# Revelation as Liturgy in Heaven?



## RamistThomist (Jul 23, 2015)

Is this topic pursued in the scholarly literature (Beale et al)? I've seen some suggest it and it is promising, but I haven't seen a full case for it.


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## MW (Jul 23, 2015)

ReformedReidian said:


> Is this topic pursued in the scholarly literature (Beale et al)? I've seen some suggest it and it is promising, but I haven't seen a full case for it.



Idealists maintain the visions are symbolic of heavenly realities which have been inaugurated with the coming of Christ; this includes the symbols which borrow from the Old Testament worship. They are not taken literally, but understood in terms of the work of the Saviour.


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## JWesley (Jul 23, 2015)

MW said:


> ReformedReidian said:
> 
> 
> > Is this topic pursued in the scholarly literature (Beale et al)? I've seen some suggest it and it is promising, but I haven't seen a full case for it.
> ...



This makes sense to me.


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## SeanAnderson (Jul 24, 2015)

I've seen Eastern Orthodox Christians defend their elaborate liturgy and iconography by invoking Revelation as a pattern for worship. So it's good to be able to refute this.


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## RamistThomist (Jul 24, 2015)

MW said:


> ReformedReidian said:
> 
> 
> > Is this topic pursued in the scholarly literature (Beale et al)? I've seen some suggest it and it is promising, but I haven't seen a full case for it.
> ...



My main difficulty with that view is why would the heavenly host be doing rites that typify an action which has already happened? Further, the texts talks about _events_ which are yet to come, not symbols about past actions


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## MW (Jul 24, 2015)

ReformedReidian said:


> MW said:
> 
> 
> > ReformedReidian said:
> ...



It is the revelation of Jesus Christ signified. So the visions serve to show the significance of Christ as the revelation of God and the fundamental change this revelation has made on the course of history. Heaven and earth are not used geographically, but are theological markers in the revelation of God's purpose.

The book itself correlates the things which are seen with things which are as well as things which shall be hereafter. In other words, the now and the not yet are summed up in Christ Himself to the churches. This becomes even more apparent in the letters to the churches where the revelation of Christ forms the introduction and conclusion of the messages. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.


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