By Cody Matchett I serve as the Scholar in Residence at First Assembly Church in Calgary Alberta Canada, where I live with my wife Brianna who is a counseling therapist and our two children Aletheia and Atticus. I am one of Scot’s former MA students, a hopeful future PhD student, and the co-author of our upcoming book,
In August, 1989 (I'm old) my wife and I went to a stage play at the Woodruff Arts Center's Studio Theater in Atlanta for our 16th wedding anniversary. We went on a ten day trip to Hawaii for our 15th anniversary and I knew I couldn't afford to top that experience so we went to a very nice restaurant for dinner, and then across Peachtree Street to the Woodruff Arts Center for the play.
I had seen an ad in the newspaper for the play. It was titled "Revelation," but offered no explanation. It was a one-man play, performed by a local Atlanta actor named Tom Key. We had seen him perform in several contexts - including the stage play adaptation of Clarence Jordan's "Cotton Patch Gospel." We both liked him so I took a chance and bought tickets.
The Studio Theater at the time was relatively small, maybe seating 250 people. The stage was very simple: a stool, a fake ancient-world looking column, and a plant of some sort on the column. Tom Key came out dressed in khakis and a blue buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his elbows.
He stepped out on stage and started speaking - from memory - the words of Revelation. He went through the words powerfully, until 11:14, "The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon." There was a fifteen minute intermission.
When he came back on stage, he picked up right where he left off and marched with intent to the end. I can still remember the rise in blood pressure during the pouring out of the seven bowls of the wrath of God; only to be replaced with the peace of "Behold, the dwelling place of God is among humankind." (21:3)
As he was finishing, unlike most plays I have attended in Atlanta, no one started getting their stuff to get ready to rush out. We listened to the very end. It seemed like an eternity, but for a few seconds there was no applause. Then a standing ovation. As people left, they seemed to be much quieter than normal. It was almost like the somberness of walking out of a funeral home after a visitation in the south.
I remember thinking as we walked up the steps to the main floor where the exits were, "I'm so glad I'm a follower of Jesus. He wins." And, as I told my wife in the car driving home, "If I weren't a follower of Jesus already, I'd be looking for a preacher to help me figure this all out."
I didn't need to know what any symbol in book meant. I just knew - perhaps in a more powerful way than ever - that Jesus wins. For me that was a "light-bulb moment" and it occurred to me that apocalyptic language is more drama than I had realized, and needs to be experienced as much as if not more than, interpreted (in a technical way).
I don't know the demographics of the crowd that night. The parking lot was not filled with sixteen passenger church vans, so I'm guessing it wasn't particularly church-going folks. If the lines at the bar before and during intermission is an indicator, it wasn't evangelical since at time we certainly didn't drink alcohol in public and the lines were long!
But the audience was stunned - and I think, despite Tom Key's impressive performance - there was more to the stunning than that.
Thank you for this post. It reminded me of this great moment in my own life - quite a while back in time, but as fresh and meaningful as though it were but yesterday.
I'm leaving a comment, Scot, not for your newsletter but simply for your ear. Back in the 1950s my Episcopal neighbor (with a degree in classical Greek) invited me to join her (with my smattering of NT Greek) on a weekly journey through John's contributions to the NT. So for the next five years, every Thursday morning, she and I got together to work our way through John's writings. As we approached the Revelation. I expected the usual fundamentalist focus on the book, but for Betty, it was "one grand Hallelujah!" And I came alive to the book through her eyes. So I want to thank Cody for taking us readers on a listening experience so that we can hear that one LONG GOOD HALLELUJAH.
Well said Cody. Very excited for this! Just this week in a gathering of shepherds I heard one brother comment to another that he feels so traumatized by the alarmist dooms-day teaching of Revelation that he grew up with in the 80s that it’s basically a book he ignores in his local teaching. We need more resources like this that can help deconstruct and cultivate true listening.
Good stuff. I am looking forward to the book. When you say, "listen", do you suggest we listen to the text being read aloud in some fashion for best results?
Also, this is the second time this week I've encountered the Greek word "makarios" as being translated as "flourishing." The first being Jonathan Pennington's book on the Sermon on the Mount, and now here. Is this now common among scholars? I've been curious how Scot would handle this word in his translation.
At seminary, in a class on teaching The Bible, we went through Revelation accompanied by listening to Elvis Presley’ spiritual songs. It was very meaningful! Listening is soooo important from every direction. This looks very good! One More book on my to read list, because of Scot. Thank you, Cody, and Scot!
