Writing in the Bible: Part 7 Revelation

In the Book of Revelation, John is instructed by Jesus to write to the angels of the seven churches in Asia Minor.  

Revelation 1 v 10-11

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

This seems a strange detail, why couldn’t Jesus just tell them directly?

God wants us to participate in His kingdom.  We are not to be passive in our relationship with Christ, but willing to partake in the good works He has prepared for us.

In writing the letter to the angel, rather than the church, John is addressing the principality over the community.

Hyper-Agents

There seems to be a growing discussion online about what I am defining as ‘hyper-agents’.  I have seen others online call these ‘hyper-objects’, ‘vast disembodied intelligences’, gods, principalities or even angels/demons/saints.

The Modern Scientific view is human consciousness is the only consciousness in the Universe.  But some cognitive scientists are exploring the possibility that ‘we may not be alone’.

A good example of hyper-agency is murmuration. This is where a shoal of fish or a flock of birds move altogether. No one bird or fish is commanding the movements, but their seems to be some intelligence guiding them.

Another example is when we see a protest group come together.  After awhile, they all of a sudden become violent.  What caused this?

Maybe a few people came with bad intentions, but why would the rest of the protestors join in.  People who ordinarily would not smash up a shop window or assault a police officer, now gladly become involved. So, is there a ‘hyper-agent’ tempting and influencing the group?

It is theorised that these hyper-agents exist in the spiritual realm and become attached to different groups.  They are not created out of the interactions between people, but appear to be separate autonomous consciousnesses.

The angels at these seven churches are hyper-agents, or separate consciousnesses, and are tethered to these churches.

By writing to these hyper-agents, John is addressing the principalities which exist in the spiritual realm. He is calling for those hyper-agents to help, support and challenge the Christians in those churches.

Lamb’s Book of Life

The Book of Life is first mentioned in Psalms.

Psalm 69 v 27-28

Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

In the Book of Jubilees, we find a mention of not just this Book, but also the Book of the Dead. The Book of Jubilees is not found in most canons of the Bible, but it was popular amongst the Jewish people in the 2nd Temple period.

Jubilees 30 v 19-23

And so they inscribe as a testimony in his favour on the heavenly tablets blessing and righteousness before the God of all: And we remember the righteousness which the man fulfilled during his life, at all periods of the year; until a thousand generations they will record it, and it will come to him and to his descendants after him, and he has been recorded on the heavenly tablets as a friend and a righteous man.

All this account I have written for thee, and have commanded thee to say to the children of Israel, that they should not commit sin nor transgress the ordinances nor break the covenant which has been ordained for them, (but) that they should fulfil it and be recorded as friends. But if they transgress and work uncleanness in every way, they will be recorded on the heavenly tablets as adversaries, and they will be destroyed out of the book of life, and they will be recorded in the book of those who will be destroyed and with those who will be rooted out of the earth.

According to this extra-Biblical text, all humanity will be divided into two books. Those who are written in the Book of Life are those who exhibit righteous behaviour and will recorded as a friend. But those who act unrighteously, will be removed from the Book of Life and treated as an adversary. Their names will be added to the Book of the Dead, and become one of those who will be destroyed.

How to be Added to the Book of Life

From John’s perspective, I get a sense from the Letter to Sardis in chapter 3, that for someone’s name to be written in the Book of Life they need to:

• Receive Jesus

• Be Faithful

• Repent

• Finish the good works God has for them

I heard in a lecture from St Elijah’s Orthodox Church, Oklahoma that during the early persecution of the Church, the Jewish leaders threatened Jewish Christians with removal from the Book of Life.

So for those Jews who had converted to Christianity, believing Jesus was the foretold Messiah, this was like placing a dagger in their heart.

I think this is one reason why John mentions the Book of Life six times in his Revelation. It was to reassure Jewish Christians that they were still in the Book of Life, even though they had received threats saying the opposite.

And in Revelation 3 we read:

Revelation 3:5

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Jesus says that a Christian will never have their name removed from the Book of Life.

John also follows a similar narrative to what we find in the Book of Jubilees.

Revelation 20:12

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The Books will record everyone’s deeds. The Final Judgement will be based upon what has been written down in them.

A Christian will be spared the fate of those whose names are absent from the Book of Life.

Revelation 20 v 15

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

And they will instead, enter the New Heavens and New Earth, as mentioned at the end of Chapter 21.

Written on Their Hearts

This series has looked at instances where writing happened in the Bible. I want to end it by leaving you with this verse from the Book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31v33

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”