The book “Revelation of Jesus Christ” is an extraordinary work. It is a true explosion of powerful images. One image follows the next. It is an almost endless sequence of motifs. Word and image merge into one.
That is why this book is so unique in the whole Bible.
It is almost like a picture book — made only of language.
I have translated the entire text from Greek into modern language and symbolism. Of course, images must not be missing here. So I have combined word and image in order to strengthen the force of the message.
This book has occupied me for more than 25 years. I have thought about it a great deal, studied works of art and read various interpretations.
Now the time has come.
The mature result is now complete.
The aim was to grasp the basic ideas of the book and to render its true meaning. Language and graphics work together harmoniously, form a coherent unity and appear authentic.
Word and image as one.
But the content of the book is not beautiful. It is about power, wars, hunger, blood, suffering, judgements and just punishment by God.
The book could also be called “Vengeance is mine.” For it is a book of revenge because of the defeat in the First Jewish War (AD 66–70), because of the fall of Jerusalem and because of the destruction of the Temple.
After four years, the Romans defeated the Jewish revolt. For this, Rome, as Babylon, must pay and be justly punished by God.
The scale of the plagues and punishments is apocalyptic. First, seven trumpets sound. One third of the earth is destroyed. Then seven angels pour out seven bowls of wrath over the earth. The targets of wrath are continents, oceans, rivers and the atmosphere, and they are struck hard. Life is almost wiped out. The bitter consequences shake humanity on a global scale.
The author wishes eternal death in the lake of fire upon the beast, that is, the Roman emperor.
The world city Babylon is to sink into the sea for ever.
The urge for revenge and the urge to punish shape the spirit of this book. The wrath of God burns on almost every page.
For the saved and for those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, there is more than a happy ending.
A new heaven and a new earth are promised. Added to this is the New Jerusalem as a unity of Jews and Christians. At the end, the new paradise appears, with the water of life, with the Lamb and with the tree of life.
All’s well that ends well.
Very well known are the four apocalyptic horsemen. They stand for leaders, megalomania, war, military machinery, victims of war, hunger, economic crisis and plagues. In this way, Revelation describes the algorithm of war almost 2,000 years ago.
This algorithm is used again and again by warlords — often unconsciously, often with full intent.
Many horror images from Revelation could today be interpreted as modern means of war: armies of millions, armaments, tanks, fighter jets, bombers, drones, biological weapons, chemical weapons and nuclear weapons. Even mushroom clouds can be recognised in them.
Revelation already deals with global weapons and conflicts.
In short:
Ancient images — and yet terrifyingly modern.
With additional information on the background of the Revelation of John.
Where do all these images come from?
Do they have their counterparts in the Old Testament?
What drove John to write this text?
Was it truly a revelation with visions — or rather a literary and editorial work on the text?
Does this Revelation say anything at all about the future of the world?
Is the future of humanity revealed in this text?
Is this text really God’s plan for us?
Here the Lamb of God appears as a vengeful figure with a will to destroy.
Is that truly biblical in the sense of the New Testament?
Or is a kind of Jewish Zeus being portrayed here?