In August, 1989 (I'm old) my wife and I went to a stage play at the Woodruff Arts Center's Studio Theater in Atlanta for our 16th wedding anniversary. We went on a ten day trip to Hawaii for our 15th anniversary and I knew I couldn't afford to top that experience so we went to a very nice restaurant for dinner, and then across Peachtree Street to the Woodruff Arts Center for the play.
I had seen an ad in the newspaper for the play. It was titled "Revelation," but offered no explanation. It was a one-man play, performed by a local Atlanta actor named Tom Key. We had seen him perform in several contexts - including the stage play adaptation of Clarence Jordan's "Cotton Patch Gospel." We both liked him so I took a chance and bought tickets.
The Studio Theater at the time was relatively small, maybe seating 250 people. The stage was very simple: a stool, a fake ancient-world looking column, and a plant of some sort on the column. Tom Key came out dressed in khakis and a blue buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his elbows.
He stepped out on stage and started speaking - from memory - the words of Revelation. He went through the words powerfully, until 11:14, "The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon." There was a fifteen minute intermission.
When he came back on stage, he picked up right where he left off and marched with intent to the end. I can still remember the rise in blood pressure during the pouring out of the seven bowls of the wrath of God; only to be replaced with the peace of "Behold, the dwelling place of God is among humankind." (21:3)
As he was finishing, unlike most plays I have attended in Atlanta, no one started getting their stuff to get ready to rush out. We listened to the very end. It seemed like an eternity, but for a few seconds there was no applause. Then a standing ovation. As people left, they seemed to be much quieter than normal. It was almost like the somberness of walking out of a funeral home after a visitation in the south.
I remember thinking as we walked up the steps to the main floor where the exits were, "I'm so glad I'm a follower of Jesus. He wins." And, as I told my wife in the car driving home, "If I weren't a follower of Jesus already, I'd be looking for a preacher to help me figure this all out."
I didn't need to know what any symbol in book meant. I just knew - perhaps in a more powerful way than ever - that Jesus wins. For me that was a "light-bulb moment" and it occurred to me that apocalyptic language is more drama than I had realized, and needs to be experienced as much as if not more than, interpreted (in a technical way).
I don't know the demographics of the crowd that night. The parking lot was not filled with sixteen passenger church vans, so I'm guessing it wasn't particularly church-going folks. If the lines at the bar before and during intermission is an indicator, it wasn't evangelical since at time we certainly didn't drink alcohol in public and the lines were long!
But the audience was stunned - and I think, despite Tom Key's impressive performance - there was more to the stunning than that.
Thank you for this post. It reminded me of this great moment in my own life - quite a while back in time, but as fresh and meaningful as though it were but yesterday.
Thank you thank you thank you
Very well written, Cody. I’ve ordered the book and look forward to reading it.
I'm leaving a comment, Scot, not for your newsletter but simply for your ear. Back in the 1950s my Episcopal neighbor (with a degree in classical Greek) invited me to join her (with my smattering of NT Greek) on a weekly journey through John's contributions to the NT. So for the next five years, every Thursday morning, she and I got together to work our way through John's writings. As we approached the Revelation. I expected the usual fundamentalist focus on the book, but for Betty, it was "one grand Hallelujah!" And I came alive to the book through her eyes. So I want to thank Cody for taking us readers on a listening experience so that we can hear that one LONG GOOD HALLELUJAH.
Well said Cody. Very excited for this! Just this week in a gathering of shepherds I heard one brother comment to another that he feels so traumatized by the alarmist dooms-day teaching of Revelation that he grew up with in the 80s that it’s basically a book he ignores in his local teaching. We need more resources like this that can help deconstruct and cultivate true listening.
Good stuff. I am looking forward to the book. When you say, "listen", do you suggest we listen to the text being read aloud in some fashion for best results?
Also, this is the second time this week I've encountered the Greek word "makarios" as being translated as "flourishing." The first being Jonathan Pennington's book on the Sermon on the Mount, and now here. Is this now common among scholars? I've been curious how Scot would handle this word in his translation.
If one were looking for a well-read reading of Revelation, what would you recommend?
At seminary, in a class on teaching The Bible, we went through Revelation accompanied by listening to Elvis Presley’ spiritual songs. It was very meaningful! Listening is soooo important from every direction. This looks very good! One More book on my to read list, because of Scot. Thank you, Cody, and Scot!