Smith, ed., “Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22” (reviewed by Greg Seppi)

Review
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apocolypseTitle: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22
Editor: Julie M. Smith
Publisher: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University
Genre: Religious Studies
Year: 2016
Pages: 114
Binding: Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780842528771
Price: $15.95

Reviewed by Greg Seppi for the Association for Mormon Letters

Whether one views the Book of Revelation as the final expression of divine will in the Bible, as a factual summary of things to come, as a symbolic tale of earthly and heavenly happenings, or simply as a meditation on 1st and 2nd Century Christianity, it is difficult to deny that the vivid imagery of blood and chaos in the last days exercises a powerful hold on the imaginations of people even today. The ongoing conversation surrounding Revelation is a function of the text itself—even more than the other books of the New Testament, the author of Revelation was engaged in unveiling or uncovering a mystery, and scholarly consensus today strongly favors a reading of Revelation that seeks to understand the symbols seen by the Revelator.

Moreover, given the eagerness of a certain kind of Christian to find parties to apply the labels in Revelation to over the past twenty centuries, our cultural capability to understand the text has almost certainly been compromised beyond easy repair. That being said, the Book of Revelation is highly significant for understanding the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants; indeed, neither text makes much sense without the context of Revelation (for example, trying to understanding the history of 19th century Mormonism in Missouri without reference to 19th century readings of the holy city mentioned in is difficult).

Yet this text attempts to go beyond both the simple Sunday School answers about the Last Days and historical-cultural examinations of its relationship to Mormon history in an effort to engage Mormon doctrine in what can only be termed a theological way. The readings of Rev. 21-22 offered here attempt to situate the text in Mormon thought, and provide effective ways to read its text and identify its influence on Mormon culture today.

The essays in this volume were originally given at a one-day conference, “Latter-day Saint Readings of Revelation 21-22,” held on September 25, 2009 at the University of Texas at Austin (p. x; all page reference refer to the text under review unless otherwise noted).

Six essays by Latter-day Saint scholars are included. The authors include one lawyer (Kevin Barney), two professors of ancient scripture (Shon Hopkin and Eric D. Huntsman), one professor of philosophy (Adam S. Miller, author of *Letters to a Young Mormon,* one of the better books written in 2013), a professor of English Renaissance literature (B. R. Siegfried), and a biblical studies specialist and blogger (Julie M. Smith). An eclectic bunch, the authors are nevertheless engaged with both the modern theological arguments surrounding the Book of Revelation as well as the way the book is situated in LDS belief. Though the text is relatively brief at 114 pages, the essays are substantive and thought-provoking.

Each essay addresses some distinct aspect of the title chapters. Leading off, Barney’s essay briefly addresses the history of the translation of , first discussing the Renaissance scholar Erasmus’ decision to translate the word which the King James version (KJV) of the Bible translates as “book” as “tree” (the KJV reads “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”). First, Barney lines up references from throughout the LDS scriptural canon to books and trees of life, and argues on this basis that either word would fit the context of . However, he then admits that most textual traditions of read “tree” instead of “book.” He suggests, however, that the terms are more interchangeable than not, and that both have rich and pleasant theological connections throughout LDS scripture.

Julie M. Smith contributes an essay on the poetic and thematic resolution that Rev. 21-22 provides the KJV, arguing that the Revelator’s vision can be seen as a return to the world creating of Genesis 1-3. She begins with , which reads “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (KJV). Drawing on the work of Gregory K. Beale, an evangelical scholar, Smith suggests that the Garden of Eden established in the new world of Rev. 21-22 can be read as a temple—with theologically enriching consequences for our understanding of temples in LDS theology.

B. R. Siegfried’s essay, “The Fruit of Eden’s Tree: The Bride, the Book, and the Water of Life in Revelation,” turns harsher readings of the chaos of the Last Days as depicted in Revelation on their head by focusing on the more joyous “fruits” attained or given to the righteous, in addition to the victory of Christ’s church over His enemies. This is one of the stronger essays in the text, as Siegfried deploys contemporary literary theory and a sharp reading of Renaissance English, resulting in a reading of Revelation that takes into account the KJV translators’ views of marriage and family.

Hopkin provides the fourth essay in the text, a theological and contextual reading of 1 Nephi 11-14 and Revelation. Taking into account the significant confusion regarding the authorship of the Gospel of John, John 1-3, and Revelation, Hopkin suggests that one may view these texts as fragments of ideas originally belonging to the apostle John, while leaving space for future alterations in our understanding of the histories of these texts. This discussion is mostly held in the footnotes of this essay, but I found them to be much more interesting than the text itself. At the same time, the essay itself is not poorly written. It intelligently takes into account the significance of the concept of 12 apostles to both Revelation and 1 Nephi, for example, and deeply considers what the two texts have to offer the reader when viewed side-by-side.

Eric D. Huntsman follows Hopkin’s essay with a nuanced appraisal of the idea of uncovering, or of revelation, viewed in the light of Revelation. He goes on to explore how our understanding of revelation in other biblical works, and in light of LDS theology regarding modern revelation, can be better understood in light of Revelation. This is a well-considered, well-sourced essay.

The final essay in the volume, by Adam S. Miller, deals with what Revelation tells us about the nature of the soul—specifically the images found in (angels sealing servants of God’s foreheads), (those whose names are not found in the Book of Life are cast into the flames), and (the servants of God have his name written on their foreheads). Drawing from the Doctrine and Covenants, Miller goes on to discuss the nature of the body and spirit when discussing the term *soul*. He concludes by discussing the image of the tree of life from , suggesting that this tree represents all of the family of humanity, and that “the material sum of human history bears fruit—with each of the branches overwritten by the roots, and with each of the roots having their names written elsewhere in the branches. To read the vast genealogical text of interdependence and variation that this tree is would be to read the Lamb’s own book of life” (p. 111). Miller thus provides an elegant conclusion to the volume.

Would I spend $16 to buy this book? I think so. It may not appeal greatly to strict constructionists (that is, those who are of the opinion that it is somehow sacrilegious to read too much into the scriptures, and that only a literal interpretation is acceptable), and it may prove too “Mormon” to appeal to religious scholars of Revelation and the New Testament in general, but I suspect that the audience for this book is nevertheless surprisingly large. Practically any Latter-day Saint attempting to divine the deeper meaning of the Book of Revelation would benefit from perusing this text, especially Sunday School teachers and Seminary instructors who are struggling to relate the highly colorful imagery of Revelation to real life. It turns our focus away from the vivid and sometimes disturbing imagery of death and chaos in the last days and allows the reader to instead focus on the frankly glorious message of hope and salvation present in the text.

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