"A call to Holiness in the present"

 Of all the books, Perhaps Revelation is the one where it is most crucial to understand the life setting of the author. Because Revelation is poetry and metaphor, it is inappropriate to "nail down" a precise meaning for every image. It is possible, though, to discern overall contours of what the book meant to the first readers. Then we listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church today through the same images. How would John of Patmos view the huge profits made on wall street while most of the world lives in poverty? What does Revelation say to a society that slaughters a quarter of its babies in the womb?  Evangelicals have been distracted long enough with debates about the sequence of Christ's return, tribulation, the millennium, and the New Jerusalem. Jesus warned against such speculation and instructed his followers to get on with the mission work (Acts 1:7-8). he main intent of Christian teaching about the future is to call God's people to holiness and bold allegiance to Jesus in our present life and witness (see 1 John 3:2-3). Fortunately,  Revelation is not the only biblical guide for how we deal with government and society. Paul was cautiously optimistic about the validity of Rome, perhaps before Nero went off the rails. P" (Rom. 13;4) Paul said the ruler is " God's servant to do you good.  Christians are not anarchists. Nor do we categorically declare most governments entirely good or entirely evil.  Parts of almost any political, economic or social structure. will be serving God.  Other parts will be fallen. We need Holy Spirit guidance, deep roots in scripture and counsel of the faith community to discern the difference. It a jungle out there.