Media & The Book of Revelation 1

The Book of Revelation is a difficult text for most people. It is an imaginative text, rich in imagery. One way to make the text more comprehensible is to draw connections to other imagery. There are several films, TV shows and movies that that can illuminate the text through such connections. I will periodically list some relevant media.

They Live- In this 80s John Carpenter horror film, aliens have completely overtake the earth, hiding themselves using radio signals that cloak their activities. These same signals hide a massive enslavement program, whereby humans are turned essentially into cattle, lulled into laziness and a kind of half-slumber by subliminal messages. A group of freedom fighters find a way to use modified glasses to see through the signal. They can see the horrific aliens for what they are, and moreover can see the messages that are often hidden from sight.

On money they see the message "this is your god". In the highly sexualized media they see the message "breed, and sleep." This is a perfect illustration of what happens to John The Revelator. Apocalypse literally means "unveiling". John is seeing behind a kind of illusion, distraction or more accurately "less significant reality". He is seeing what is really happening 'behind the veil of the senses'. This is not so much about some vision of things to come as a vision of the truth of history in general. He is very much like the freedom fighters awakened to life behind the signal.

He sees a world where greed, corruption, and oppression are the visible signs of invisible demonic forces. Famous people, the powerful, the rich and the systems that keep them in control are mystical, satanic forces. The great disasters of history, and the ongoing struggle between good and evil in this world, are out growths of a cosmic struggle between God and the devil.

And just as the glasses help people to see, and spur them to join the fight, John seeks to help others see the truth, and to persevere and use the weapons of the Spirit to join the fight. I can go on and on. THEY LIVE is rated R and is not for children. But adults can get a better understanding of the Book of Revelation by reflecting on it. Hmmmm...perhaps a new movie-based Bible study waits in the wings.