A History of the End of the World

One of the more perplexing...who am I kidding?  The most perplexing book in the New Testament (and perhaps the whole Bible) is the book of Revelation.  It is a strange amalgam of numerology, symbolic language, visions, epistles, Jewish and Christian apocalyptic traditions as well as a healthy dose of the desire for revenge.  Not an easy read to say the least.  And the irony of it is that the word "apocalypse" means "to reveal."  Most would agree that there is very little that is clearly revealed in the pages of Revelation.

So how did such a strange book (but, we need to be clear, not the only one of its kind in existence - there are plenty of other apocalyptic books that did not make it into the Bible) gain entrance into the canon of Holy Scripture?

Jonathan Kirsch sets out to explain just that.

In his book A History of the End of the World, Kirsch sets out in seven chapters (numerologists might find some significance in that) to deliver a history of the book itself and then turn his attention towards the fascinating and often frightening way in which the book of Revelation has significantly shaped Christian thinking, actions, and has also shaped political ideology from Roman times all the way to contemporary American politics.

This is not a straight commentary on the book of Revelation.  For that you might want to read Mysterious Apocalypse by Arthur Wainwright (Abingdon Press, 1993) or Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger (Abingdon Press, 1993).  Instead, what Kirsch is doing is providing commentary upon the contents of the book of Revelation while also providing a history of apocalyptic literature and its usages.  Kirsch also sets out to develop something of a portrait of the author of Revelation - a task that opens up some profound insight into the text itself as well as bringing to light aspects of the book that might well pass unnoticed.

The book does deal with some of the more difficult passages in Revelation such as the number 666 and the fact that Jesus, while mentioned from time to time, is conspicuously absent from the narrative.  Kirsch quotes Luther who said, "My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book.  There is one sufficient reason for the small esteem in which I hold it - that Christ is neither taught in it nor recognized."

This is not to say Kirsch holds Luther's point of view.  Indeed he records that for some this was a book written by Christ (as it is purported to be a transcript of the words of Christ).  Kirsch does a good job of maintaining his role as scholar and brings the material to the reader in an effort to let the reader understand and make up their own mind.

The latter half of the book takes the reader through a history of the interpretation of the book of Revelation as well as the more infamous uses of it (remember David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Waco?) as well as some of the more modern uses of it by persons who keep trying to predict when the end of the world will take place.

As strange as Revelation might be, so is its history,  Kirsch invites the reader to gain a sense of how different this book is and why.  Again, this is not a verse by verse commentary on the book of Revelation, but it is a solid work that will open one's appreciation and understanding of the book of Revelation.  It is a must read for those for whom the book has always been at best confusing or at worst a book avoided.

Information:

A History of the End of the World

Jonathan Kirsch

New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006