Christianity WI: Book of Revelations not canon

[LHB]

At the time of the Council of Nicaea the Book of Revelations was highly controversial & almost didn't make it into Canon.

What if Revelations gets axed by the Council & isn't part of the New Testament? What does that do to Christianity?

 

[A Most Sovereign Lady]

Book of Revelation, there is no s on the end of that word. As to what it does to Christianity were it noncanon, it would essentially sever the religion from its own eschatology, among other things.

 

[Nephi]

Well.without it I'm sure the religion is similar but no end times stuff endlessly on tv, Society is changing, the day is at hand, it's an endless thing.

Also Israel might not exist, I mean in a way it kind of does because people wanted to hasten biblical prophecy, so by giving the Jews a presence in Palestine, it made some of Revelation come true.

 

[Practical Lobster]

Book of Revelation, there is no s on the end of that word. As to what it does to Christianity were it noncanon, it would essentially sever the religion from its own eschatology, among other things.

I mean, would it? There's a lot of concepts in various threads of modern Christianity that aren't explicitly spelled out in the Bible. Purgatory, for one. The role of Satan seems to always get a lot of non-canon addition at least in pop culture as well.

What you'd likely get is a more flexible eschatology. Is there any alternative book that might have served a similar purpose that could have been chosen? Of all the books, it seems the most likely to be rejected in any case.

 

[Escape Zeppelin]

Book of Revelation, there is no s on the end of that word. As to what it does to Christianity were it noncanon, it would essentially sever the religion from its own eschatology, among other things.

Not necessarily. Christianity could effectively remain an apocalyptic religion without Revelation, waiting for the second coming and the end of the world but without a textual basis for that belief. Revelation didn't create those ideas after all, they existed and were popular before Revelation was written. As Practical Lobster points out a great many Christian beliefs and ideas aren't supported by canon religious texts.

 

[Kaze]

Martin Luther briefly toyed with the idea of removing the "Book of Revelations" - he was convinced that nobody understood it (not even other theologians) and it causes too many wrong interpretations. He decided to keep it because he found no theological reason to cut it out of his German bible, he also was trying to find a reason to use beer instead of wine during communion (he could not find a theological reason to do so). But a different timeline might have Protestants without the "Book of Revelations" and having beer in communion instead of wine.

 

[Jared]

What you'd likely get is a more flexible eschatology. Is there any alternative book that might have served a similar purpose that could have been chosen? Of all the books, it seems the most likely to be rejected in any case.

There's always the Apocalypse of Peter, which could lead to some interesting theological changes, given its views on hell and possible eventual salvation.

 

[Aphrodite]

While part of the canons, the Apocalypse is never read liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Coptics do but only once a year during a vigil of holy week when they read the book in its entirety. It plays little role in Eastern theology and you would rarely hear a reference to it. The laity are encouraged to read it only under the guidance of a priest because of its difficult language

There are enough passages in the rest of the New Testament to use for an end times theology if you want to create one. The Rapture is derived from a passage in Thessalonians for example.

Hard to know how it would affect the relationship between modern Protestantism and Israel. Traditional teaching is that Israel is the Church not a nation. The theology is mostly derived from Old Testament passages. The theory of a role for the nation of Israel in the End times would probably not exist without the Apocalypse

 

[Tom Colton]

Total War: Attila needs to get a completely different marketing theme?

More seriously, the Gospel of Mark (and by extension Matthew and Luke, thank you two-source theory) does have the same broad concept in the Olivet Discourse, so it's not like all eschatology will be lost:

“And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

‭‭(Mark‬ ‭13:5-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬)
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That said, one very important consequence will be that Satan will not be identified with the serpent in Genesis (the one that tempts Eve into tempting Adam), nor sensu stricto with the ruler of Hell, as this connection was only made in Revelation; this might scupper the whole Original Sin doctrine.