Futile Speculations A Left-Handed, Cross-Eye

A terrible seven-headed beast with ten horns rises out of the sea. Locusts with the faces of men, sharp fangs like lions and the long hair of women come out of the smoke ascending from the pit. With their tails they sting men and torment them. No modern sci-fi movie has produced images more intriguing or mentally startling than those which are found in Revelation.

But what does it all mean? I myself was stymied in understanding some of these figures until I began to put together some facts. For instance, being left-handed has been considered at times in man's history to be an evil omen. The great harlot of Revelation is clearly evil and thus most certainly was left-handed. Whichever modern world leader she represents must be left-handed. Is Saddam Hussein left-handed? Another clue to the identity of the harlot is that she is drunken (17:6). Everyone knows that alcohol affects the eyesight and so the great harlot is someone with bad eyesight! Is Saddam Hussein cross-eyed??

I am not seriously suggesting any such interpretation of Revelation, but the explanation in the previous paragraph is not substantially different from some of the wildly speculative theories about Revelation! Many people confidently affirm that they can recognize present-day events and current world leaders in the images and action of this strange and unusual book. The beast with its ten horns which arises out of the sea (Revelation 13), according to some, is a revived Roman empire composed of ten Mediterranean nations who form a confederation. Others would identify this beast as a unification of European nations in an economic union. Who is the great harlot of Revelation? She has been variously identified as the Roman Catholic Church, the apostate church...even the United States! The number of the beast, (666 - 13:18), has been computed to fit the pope, several Roman emperors, virtually half of history's bad guys, social security numbers and even the bar code system!

There is no doubt that Revelation is certainly an unusual book. It is an apocalypse, a special type of literature. Signs, visions and symbols are among the trademarks of apocalyptic literature. Portions of Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah fit this kind of literature. The language of such literature is highly figurative, employing imagery which is not intended to be understood literally. During the inter-testamental period, apocalyptic literature supplied necessary encouragement as the Jews endured oppression by their enemies. While apocalyptic literature was based in specific historical circumstances, the message of all apocalyptic was basically the same-God will win! Any interpretation of Revelation which does not take into consideration its apocalyptic nature is destined to produce futile speculations.

Perhaps we may struggle with some of the figures and symbols of the book, but any interpretation of the book should be consistent with the stated purpose of the book. Many interpreters of Revelation believe that the prophecies of the book essentially constitute a diary of church history from the first century to the end of time! Others imagine that the book is actually a prophecy about events which will occur shortly before and at the time of the final coming of Jesus. However, John indicated the timeframe of the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation. He penned in the beginning of the book, ""The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants; things which must shortly take place...Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near."" (1:1a, 3). John also closed the book in a similar fashion (22:6, 10). Three times in the final chapter the Lord announced that He was coming quickly. The Lord's coming was a visitation of judgment upon the harlot Babylon and those who fought against the Lord's people (compare the language of Matthew 24:29-30).

So who is the left-handed, cross-eyed harlot Babylon? Why do so many people engage in such outrageous speculation about Revelation? It can be intoxicating to feel that one knows what will happen on the world stage because of Biblical prophecy. For others, Revelation has no real application if it doesn't speak of current events. Such an attitude ignores the value of apocalyptic literature for any Christian who is oppressed by the servants of the devil...God still reigns!