  • The original audience knew the martyrs mentioned “under the altar” by name - these were their family members and friends
  • Understanding Revelation requires recognizing the extensive use of remezim (hints/allusions) to Hebrew Scripture throughout the text

Main Concepts & Theories

Roman Conquest and Imperial Ideology

The imagery of conquest in Revelation 6 directly engages with Roman imperial propaganda. Julius Caesar’s famous declaration “Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) established a pattern of conquest as virtue. Augustus later developed this into a systematic ideology: “Piety, war, victory, peace” - a linear narrative claiming that true peace only comes through military conquest. This is what the hosts define as “empire” in their Tale of Two Kingdoms framework.

The first seal’s white horse with its rider holding a bow and crown represents this conquering ideology. For first-century readers living under Roman occupation, this imagery was immediately recognizable and deeply personal.

The Four Horses as Cultural Commentary

Each of the four horses corresponds to aspects of Roman imperial reality:

  1. White Horse (First Seal) - Conquest and military expansion
  2. Red Horse (Second Seal) - Bloodshed through both war and entertainment (gladiatorial combat)
  3. Black Horse (Third Seal) - Economic exploitation and grain shortages (matching archaeological evidence from Asia Minor)
  4. Pale Horse (Fourth Seal) - Death itself, combined with the Greek concept of Hades as the underworld

These are not abstract future predictions but descriptions of present reality for the original audience - the tangible costs of living under empire.

Textual Foundations in Hebrew Scripture

John built Revelation on a foundation of Hebrew Scripture, expecting his audience to recognize these connections:

  • Zechariah 6 - The original “four horses of the apocalypse” in a chariot race
  • Hosea 13:24, 10:8 - Images of death, famine, and pestilence
  • Jeremiah 15:2-3, 24:10 - Apocalyptic judgments
  • Ezekiel 5:17 - Famine and pestilence
  • Psalm 79 and Psalm 114 (particularly v. 84) - Cries of the slain for justice
  • Isaiah 29 and Ezekiel 38:19 - Great earthquakes
  • Isaiah 34:12-14 - Cosmic upheaval matching Revelation 6:12-14

The Jewish listeners were equipped to expound on these connections. What seems mysterious to modern readers was familiar territory for the original audience.

The Symbolism of 144,000

This number is not literal but symbolic, built on the significance of twelve:

  • Twelve represents God’s people (the 12 tribes of Israel)
  • Each tribe has 12,000 (God’s people multiplied by complete community)
  • 144,000 = 12 tribes x 12,000 = the entirety of God’s people with no one missing

This is followed immediately by “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language” - emphasizing inclusivity and completeness rather than exclusivity or limitation.

Apocalyptic Hope Through Festival Imagery

The vision of the multitude holding palm branches connects to:

  • Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) - One of the few times in Hebrew Scripture when multitudes gather with palm branches
  • Zechariah’s apocalyptic vision - Concludes with all nations streaming to Jerusalem to celebrate Tabernacles together

This wasn’t abstract symbolism but concrete hope: God’s promises would be fulfilled just as the festivals foreshadowed.

The Great Tribulation as Present Reality

When Revelation 7 speaks of “those who have come out of the great tribulation,” first-century readers understood this as their current experience, not a future event. The promises that follow - no more hunger, thirst, scorching heat, with God wiping away tears - drew from Isaiah 25, 35, 51, and 65, providing hope rooted in centuries-old prophetic promises.

Kiddush HaShem - Hallowing the Name

The martyrs died to “hallow the name” (kiddush HaShem), following their rabbi Jesus who demonstrated the narrative of self-sacrifice. This stands in stark contrast to protecting privilege or pursuing comfortable lives - a challenging message for modern Western readers.

Examples & Applications

Misreading Through Privilege

The hosts provide a penetrating critique of modern Western interpretation: “We have mistaken the loss of privilege for persecution.” Examples given include cultural anxieties over:

  • Starbucks cups
  • Bathroom signs
  • Wedding cakes

These concerns occupy attention that the original audience would have devoted to questions of survival and faithfulness under genuine persecution. The original readers faced:

  • Systemic, premeditated extermination of their fellowship
  • The Roman sword literally threatening their lives
  • Watching family members killed for refusing to worship the emperor
Archaeological Confirmation

The reference to grain prices in Revelation 6:6 (“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages”) matches exactly with archaeological records from biblical Asia Minor. This demonstrates how John addressed real economic conditions his audience faced under Roman rule.

The Colosseum Connection

Brent’s visit to the Colosseum in Rome provides a tangible connection to the “red horse” symbolism. The gladiatorial combat wasn’t occasional entertainment but systemic violence embedded in Roman culture and art. Blood wasn’t just present in war but celebrated in public spectacle.

Personal Connection to Martyrs

Unlike modern readers who treat Revelation’s martyrs as abstract figures, the original audience knew them personally. The “souls under the altar” in Revelation 6:9 were “people they knew by name” - brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins. This personal grief and loss fundamentally changes how one reads apocalyptic encouragement.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Deep Study of Source Texts
  • Compare Revelation 6:12-14 with Isaiah 34 in detail
  • Study Ezekiel 45 and its connection to Revelation’s vision of restoration
  • Explore how Zechariah’s apocalyptic vision (especially the final chapter) shaped John’s framework
  • Investigate the full context of Psalm 114, particularly around verse 84
Cultural-Historical Research
  • Study the development of Roman imperial ideology from Julius Caesar through Augustus
  • Research the specific grain shortages in first-century Asia Minor
  • Examine the practice and theology of emperor worship that Christians refused
  • Investigate the archaeological evidence of earthquakes in the seven cities of Revelation
Theological Themes
  • The relationship between self-sacrifice and kingdom building
  • How apocalyptic literature functioned as resistance literature
  • The concept of kiddush HaShem in Jewish thought and Christian martyrdom
  • The tension between God’s judgment as universal (affecting all people regardless of status) versus selective
Contemporary Application
  • What does genuine persecution look like in the 21st century globally?
  • How do Christians in persecuted regions interpret Revelation differently?
  • What is the proper response to actual loss of cultural privilege versus persecution?
  • How should the self-sacrificial way of Jesus shape political engagement?
Literary Analysis
  • The function of remezim (textual hints) in Jewish interpretive tradition
  • How numbers function symbolically versus literally in apocalyptic literature
  • The structure and purpose of apocalyptic literature as a genre
  • Comparative study of Revelation with other Jewish apocalyptic texts (Daniel, portions of Ezekiel, Zechariah)

Comprehension Questions

  1. How does understanding the Roman slogan “Piety, war, victory, peace” help interpret the imagery of the four horses in Revelation 6? What was John communicating to his audience about the nature of empire?

  2. Explain the symbolic meaning of 144,000 in Revelation 7. Why is this number significant, and how does it relate to the “great multitude that no one could count” mentioned immediately after?

  3. What is the connection between the multitude holding palm branches in Revelation 7 and the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles)? How does this relate to Zechariah’s apocalyptic vision?

  4. According to Marty, why do modern Western readers struggle to understand Revelation while the original audience would not have been “baffled” by its contents? What specific differences in experience contribute to this interpretive gap?

  5. How does the concept of kiddush HaShem (hallowing the name) relate to the way the martyrs in Revelation are portrayed? What challenge does this present to contemporary Christian life and priorities?

Summary

BEMA Episode 183 reframes Revelation 6-7 as a document deeply rooted in both first-century Greco-Roman culture and Hebrew Scripture. Rather than a mysterious prediction of distant future events, John wrote apocalyptic encouragement to believers facing real persecution under Roman rule. The four horses represent aspects of imperial reality: conquest, violence, economic exploitation, and death. The number 144,000 symbolizes the complete community of God’s people with no one missing.

John built his message on extensive allusions to Hebrew Scripture - particularly Zechariah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and the Psalms - expecting his audience to recognize these connections. The martyrs mentioned were known personally by the original readers, not abstract future figures. The vision of restoration drew from festival imagery, especially Sukkot, promising that God’s ancient promises would indeed be fulfilled.

The episode challenges modern Western readers to recognize how privilege affects interpretation. We project Revelation into the future partly because we don’t know genuine persecution - we mistake loss of cultural privilege for persecution itself. The original audience gave their lives for kiddush HaShem (hallowing God’s name), following Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice. Understanding Revelation requires recognizing it as contextual, scripturally-grounded encouragement to remain faithful even unto death - a message that still speaks powerfully to persecuted believers today while confronting comfortable Western Christianity with uncomfortable truths about what discipleship truly costs.

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